Noticing the shore drawing near, Ozz saw no point in lecturing further.
Words teach little. One lesson taught by life will do more.
Sitting at the rail, he smiled and beckoned to Koala.
The little girl shrank back. She had just seen how the fish-men trembled before Ozz, how even the always-imposing Tiger lowered himself in his presence.
Instinctively she looked to the crew around her. They met her gaze with quiet encouragement.
"Go on, Koala."
"Lord Ozz means no harm."
Only then did Koala dare to step forward. Ozz scooped her up and lifted her high.
He remembered this child. Sabo's childhood friend. A future soldier of the Revolutionary Army.
Koala was not one of those girls whose beauty showed from the cradle. Her head was a little big for her age, more cute than pretty.
Seeing Ozz raise her, the young Jinbe tensed, but Ozz did nothing untoward. He simply ruffled her hair and passed her back to Tiger.
"We will speak later. First, take the little one home."
Cradling small Koala, Tiger blinked at the order, then smiled and nodded.
"I understand, Lord Ozz."
He sensed nothing amiss. He thought Ozz supported his saving of slaves and, moved, hurried ashore with Koala in his arms, heading for the village at the island's heart where her family waited.
Ozz sat at the rail with a slight curve to his mouth, watching Tiger go. When the fish-man was well away, Ozz turned to the rest of the Sun Pirates.
"Do you have any orange juice on board?"
…
Elsewhere.
Once ashore, Tiger's mood visibly lifted.
Koala had softened his feelings toward humans. Returning her safely to her family let him set one burden down. He still remembered the first time he met her, so abused that she could do nothing but smile and whisper sorry on reflex.
"You are free now."
"From today on, cry if you want to cry, laugh if you want to laugh."
"And one last thing. Remember this. Lord Ozz is not like those other foolish Celestial Dragons. Do not hold a grudge against him, Koala."
He feared she would be like other freed slaves, filled with hatred for all World Nobles, and would lump Ozz in with them. So he warned her gently.
Whether she understood or not, Tiger led her to the edge of a small village.
Koala was home.
From afar he watched the family reunite, the little girl's face wet with joyful tears. His own lips lifted faintly.
"I believe that when you grow up, humans and fish-men will"
He chose to leave without a word.
He had not gone far when
Click. Click.
Click. Click.
A ring of rifles snapped up around him. The planned encirclement closed. At its head stood a Marine officer.
Vice Admiral Strawberry.
At the sight, Tiger's good mood shattered. His eyes flew wide, shot through with blood.
He could not believe it.
Why an ambush?
Did the villagers tip them off
"I am Vice Admiral Strawberry of Marine Headquarters. We received intelligence from a certain island that you would come here."
"As the price for sparing that child who was the property of a Celestial Dragon, Fisher Tiger, captain of the Sun Pirates, you are charged with assault and flight from custody."
Gunfire crackled. The shots quickly reached the ears of the fish-men aboard the ship and of Ozz, who was resting with his eyes closed.
Lounging in his chair, he opened one eye and glanced toward the sound.
"Take this bite and maybe you will learn something, Tiger."
While the crew still worried over whether something had happened to their captain, a new disturbance churned the ocean beyond.
Several Marine warships, engines roaring, cut a hard line across the water and ringed the Sun Pirates.
"Marines. We are surrounded."
Arlong bared his teeth at the approaching fleet.
"We have been set up. That brat was bait."
Jinbe kept a cooler head and urged the others not to panic.
"Do not worry. Lord Ozz is still on our ship. Lord Ozz, wait"
"Where did Lord Ozz go?"
No one had noticed when it happened, but the deck chair was empty. Only a half-finished glass of orange juice remained.
…
Seated in the sky, Ozz watched the bloody farce with a cold eye.
Both sides were familiar faces.
Tiger needed no introduction. As for the young Strawberry
Was he not one of the students from Ozz's teaching days, the class where he had taught Haki?
He had done well. Already a vice admiral.
Ozz made no move to play the savior. He wanted Tiger to ache from this, to learn. He also intended to use the chance to bring the strongest fish-man fully under his hand as a secret enforcer.
With Strawberry harassing him and Marines firing from all sides, Tiger's mastery of Haki was not enough to shield him. After only a few volleys, his mortal body was riddled with bullet holes. Blood streamed down in sheets. He looked wretched.
But he was still a fish-man. His body was tough. Sheer vitality carried him through several barrages. He glared at the Marines with blood in his eyes like a monster washed in red.
"Brother Tiger."
At last Jinbe and the others arrived.
From a distance they saw Tiger's mangled state and roared his name.
High above, Ozz saw the blue giant arrive and judged the timing right. Tiger was half-dead. That would do.
Crimson light flared in Ozz's eyes. He lowered one hand and slowly curled his fingers.
His lips tilted in a careless smile as he called on the awakened power within his teleportation, stirring the fabric of space into broad misalignment.
"Earthquake."
With that faint squeeze, after a breath of unnatural calm, suddenly
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Crack. Rattle.
To the shock of Marines and fish-men alike, half the island began to shake. The ground split. Marines toppled screaming into the fractures.
Faces blanched. Everyone struggled to keep their feet.
"An earthquake. Why so suddenly?"
Before their disbelieving eyes, the half-dead hero Fisher Tiger
Dropped into a jagged ravine torn open by the quake.
His life or death unknown.
…
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