"Leo, you're different from most people. I used to be an adventurer. During my years at sea, I witnessed human greed and cruelty. Even the commoners you mentioned often avoided contact with fishmen. But I don't sense any prejudice from you," Tiger said.
"Brother Tiger, I believe everyone deserves freedom and equality, but I won't force anyone to accept my beliefs. In my eyes, a good person is someone who pursues happiness without causing others' suffering. People fear you because they don't understand you. If we can improve understanding and communication, I believe humans and fishmen can one day live together in peace," Leo replied.
Hearing this, Tiger's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea. Leo, you're truly a friend worth having. Are you free later? I want to introduce you to someone who shares your views."
"All right. I came here to sightsee anyway. I'll go with you to meet your friend, but first, I want to visit Fishman Street with Will," Leo said.
"Let me guide you. No one knows that place better than I do," Tiger said, patting his chest and taking the lead.
After dinner, Leo followed Tiger to Fishman Street. They chatted happily along the way.
The next day, Will, determined and ready, went out to find Leo. But before he had walked far, a group blocked his path, led by a black whale fishman.
"Will, you little troublemaker! How dare you come back? Get out of Fishman Street!" Several fishmen surrounded Will and started attacking before he could respond. Will didn't dare fight back and crouched on the ground, covering his head with his hands.
The commotion quickly drew attention, but seeing a black whale fishman beating a fellow child, the onlookers didn't intervene. The Black Whale Tribe was the dominant force among fishmen; if ordinary fishmen were ten times stronger than humans, then the Black Whale Tribe was ten times stronger than them.
Still, not everyone lacked courage. "Stop! What's the point of bullying a coward?" one of them shouted, kicking a black whale fishman aside.
"Evil Dragon, don't interfere. This is our internal matter," another warned.
Soon, two fishmen arrived—a muscular blue-skinned man and another wearing a karate uniform with a topknot. They were Jinbei and Kurobi, training at their dojo. Hearing the fight outside, they immediately ran to stop it.
With Jinbei and the others' help, the Black Whale fishmen were quickly driven away. The "Evil Dragon" looked disdainfully at Will crouching on the ground. "You coward, still so weak. Why didn't you fight back? You escaped Fishman Island secretly, didn't you? Why come back?"
Kurobi came over to comfort him. "Don't worry, Dragon. You know Will has always been timid. After all these years, he hasn't changed a bit. He always expects us to protect him. We're used to it, so don't worry."
Will stood up, head lowered, saying nothing. Jinbei patted his shoulder with slight disappointment, but they were friends who grew up together on Fishman Street. Will was the youngest among them, and they couldn't stand by and watch him suffer.
The three bullies were about to leave when a stream blocked their way. A boy stood there, staring at them. Surprisingly, Tiger also followed the boy.
"What did you do to Will?" Seeing Will's bruised face, Leo's anger erupted. He had always considered Will his brother. How could he not be furious seeing him beaten like this?
With a tremendous roar, the ground beneath Leo cracked. He charged at Jinbei and delivered a kick. Jinbei reacted quickly, blocking the attack, but before he could counter, Leo trapped him in the Deep Sea Cage. After strengthening his powers, Leo could now manipulate water molecules in the air directly. On a humid island like this, it was especially effective. Leo simultaneously attacked Jinbei, Dragon, and Kurobi, trapping them in three water spheres before they could react. Swinging his hand, the spheres spun rapidly, smashing through a wall with Jinbei and the others inside.
Leo approached Will and patted his belly. "From now on, if anyone bullies you, fight back. If there's any trouble, I'll handle it."
Will cried, looking at Leo. Seeing that Leo didn't belittle him, he cried even harder. "Okay! From now on, anyone who bullies me, I'll beat them! I'll never let you down, brother!"
At that moment, a young mermaid girl, around Leo's age, ran up from the street. Hands on her hips, she glared at Leo. "You bad guy! Why did you hit my brother?"
"You brat! You bully others but think you're right?" Leo retorted. "Your brother bullied my little brother; he deserved it."
