The warships were hidden near the island and only arrived here after receiving a report from the Koala’s townspeople.
Because Mandrell swam too fast, he didn’t notice the warships, otherwise he wouldn’t waste time talking to Arlong.
Jack and others only just saw the surrounding warships because they were a step too slow.
The gunshots on the island already explained everything. Mandrell immediately ran in the direction of the gunfire, and all Arlong could see was his afterimage.
“Boss Jack.”
In a world where strength is respected, one does not need to be older to be called “boss”; it can also be based on strength. These subordinates of Mandrell were no match for Jack.
“You guys stay here and be careful.”
Then, using brute force, he charged in the same direction. Unlike Mandrell, who used flying ability, Jack relied entirely on brute strength, leaving two huge holes on the deck.
“He…really came to save boss…”
The surrounding warships were already close. There was no need to question Mandrell’s purpose for making this trip. Tiger held a high position in Arlong’s heart, which made him, who had just been defiant towards Mandrell, feel a bit shaken.
“Not all humans are the same.”
This statement had a certain impact on him, but now was not the time to contemplate this issue, because the Marine’s artillery shells were already coming.
“Arlong! You deal with those warships, I’ll bring people to save Boss Tai!”
Jinbe, along with others, rushed towards Foolshout Island. They couldn’t stand idly by when such a thing was happening, while Arlong also led some people to respond to the Marine’s attack.
Their ship was quickly destroyed under Marine’s bombardment, but as Fish-Men, they don’t have to rely on a ship. Holding his saw-toothed sword, Arlong planned to seize a Marine ship.
…
Not long ago, inside Foolshout Island, a group of Marines had already surrounded Tiger.
“Marines…why are you here?”
“We have our ways. Your whereabouts were never a secret, and the people on this island have also betrayed your location. This is a trade: your life in exchange for the freedom of that possession of Celestial Dragon.”
Captain Fisher Tiger of the Sun Pirates, you are charged with two crimes: assault and fleeing. In my name as Rear Admiral Strawberry of the Marine Headquarters, I hereby declare you sentenced to death.”
The expression in Tiger’s eyes had already changed. The word “fleeing” from Strawberry stabbed at his heart; it was a secret only he knew about, his life as a slave that he didn’t want to mention to anyone.
“Fire.”
However, Tiger’s expression meant nothing to Strawberry; in his eyes, Tiger was just a criminal. So, he directly ordered the attack.
Fish-Men on land were far weaker than in the sea. The dense barrage left him no space to dodge, and numerous bullets pierced his body. However, these bullets were not enough to kill him, and he soon began to fight back.
Under the Marine’s siege, he had accumulated numerous wounds. By the time Mandrell appeared, Tiger was covered in even more injuries.
“A bounty of 230 million Berries… and yet, you don’t know Haki?”
In terms of bounty, Tiger’s was greatly inflated. His status as an escaped slave and the mastermind of the Mariejois attack earned him a bounty far exceeding his actual strength.
Although he had sailed the seas for three years, they hadn’t entered the New World. Fish-Men’s fighting style mainly relied on underwater ambushes; frontal combat opportunities were rare. Tiger didn’t have a suitable mentor, so he hadn’t grasped the essence of Haki.
Otherwise, these bullets wouldn’t have been able to hurt him. While his powerful muscles blocked the bullets from hitting vital organs, they still caused significant injuries.
“Get out of my way! Water Heart: Shotgun!”
A mass of water appeared in Mandrell’s hand, then the ordinary water turned into lethal shotgun pellets that knocked down several Marines near Tiger.
With his Pokémon ability, he could convert stamina into water, meaning he could unleash all the skills of Fish-Man Karate even in a waterless environment.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“You’re… Mandrell?”
Tiger isn’t someone who doesn’t read the newspaper; he especially has a deep impression of Mandrell, who had once taken the blame for him in the past. Moreover, Mandrell was also quite famous on Fishman Island, having openly married a Mermaid, which was unprecedented for a human.
In Tiger and Otohime’s eyes, Mandrell’s existence even symbolized progress in relations between the two races.
“Yes, I’m glad you are okay.”
Mission, contribution, reputation, bonus, retirement—these words flashed in Mandrell’s mind one after another. With Tiger still alive, none of these were a problem anymore.
“Kaido II…”
Seeing Mandrell suddenly appear, Strawberry’s expression finally changed. Marines had only sent him, a Rear Admiral, to encircle Tiger on land, believing that with his strength, he could handle this matter.
However, the real person in charge of this matter was idling on a warship not far away. He did not speak immediately, but instead pressed the button on his Den Den Mushi.
As a senior officer of the Beasts Pirates, he was also a high-priority target for the Marines. As a Rear Admiral of the Marine Headquarters, there is no way he wouldn’t recognize Mandrell.
Mandrell’s bounty of 200 million Berries wasn’t inflated; it was earned through actual achievements. With an opponent of this level and Tiger’s combat prowess, they were no longer someone he could deal with.
Moreover, Mandrell wasn’t alone here; there were others from the Sun Pirates.
Mandrell had no intention of prolonging the fight; their goal was to save Tiger, and they had already achieved that.
“Go! Return back into the sea! All of you, take your Boss Tiger and leave! He needs treatment!”
He wasn’t sure if he could command these Fish-Men, so he reminded them using Tiger’s safety. But just because he wants to leave doesn’t mean the Marines would agree.
“Hold them off! Vice Admiral Borsalino will arrive soon to provide support!”
The number of reinforcements didn’t matter; as long as Borsalino arrived, it was enough. Ever since he joined the Marines’ training camp, he had been dubbed a monster; as long as he could get here, it was sufficient.
These words boosted the morale of the surrounding Marines. They immediately started attacking the Fish-Men from the Sun Pirates to hold them off. At this moment, Mandrell even saw a glimmering light in the distance, indicating that the other side was approaching rapidly.
“Borsalino…”
Mandrell hesitated for a moment, then his body began to expand. His muscles became more developed, a pair of larger fins extended from his back, and the crown-like object on his head turned black and elongated like a horn.
Mega Gyarados—in this form, his strength would break through his previous upper limits, allowing him to unleash Calamity-level combat power. Facing the famous monster Vice Admiral of the Marines, he wasn’t sure if he was his match.
If he is too careless and lets the opponent consume his stamina, even if he enters the Mega evolution form, he may not be his match. Instead of that, it was better to unleash his full-strength. It takes at most 20 minutes to get from here to the seaside. As long as they can successfully return to the sea, the mission will be completed.
“Jack, don’t get caught up in the fight. Hurry up and return back to the sea. I’ll go deal with that troublesome guy. I leave this place to you.”
Saying so, powerful jets of water sprayed from the gaps in Mandrell’s scales, propelling him into the sky at a speed far exceeding before.
At the same time, Jack also transformed, expanding in size, and a ten-meter-tall Copperajah appeared in front of Strawberry…
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