Fisher Tiger pleaded with Tom relentlessly but soon realized that the real authority here wasn't Tom—it was his captain.
"Hey, human captain, I like your guts for attacking the Celestial Dragons. I want to join your crew!"
Fisher Tiger spoke rudely to Brook. He explained that he was just an orphan who grew up in Fishman Street, practically a gangster, and didn't know much about respect. His adventures at sea exposed him to the suffering of enslaved fishmen and the cruelty of nobles. He was even captured and enslaved for three years, which ultimately shaped him into the heroic leader he would become—one who cherished life.
"Hey, Captain Brook, this fishman is pretty cool too!"
Shakky stood up, cracking her knuckles. She didn't think Captain Brook or Redfield needed to bother with a guy like this. She was more than enough to handle him.
"Captain Brook, please don't be mad. Tiger grew up in the Fishman Street Orphanage—he doesn't know any better. I'll teach him some manners right now!"
Tom smacked Fisher Tiger on the head. This guy might've been tough in Fishman Street, but against pirates of Brook and Redfield's caliber, he was nothing.
"Hurry up and apologize to the captain!"
Tom grabbed Tiger's ear, dragged him over to Brook, and forced him to bow his head. Tiger clenched his jaw, his red skin darkening with frustration. He was pissed. If it weren't for Uncle Tom, he'd show these humans the strength that was ten times greater than theirs.
"It's fine, Tom. Let him be. Young men should be fearless! But if you're too reckless… bad things happen."
Brook rested his hand on Tiger's shoulder, and a chilling energy spread through his body, making him freeze in place.
"Shakky, let's see how your training's been going. Don't tell me you can't handle a fishman kid?"
Brook was curious about Fisher Tiger's current strength. Was he at the level of a Marine lieutenant yet? With Shakky's abilities, she could handle a Marine major or a lieutenant colonel without breaking a sweat. She even had wind-jet shoes from Hiruba, making her movements even faster.
"Hey! Are you looking down on me? You're seriously sending this little girl to fight me?! At least send someone strong!"
Fisher Tiger frowned. He looked at Shakky and saw what appeared to be an underage girl—shorter than him, barely 1.7 or 1.8 meters tall, and skinny. There was no way she could take him on!
"You looking down on me, you overgrown shrimp?"
Soru!
Shakky tossed away her cigarette and vanished from sight. In a blink, she reappeared in front of Tiger.
Bang!
A powerful smack landed on Tiger's head, making his eyes bulge. He crouched down, holding his head, rubbing his scalp frantically to ease the sharp pain. His eyes watered involuntarily.
Fisher Tiger groaned. Why the hell did these people love smacking heads? This was an insult to warriors!
"Hey, is this big, scary fishman crying? Why are your tears falling?"
Shakky smirked. She had just watched Tom smack Tiger and Den earlier—it looked satisfying. Now it was her turn.
"You caught me off guard!"
Fisher Tiger stood up, immediately wiping his tears. Clenching his fists, he charged at Shakky with Fishman Karate.
"Fishman Karate: 500-Watt Punch!"
Tiger's bulging right arm tensed as he swung his massive fist toward Shakky's head, putting everything he had into it.
"Your strength isn't bad, but you're way too slow! And you've left yourself wide open!"
Shakky tilted her head, easily dodging his punch. Seeing his exposed chest and stomach, she quickly raised her right foot, activated her Wind-Boost Shoes, and sent the over-two-meter-tall fishman flying dozens of meters away with a single kick.
"Ooof!"
Tom winced and covered his face. He already knew what was coming. Tiger's combat experience was still too weak. His Fishman Karate training wasn't complete—he could only bully weak fishmen in the slums.
Nearby, the Merman, Den, stared in shock. This tiny human girl had just completely overwhelmed Tiger, the so-called "king" of Fishman Street.
"H-How is this possible?! How can a human be this strong?!"
Fisher Tiger groaned as he clutched his stomach, staggering back. He couldn't believe it. This skinny human girl was stronger than him, a fishman?
"You still wanna fight?"
Shakky smirked. She was loving these Wind-Boost Shoes that Hiruba made. They not only gave her short bursts of flight but also increased her speed and attack power. They were damn useful.
Antonio, the ship's intelligence agent, watched in envy before turning his hopeful gaze toward Hiruba, the ship's sniper and resident craftsman.
Hiruba sighed. "Fine, fine. I'll make another pair."
Antonio grinned, and even the usually serious ship doctor, Crocus, chimed in without turning his head.
"Hey~, Hiruba, make me a pair too."
"Tsk. Alright, alright," Hiruba muttered, deciding he'd just make a pair for everyone so they wouldn't keep pestering him.
Back on the battlefield, Fisher Tiger was still fuming. He refused to believe this outcome. No matter the pain, he was determined to prove his strength!
"Take this! My most powerful Fishman Karate: 1,000-Watt Punch!!!"
Tiger roared as he rushed toward Shakky again. He was like a stubborn calf that refused to fear the tiger. No way he'd lose to a human girl!
"You've got strength, but like I said before… too slow!"
Shakky, who specialized in speed, loved fighting guys like this—big and dumb. She didn't even need to use Soru or her Wind-Boost Shoes. Ducking low, she dodged Tiger's punch with ease.
"Alright, you overgrown shrimp, ready for liftoff?"
Shakky grinned as she loosened a few nodes on her Wind Knot, releasing a powerful hurricane that sent Fisher Tiger flying over a hundred meters away. He tumbled dozens of times, crashing into the ground, battered and bruised.
"Alright, alright! I surrender on behalf of Tiger! Please stop bullying the poor guy!"
Tom couldn't bear to watch anymore. This was just torture at this point. Tiger simply wasn't on the same level as Shakky.
