When Wood made his comment, Gion quickly realized that her actions were a bit unseemly. Feeling both embarrassed and annoyed, she stomped on the tiger shark Fish-Man's head again, pressing it further into the deck.
Tiger Shark Fish-Man: I didn't even say anything, and I'm still getting beaten? My head is being stomped into the deck, and I can't see anything with your foot covering my eyes!
"Wood, forget what you just saw!"
"It's fine. Actually, your actions fit your dominant demeanor quite well. I knew someone in Impel Down named Sadi, and she's even more..."
Before Wood could finish, he noticed that Konpira was already at his throat, and Gion was glaring at him with a dangerous look. "I said to forget what you just saw. Or do I need to personally help you reorganize your memory?"
Facing the intimidating Gion, Wood quickly surrendered, raising his hands in mock surrender. After all, her impressive figure convinced him it was better to comply, at least for now.
Looking at the lantern fish Fish-Man and the squid-like Fish-Man that Wood had brought aboard, Gion remembered the situation at hand.
"Were there only these three Fish-Men attacking our ship?"
Hearing Gion's question, Wood glanced at the dead Sea King on the ship and the beaten-down tiger shark Fish-Man. He had a general understanding of what had happened while he was underwater.
"There were about eight Fish-Men attacking us. The others fled while I surfaced for air. But the guy you just stomped into the deck seems to be their leader. If you want more information, he's the one to ask."
The tiger shark Fish-Man, who had just fainted from blissful unconsciousness, was quickly slapped awake.
When he opened his eyes, he was greeted by Wood's bright smile and Gion standing with her arms crossed, making her figure even more pronounced.
"If you think I'll betray my comrades, think again! We Fish-Men would never sell out our own kind!"
The tiger shark Fish-Man, having failed to save his comrades and now captured himself, knew what fate awaited him. Still, he tried to maintain his pride.
But despite his bold words, Wood noticed that the Fish-Man only dared to look at him while speaking. Whenever his gaze fell on Gion, it would quickly shift away.
It couldn't be helped. To the tiger shark Fish-Man, both Wood and Gion were exceptionally strong humans, but Gion had left a much deeper psychological scar.
In the Fish-Man's mind, Gion was like a devil. If not for the remarkable healing abilities of Fish-Men and the fact that sharks can regrow teeth quickly, he wouldn't even be able to speak properly now.
"Gion, it seems you have a stronger influence on him. How about you handle the questioning? A few more stomps might make him talk..."
Before Wood could finish his sentence, he felt a murderous gaze from behind. Sensing danger, he promptly shut up.
Not only was Gion well-endowed, but she was also a Marine Lieutenant. As a mere high-ranking grunt, Wood realized that the tough jobs still fell to him.
"Listen, my Fish-Man friend, I suggest you speak up soon. I used to work at Impel Down, and I've seen plenty of methods for torturing and interrogating prisoners. If you wait until you're in pain to talk, it'll be too late."
Despite Wood's words, the tiger shark Fish-Man maintained his defiant attitude, convinced that Wood was nothing more than a paper tiger, lacking the intimidation of the woman standing next to him.
A few minutes later…
"Stop! Please stop! I'll tell you everything!"
A few minutes earlier, the tiger shark Fish-Man had been full of defiance. Now, he was screaming in agony, his face showing utter despair.
It was well known that during Wood's time working at Impel Down, he was on particularly good terms with Chief Warden Sadi.
But who was Sadi? She was infamous throughout Impel Down as a sadist, with countless methods for torturing prisoners. Wood had naturally picked up a few tricks from her.
At this moment, the tiger shark Fish-Man was tied to a post, facing it with his rear exposed. Various devices had been added to his nether regions, which would likely make him a frequent visitor to the proctologist if he ever made it back.
"Is this what you learned at Impel Down?" Gion asked, looking at the tiger shark Fish-Man's defeated expression. Her gaze toward Wood was filled with disdain, and she subtly moved away from him.
"Uh, well… the method may be crude, but you can't deny the results are effective, right? Besides, this is nothing. Sadi is far more ruthless. Many prisoners who were once tough guys would go weak at the knees just seeing her."
As Wood explained, he noticed that Gion's expression had darkened even more.
"Didn't you say earlier that my personality was like that of your friend Sadi?"
Gion hadn't paid much attention to Wood's comment earlier since she didn't know who Sadi was. But now it was clear that Sadi was undoubtedly a sadist, and Wood comparing her to Sadi meant he thought she was a sadist too!
After a brief chaotic scene, the farce finally ended. From their interrogation of the tiger shark Fish-Man, Wood and Gion learned that he was part of a Fish-Man pirate crew.
Their leader was the infamous Fisher Tiger!
At this point, Tiger had not yet climbed the Red Line to Mary Geoise, nor had he freed the slaves to rescue his people, so technically, he wasn't a hero to the Fish-Men yet.
However, that didn't mean Fisher Tiger was an unknown figure.
Though not yet a major player on the world stage, Tiger was already a significant figure on Fish-Man Island and held considerable respect among his people.
The Fish-Men longed to live on land, to see the sun and forests, and the adventure group Tiger had formed was helping them achieve that dream.
The tiger shark Fish-Man and his group had accidentally discovered a kidnapped mermaid on Sabaody Archipelago. They had intended to rescue their comrade and earn Tiger's admiration, but instead, they had bitten off more than they could chew!
Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 155 at patreon.com/Betek.