Leo couldn't tolerate the girl, and the two stood off in the middle of the street.
"Okay, Charlio only wanted to help Will, but he acted impulsively. Also, Leo, you may have misunderstood—it should have been Jinbei and the others helping Will," Tiger rushed over, explaining helplessly.
"You little brat! Go apologize to my brother! It was my brother who beat up the bullies who hurt the chubby one!" Shari said confidently, seeing Tiger arrive.
After a while, the misunderstanding was cleared. Leo smiled and patted Jinbei on the shoulder in apology. Jinbei, Dragon, and the others realized Leo had rescued Will and returned him safely to Fishman Island, easing their hostility.
With the misunderstanding resolved, Leo decided to invite a few people for a drink at a bar. Tiger found it amusing. This kid was so troublesome—he just came out of a fight and already wanted to go back.
After a few drinks, Leo asked why Will was always bullied. Will kept his head down, saying nothing. Charlie, standing nearby, couldn't take it and explained the situation.
Will was born in a black-skinned whale fishman tribe, but his belly was white, marking him as different. Protected by his mother until age five, young Will was rarely bullied. The other whale children might refuse to play guava games with him at most. But when Will turned five, his mother died from overwork.
From then on, Will lost his protection. Life became increasingly harsh. He was often beaten and went hungry for days. Without Tiger's protection, Will would never have survived to adulthood.
Charlie paused before continuing: "Fishman Street has many orphans; Will was just one of them. But the kid was clumsy, always smiling foolishly, never fighting back. Over time, everyone bullied him. He couldn't take it anymore and fled Fishman Island. During his absence, Tiger sent people looking for you."
Leo finally understood. This was a fishman version of the Ugly Duckling story. Though he had only known Will for a few days, Leo would never forget this boy who stood up in the face of danger. From then on, Leo recognized him and hoped Will would be his first partner.
He gently ruffled Will's slightly prickly hair, then spoke seriously: "Will, I want to take you to sea. From today, you'll be my first mate. Leave this place that makes you unhappy."
Will looked up at Leo in disbelief. For the first time in his life, someone needed him. To be needed by the brother he admired, he felt immense happiness. The chubby fish's eyes welled with tears. He wanted to sail with Leo but couldn't bear leaving his friends on Fishman Island.
Leo seemed to understand. He smiled lightly. "I almost forgot to be strict with you. Will, from today, you're my partner. We will trust and support each other through countless adventures. From now on, you belong to me."
Bang! At that moment, a heavy fist slammed on the table beside them. "You untrustworthy humans! Even trash like Will, we won't let you take him away!" The Evil Dragon glared at Leo, furious. In recent years, reckless raids on slave traders had caused immense losses to Fishman Island. Now, a human dared to announce in front of them that he would take away one of their own. These extreme fishman youths were outraged.
Leo didn't even glance at the dragon. He turned to Tiger: "Brother Tiger, can humans and fishmen coexist peacefully? Will you bet on it, Will?"
Then he looked at the Evil Dragon. "Untrustworthy humans? I'm a human who rescued him from slavers. And you—my own people—were the ones who hurt him the most."
Tiger studied Leo for a long moment, then sighed. "Kid, this isn't a decision you can make impulsively. Why are you so determined about Will?"
"Because Will is a trustworthy partner, nothing like you said—he's not a failure," Leo replied firmly.
"Is he really trustworthy, Leo? If you want him as your partner, can you protect him?" Tiger asked further.
"I can only promise that I will never betray him. If necessary, I will give my life for him."
"Leo, remember your oath. If one day you break it, you will become the enemy of all fishmen."
Will, standing nearby, was already in tears. Leo's words echoed in his mind—he was a trustworthy partner. The doubts he had moments ago now vanished.
The chubby little fish suddenly stood, overturning the table with his massive body. "Brother Leo, I want to sail with you!" With those bold words, the once timid boy's gaze became unwaveringly determined.
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All the fanfiction is 30-chapter ahead but this "One Piece: Shadows of the Throne" is 30 chapters ahead there