----
Shakky had her fun and, of course, wasn't going to keep teasing the young and energetic red Fish-Man. She looked at Brook with a grin, waiting for the captain's praise.
"You've mastered these combat tools well! So as a 'reward,' I'll double your taijutsu training!"
Brook had noticed that Shakky was becoming overly reliant on gadgets like her Jet Boots and Wind Knot, seemingly getting addicted to them. So, he figured the best way to fix that was through some intense physical training.
"Captain Brook, how could you do this?! Instead of rewarding me, you're punishing me!!!"
Shakky, now burdened with "Double Happiness" training, looked at Brook in disbelief. If they didn't see eye to eye, she was ready to use her Wind Knot on the captain.
But before she could act, Redfield smirked and let out a few crackling sparks of electricity, silently reminding her to think twice. Shakky, now fuming, pouted and stomped her feet in frustration.
These damn men are bullying a weak, innocent, and pitiful little girl like me! If I could beat them, I'd make them see how strong I am!!
Just then, Tom returned, carrying a battered and bruised Fisher Tiger. Their ship's doctor, Crocus, stepped up to handle the injuries like a pro. And, of course, he didn't forget to draw a large tube of blood from Tiger.
Merman Den, standing nearby, twitched at the sight, feeling a chill run down her spine.
"Oh, you know, I'm a doctor. I can't help but take a sample when I get the chance. It's normal! Helps me study better treatment methods later," Crocus said with a serious smile.
"Study your sister! Who the hell uses a needle that thick for a blood test?! It's the size of an arm!"
Merman Den screamed internally. He wasn't a doctor, sure, but he knew enough to tell this was not normal.
"Ohh, I see. I trust your professionalism, Doctor. Tiger, thanks for your help!"
Even though Merman Den was smiling, he was already making a mental note to stay far away from these crazy pirates. He wasn't about to throw himself into danger just to protect a fellow Fish-Man. Tiger's blood is his problem, not mine!
"If you trust me, Brother Den, how about we take a little sample from you too? No worries, Tom and I go way back. His brothers are my brothers. I promise to help you find any hidden health risks and ensure you're in perfect condition!"
Crocus' "friendly" smile sent shivers down Merman Den's spine.
"Haha~ no need! I'm perfectly healthy! Oh! I almost forgot—I was cooking! I'll go get the food ready!"
And with that, Merman Den bolted, putting as much distance between himself and the ship's doctor as possible.
Brook chuckled, watching Crocus with amusement. "Since when did you become so sinister, Crocus?"
"Captain, would you like a blood test too? I'd love to study your cold blood!" Crocus grinned, holding up a syringe as thick as his arm.
Brook immediately changed the subject.
"This Fish-Man's injuries aren't too serious, right?"
Stepping forward to inspect Tiger's wounds, Brook made sure to avoid Crocus' burning gaze.
"This guy is tough. He'll be back to full strength in a day or two, no problem!"
Crocus adjusted his glasses, displaying his medical expertise. Though, if he wasn't holding that monstrous syringe, Brook and the others might have actually believed him.
Fisher Tiger, now fully conscious, glanced nervously at his own blood sample. But more than that, he wanted to join this pirate crew. If even a human girl could beat him, then the other members must be monsters.
"Uncle Tom, Human Captain, please let me join your crew! I don't care if I have to start as a trainee cleaner!!"
Fisher Tiger immediately sat up, bowed deeply, and pleaded to become part of the Hell Pirates.
"The captain's name is Brook, not 'human captain,' you dumbass!"
Shakky, still sulking, was the first to speak up, defending her captain's dignity.
"Captain Brook, I don't think Tiger is ready to go out to sea. He's too weak—he couldn't even beat Shakky," Tom objected, shooting a glare at Tiger.
Tiger, however, looked back defiantly, unwilling to accept that judgment.
"Oi! What the hell do you mean, 'couldn't even beat Shakky'?! Am I the weakest floor tile on this ship?!"
Shakky fumed at Tom's words. There's still Hiruba… okay, maybe I can't beat him. And there's Crocus… yeah, probably not him either. Oh, and there's Antonio, Parrot Assistant, and Memory Seahorse—okay, those guys are weaker than me!
"Uh… sorry, little sister Shakky, I wasn't trying to single you out. I'm just saying Tiger's strength is kinda… trash," Tom muttered, rubbing his temples. Shakky always managed to find the strangest ways to argue, even when it wasn't necessary. Maybe that's how she entertained herself.
"Captain Brook, please let me join! My arm strength is many times stronger than other Fish-Men. One day, I might even be able to climb the Red Line! I'll definitely become a powerful fighter in the future!"
Fisher Tiger was full of confidence. The only reason he lost to Shakky was that he lacked proper guidance! If he joined this crew, his strength would skyrocket!
Brook studied the future Fish-Man hero carefully. He never cared about "changing history" or any of that nonsense. He'd already altered the fates of Emperors, so why would he worry about a single Fish-Man hero?
Instead, he focused on Tiger's potential and battle role in the crew.
At his peak, Fisher Tiger had used his monstrous arm strength to scale the Red Line, break into Mariejois, and free the slaves, founding the Sun Pirates.
His highest bounty had been 230 million berries, but he eventually met his end on Foolshout Island, where he was ambushed and fatally wounded by Rear Admiral Strawberry.
Despite being rescued by Jinbe and the others, he refused a human blood transfusion, choosing to die rather than "submit" to humans. Thus, at age 48, the legend of Fisher Tiger came to an end.
His strength was likely on par with an elite Marine Rear Admiral, but his legacy as the first to challenge the World Government made him larger than life.
Most people assumed Fisher Tiger was an unstoppable beast, but Brook understood the real story.
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