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Chapter 622: The Sun Pirates

Arc: Fish-Man Island · Saga: Fish-Man Island · Released:

Summary

A flashback chapter framed by Queen Otohime’s grief. Otohime recalls that the voice she heard inside Fisher Tiger’s heart “was full of pain”; she could not stop him, and his deeds left Fish-Man Island unable to attend the Reverie. Tiger — celebrated as the hero who struck the Celestial Dragons at Mariejois and freed countless slaves — preached living “in the sun” in peace with humans, while Otohime walked door-to-door begging her people to sign a petition to one day rejoin the Reverie. In the Fish-Man District, a young Hody Jones, Daruma, Zeo, Ikaros Much, and Dosun cheer the Sun Pirates and chant their hatred of humans. The flashback then follows the Sun Pirates themselves: they raid Marine ships to free slaves and steal supplies, with Arlong reveling in violence against the “inferior race” while captain Fisher Tiger beats into his crew the iron rule “we will never kill.” At Marineford, a Vice Admiral Borsalino and the brass note that the Arlong Pirates have joined Tiger and that the crew is impossible to track underwater. Aboard the ship, the Sun Pirates discover a constantly-smiling enslaved human child whose “slave training is too deeply ingrained” — she begs not to be killed. Fisher Tiger carries her to his cabin, painfully burns away her Celestial Dragon brand, bandages her, tells her “cry if you want to cry — we’re not like those idiotic Celestial Dragons,” and the crew sets sail to take her back home.

New reveals

• Fisher Tiger was the captain of the Sun Pirates and “the hero of Fish-Man Island” — the man who attacked Mariejois, freed its slaves, and “showed up the Celestial Dragons.”
• Arlong was a member of Fisher Tiger’s Sun Pirates; he addresses Tiger as “big brother” then corrects to “captain.” His belief that humans are an “inferior race” and his bloodlust openly defy Tiger’s no-kill doctrine.
• The Arlong Pirates, formerly active near Fish-Man Island and operating underwater, joined forces with Fisher Tiger (per Marine intelligence, Page 10).
• Jinbei (rendered “Jimbei”) was a Sun Pirate, present at Tiger’s councils.
• Queen Otohime’s political project: a petition for Fish-Man Island to rejoin the Reverie — “it doesn’t have to be now, it can be in seven years, eleven years, even fifteen years.”
• The future Admiral Kizaru appears here under his real name Borsalino, ranked Vice Admiral (Page 10).
• The Sun Pirates’ creed: “We will never kill.” Tiger physically disciplines Arlong for advocating cruelty.
• Tiger frees and heals an enslaved human child, removing the Celestial Dragon slave brand seared into her.

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Characters: Fisher Tiger, Arlong, Jinbei (as “Jimbei”), Otohime, Hody Jones, Daruma, Zeo, Ikaros Much, Dosun, Kizaru (as Vice Admiral “Borsalino”), Kadar (Rear Admiral, 32 Branch). An unnamed enslaved human child (former slave girl) appears prominently but is not named in this chapter.
• Groups / Crews: Sun Pirates, Arlong Pirates, Marines, Fish-Men, Celestial Dragons.
• Locations: Fish-Man Island (Ryugu Palace, the Fish-Man District), Marine Headquarters (Marineford), Mariejois (referenced), Grand Line.
• Concepts: Slavery, Hoof of the Celestial Dragon (slave brand), Meeting of Kings (the Reverie).

Notable panels

• Pages 1–2 — Two-page chapter title spread (“THE SUN PIRATES” / “Chapter 622:”) rendered in an interlocking building-block (Lego-style) diorama: Brook in a “SOUL” hat, Chopper, Nami, Sanji walking foreground, Luffy and Robin in the toy-block city (“BLOCK 30”). Decorative themed color spread — no clear foreshadowing.
• Page 3 — “Fisher Tiger is the hero of Fish-Man Island! Nobody ever did one before — he showed up the Celestial Dragons!”; cut to Ryugu Palace.
• Page 6 — The Fish-Man District; young Hody Jones (age 15, Great White Shark), Daruma, Zeo, Ikaros Much, Dosun chanting hatred of humans.
• Page 9 — Fisher Tiger conceals his own slave brand (“all former slaves have a brand somewhere on their bodies — do you see any here?”); Arlong attacks a Marine, “Human! Your very existence is a sin.”
• Page 10 — Marineford war room; Vice Admiral Borsalino (future Kizaru) and the brass review the Sun Pirates and the Arlong Pirates’ merger.
• Page 12 — Fisher Tiger’s manifesto: “The Sun Pirates fight for freedom and liberty… WE WILL NEVER KILL!!”
• Page 13 — Tiger strikes Arlong; private reflection: “What I fear most… is the demon inside me… Does she [Otohime] see any difference between me and Arlong?”
• Pages 14–17 — The smiling enslaved child; Tiger burns away her brand and bandages her; “cry if you want to cry — we’re not like those idiotic Celestial Dragons!! We will never kill anybody! …Back to her home!! Let’s go, men!!”
• Page 18 — Near-blank closing page; a single small panel of Luffy shading his eyes, gazing into the distance.

Open questions raised

• What happened to Fisher Tiger? Otohime narrates him in the past tense and says “I could not stop him that day.”
• Who is the smiling enslaved human child, and what becomes of her after the Sun Pirates take her home?
• Why does Fisher Tiger hide his own slave brand even from his crew and enemies?
• What was the “voice full of pain” Otohime heard inside Tiger’s heart — and is her ability to hear hearts a learned empathy or something more?
• Will Fish-Man Island ever rejoin the Reverie? What incident severed it?