Fisher Tiger was always a man of deep loyalty and righteousness; otherwise, he wouldn't have climbed the Red Line to save his fellow fish-men, doing something so audacious.
When Tiger was stranded on the deserted island, he admired Wood's words. So, when he heard the news that Wood had betrayed the Marines, he was thrilled for quite a while.
To Tiger, someone like Wood, who had a true sense of justice, was clearly incompatible with the Marines. It was only a matter of time before he clashed with them.
When Tiger learned that Wood had defected from the Marines and had become a wanted pirate, he even considered inviting Wood to join his Sun Pirates.
Even though they were a fish-man crew and Wood was a human, Tiger believed that someone who could speak such heartfelt words on the island would surely be able to genuinely understand and connect with the fish-men in the crew.
Just recently, Tiger had seen news of Wood's activities in the West Blue, and he had planned to leave the New World and enter the first half of the Grand Line to find him. He didn't expect Wood to contact him first.
Would Tiger refuse a request from the benefactor of the fish-man race?
Of course not. Wood's previous act of standing alone to fend off the many pursuers on their behalf was something Tiger and the others had never forgotten.
What's more, the person Wood wanted to save this time was also a fellow fish-man, which gave Tiger even more reason to help.
"The arrangements are all set. Besides us, the fish-men of the Sun Pirates will also assist in the rescue.
With Tiger, Jinbei, and hundreds of fish-men from the Sun Pirates, we should have enough strength to save Tom," Wood said with a sigh of relief as he walked out of the room, having just hung up the den-den mushi.
Hearing this, Iceberg, Franky, and the others lit up with joy.
As for Kokoro, who was from Fish-Man Island, she was utterly stunned.
Neither she nor Tom had any particular connection with the Sun Pirates, so it wasn't like they would travel all this way to save them.
This meant that the famous Sun Pirates were coming solely because of Wood.
But Kokoro couldn't understand—Wood was a human, so how could he have persuaded the Sun Pirates, who were practically idols on Fish-Man Island, to help?
Iceberg and Franky, who had spent their lives in Water 7, might not grasp the significance of the Sun Pirates.
But Kokoro knew very well that the Sun Pirates held more prestige on Fish-Man Island than even King Neptune himself.
The residents of Fish-Man Island weren't fools. Neptune might be their king and a wise one at that.
But the ones who truly protected them were Tiger and his Sun Pirates.
Moreover, King Neptune wouldn't risk assaulting Mariejois to save captured fish-men and merfolk, but Tiger and his crew would!
To put it simply, the Sun Pirates held a position on Fish-Man Island akin to that of the Kuja Pirates in Amazon Lily—they were practically national heroes and idols.
Although Tiger and his crew had returned from the New World to the first half of the Grand Line, it would still take them several days to reach Enies Lobby.
Fortunately, as long as Spandam couldn't find the Pluton designs, he wouldn't be quick to execute Tom.
Now, all Wood and his group could do was wait, hoping that Spandam had enough patience not to rush Tom's execution.
In fact, when Spandam learned that his tailing agents had lost contact, he knew he had been tricked. The old man had no intention of handing over the Pluton design.
But despite his anger, Spandam wasn't willing to kill Tom just yet. Instead, he resorted to severe torture, hoping to extract information about Pluton from him.
Meanwhile, Wood and his team were discussing feasible attack plans.
Wood's pirate ship had been seized, and the journey from Water 7 to Enies Lobby was not only long but also filled with numerous checkpoints. They would almost certainly be discovered along the way.
After much deliberation, Wood proposed using the prototype sea train, Rocketman, as their means to assault Enies Lobby.
Rocketman had been scrapped because its high speed made it difficult to control, but this feature was perfect for Wood and his team.
Moreover, there was a dedicated track from Water 7 to Enies Lobby, making the journey much faster than by ship.
Two days later, a pirate ship flying the sun emblem docked at the shores of Water 7. Seeing the red-skinned giant stepping off the ship, Wood and his companions, who had been waiting for some time, greeted him with wide smiles.
Tiger, too, was delighted to see Wood and even embraced him warmly.
This gesture left Jinbei and the other fish-men in the Sun Pirates puzzled.
Though their leader Tiger didn't hate humans as much as some other fish-men, he wasn't exactly fond of them either.
But here he was, showing such enthusiasm for this human they were meeting for the first time.
After reuniting with Wood, Tiger, realizing that his behavior might have seemed inappropriate, quickly put his arm around Wood's shoulder and explained to Jinbei and the others.
"This is Brother Wood. The reason Yasuo didn't die in Mariejois was that he was saved by him.
Yasuo is an honored member of the Sun Pirates, and Brother Wood, being his savior, is naturally a benefactor of the Sun Pirates and a friend of the fish-man race."
With Tiger's personal endorsement, the suspicious and uneasy looks from the fish-men towards Wood vanished in an instant.
Yasuo the Sword Saint wasn't just an idol in Fish-Man District—he was revered by many within the Sun Pirates as well.
Why? Because he was a true warrior, fiercely loyal and righteous. Without him, there would be no Sun Pirates today.
He dared to slay a World Noble and held the line alone, fending off the World Government's forces. Even Arlong, the most defiant member of the Sun Pirates, had to admit his respect for Yasuo.
Yasuo's legacy as a master swordsman was so influential that many young fish-men abandoned their innate physical advantages to pursue swordsmanship.
Yasuo's impact on the fish-man race was nothing short of profound.
When the Sun Pirates found Tiger but didn't see Yasuo, they thought he might have perished in Mariejois, and that Tiger had kept silent out of sorrow.
But to their surprise, Yasuo was indeed alive, and it was this human before them who had saved him.
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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 280+ at pat_reon.com/Betek.