Jinbei glanced at his crewmates, some of whom looked visibly swayed by the proposition. His voice thundered with anger as he roared:
"Shut up! I will never wager my comrades as a bargaining chip!"
"The Sun Pirates were founded by Brother Tiger!"
"I will never let his legacy be erased!"
"Don't forget—I am the captain of the Sun Pirates now!"
"As long as I live, I will never allow any of you to leave!"
At the mention of Tiger, many of the fishmen, initially tempted by Jack's words, quickly came to their senses, lowering their heads in shame. But Jack only laughed, his voice booming:
"Hahaha!"
"Joining the Beasts Pirates doesn't mean you have to abandon the Sun Pirates!"
"The Sun Pirates can become one of the Beasts Pirates' sub-crews!"
"This way, the Sun Pirates won't disappear, and you'll still be part of our grand fleet!"
"Best of both worlds. What do you say?"
The fishmen, having just calmed down, began murmuring amongst themselves again. Jinbei, seeing their hesitation, strode toward Jack with fury in his step.
"I see what you're trying to do. I will never allow anyone to exploit the power of the fishmen for their selfish desires!"
"Not even someone of my own kind!"
"So, no matter who you are, I will defeat you today!"
Jack froze for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Against the ones who killed Tiger, you didn't dare raise a hand. Against humans who discriminate against us, you held back as well."
"But now, against me—a fellow fishman who only wants to help—you suddenly find your courage?"
"Let me tell you something, Jinbei—you've got it all wrong. It's not you who will defeat me..."
"...it's me who's going to teach you a lesson!"
"Soru!"
Jack leapt from his ship and landed heavily on the beach, gesturing mockingly at Jinbei.
"Come on, Jinbei! Let's see what you've got—the one they say is Tiger's equal!"
Without hesitation, Jinbei leapt from the deck and launched a devastating punch at Jack.
Boom!
Crash!
Jack's massive body flew backward, crashing into the jungle and toppling over a dozen trees. The Beasts Pirates aboard the Mammoth fell silent, their laughter replaced with grim expressions as they watched.
Rim, observing from the sidelines, was stunned. He had never seen anyone other than Kaido himself send Jack flying with a single blow. Beside him, Willy scowled and muttered:
"That freakish brute…"
"Finder, is your captain really okay?"
Finder wrapped an arm around Willy's neck, grinning confidently.
"Relax. The only person I've ever seen who could take down Jack is Kaido-sama himself."
"Jinbei's strong, no doubt, but he's not even close to that level."
Before Finder could finish, Jack's massive frame rose from the jungle floor. Willy's eyes widened as he saw that, apart from some dust and dirt, Jack didn't have so much as a scratch.
"Hahaha! See? What did I tell you?" Finder clapped Willy on the shoulder. "You can join the Beasts Pirates with peace of mind."
Jinbei, meanwhile, remained vigilant. He had faced Jack with his full strength, even coating his punch in Armament Haki, yet Jack seemed completely unfazed.
Jack dusted off his pants, looking at Jinbei with a smirk.
"Impressive strength. Your mastery of Haki isn't bad either."
"No wonder the World Government invited you to join the Seven Warlords of the Sea. You're worthy of the title."
"If you join the Beasts Pirates now, you could easily become one of the Tobiroppo. With your talent, you might even stand alongside me in the future."
"Two fishmen as top executives of the Beasts Pirates. Imagine how much better our kind would be treated then. What do you say?"
"Don't be ridiculous, Jack!" Jinbei's eyes burned with fury as he pointed at Jack.
"I've heard all about Kaido! He's a madman! The only reason he's kind to our people is because he wants to use us as tools for his battles!"
"I won't allow that to happen!"
"Which is why I must defeat you here and now!"
"Fishman Karate!"
Boom!
Jinbei's kick landed squarely on Jack's face, but this time, Jack barely flinched. His head tilted slightly before he straightened. Somewhere in the fray, Jack had entered his hybrid beast-man form, drawing gasps from the fishmen watching.
"An… Awakened Zoan form?"
"A fishman… ate a Devil Fruit…?"
"This… this is insane!"
Jack ignored the murmurs. He was used to such reactions, even his own subordinates had been shocked when they first saw his transformation.
Wiping a dusty shoeprint from his face, Jack stared down at Jinbei, his expression cold.
"You said Kaido-sama is using us? Using our strength for his battles?"
"Of course he is. Isn't that normal?"
"Why would that be wrong?"
"The Beasts Pirates gave us fishmen a place to live on the surface, protecting our kind from human discrimination, letting our families enjoy the sunlight and the world above."
"And in exchange, we fight for him. What's wrong with that?"
"Or did you expect Kaido-sama to just pamper us fishmen, shower us with love, and ask for nothing in return?"
"We're pirates, not a charity!" Jack barked, his tone cutting. "Even charities expect something in exchange—a tax break, maybe!"
Jack leaned closer, his eyes narrowing as he mocked:
"Maybe you fishmen have lost your minds. Otohime? Tiger? You?"
"Always preaching about love, coexistence, and using kindness to change humanity."
"Why not form a peacekeeping force instead? Call yourselves Team Rocket and aim for world peace!"
"Enough!" Jinbei bellowed, his fists trembling with rage.
"Don't you dare insult Brother Tiger!"
Jack caught Jinbei's fist with one massive hand, his grip unyielding as he sneered.
"Insult? You call this an insult?"
"Sounds to me like you know deep down… you're all wrong."
"Admit it, Jinbei. You're just another small fry trying to punch above your weight!"
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The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg