Year 1507 of the Sea Circle Calendar, waters near Sabaody Archipelago.
Thunder roared in the sky, rain poured down, and storms churned up massive waves. The usually calm waters around Sabaody Archipelago rarely experienced such weather.
Seabirds sang, and above the empty blue sea, towering waves swept across everything.
A brilliant light flashed in the darkness, and a girl clad in black Ninja Attire suddenly appeared beneath the water's surface.
"Holy crap, the sea…"
Icy seawater instantly swallowed her, cutting off her words and filling her throat with gurgling sounds.
Due to the unique energy constantly emanating from the seawater, her Devil Fruit's Abilities were suppressed within her body, and her strength was gradually being stripped away.
'System, you bastard...'
After expelling a large bubble of air, Sakura felt her limbs grow as heavy as if filled with molten lead, sinking her deeper into the abyss.
The noise of rain pounding the sea surface faded away, darkness flooding her vision like an incoming tide. Only the sound of bubbles rising reminded her that life hadn't completely left her.
At that moment, in the distance, a red-skinned Fish-man witnessed the scene.
'That's... a human child?'
Confirming his thoughts from the girl's youthful face, the Fish-man instinctively moved to rescue her.
But as he began to swim, a searing pain erupted from the brand on his chest, freezing him in place. Yet, a fire ignited within his heart.
'Why? Why save a human?'
'Hadn't I fallen to this state, my dreams burned to ashes, my dignity trampled, all thanks to humans?'
The cold ocean currents brushed past him. The Fish-man's eyes, now wide open, were bloodshot as he screamed inwardly in agony.
'Being swallowed by the sea was her fate. She deserved it. Every human deserved it. I just needed to watch… there was nothing wrong with that!'
But... why were his hands, capable of crushing solid rock, trembling?
'If I become that cold, wouldn't I... wouldn't I be just like the humans?'
His remaining conscience tormented him, reducing the robust man to tears, which were mercilessly washed away by the seawater.
His heart roared, emotions surged.
The hatred born from emotion could never shake the resolve forged by reason!
Even after being tortured and scarred by human cruelty, the Fish-man ultimately chose a future that could connect the destinies of both races.
'-At the very least, children are innocent!'
His thoughts cleared. With strength dozens of times greater than a human's, he propelled himself forward, transforming into a torrential current.
Weaving through the turbulent underwater currents, he reached the girl's side in an instant.
Grabbing her hand, he swiftly swam toward the surface.
Splash!
At Grove 16 of Sabaody Archipelago, the red Fish-man dragged the girl ashore. Seeing her unresponsive, a dreadful thought crossed his mind.
"No, she's been drowning for too long. A doctor… I need to find her a doctor!"
Guilt-ridden, he lifted her and prepared to sprint toward the island's interior.
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
"No need. I am a doctor myself. Thank you!"
To his surprise, the girl suddenly woke up, pounding her chest to expel the ingested water.
Gasping heavily after her near-death experience, Sakura steadied herself with the Fish-man's support.
'System, explain this to me! What exactly is going on?'
[Explanation: Cross-world positioning is directed toward locations of significant fate fluctuations, not something this system can control.]
'Fate?'
Her blurred vision gradually focused, and the tall red Fish-man before her became clearer.
In her memories, there seemed to be a face identical to his, one that eventually died filled with hatred.
"Fisher Tiger?"
The Fish-man, hearing his name called, paled and retreated several steps, adopting a defensive stance.
Having re-engaged with humans, he was abruptly reminded of his identity. As a fugitive slave who had escaped from Holy Land Mary Geoise, he was a wanted man.
'Was I about to be captured by humans again...?'
"Wait, allow me to thank you properly once more."
"My name is Haruno Sakura, thank you for saving me!"
For once, Sakura wasn't wearing her usual casual smile. Instead, she looked solemnly at her savior.
Along with her sincere words, she extended a hand toward Fisher Tiger.
It wasn't a gesture of driving him away as a monster, nor was it a discriminatory gaze sizing him up as merchandise. It was a rare, precious act of human kindness.
Looking at the hand before him, Fisher Tiger's heart trembled. His damp palms hesitated, unsure how to respond.
For the first time, Fisher Tiger didn't take pride in his strength. Instead, he feared his immense power might scare away this human kindness.
Bang!
Suddenly, he felt a warm touch grasping his hand, shaking it firmly.
"You... I... You're called… no, my name is Fisher Tiger."
After enduring long years of hardship and suffering under the Celestial Dragons, he had finally witnessed on land what Queen Otohime had preached… something so beautiful.
For the first time in what felt like an eternity, the idealism that had nearly been burned away by hatred for humans seemed to stir once more.
Fisher Tiger's other hand pressed against his chest, fingers clutching tightly at the coarse hemp fabric of his garment.
It was too late. This girl had appeared too late.
All that remained here was a demon driven by hatred, his veins flowing with nothing but resentment.
Filled with rage, he could no longer tread the path Queen Otohime had advocated.
Seeking revenge against the vile rulers was the ashes of his ideals, condensed from the remnants of regret and unwillingness after being burned by the flames of hatred.
"In that case, let me go with you!"
"!!!"
The sound of the storm faded away. The sea foam spraying onto his face went unnoticed. Fisher Tiger's mind went blank, filled only with a ringing noise.
The tall man exclaimed hoarsely, "What did you say?"
"I said, I'll go with you to take revenge on those rulers. Anyway, I can't stand them either."
Her tone was so casual, as if she were just going out for a stroll and picking up a bottle of soy sauce along the way.
Yet, alongside her shocking declaration, dark lightning erupted wildly. A pure will forged an imposing presence that inch by inch tore through the gloom before Fisher Tiger's eyes.
Blazing light flowed within the shockwaves, sweeping across the land and even causing the towering mangrove trees supporting the island to sway violently.
"You..."
The red Fish-man seemed to pale slightly. Sweat drenched his face, his mouth agape. His eyes widened so forcefully that blood vessels strained.
It wasn't just because the girl before him displayed an ability similar to Queen Otohime's in Fish-Man Island. It was also because of her audacity to disregard the World Government entirely.
For the first time, Fisher Tiger felt curiosity toward a human.
'What kind of environment could have nurtured such a girl?'
"But that's... the World Government..."
The Fish-man's voice was hoarse, choked with emotion.
"So what? I'm a pirate. I'm already their enemy!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Sakura laughed heartily and gave her answer.
At that moment, in Fisher Tiger's eyes, the girl's unrestrained laughter became the only thing that mattered.