"So you never really sold out to Barnum...Huh?" The Grouper said as she was trying to catch up to the rest of the group.

After gathering as quickly as they could, any weapon that could be used, from pitchforks to shovel to the knives in their kitchens. They couldn't let the children be left behind so even they were guarded by adults around them. Kirk himself had even gotten a shirt, a large over sized T-Shirt. Plainly colored.

"Yeah." Kirk said as they were about half way there. By this point the Palm was mere minutes away from the Compound.

"But- Why didn't you say anything? We could've helped you..." She attempted to reason with herself more than anything.

"I'm sure you'd try, but that'd have put you at risk rather than just myself...But then again, I saw the way you guys looked at me. Like I was a monster." Kirk gripped his fist as he continued to walk. He was on a total second wind, if he stopped for too long, he'd probably pass out.

"But we would've supported you regardless!" Kirk was about to snap at that...

"Your actions spoke louder than that. I came back week after week and stayed in my old house and not one of you came to check on me, Except for Oliko, and maybe old man Kolo."

That quieted Betty down. But another sound caused them to all to snap to attention!

"It's the gaurds!" Kirk exclaimed, putting a hand up to the march, all of those with weapons readied them, as those next to children huddled them behind them.

They didn't have time to take a longer way around like Kirk had. If they wanted to see Barnums down fall, they'd have to make their way right towards it! From the thin thicket in front of them, came out a group of men and Fishmen. Some of them carried rifles, while others carried blades and cutlasses.

"Well well well. Look what we found in snoopin around in our woods." Spoke one of the humans. "You know, they always say that the Stereotypes are just made up. And yet here you are. Lucky we don't got any women here. Well-"

His eyes shifted to one human woman in the Crowd, who had dark skin and thick curls. "Real women. Ones that are of a finer tone than that woman. Like her!"

He gestured with his break action pistol towards a woman with a lighter beige tone. Causing her to grimace.

Even in a world that was filled with intolerance to those that were different races and could live in water. There were still humans that held a prejudice to their own, against ones that weren't 'fair of skin'. It was a rare discriminations. But not rare enough that it couldn't be heard in the more nefarious circles of the world.

"Lee...And his Lackies." Kirk snarled. "You know, it always struck me strange that you'd get all buddy buddy with someone like Barnum, and then have subordinates that are Fishman."

"Eh- To give these Wetface Aquarians some credit, they take orders like a charm. As for Barnum, he still got the best blood in him, that makes him sensible. And unlike you all that keep complaining, he actually had the initiative to stick it to his own and put em in there place. Might is right in this world. And the mightiest are human. Even if we are biologically weaker. We were smart enough to put you to the fields."

Slurs and the Term Aquarian. An old, old term for Fishman that fell out of use for even the most old fashioned. A term originally given to Fishman by Humans. Only to fall out of style by the self imposed term Fishman.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

"K-Kirk...Is it that Lee..." A Human girl, Angela asked.

"The Very Same..." The Koi Fishman hissed.

Carver Lee, a man that was the most notorious of the Slavers in the Sharkmouthed Pirates. A man that had his own slaving company before being offered a bigger stake and more slaves to put to what ever the highest bidder would offer. He was the one that always shipped the slaves personally, leading fleets to other islands and other markets to be shipped into the Grand Line, hand picking slaves himself, and even other humans. Even having not killed many himself by hand, by him and Barnum, the blood of thousands were on his hands.

But the most damning part, was he was the Man that Oliko said had the eyes for her. And it was him, unbeknownst to Kirk, who ripped her from Coco and through her in front of Barnum.

"Just gonna have to teach you a lesson." He cocked the hammer of his pistol back and aimed it, when Kirk let out a command!

"Get him!"

With great speed, many of the Fishmen in the crowd disappeared! Even untrained, and with no combat training, the physical superiority granted to them allowed them to dissapear from the sight of the few normal humans amongst the dozen Slavers!

Kirk himself also disappeared, Zipping straight forward to Lee! Fist arched back before Planting it deep into the mans nose! All the emotions that he had, all the crying, all the sobs, all the hatred to Barnum, him, and even himself, was in that furled set of fingers! And with force so hard it cracked the Sound Barrier, Lee was sent reeling backwards as he pulled the trigger! The gun going off into the air!

Skidding into the dirt, causing a trench to be formed, Lee pulled his hand up to his nose while the Fishmen and Humans around him were being attacked with ordinary everyday objects.

"Fuckin'...Splitnecked, Scalebrained Leatherback!" He seethed as blood and teeth fell from his nose and mouth "I'll make sure you're in a Giller! Full set! I'm gonna make sure you never breath a breath properly again!"

In hazey tear filled eyes, Lee watched as Kirk approached him, the other fishmen and humans alike following around him. This man, was no worse than Barnum. He was as responsible for everything that happened to Kirk, and To Cocoyashi. But also Salmo, and Gosa. Just by second hand.

"Hagahah! To you...Fuckin' worst!"

"They say that if we stand up for ourselves. We just reinforce what people like you believe. But we can only take so much. After all. It's only human." Kirk said.

They kicked, and punched, and beat at Lee, with pots and pans, With the shovel, stray haymakers just like they threw to the others. And Kirk, watched. This was just another link in his chains undone. Everyones.

But- As the beating game to an end, a sudden explosion ringed out! Causing them all to shoot up and break away from the beaten and bloodied Lee.

"That must be the Palm! Leroy made it!" Kirk smiled a large smile, but his heart rang with a pang of worry as he thought what it would mean.

"C'mon! He's not going anywhere." Kirk gestured with his neck.

"Besides, even if he gets away. We gave him all he deserves..." In an act of poeticism. The Villager of Cocoyashi made sure that any group of hateful would never accept him again. On his fore head of ragged balding hair was the words 'Fish Lover' and across his back and chest were similar phrases. 'We're all one.' 'Fishman should be free.'