Everyone develops differently; some people continue to grow taller at twenty, while others reach their limit at fourteen or fifteen. Sixteen-year-old Jack is already eight meters tall, a proper young giant.
Mandfeish, standing over two meters tall, looks like a child in front of Jack. Outsiders might easily mistake Jack for the Captain here.
Moreover, the Fishman Race mostly looks incredibly fierce, and Jack naturally carries this fierce aura.
Apart from a few acquaintances and his stronger elder brothers and sisters, his attitude toward ordinary pirates isn't exactly friendly, but he's surprisingly gentle to his Alcremie.
Alcremie isn't even as big as a hat on his head, but Jack wouldn't get angry even if it played trampoline there.
Mandfeish's example touched a soft spot and went a bit too far.
"What are you doing with the Radio Snail?"
"Lord Arceus instructed me to consult you more often. According to past practice, we should seek help when we're not a match."
"No need, Jack. You're too hasty, and I only said it could be. Most Underworld merchants wouldn't dare betray us."
What Mandfeish said is also true; Kaidou and Charlotte Linlin almost dominate the Underworld, and no one wants to offend them unless there's news of their deaths. Otherwise, people wouldn't dare to act excessively.
Making money is one thing, but you need to live to spend it. The revenge of those two isn't something ordinary people can bear or are willing to try.
Only when profits are large enough to overcome their greed with fear does such a thing happen. In the Underworld of the Grand Line, brains are crucial; one piece of news isn't worth them risking everything.
...
Mandfeish's ship began to sail at full speed. After several days of sailing, they had reached the vicinity of Fuerxhe Island.
"Mandfeish, we're almost there. If we haven't caught up to them yet, they should have landed by now."
"Stop the ship. You all stay here. Jack, you and I will go have a look."
He wasn't sure how many people the Navy had sent, but he knew his rescue target was only Tiger. In other words, as long as Tiger was alive, others were not strongly related to him.
Besides, the entire Sun Pirates crew are Fishmen; catching them on The Sea after abandoning ship is like reaching for the impossible. Taking the ship closer would increase the burden; Jack and he could enter the water freely, making things much more convenient.
"Pieman, guard here. If anything goes wrong, retreat first. Don't worry about the two of us."
"Wait, Brother Mandfeish. Let's go with you. We're also Fishmen; we should contribute to Brother Tiger's matter."
Pierman accepted Mandfeish's order, but there were a few on the ship who wanted to go along. This was the result of Mandfeish living on Fishman Island for a long time, resulting in several Fishmen under his command.
Those who couldn't accept his identity had returned to be under Ah Long or Tiger, but those who could accept it joined the Hundred Beasts and continued to follow Mandfeish.
"Suit yourselves, let's go!"
With that, Mandfeish was the first to jump into the water. As fellow Fishmen, there was no problem with retreating; planning the retreat route first was a habit he developed after the Kuraigana Island incident.
Though Gyarados could fly, its flying speed couldn't match his swimming speed. The Sea is his home ground; if he can swim, he generally opts not to fly.
"Take good care of it for me."
Patting Alcremie's head, Jack temporarily left it with Pierman and then jumped into the sea with the other Fishmen.
....
Jack seemed somewhat clumsy on land, but his swimming speed in the water wasn't slow. As long as he didn't transform, he retained the Fishman traits in The Sea.
Although slightly slower than the other Fishmen, he still followed at the end of the group.
As they sprinted at full speed, they quickly saw the Sun Pirates' ship.
At this moment, Tiger had already left the ship with Clara, while Ah Long continued to preach his theory.
"Think about it. What meaning is there for that little girl to proclaim that Fishmen are good people in the village? Like Otohime, it's a waste of words; only by letting them understand the terror of the Fishman Race can they..."
"Ah Long, three years have passed, and you're still this 'naïve.' Do you really think you're that strong?"
Before Ah Long could finish, an unfamiliar yet familiar voice sounded from below the ship rail, and then a blue 'Dragon-man' jumped onto the deck.
"Mandfeish? Why is this liar here?"
Seeing Mandfeish, Ah Long wasn't happy. When he thought Mandfeish was truly a Fishman, he considered him a friend. But ever since Mandfeish's human identity was exposed, everything changed; in his view, Mandfeish was nothing but a fraud.
"Of course, I'm here for business. Where is Fisher Tiger?"
"Show some respect to Big Brother!"
Mandfeish calling Tiger by name displeased Ah Long even more. Coupled with his previous words and 'deception,' various emotions urged him to challenge Mandfeish.
Unfortunately, he seemed to forget that he wasn't a match for Mandfeish even in the Magikarp days, let alone now that Mandfeish had mastered Mega Gyarados.
So, with one hand, Mandfeish pinned him to the ground.
"With your meager skills, do you think you can terrify humans? You know nothing about the strong."
"Mandfeish, what exactly are you here for?"
Looking at Mandfeish, who pinned Ah Long on the deck, the other Fishmen around suddenly became vigilant, and Jinbe assumed a fighting stance.
"No, don't do this. There must be a misunderstanding."
Hatchan tried to mediate, waving his six arms up and down tirelessly.
"I'm not here to fight. We received news that the Navy plans to encircle Fisher Tiger. To be precise, I'm here for a rescue mission."
"Rescue?! Big Brother doesn't need you to rescue him! Mere humans, don't be so presumptuous!"
Pinned to the ground, Ah Long remained stubborn. Even though Mandfeish rendered him powerless with one hand, he refused to concede.
"If it weren't for Sharley being your sister, I'd beat you until no one recognized you. Don't generalize and lump all humans together. People are different."
With that, Mandfeish tossed Ah Long to Hatchan's side. Although Ah Long still wouldn't comply, he was firmly restrained by Hatchan and the others.
Just then, Jack and his group also jumped onto the deck. Their movement speed wasn't as fast as Mandfeish, so they were a bit slower.
"Brother Mandfeish, we spotted Navy warships on our way. They're surrounding this place!"
At the same time, gunfire rang out on the island. Even Ah Long stopped struggling; it was clear that Mandfeish was telling the truth.