"You...!"
"How could you be so cruel!"
Queen Otohime's voice trembled with anger as she confronted Jack, horrified by his merciless actions.
Unlike the Queen, however, the gathered fish-men erupted in excitement, their faces alight with vengeful joy.
"Those damned humans! That's exactly what they deserve!"
"For years, they've enslaved so many of our kind!"
"Kill them all!"
The group of pirates, who had initially been outraged by their comrade's death, began to falter as they witnessed the fiery fervor of the fish-men. Fear crept into their eyes.
"H-Hey! You lot! You wanna die?!" shouted the pirate leader, brandishing his weapon and stepping forward.
But where the fish-men might once have recoiled at the sight of a human opponent, they now stood their ground, eyes blazing.
"Kill them! Kill them all!" they roared, their voices filled with righteous fury.
"Everyone, quiet down!"
Jack's commanding voice cut through the chaos, silencing the crowd in an instant. His gaze turned to the pirates, a cold smile curling on his lips.
"My fellow fish-men," Jack declared, his voice ringing out over the deck, "today, I will teach you another truth of this world!"
"When you are strong enough, the roles between fish-men and humans can be reversed!"
"In fact, we won't even need to dirty our hands!"
With a wave of his hand, Jack barked, "Men! Take care of them!"
"Yes, Captain!"
Holdem and his crew immediately sprang into action, leaping down from the ship's deck. Their imposing presence alone sent chills through the pirates, who scrambled in disarray.
"H-Hey! What's wrong with you people?!" one pirate stammered, desperation in his voice.
"We're human, just like you! Why would you side with these... these fish?!"
His plea was cut short by a resounding crack as Holdem's crew made quick work of the pirates, their cries of pain silenced one by one.
The fish-men stood in stunned silence, watching the brutal efficiency of the humans who now served Jack. But their shock soon gave way to exhilaration, their cheers echoing across the harbor.
"Jack! Jack!"
Even some soldiers of King Neptune's guard couldn't help but look at Jack with newfound admiration, their loyalty wavering.
"Jack..." Queen Otohime whispered, her face pale with worry. Her small frame seemed dwarfed by the enormity of the moment, but she stepped forward, her voice rising with surprising strength.
"Jack, this is wrong!"
Her words struck a chord, momentarily quelling the fervor. All eyes turned to her as she continued, tears glistening in her eyes.
"If we continue down this path, the hatred between fish-men and humans will only deepen!"
"Peace will become nothing more than a distant dream!"
"If you kill these humans, they'll retaliate by targeting our people! This cycle of vengeance will never end!"
Jack crouched slightly, meeting her tear-filled gaze with a bemused expression.
"Queen Otohime, I'm guessing you didn't get much of an education, did you?"
"Eh?"
"You've been rambling on for ages. All you really needed to say was: 'An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.'"
Jack rose to his full height, addressing the crowd once more.
"But you see, my motto is quite the opposite: 'Revenge must always be served!'"
"And don't talk to me about peace between races! In this world, respect isn't given based on what you are—it's earned by power!"
"Fish-man? Human? Dividing us by race is a joke! The reason humans dominate us is simple: we lack strength!"
"There are only two kinds of people in this world: the strong and the weak!"
"The strong rule, and the weak are ruled. That's the way it's always been!"
"Do you think the Celestial Dragons are revered because of their race? No! Their power makes them untouchable!"
"If you're strong enough, you can even piss on a Celestial Dragon's head!"
Jack's words left the fish-men stunned, their jaws dropping. A cold sweat broke out among them as the weight of his defiance sank in.
"Outrageous!" Right Minister blurted, his face red with anger. "This man's ideas are dangerous!"
Queen Otohime hesitated, then stepped forward with a determined look, placing a calming hand on the minister's shoulder.
"Jack, your way of thinking is perilous!" she said solemnly. "I'm sorry, but I must understand the truth behind your words!"
Before Jack could respond, a soft, soothing energy washed over him, slipping into his mind. His initial resistance gave way to a strange calmness, his eyes fluttering shut.
"Peace... no war... fish-men..."
The whispers of her power tried to reach him, but Jack's eyes snapped open with a glare.
"Are you kidding me? Peace? Fish-men?" He scoffed, stepping closer.
Queen Otohime staggered, her face pale and body trembling, only managing to stay upright with the Right Minister's support.
"Your ability is... intriguing, Queen Otohime," Jack said, his voice laced with mockery. "But it doesn't work on me."
"Don't try to change people's minds with tricks like that. It'll only lead to war!"
"Rest assured, I won't stay here for long. But before I leave, I'll need some of our brethren to join me on the surface. Don't even think about opposing me."
Queen Otohime's gaze hardened, her voice soft but resolute.
"Let's return to the palace," she said, turning away.
"But Queen Otohime," the Right Minister objected, "if we let him take our people—"
"He won't take many," she interrupted, her voice calm yet firm. "The fear of humans won't disappear so easily. If words alone could change hearts, my dream would've come true long ago."
She paused, glancing back at Jack.
"That man... he truly believes all races are equal," she murmured, her tone tinged with complexity.
"No distinction, only strength and weakness?"
"I don't agree. But because of him..." Her voice gained strength. "I will work even harder to prove him wrong!"
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+100 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg