Otohime dared to stay here not because she knew Tiger was already on his way back, nor did she know if Tiger could actually deal with Sanjuan Wolf.
Although Otohime was naive and overly kind, her love for her people was genuine, and staying here to calm them was also for their safety.
Not far from the New Fishman Island, Sanjuan Wolf, wracked with pain from his pierced knees, began thrashing the water wildly as the residual effects of the experimental drugs intensified.
Using Impel Down prisoners for experiments was nothing unusual for the World Government. Whether it was research on the Lineage Factor or the earlier research on human gigantification, this step was always involved.
“Boss Jinbe! Watch out!”
Amidst everyone’s concern, Jinbe dove into the depths of the sea to evade Wolf’s attack.
With Wolf’s massive size, even a careless graze could cause serious injuries. Even someone with Wadatsumi’s build would find Wolf’s punches incredibly painful.
The attack of Vagabond Drill was effective, but Wolf didn’t give Jinbe another chance to launch an attack. Wolf also knew whose attack hurt him the most.
This was a typical trait of Giants: low defense but immense health. To wear down such colossal beings would take significant time. If this wasn’t near New Fishman Island, Jinbe could have taken time to deal with him slowly, but that wasn’t an option at the moment.
He had to stop Wolf before he got close to New Fishman Island. Although Wolf was enraged, that worked to Jinbe’s advantage since he had successfully drawn Wolf’s attention.
As he prepared for a new round of attacks, a familiar yet unfamiliar figure appeared beside him—it was the blue-colored Tiger, now in Hero Form.
A red heart-shaped pattern formed by two pectoral fins was on its chest, and streamers of water draped over its shoulders like epaulets. Despite the drastic change in appearance, Jinbe immediately recognized who it was.
“Boss Tai?! What is this?”
“Ah, it’s nothing. I’ve gained a bit of new power. Focus on attacking that guy’s legs; leave the rest to me.”
Tiger’s body was enveloped by the surrounding water, which then surged out of the sea like a waterspout, striking Wolf directly between the eyes.
Using the Aqua Jet move, Tiger swiftly appeared in front of Wolf.
“Ugh, how does a mere fly have so much strength?!”
The Aqua Jet caused Sanjuan Wolf to feel the excruciating pain of an electric drill grinding against his skull, and he swung his massive hand toward his own forehead, only to hit empty air.
Tiger had already agilely moved to a position directly above him.
“Fish-Man Karate Secret Art— Demon Brick Roundhouse Kick!”
Tiger spun his body and landed a direct hit on the top of Sanjuan Wolf’s head. The forest-like hair on Wolf’s head was parted down the middle by Tiger’s attack, and the tremendous force penetrated his skull, reaching into his body.
Wolf’s body swayed slightly but still did not fall.
As Tiger attacked Wolf, Jinbe delivered his Vagabond Drill to Wolf’s other leg, while Wadatsumi mustered his courage and delivered a headbutt to Wolf’s abdomen.
However, Wadatsumi, still dizzy from the earlier blow, misjudged the position and struck slightly lower than intended.
Yet this had an unexpected effect—Wolf doubled over in pain, his eyes bulging wide.
Facing the exposed neck of the now hunched-over Sanjuan Wolf, Tiger, enveloped in a special layer of water, unleashed a final strike, Wave Crash, at Wolf’s neck.
The relentless barrage of attacks was too much even for Sanjuan Wolf, known as the Colossal Battleship. His massive body created a tsunami-like splash as they finally managed to bring him down before he could reach the New Fishman Island.
As Sanjuan Wolf fell into the water and attempted to struggle, Wadatsumi pressed down on him, and nearby Fish-Man warriors threw spears equipped with iron chains, restraining the enormous giant under the water.
…
“Boss Tai, it’s a good thing you returned quickly—you’ve gotten so much stronger.”
“You all helped a lot too, especially Wadatsumi.”
“But let’s talk about this later; it seems the trouble isn’t over yet. Jinbe, for now, don’t call me ‘Boss.’ Some unpleasant company has arrived.”
Earlier, Tiger had focused entirely on Sanjuan Wolf and hadn’t paid attention to the surroundings. But after they took down Wolf together, Tiger sensed several new presences.
“Jinbe, you handle these guys.”
With that, Tiger dove into the water, as several suit-wearing agents promptly appeared at the scene.
In many worlds, official personnel often play the role of cover-up specialists. For instance, in the Detective Conan universe, the members of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department always act as a backdrop for the detectives.
The individuals who appeared at the scene were agents of the World Government. They had not reported any news about Sanjuan Wolf, but that did not mean they had given up on tracking him—they had been following him the entire time.
To prevent him from approaching places he shouldn’t, their original plan was to wait until Wolf exhausted his strength before capturing him, but they hadn’t expected the people of Fishman Island to provide significant assistance.
…
“Jinbe, this guy is a criminal of the World Government. It’s great that you managed to capture him, but we’ll take over from here.”
These agents were well aware of Jinbe’s status as a Shichibukai, so they felt no hesitation in ordering him around. To them, the Shichibukai were merely the World Government’s “dogs” and not worthy of respect.
Their only goal was to bring Sanjuan Wolf back, as his body still held many secrets.
But they had forgotten one thing: while they looked down on Jinbe, Jinbe also had no regard for them.
“Why should I listen to you? Who exactly is this guy? You owe me an explanation.”
“Knight of the Sea Jinbe, that’s not information you need to know. Assisting the World Government in capturing pirates is your duty.”
Whoosh!
Jinbe’s fist stopped just an inch from the agent’s face, causing cold sweat to drip from his forehead.
“You Cipher Pol agents, don’t get too full of yourselves.”
“Jinbe… you…”
This brief conflict didn’t escalate further. The World Government’s Cipher Pol squad didn’t want to clash with Jinbe at sea, and soon after, Otohime arrived and mediated the conflict.
From Otohime’s perspective, handing this man over to the World Government wasn’t a big deal—after all, they were the current rulers of the seas.
Out of respect for Otohime’s authority, Sanjuan Wolf was turned over to the Cipher Pol agents. However, they didn’t act immediately and instead made a few calls. Not long after, Tsuru, stationed at Marine Headquarters, arrived…
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