"You should know, Sengoku, that what we want to know isn't just this."
"If it were simply about intelligence on those Fish-Men, the World Government's intelligence agencies would have already thoroughly investigated them. What we want to know now is how long it will take for the Navy to capture these audacious criminals!"
If they had only caused chaos in the Holy Land of Mariejois, that would be one thing, but now, with two Celestial Dragons dead, the pressure on the Five Elders was clearly immense.
Setting aside the families of Charlos Saint and Charlmos Saint, even other families of Celestial Dragons felt that the dignity of the World Nobles had been challenged and demanded that the World Government give them an explanation.
The reason people fear the Celestial Dragons is largely due to their powerful backing, to the point where even the World Government is seen as their lapdog.
But if someone can kill a Celestial Dragon and continue to roam the seas freely, who would fear the World Nobles in the future?
The death of Charlos Saint and Charlmos Saint was a minor matter compared to the fact that it was a blow to the pride of all the Celestial Dragons.
"Fish-Men are different from other races. They can move through the seas even without ships."
"Therefore, capturing these criminals on the vast ocean is not an easy task..."
"Then directly attack Fish-Man Island, force them to hand over Fisher Tiger and his group, or launch a Buster Call on Fish-Man Island!" one of the Five Elders, who held a cane, coldly suggested before Sengoku could finish his sentence.
However, this proposal was immediately rejected by the other members of the Five Elders.
"That might not be wise. Fish-Man Island is one of the kingdoms that pays tribute to the Celestial Dragons. Attacking them could cause other tribute-paying nations to become wary."
After this elder voiced his opposition, Sengoku quickly chimed in, "After the incident, I immediately contacted King Neptune of Fish-Man Island. He stated that Fisher Tiger and his group had long been exiled from Fish-Man Island."
"Furthermore, Fish-Man Island is unlike other islands. Located 10,000 meters under the sea, even though ships can be coated for the journey, fighting Fish-Men in such deep waters would be unwise."
"If the coating on the ships breaks, even the strongest marines would be powerless to resist and would be buried in the depths of the sea. After all, they aren't Fish-Men or Merfolk; they can't breathe underwater or withstand the crushing pressure of the deep sea."
If Fish-Man Island were easy to destroy, the World Government would have done it long ago.
After all, Fish-Man Island is a crucial checkpoint for those heading to the New World, where Log Poses must be calibrated to other island locations.
Destroying Fish-Man Island would force pirates seeking to enter the New World to take the dangerous Red Line route, meaning they would have to pass by Marine Headquarters.
But because of its unique location and the fighting capabilities of the Fish-Men, Fish-Man Island has continued to exist.
"The Navy has already issued bounties for the Fish-Men involved in the Mariejois incident. The best officers from Marine Headquarters have been dispatched to search the seas, so there should be news soon."
"It had better be soon!"
While Sengoku was discussing with the Five Elders, Tiger and Wood's bodies were being washed ashore on a deserted island in the New World.
After rescuing Wood from the sea, Tiger used up the last of his energy to swim rapidly while carrying Wood. After a half-day of intense swimming, Tiger finally saw the small island and passed out from exhaustion.
Seagulls hovering above, attracted by the small fish and shrimp clinging to their bodies, pecked and hopped on them, successfully waking the two up.
Both Tiger and Wood were severely injured, but because they were utterly exhausted, they could only lie on the beach, waiting to regain some strength.
In the world of pirates, people are tough; as long as they aren't killed outright, they typically don't die easily.
"You aren't one of our Fish-Man kin, so why would you risk so much to help us?"
The two men lay silently on the beach, with nothing but the chirping of seagulls around them. After a long period of silence, Tiger finally broke the quiet, voicing the question that had been weighing on his mind.
The tension between Fish-Men and humans had existed for as long as either race could remember. Just as Fish-Men often regarded humans as inferior, humans likewise saw Fish-Men as filthy beings.
Tiger had rarely encountered humans who didn't harbor prejudice against Fish-Men. But someone like Wood, willing to help Fish-Men and even risk his life for them, was someone Tiger had never met before.
"Then let me ask you this: back in Mariejois, why did you choose to save the non-Fish-Man slaves?"
"According to your beliefs, only Fish-Men are your kin. So, what made you decide to save others as well?" Wood countered.
Tiger fell silent at the question, unsure of how to respond.
It was humans who had sold his kin into slavery to the Celestial Dragons. Yet, when Tiger saw the other human slaves caged alongside the Fish-Men in Mariejois, he was unexpectedly moved.
Was it out of sympathy? Or perhaps it was something Queen Otohime once said?
"If you can't figure it out, let me answer your question for you."
"A race consists of many individuals, but the actions of a few individuals cannot represent an entire race, no matter how powerful they are."
"There are good and bad people among humans. Just as some humans would sell your kin, others bear no prejudice against Fish-Men and are even willing to take risks for them."
"You are a hero of the Fish-Men, but even you cannot represent the entire Fish-Man race. Can you guarantee that no Fish-Man has ever committed evil somewhere in the world?"
Tiger wanted to argue, especially when Wood mentioned Fish-Men committing evil.
But as he opened his mouth to speak, he found himself at a loss for words. While he believed in his kin, he could only vouch for those who followed him. As for others, Tiger couldn't definitively