To Wood, a transmigrator deeply influenced by modern culture, he genuinely didn't see much difference between Fish-Men and humans.
In fact, as a hardcore fan of anime and manga, he even thought that having a few "add-on" features like fox ears or a cat tail might be appealing.
Undeniably, Fish-Men with their colorful skin and fish-like appearances were not particularly attractive in terms of looks.
But to Wood, who was deeply immersed in novels and games, Fish-Men still fell within the realm of "human" compared to some grotesque monsters.
Perhaps because Wood's words were so sincere, they unexpectedly caused Fisher Tiger, a five-meter-tall tough guy, to have a dazed expression. He murmured, "Humans and Fish-Men might have the same ancestors…"
"I believe that one day, Fish-Men and humans will be able to understand each other!"
Recalling what Wood had just said, Tiger suddenly remembered the words Queen Otohime had once spoken to him.
Tiger had always respected Queen Otohime, but he didn't take her words seriously. However, after meeting Wood, he was willing to believe in that possibility.
The two lay side by side on the beach without saying much more. Until nightfall, when they had regained some strength and could move on their own.
A day later, Jinbei and the others found the small island by following Tiger's life paper.
Tiger wanted Wood to join him and introduce him as a benefactor to the other Fish-Men, but Wood refused.
Tiger, being straightforward and loyal, quickly understood the danger Wood faced if his identity as a Marine was revealed. Wood explained that the identity of "Fish-Man Sword Saint Yasuo" was now dead and would no longer appear on the seas. From now on, there would only be Marine Wood.
Tiger wasn't foolish. He quickly realized how risky it would be for Wood if the truth came out. Although he trusted Jinbei and the others, he knew it was best to keep the secret. He decided to take this secret to the grave.
"It's better not to return to Fish-Man Island for the time being. The World Government won't let this go easily, even if 'Fish-Man Sword Saint Yasuo' is dead. The Navy, under pressure from the World Government and the Celestial Dragons, will definitely hunt you down. As for the human slaves you rescued, I suggest you find an island to leave them on."
Wood, who had used the guise of a Fish-Man to save Hancock and the others, felt he owed the Fish-Men something in return. He had to repay Tiger's life-saving grace.
According to the original storyline, after escaping from Mariejois, Tiger was betrayed by the villagers while returning the slave girl Koala to her island. This led to his death at the hands of the Navy.
Severely injured, Tiger refused a blood transfusion due to his disillusionment with humanity, ultimately dying with the words, "I will not submit to humans."
The Navy officer in charge of the operation was Commodore Cadillac, one of Wood's acquaintances who had once traveled to Maple Leaf Island with Admiral Zephyr.
In this timeline, the incident at Mariejois happened three years earlier than originally depicted, and Koala wasn't among the slaves saved by Tiger and his crew.
However, out of caution, Wood reminded Tiger to be careful before he left.
In the original storyline, Tiger's bounty was 230 million Berries after the Mariejois incident. But because of the deaths of the Celestial Dragons, the situation had escalated, raising his bounty to 350 million Berries.
Including the bounties of Jinbei and the others, the total amount was considerable.
Never trust human nature too much because it is often ugly. With such a large bounty at stake, there are bound to be those driven by greed.
"Boss Tiger, it's a relief that you're okay. Your life paper almost burned up completely. So, in the end, were you unable to save our fellow swordsman? I heard from the Navy that 'Fish-Man Sword Saint Yasuo' has been confirmed dead at sea."
Holding the wanted poster handed to him by a subordinate, Tiger remained silent. As he looked at the small island in the distance, he announced his decision to form the Sun Pirates.
Naturally, Tiger himself would be the captain of the Sun Pirates. While everyone expected Jinbei or Arlong to become the first mate, Tiger surprised them by declaring that "Fish-Man Sword Saint Yasuo" would be the first mate.
Wood had said that the name "Fish-Man Sword Saint Yasuo" might disappear from the seas, but Tiger was determined to make the name of the Sun Pirates resound across the seas and ensure that the name of "Fish-Man Sword Saint Yasuo" would live on.
Jinbei had no objections to Tiger's decision because he understood that Tiger wanted the other Fish-Men to remember the swordsman's sacrifice.
Arlong, although somewhat dissatisfied, had to admit that without the swordsman's sacrifice, they might not have survived Mariejois. So, he also voiced no objections.
Three days after Tiger left, a medium-sized schooner slowly approached a deserted island. A beautiful and valiant female swordsman, holding a piece of life paper that had stopped moving, confirmed that the person she was looking for was on the island and dropped anchor.
As Gion jumped from the ship's deck, she spotted Wood returning from the forest with food.
He was now shirtless, with a large bear draped over his shoulder, looking like he had been thoroughly beaten. His well-defined muscles were not overly bulky but exuded strength.
After a few days of rest, most of Wood's wounds had scabbed over. He wore a hat made of woven leaves, and while carrying a bear several times his size on one shoulder, he was casually eating a skewer of roasted chicken wings with the other hand.
"Yo, Gion, you finally made it here. I was wondering why, even after Fisher Tiger and the Fish-Men left days ago, you hadn't arrived yet. My injuries have improved a lot, and I was even thinking of stocking up on food and swimming back to Marine Headquarters myself."
Gion had been very worried about Wood's safety, especially since, like Tiger, Wood's life paper had almost completely burned up.
Even though the life paper had slowly started to recover after Wood escaped danger, Gion had quickly delivered Hancock and the others to a safe island and rushed to find Wood.
However, when she saw Wood living as if he were on vacation, Gion couldn't help but feel that all her previous worries had been for nothing!