Back on the day of the Mary Geoise incident, the rising sun cast its light on the Red Line's steep cliffs.
A pirate ship from Fish-Man Island was quietly anchored in the shadow-shrouded waters at the base of the cliff, like a dormant beast, hiding its form as much as possible.
On the bow deck, two Fishmen stood, their gazes fixed on the towering red rock wall that reached into the clouds and separated the world.
"Why isn't he back yet?!"
Arlong's roar broke the oppressive silence.
He paced back and forth on the deck, his serrated nose tracing a dangerous arc in the dim light.
Arlong pointed at the Slaves rescued from beside the cabin.
They were cowering in a corner, looking somewhat frightened:
"If you ask me, Boss Tiger shouldn't have bothered with this extra bunch of guys!"
"Just saving our kin would have been enough!"
"If it were like that, he would probably be back by now!"
His words were filled with impatience and undisguised hostility towards other races.
Each time he stopped, it was accompanied by an impatient thud against the ship's railing:
"It's almost dawn now!"
"If we wait any longer, the Marine will be here!"
"A-Arlong, don't scare me!"
Hatchan shivered, frightened by Arlong, his six arms nervously twisting together:
"Boss Tiger will be fine, right?"
"He... he's so strong..."
"But there's a lot of commotion up there, and I think I even heard explosions..."
"Could it be... could it be..."
His honest face was filled with panic, and he dared not continue, as if speaking it aloud would make the worst outcome a reality.
"Shut up, Arlong! Hatchan, you calm down too."
Jinbe crossed his arms, his voice steady.
His broad body was like a reef resisting the wind and waves.
However, Jinbe's seemingly calm demeanor, his tightly furrowed brows, and his constant gaze upwards betrayed his inner anxiety.
When faint commotions and explosions were vaguely heard from the distant cliff top, his fingers on his arms would suddenly tighten, his knuckles turning white.
Jinbe suppressed the urge to go ashore and investigate himself again and again, and ordered the crew in a low voice:
"Stay hidden, extinguish any unnecessary lights."
He turned to face Arlong and Hatchan, his expression serious:
"There must be a reason for what Big Brother Tiger decided."
"What we need to do is trust him and be ready for his return here."
He was equally worried about Tiger's safety.
But he knew even more clearly that maintaining the absolute safety of the ship at the rendezvous point and being ready to meet Tiger, who could appear at any moment, was his most crucial duty at this time.
Arlong irritably kicked a rope and continued pacing on the deck.
Although this guy later disobeyed Jinbe, the current muscular Arlong was still very respectful of Fisher Tiger.
Suddenly, an ominous crimson light exploded high up, instantly illuminating the outline of the cliff top with a terrifying distortion.
Immediately, the light gradually dimmed, as if being swallowed by darkness.
"That is..."
Hatchan's voice trembled.
Jinbe did not answer; his entire mind was focused on the high altitude.
The moment the light extinguished, two blurry dark figures appeared at the location where the firelight vanished, rapidly falling.
"It's Boss Tiger! He jumped down!"
Arlong immediately recognized that iconic burly figure.
"Rendezvous!"
Jinbe's voice was deep and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.
His sturdy body burst with agility that belied his size, and he stomped on the bow, his figure soaring like a giant bird to meet the falling figures.
Jinbe spread his arms in the air, choosing not to block head-on, but skillfully embraced Tiger using Fishman Jujutsu.
He rotated with the momentum, desperately trying to dissipate the fatal impact.
Bang!
A dull thud sounded, and the three of them hit the sea at an angle, splashing a large amount of water.
"Quick!"
Arlong shouted at the stunned crew:
"Pull Boss Tiger and Jinbe up!"
It must be said that Arlong's ability was already quite outstanding among the Fishmen.
Under his command, everyone finally came to their senses and, with many hands (literally), rescued them onto the deck.
In the morning light, the injuries on the two of them were shocking—
Tiger's broad back was scorched black, flesh peeling, and a smell of burning lingered in the air.
And the human on his back was even more critically injured, almost without a single piece of intact skin.
Tiger's arms were still unconsciously clutching the person on his back, he coughed up a mouthful of bloody spittle, his vision unfocused.
Yet, he used his last shred of consciousness to cast his gaze towards Jinbe, who was supporting him:
"Save... him..."
After uttering these two words, his heavy body completely collapsed, falling into a deep coma.
"Boss Tiger!"
"Big Brother Tiger!"
Amidst another flurry of activity from the crowd, Jinbe wiped the blood-stained water from his face and ordered:
"Set sail! Get out of here quickly! Back to Fish-Man Island!"
..."That's what happened; you've been unconscious for several days."
In Christopher's room, Jinbe slowly recounted the events of that day.
After listening, Christopher endured the severe pain and slowly raised his bandaged arm.
His movements were slow, yet they carried an undeniable firmness.
Jinbe, who had initially intended to dissuade him, instinctively paused for a moment when he saw the determination in the other's eyes.
Christopher had already placed his hand on his chest:
"Thank you, Jinbe."
"Thank you for saving me, and thank you for telling me all of this."
"No need for thanks, Mr. Christopher."
Facing this solemn gratitude, Jinbe's voice was deep and steady, without any hint of superficial politeness:
"Big Brother Tiger told me about your great ideal, and I deeply admire it."
"Now that you and Big Brother Tiger have both survived, that's more important than anything."
He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping over the bandages on the other's body, his tone becoming even more profound:
"Please recuperate in Fish-Man Island with peace of mind. We Fishmen will never forget this camaraderie in battle."
Christopher nodded slightly, saying nothing more.
The flames of revolution had been completely extinguished, thousands of warriors had stained the Red Line with their blood, and his own survival was entirely due to Tiger and the Fishmen's selfless rescue.
From now on, the only thing he needed to do, and must do well, was to recover from his injuries.
He had to heal this broken body as quickly as possible.
Only by first recovering from his injuries could there be a chance for those extinguished flames to reignite in some way, at some point in the future.
Jinbe slowly exited the room and closed the door.
The faint light from outside the window flowed in like water, gently falling upon Christopher.
His breathing gradually became steady and long.
He knew that his battle was not over; it had merely changed its form.
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