(T/N: I don't know why but the author skipped a chapter, I checked several times but there is no chapter 116.)
Jack stood on the deck of the Mammoth, his face clouded with a rare seriousness. Moments ago, one of his subordinates reported a troubling incident. Finder, a fishman stationed on Onigashima, had gotten into a confrontation with a newly recruited member of the Beasts Pirates, Fozu. Finder had issued a challenge, and Fozu had accepted—only for Finder to be thoroughly defeated.
The fishmen were furious. Many had already come to Kuri to complain to Jack, and now the matter was in his lap. Jack couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
The issue was complicated. Fozu, like Sasaki, another rising talent, had been tapped by Kaido to join the Tobiroppo. Both were prominent pirate captains in their own right before joining the Beasts Pirates, driven by admiration for Kaido. However, their approaches differed: Sasaki had willingly stepped down as captain to join the crew, while Fozu had brought his entire crew under Kaido's banner.
Jack respected Kaido's judgment. After all, anyone promoted to the Tobiroppo tier would have privileges comparable to his own. They were directly managed by Kaido, meaning Jack had no authority to command them.
"Fozu?"
"Sasaki?"
Flipping through the dossiers handed to him, Jack began to see why Kaido had chosen to elevate the two. Both were formidable pirates with bounties exceeding 200 million belly. Their past achievements were solid, and—most importantly—both were Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit users, just like Jack.
Zoan Fruits not only enhanced physical capabilities but also conferred natural aptitude in combat skills. Ancient and Mythical Zoans provided even greater boosts. With their youth and potential, Sasaki and Fozu still had room to grow.
But Fozu's background… well, that was intriguing.
Jack sighed heavily. "Why did it have to come to this?"
Kaido's favorable treatment of fishmen had already caused discontent among some members of the crew. Even Queen had warned Kaido that elevating the status of fishmen might backfire. Unlike elsewhere, where fishmen faced prejudice, in the Beasts Pirates, their status was almost elevated above humans. That kind of preferential treatment was bound to spark conflict sooner or later, and now Jack had to deal with it.
The Mammoth docked at Onigashima's snowy port. A group of fishmen had been waiting there in the falling snow, their figures nearly buried under layers of white. Jack's brow furrowed at the sight.
"Hey! Didn't I tell you not to wait here?" Jack growled. "We may be the same race, but you still need to follow proper protocol!"
"I need to verify the situation. I'm not going to act based solely on your claims!"
Jack's irritation grew as he surveyed the scene. The port, which should have been guarded by human pirates, was now completely deserted. It was obvious the fishmen had either bribed or intimidated the guards to leave.
Kaido had already gone out of his way to accommodate the fishmen, flattening a mountain range to create a tropical cove as their private haven. It was a place of perpetual spring, forbidden to all but the fishmen. For them to overstep like this… it was too much.
"Jack-sama! This isn't our fault!"
"That's right, Jack-sama! You must stand up for Finder!"
"Master-sama checked Finder over and said he'll need at least two weeks of bed rest. He can't even participate in the Fire Festival!"
"Jack-sama, you have to teach that guy a lesson!"
"Yeah! He looks down on us fishmen! That's why Finder challenged him!"
"Exactly! You can't let him get away with this!"
The moment Jack disembarked, the fishmen began shouting over one another, their complaints creating a cacophony that grated on his nerves. From the ship, Yamato and Ulti—perched on the giant two-headed dog—watched Jack's predicament with amused grins, laughing at his misfortune.
"Shut up, you lot!" Jack roared, silencing the fishmen with his booming voice.
He then turned his attention to the two troublemakers on the ship.
"And you two, stop laughing! Now!"
Finally, Jack barked, "Where are the port guards? Show yourselves! Now!"
Startled by Jack's anger, a group of guards stumbled out from the shelter of a nearby tower. Their disheveled appearance and the strong smell of alcohol wafting off them only deepened Jack's frown. A few of them were still hiccupping drunkenly as they tried to compose themselves.
"Jack-sama…" one began, hesitantly.
"Shut up," Jack snapped, cutting off their excuses. "Tell me exactly what happened between Finder and Fozu. And I mean everything. I want the truth."
The guards straightened up and began recounting the events. As Jack listened, his frown deepened into a sharp scowl. By the end, his mind was made up.
It turned out the fishmen's claims weren't exaggerated. The conflict had started when Kaido assigned Fozu a group of fishmen as subordinates. Fozu had not only refused but had also made disdainful remarks about fishmen in general, comments that reached Finder's ears. Enraged, Finder confronted Fozu, only to be met with more taunts and insults. Unable to bear it, Finder issued a challenge—and was soundly defeated.
With the Fire Festival only days away, the incident had created a storm of tension, completely overshadowing the festivities. The fishmen's unity and outrage threatened to spiral into something even bigger if the issue wasn't resolved quickly.
"Oi, Jack! That guy's way too cocky. Aren't you going to beat him up?"
"I agree! Just smash him! Who needs these Tobiroppo anyway?"
"When we're older, we'll become Tobiroppo ourselves!" Ulti chirped, her enthusiasm only adding to Jack's growing frustration.
"Shut it, brat! One more word, and I'll have you stuck on the ship for a week!" Jack snapped.
Climbing onto the massive two-headed dog, Jack gave it a hard slap, spurring it into a gallop. As he rode off, his mood turned even darker.
"Damn it. We're fishmen, not some cursed minority. Why does this have to be such a big deal? Now, I have to fix this before the festival, or these guys will throw Fozu into the sea the moment he sets sail."
Jack sighed again, muttering under his breath. "Hopefully, that idiot learns his lesson. Otherwise, Kaido's going to have to find himself a new Tobiroppo."
-----------
The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg