One Piece: Starting with Creating the Strongest Character Design

As soon as the two finished speaking, the surrounding crowd, which had been merely watching, instantly erupted into a commotion.

After many people saw that there really was a living mermaid girl in the backpack, their gazes instantly became burning and greedy, and their eyes were glued to Kemi, almost without any attempt to hide it.

In Sabaody, the price of a mermaid is enough to tempt countless desperados to take the risk.

However, everyone still clearly remembers what happened just now.

This unusually young-looking navy officer sent a pirate flying backward with a single punch, spitting out blood incessantly.

They only dared to watch from afar; not a single one dared to take a step forward.

Everyone could see that this seemingly gentle naval officer was ruthless in his actions, and his strength was far beyond what his appearance suggested.

"By the way, now that I've saved you, may I ask you a few questions?"

Kitahara Tsuneo withdrew his gaze, his tone becoming calm and gentle, carrying a reassuring warmth.

"Let me introduce myself first. My name is Kitahara Tsuneo, Rear Admiral of the Marine Headquarters."

"brigadier?"

Kemi blinked, not having much of a concept of the Navy's hierarchy, only knowing that the other party was a good person who had saved her.

She sensed no malice from Kitahara Tsune; on the contrary, she felt very reassured and immediately nodded vigorously.

"Okay! I'll tell you anything you want to know. As long as I know it, I'll tell you everything!"

Unlike the innocent and naive Kemi, Papagu's whiskers tensed and his alertness jumped to his throat when he heard the words "Commodore," even though he seemed to have no voice...

Even if the other party is its savior, it still dares not completely let its guard down.

The entanglement between Fishman Island and the human world runs too deep, and the shadow of the slave trade is etched into the hearts of every Fishman.

It stepped forward slightly, blocking Kemi by half a step, and said in a deep voice:

"What do you want to ask?"

As the two were talking, the passersby around them were in an uproar.

"A commodore? Such a young commodore?"

"She looks to be only around twenty years old, that's unbelievable!"

"He's probably a monster rookie being groomed by the Navy, maybe even a supernova..."

A murmur of discussion arose, and many people quietly retreated, preparing to leave this place of trouble.

Kitahara Tsune seemed oblivious to the surrounding noise, his gaze calmly fixed on the one person and one star, and he spoke slowly and deliberately:

Do you know Fisher Tiger?

A single sentence, falling lightly, yet like a boulder crashing into a calm lake.

Papagu froze, the color draining from his face instantly.

It pounced almost reflexively, covering Kemi's mouth with its small body, afraid that the innocent little guy might blurt out something he shouldn't.

"We...we don't know!"

Papagu spoke very quickly, his tone was flustered, and even his voice was trembling slightly.

"We only recently left Fishman Island, and we know absolutely nothing about what's happening on the surface. We really know nothing!"

This attempt to cover up the truth is obvious to anyone.

Kitahara Tsune, seeing its flustered appearance, maintained a gentle smile and did not press further, simply nodding slightly.

"Really? I understand."

He never genuinely wanted to hunt down Fisher Tiger.

Tiger's acts of freeing slaves and storming holy sites may be seen by the world as those of a heinous criminal.

But in Kitahara Tsune's view, this man carried the hopes of countless slaves and the dignity of the fish-men.

He was ordered to investigate, but it was just a formality; there was no need to pressure the two innocent children.

Seeing that Kitahara Tsune did not pursue the matter further, Papagu finally breathed a sigh of relief, his back already covered in a layer of cold sweat.

It quickly changed the subject, tentatively asking:

"Then, can we leave now?"

Kitahara Tsune raised an eyebrow slightly, his gaze sweeping over the still menacing crowd around him, his voice calm:

"Are you sure you want to leave now?"

Kemi and Papagu instinctively turned their heads to look in the direction he was looking.

On both sides of the street, countless greedy eyes, like those of hungry wolves, stared intently at them.

Kemi trembled with fright, and Papagu's face turned pale. The two of them shrank behind Kitahara Tsune almost simultaneously, clinging tightly to him, their bodies trembling slightly.

"Then, what should we do now...?"

Kemi asked softly, her voice trembling with tears.

Kitahara Tsune pondered for a moment, then spoke softly:

"It's not safe here, you'll have to stay with me for now."

That's all we can do.

Papago nodded to himself. Staying with him for the time being was much better than falling into the hands of other pirates or slave traders.

"Ahem, by the way..."

Papagu forced a conversation, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere.

"Why would your navy deliberately appear in a place like Sabaody Archipelago, a place teeming with all sorts of people?"

"Didn't you already guess?"

Kitahara Tsune turned his head and gave it a look that was neither a smile nor a frown.

A few beads of cold sweat instantly appeared on Papagu's forehead. He chuckled dryly twice, then wisely shut his mouth, not daring to say another word.

Fisher Tiger is no longer just a hero of the merfolk.

He is the banner of the liberation of slaves and the symbol of resistance against the oppression of the Celestial Dragons.

Even if it did know Tiger's exact whereabouts, it would never reveal a single word to the Navy.

Just then, a series of crisp and quick footsteps approached from afar.

Hina walked over slowly, her gaze sweeping lightly over Kemi and Papagu, and spoke in a calm tone:

"Mermaids, and... talking starfish?"

She looked at Kitahara Tsuneo and asked directly:

"Did you find out anything?"

Do you think it's possible?

Kitahara Tsune gently shrugged.

Papagu scratched his whiskers awkwardly, lowered his head and remained silent, looking as if he would rather die than say another word.

"Hina doesn't care."

Hina gently adjusted her sleeves, her tone completely calm.

She was simply following orders and had no interest in the arrest of Fisher Tiger.

Beside him, Smoker, with a cigar in his mouth, exhaled a deep puff of white smoke.

He pointed to the few pirates still groaning and unable to move on the ground, and asked:

"What should we do with these guys?"

Kitahara Tsune turned to look at him and asked in return:

"What do you think is the best way to handle this?"

"Of course, they should all be arrested and taken back to the naval base for interrogation."

Smoker said matter-of-factly.

Unlike Hina's indifference, Smoker fully supports Fisher Tiger's actions, but he cannot turn a blind eye to the crime happening before his eyes.

Kitahara Tsune pondered for a moment, then gently shook his head.

"Sending it to court for trial is a complicated process and a waste of time and manpower."

"The Navy has a lot to do right now, and it doesn't have the extra energy to waste on this bunch of scum."

Let's just solve it here.

As soon as those words were uttered, the surrounding air seemed to suddenly turn several degrees colder.

A barely perceptible hint of surprise flashed in Hina's eyes.

This newly arrived brigadier general was usually mild-mannered, but when he decided to kill, he was surprisingly ruthless and decisive.

"Solve it on the spot?"

Smoker paused, momentarily confused, and frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Literal meaning."

Kitahara Tsune's gaze swept over the trembling pirates on the ground. His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable chill.

"Anyone who can operate at Sabaody Archipelago No. 1 has blood on their hands and carries the weight of countless innocent lives on their shoulders."

Smoker, who is usually tough and hates evil, frowned and hesitated at this moment.

"This...isn't that inappropriate?"

He could capture and strike pirates without mercy, but to execute them on the spot was beyond his usual code of conduct.

"That's true."

Kitahara Tsune nodded slightly, as if accepting his opinion, and his tone softened.

"Those with minor offenses will be severely punished and thrown out of Chambord."

"Heinous criminals, whose hands are stained with the lives of slaves and innocent people..."

His gaze swept over the trembling red-turbaned pirate on the ground, his voice light, yet chilling:

"Just solve it here."