The trapped and the lonely

Fisher Tiger stared at the sun as he walked down the dirt road. He was a Fishman, and a D on top of that. Ordinary humans would never accept him.

"You're a D." his mother told him, long ago "A natural enemy of those Celestial Dragons. You must keep this a secret at all costs."

Fisher Tiger moved further and further, the backpack on his shoulder swaying to the left and right as he walked. The world was a wondrous place and he wanted to see it, to experience all it had to offer. It was something he longed for all the time he spent cooped up on Fishman island. And now, he was finally, finally, allowed to fulfill his desire. Then, it all came crashing down in an instant.

He was found by slave traders.

"He'd make a fine one." one of the slavers commented "And he is a Fishman to boot. No one will miss him if he's gone. He'll get us a good buck."

And so their greedy hands were upon him, grabbing him from all sides. The young adventurer didn't stand a chance, couldn't fight off all the hands that grabbed at him. He was thrown into a cage and he couldn't do a thing about that. He was soon to be shipped off to Mariejois and become a slave to another.

The trip took three days, and by the end of it, he was a crying wreck. His dreams of seeing the world were shattered beyond repair. He was sold quickly, and he received a burning mark on his chest as proof. Proof that he was a slave, that he belonged to another. On his first night, he was lonely and moping, but a lucky incident changed that.

A young girl, about eleven years old, crawled over to him and put her head on his lap. Instinctively, he reached out to pat her head in reassurance. He was one thing, but someone as young and pure as this girl shouldn't even be a slave, shouldn't endure the horrors that came with it. She told him that her name was Koala the next morning.

Then one day, he overheard one of the bastards talking about how they were going to bed her. When they came to fetch her, Fisher Tiger snapped their necks. He wouldn't stand for this. No one would rape Koala on his watch, not even the Celestial Dragons. They could do whatever they wanted to him, for his dream was already dead, but Koala was still innocent and it would stay that way. He would make sure of that. Koala would remain pure, untouched by the sickness of this world.

Whenever their shared master came to demand something, Koala would smile at him indulgently, but that smile never reached her eyes. Fisher Tiger hated it. He wanted to give her everything. He wanted to see her smile from the bottom of her heart. He began making plans for escape, plans he shared with Koala, who was all to eager to be a part of them. Then, when the plans were perfected and every possible flaw accounted for, they moved to the next step, actually implementing them.

"Koala is sick..." Fisher Tiger called "She needs help."

The two guards in charge of their cell opened it, only to be clocked in the hand by a vicious right hook, courtesy of Fisher Tiger. He and Koala searched the unconscious body in search of master keys. When they found them, they used them to unlock each other's cuffs, before proceeding to free every other slave they could find. Fisher Tiger brought some of his fellow Fishmen with him, while Koala brought other people who were nice to her along. Together, they formed the Sun Pirates, a crew composed solely of former slaves. Koala and Fisher Tiger shared the title of Captain. Koala was the one to make helpful suggestion, while Fisher Tiger was the one who actually gave the orders. The system worked smoothly, and the Sun Pirates sailed the seas with nothing to fear.

Then they had a run-in with Arlong Pirates. Apparently, their captain was an old friend of Fisher Tiger and suggested that he and his crew join Sun Pirates. Fisher Tiger was a bit wary. Arlong's hatred for humans was well-known, and there was no telling what he'll do to Koala and other human members. Ultimately, he turned to his partner for advice.

"It's best if you let Arlong-san and his crew join." Koala had told him "You can keep an eye on them and they will mellow out once they see we aren't heartless monsters like they think we are."

Fisher Tiger had to admit that her idea was a good one. He took her advice. Arlong pirates were no more. They were all Sun Pirates now.

It was two years later that Fisher Tiger got his first bounty. They threw a party in his honor.

It was a year after that that the Marine HQ sent Fisher Tiger an offer to become a Warlord. He wanted to refuse, but Arlong and Koala decided to bury the hatchet for a day so that they could join forces and pressure him into accepting. He had to fold 'em in the end and reluctantly accepted.

It was around that time that they found a rare fruit. People called it the Dream-Dream fruit. It could give the one who ate it the ability to grant their wish no matter what that wish was.

Before anyone could think about the implications such fruit could offer, Koala ate it and her face scrunched up in disgust.

"Worth it." Koala announced "This way, Tiger-san would never die as long as I live."

Fisher Tiger ruffled her hair, but inside, he was in turmoil. Why would she do it for him? Sure, he rescued her, but he heard many parents tell their children how Fishmen were the boogeymen, because they feared them. Because they feared anything they couldn't understand. But Koala...Koala gave up her ability to swim just to ensure he won't die. It was then that he realized that Koala didn't belong with Sun Pirates, not really. She belonged with Revolutionaries. She would be the one to mend the rift between humans and Fishmen.

He had heard rumors about the Revolutionaries, how their three founders used to be Marines, but saw the corruption beneath the surface, and quit to form the Revolutionaries.

He decided to breach the topic the next day during supper.

"Have you ever thought about changing the world?" Fisher Tiger asked Koala

She shook her head.

"All I want is to make you happy." Koala smiled "Just like you made me happy."

And Fisher Tiger knew then and there what he had to do. He steered the ship towards Sabaody Archipelago, where the largest slave market was. If these Revolutionaries did exist, they would no doubt head there, in attempt to free some of the slaves and recruit them for their cause. This would enable Fisher Tiger to arrange a meeting between them and Koala.