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"I still have some things to take care of. After that, we'll go straight to Hive Island."
After saying this, Buggy took out his Den Den Mushi and contacted Tiger.
"Buggy, what do you need?"
Tiger had been getting along well with Buggy these past few days, so his tone had changed. He no longer sounded so polite but used the casual address of someone familiar.
"Arlong teamed up with a group of pirates and kidnapped Jessica. What do you think we should do about it?"
Buggy's tone wasn't as calm this time. He angrily explained his purpose for contacting Tiger.
"What? That guy Arlong actually did something like this? Buggy, I'll go capture Arlong and bring him back to you right away. You can do whatever you want with him. I'll also be responsible for rescuing your crew member."
Tiger's face was heavy as he said these words. He also knew the urgency of the situation. If something happened to Buggy's crew, their cooperation would basically be over. Their Fish-Man Island might even gain another enemy in the future. To stabilize Buggy, Tiger made his promise.
"The pirates who collaborated with Arlong are the great pirate King from Hive Island in the latter half of the Grand Line. They planned this in advance. You probably won't be able to catch them."
Hearing the name King, a look of fear flashed in Tiger's eyes. He didn't expect that Arlong had made contact with such a monster.
Tiger knew a bit about the more famous pirates in the latter half of the New World. In his eyes, King was someone not to be trifled with.
"Damn it! Arlong, how did that guy get involved with such a monster? Buggy, don't worry. Even if it costs me my life, I will rescue Jessica."
As he said these words, Tiger's eyes were very determined. He was already prepared to die.
Buggy's relationship was crucial to the future of their Fish-Men. Even if it meant death, he wouldn't let this relationship break. He had to rescue Jessica. And this matter was also closely related to him. Arlong was his subordinate. He couldn't escape responsibility for this.
Hearing Tiger say this and his firm tone, Buggy's anger subsided a bit. He spoke again, "Arlong must die."
Arlong's actions had crossed Buggy's bottom line. Buggy wanted him dead. He directly informed Tiger and didn't leave room for negotiation.
Hearing Buggy say this, Tiger's mouth opened and closed, opened and closed, several times. But no sound came out of his mouth.
"Sigh, okay."
Although Arlong hated humans very much, he was very protective of Fish-Men. He had never harmed any Fish-Men. He had grown up with Tiger. Tiger still wanted to save him from the bottom of his heart. But this matter was very important, and it involved Buggy's crew. This changed the nature of the situation. For the Fish-Men and Fish-Man Island, Tiger couldn't bring himself to say it. He also knew that Buggy wouldn't agree. He was helpless. His helplessness ultimately turned into a sigh.
Hearing Tiger's sigh, Buggy knew what he meant. But he didn't respond or plan to let him off the hook. Arlong must die.
After saying this, Buggy hung up the Den Den Mushi. He also told Otohime about the situation.
Otohime was naturally very concerned after hearing this. She immediately said that she would send royal guards to rescue Jessica and hoped that Buggy wouldn't hold a grudge against the Fish-Men, wouldn't change his mind, and promised to rescue Jessica as soon as possible.
Buggy knew why Otohime said this. He also knew what she was worried about. He directly stated his position, explaining that he wouldn't hold a grudge against all the Fish-Men. He would only deal with those who had harmed Jessica. Everything else they had discussed before would remain the same. He wouldn't take back his previous words.
Buggy also refused Otohime's decision. He directly explained the origin of those pirates and King's identity. He also subtly explained that the Fish-Men might not be King's opponents. He also expressed that he would take care of this matter.
Buggy was definitely going to go himself. He couldn't leave Jessica's safety in someone else's hands. He didn't think the Fish-Men would be King's opponents. Among the Fish-Men, only Tiger and Jinbe were capable. The rest were simply not up to par. If they went to deal with King, they would be completely wiped out. Even if Tiger and Jinbe went together, the outcome would be the same.
Hearing Buggy say this, Otohime fell silent. She knew that what Buggy said was true. Their Fish-Men weren't King's opponents. If they really had the strength to deal with a great pirate like King, they wouldn't have to stay on this small Fish-Man Island. They could completely occupy a piece of land in the latter half of the Grand Line. Their previous decision was made because they didn't know who those people were. Now that they knew it was King, she felt a deep sense of powerlessness. They didn't have the ability.
Hearing the long silence on the other side of the Den Den Mushi, Buggy knew that what he said might have been a blow to Otohime. She might be speechless because she was powerless. To ease Otohime's worries, Buggy directly said that Tiger would go with them.
"Okay, be careful."
Hearing that Tiger would go with Buggy and his crew, Otohime felt a bit more relaxed. After all, Tiger represented their Fish-Men. His presence showed their attitude. In a way, they were also contributing. She wasn't as helpless anymore.
After saying these words, Buggy hung up the Den Den Mushi. He also immediately told all his crew members about Jessica.
After learning about this, everyone on the crew was very angry. They couldn't believe that the Fish-Men would treat them like this after Buggy had done so much for them. Some people, after hearing this, were even eager to take action and deal with all the Fish-Men on Fish-Man Island to avenge Jessica.
Of course, Buggy stopped this. He directly told his crew some secrets and his intentions.
The secret was about Princess Shirahoshi. He didn't reveal everything. Buggy only gave a general explanation, saying that Shirahoshi was related to an ancient weapon of war.
He didn't reveal everything, not because he didn't trust his crew, but because there were many technologies or Devil Fruit abilities in this world that could make those who knew the truth reveal information they didn't want to. He only gave a general explanation, considering this factor.
He also explained his appreciation for Tiger and Jinbe. He also expressed that if he had the chance, he would recruit them into his pirate crew.
He also emphasized that this was Arlong's fault alone. Arlong didn't represent all Fish-Men. He expressed his attitude. He didn't want to damage his relationship with the Fish-Men and said that he would definitely rescue Jessica.
Hearing Buggy's secrets and his intentions, the crew members reluctantly calmed down. They knew that Buggy had his own considerations. They also realized the importance of the Fish-Men. They gave up the idea of retaliating against the Fish-Men.
After explaining everything, everyone started packing their things, buying supplies, and preparing to set off for Hive Island.
In the afternoon, everything was ready. Buggy and all the members of the Red-Haired Pirates boarded the Glory, ready to set off.
Tiger also boarded the Glory with Jinbe and some other strong Fish-Men, ready to set off together.
Otohime and Neptune also came to see them off and formally apologized to Buggy in front of him.
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P@TREON
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