One Piece : From Slave to Fleet Admiral Chapter 280

Given Jinbei's placating demeanor, Jake found it impossible to maintain his aggressive posture.

He was, after all, a Marine, not a rogue pirate.

Truth be told, even before Jinbei's intervention, Jake had already employed his sacred warrior abilities to neutralize any fishman in the vicinity whose malevolence surpassed a specific threshold.

The remaining fishmen primarily consisted of the everyday inhabitants of Fishman Street.

Fishman Island itself was not expansive, and numerous residents possessed restricted options for lodging.

Prior to Whitebeard's imminent arrival, Fishman Island had been burdened with paying substantial Celestial Tribute.

To mitigate expenses, many opted for residence on Fishman Street, where the housing taxes were considerably lower.

Although the fishmen residing there were generally a rough sort, from their own perspective, the extremists sometimes showed a degree of decency towards their kin—at the very least, they wouldn't secretly betray you to the humans.

Consequently, roughly seventy percent of Fishman Street's population comprised ordinary residents, with the remaining extremists being staunch loyalists of Hody Jones.

Regardless of the degree to which Jake needed to establish dominance over the fishmen, he could not stoop to such inhumane tactics.

Thus, when Jinbei presented an alternative, Jake accepted it with grace.

"My time is limited. The Whitebeard Pirates recently engaged in a skirmish with the Red Hair Pirates, which has hampered their ability to maintain order on this island. However, the Marines have surmised that the removal of Whitebeard's flag would compel you to resume the payment of the burdensome Celestial Tribute.

Therefore, we shall permit Whitebeard's flag to remain hoisted, and you will be relieved of those oppressive taxes. Yet, there is a solitary stipulation: henceforth, the administration of Fishman Island shall be transferred to the purview of the Marines.

This, however, does not necessitate the Marines demanding your abdication of the throne.

Our objective is straightforward—to transform this location from a conduit funneling pirates into the New World into a formidable bastion that effectively seals off both the New World and Paradise.

Those in the New World will be barred from returning to Paradise via this route, and inhabitants of Paradise will be prevented from venturing into the New World.

By segregating these pirates into two distinct, non-interacting domains, their ultimate elimination becomes a more manageable endeavor.

Within this strategy, Fish-Man Island represents a pivotal location that the Marines must secure. In this stronghold, the presence of fishmen harboring intentions to harm human soldiers is intolerable. Do you comprehend my meaning, Jinbe?"

Upon hearing Jake's declaration, a flicker of stunned disbelief crossed Jinbei's features.

Initially, he had assumed Jake's visit was merely to issue a stern warning to Fish-Man Island before departing.

After all, regardless of the circumstances, this island remained under the Whitebeard Pirates' dominion.

Even as a future pillar of the Marines, Jake should still hold a significant degree of apprehension towards a seasoned Emperor like Whitebeard.

But now, it appeared…

Perhaps Whitebeard himself was aware of Fish-Man Island's current plight—and had offered his tacit consent?

If such were the case, the situation presented itself as far more intricate and dire than he had initially conceived!

This implied that even Whitebeard had grown disenchanted with the actions of those extremist fishmen!

Had that man, whose heart was as vast as the ocean itself, finally relinquished Fish-Man Island?

At this realization, Jinbe was overcome by an ineffable surge of regret!

If only—if only he had acted with greater celerity, if he had subdued those extremists on Fish-Man Island sooner, perhaps the outcome would not have reached this point!

Whitebeard must have been driven to abandon Fish-Man Island entirely due to the recent massacre perpetrated by those radicals, thereby entrusting the island's management to the Marines.

Yet, it was possible the old man still harbored a degree of attachment—he had not permitted the Marines to remove his flag just yet.

Such benevolence… such a heart as boundless as the vast expanse of the sea and sky…

Tears began to well in Jinbe's eyes.

They had received so much from Whitebeard, yet their actions had resulted in profound disappointment.

Meanwhile, Jake observed Jinbe with a perplexed gaze.

The sudden reddening of Jinbe's eyes, his quivering form, and the palpable sorrow emanating from him—all of it left Jake bewildered.

Had his recent statements been excessively harsh?

Were these not simply fundamental requirements?

Should Fish-Man Island refuse to meet this demand, a far graver consequence would inevitably follow.

Jinbe seemed to recognize his own emotional outburst.

Taking a steadying breath, he composed himself before addressing Jake:

"I am grateful for your leniency. I pledge to you, commencing today, Fish-Man Island shall no longer harbor such fervent animosity towards humanity! Furthermore, deliberate harm inflicted upon innocent humans will cease entirely!"

Upon hearing this, a look of deep satisfaction spread across Jake's face.

But at that precise moment—

A sharp, piercing shriek sliced through the air.

"Hody Jones! What is the meaning of this?! Release Queen Otohime immediately!"

Jinbe came to a halt, his gaze following the direction from which the voice had originated.

In the very next moment, the veins on his forehead began to throb as an overwhelming pressure emanated from his entire body:

"Hody Jones! Do you even comprehend the gravity of your actions right now?! If you immediately release Queen Otohime and surrender, I can still choose to believe that this was a spontaneous act driven by fleeting emotions and potentially spare your life.

However, should you refuse to relent, your demise will be sealed here today! As the leader of Fishman District and the architect behind the recent atrocities in that human settlement—did you truly assume I remained oblivious?

My intention was merely to await the opportune moment, the precise instant to bring you to justice once and for all! Initially, I surmised your inability to accept Fisher Tiger's passing had led to a temporary emotional lapse. But it is now abundantly clear that such was not the case!

From the outset, your sole devotion has been to unadulterated, extreme hatred!"

A grotesque grin contorted Hody Jones's features as his bloodshot eyes locked onto Jinbe, and he bellowed in response.

"Hahahaha! It is not I who have changed! Do you not perceive it, Jinbe? Ever since the demise of Fisher Tiger, you have become feeble and utterly pathetic! You yearn for peace with humanity, yet have you truly witnessed the plight of our brethren being trafficked like chattel directly beneath us, on Sabaody Archipelago?!

Have you borne witness to the sheer volume of their spilled blood?!"