And with the forbidden drug in his possession, it was quite possible that no one in the entire Neptune royal household could actually stand against him.
Hody Jones had once served in the guard corps of the Ryugu Palace, and even studied combat techniques directly under King Neptune himself.
He had mastered Fish‑Man Karate with ease, and now, boosted by the drug, he finally felt he had the strength and confidence to overthrow the king.
His hatred for humans was irrational and extreme—pure racial fanaticism.
That explained why El and his crew were welcomed as honored guests by King Neptune, yet instantly marked as the greatest threat and enemy in Hody's eyes.
In his twisted view, any human was automatically a prisoner, no exceptions.
What made his hatred truly senseless was the fact that none of his own family or loved ones had ever suffered harm at the hands of humans.
Unlike the legendary Fisher Tiger or later Jinbe, whose hatred was born from personal experience and suffering, Hody's loathing was something innate, deep‑rooted in his very nature.
Because of this twisted mindset, neither Arlong, Jinbe, nor even the great Fisher Tiger himself had ever seen any potential worth nurturing in him.
But at that time, Fish‑Man District was in a period of chaos without a strong leader.
Fisher Tiger had died years ago; Arlong, too extreme in his ways, had been exiled to the East Blue and was rumored to have been captured by the Marines.
Jinbe, who had once led the Fish‑Man Pirates, had become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, serving the World Government and Marines, and was rarely present on the island.
This dangerous gap in leadership was exactly the opportunity Hody Jones seized.
He quietly expanded his influence and built up a powerful force in the slums—what he now called the New Fish‑Man Pirates.
Yet the name was nothing more than a cheap attempt to ride on the legacy of Fisher Tiger. It carried no true intention of carrying on the hero's ideals.
Hody thought only of himself, not even of his own people. He claimed he wanted to let the Fish‑Man race—whom he deemed superior to humans—walk freely under the sun on the surface, yet he was fully willing to sacrifice his own kind to achieve that goal.
His extremism went even further than Arlong's.
…
"To think he has secretly built such a terrifying force…"
The disturbance in Fish‑Man District could not remain hidden forever.
Even though the area was officially outside the kingdom's jurisdiction, the royal family did not completely abandon its people.
Informants still slipped messages out, keeping the palace updated on what happened there.
But recently, Hody had tightened his control, cutting off most lines of communication, leaving King Neptune increasingly out of touch.
Now, however, the gathering of tens of thousands of fighters was impossible to conceal.
News had reached the palace—which was exactly why Hody was furious.
In order to deal with El and his crew, he had been forced to reveal his full strength, blowing his cover and alerting Neptune.
Even so, he still clung to his ambition. After defeating these human pirates, he planned to ride the momentum straight to the palace and seize the throne.
He was so blinded by his own confidence that he seemed completely oblivious to how hopeless his situation actually was.
But Hody was not yet finished—he still had his trump cards to play.
"Officers, move out! Take the drug!" he commanded.
Though the New Fish‑Man Pirates claimed to carry on Arlong's will, these officers were the ones Arlong had rejected when he left Fish‑Man Island.
Over the years, they had grown stronger on their own, and now, with the forbidden drug Hody had obtained—something Arlong never had access to—their power was about to surge even higher.
The drug was no ordinary stimulant; it multiplied strength many times over, unlocking incredible, almost unimaginable power.
It even enhanced the user's mental clarity and reaction speed, making it seem like a perfect transformation—an evolution of the body and mind.
Of course, the side‑effects were equally severe, though Hody deliberately kept that part hidden from his followers.
Besides his thousands of common soldiers, Hody commanded a core group of elite fighters:
Dosun, the hammer‑wielding hammerhead shark Fish‑Man, possessing overwhelming physical strength.
Ikaros Much, the sawshark Fish‑Man, able to change his skin color and strike from the shadows.
Daruma, the piranha Fish‑Man, with razor‑sharp teeth and the ability to burrow through rock.
Hyouzou, the blue‑ringed octopus swordsman, hired as a mercenary for this battle.
These were the most feared figures in Fish‑Man District—ruthless, violent, and avoided by all ordinary citizens.
Even King Neptune viewed them with caution.
Now, boosted by the drug, their already formidable power reached new heights.
They stood firm and unshaken even before the overwhelming pressure of Conqueror's Haki unleashed by Doflamingo and Boa Hancock.
Conqueror's Haki was not without its limits.
It consumed stamina, and while it could easily knock out ordinary soldiers, there was one critical factor to consider…
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