Episode 544

"The Pirates Split - Jinbe vs. Arlong" is the 544th episode of the One Piece anime.

Short Summary
After Fisher Tiger's death, Arlong, enraged, betrays his last wishes and decides to attack and kill the villagers of Koala's village for selling him out, upon trying he is easily beaten by Vice-Admiral Borsalino and taken into Marine custody for interrogation, where Arlong tells the marines a lie of Tiger's death, which Jinbe later notes, to preserve his honor as a fish-man.

Jinbe sends a letter to Neptune and Otohime to tell them about Tiger's death and Otohime continues to try to gather signatures for her petition, but after a short time, many of the citizens and their children take back their previous signatures which leads to her going back to the palace, only to stay in a drunken depression whilst ranting about her ambitions, broadcasting it to the entire country which changes the views of some citizens.

Jinbe receives an invitation to the Shichibukai and accepts to further bolster the relations between humans and fish-men species (for Otohime) and to watch the World Government and demands that Arlong be released.

Upon his return, Arlong states he's leaving the Sun Pirates to make his own Arlong Pirates who will wreak havoc upon the East Blue and challenges Jinbe to stop him, Jinbe loses his temper with him and beats him to a bloody pulp, but leaves him alive and demands his crew removes him before he changes his mind.

The crew then splits into three, with the Arlong Pirates and Macro Pirates splitting away from the original crew as the episode ends.

Long Summary
Arlong is enraged over Tiger's death and, rather than choosing to obey Tiger's last wish, he does the exact opposite of what Tiger wanted: as he returns to Koala's home island, he plans to get revenge on the humans that sold him out. However, Vice-admiral Borsalino is there and easily defeats Arlong. Arlong states he's here to kill all the humans that sold Tiger out and how Tiger is now dead while Borsalino just states now he's gonna take him with him. At the G-2 Base, Arlong is being interrogated and yells how if not for human's blood being the cause of Tiger's death he would still be alive and states that humans killed Fisher Tiger. The next day Jinbe is reading the newspaper and notes how Arlong left out several details and lied to the Marines. Aladine states he did so that Tiger's reputation and pride would stay safe. Jinbe, agreeing with Aladine, states that they have to continue on now and prepare for battle and states that they will not kill anyone. At Marineford, Strawberry tells Borsalino about how dangerous Jinbe is.

At the palace, Neptune and Otohime are reading a letter from Jinbe about the truth of Tiger and how they support Otohime's cause. Otohime gains more confidence and strives to gain more peace with humans and merfolk. She continues to gain more signatures, but the citizens are even more distrusting towards humans due to the news about Tiger and how they just cannot trust humans because of this. After the day, Shirahoshi at age 4 and the princes comfort her from her long day. Jinbe goes on to state how she continued to save humans and teach children about the outside world and continuing to gain more signatures. One day, a citizen asks how many signatures Otohime has. Otohime states there are 5 million people on the island and she only has 1,000 signatures, but still has a long way to go. The citizen and others ask for their signatures back, and so do some of the children having been told so by their parents. They state that they listen to her because she's queen, but it's the humans and cannot live with them and are tired of her speeches. They take all the signatures and the Minister of the Right can only take pity on the queen. At the palace, Otohime returns and is crying to herself with Neptune listening in depression. The next day, Otohime, drunk, makes a broadcast announcement for the whole island about how they choose to live on the bottom of the surface because of how there's a little light and air their to live off of. She goes on to state how the children sneak off to view the outside world and how the people of the island are afraid of change for the world and if they can change that, then maybe they can see all the true wonders of the world. This seems to have an affect on the people.

One day, Jinbe receives a message from the World Government about becoming a Shichibukai. Macro states that because his bounty is now at 250 million and they are afraid of him. Jinbe actually decides to take them up on this offer. At the palace, Jinbe is speaking with Neptune about his decision to become a Shichibukai to promote peace for merfolk and Neptune is grateful, stating Otohime would appreciate this and this is what Tiger would have wanted, however, Hody Jones does not like this.

Jinbe decides to have Arlong released from Impel Down and the crew all rejoice that he's back. Arlong decides to leave since Jinbe is now a dog of the government and will take his Arlong Pirates to do what he wants and if Jinbe wants to stop him, he will have to kill him and yells that he will become the rage of Fish-Men. Jinbe, finally losing his temper with Arlong, brutally beats him half-dead with his fists, but, due to everything they've been together, cannot bring himself to kill him and lets him go. Aladine reassures him that if Arlong decides to do anything funny, they'll be there to stop him while Jinbe shows his frustration on how Arlong cannot understand Tigers wish. The episode ends with Arlong's and Macros crew leaving the Sun Pirates.

Anime Notes

 * The following scenes are added in the anime:
 * Arlong going back to Foolshout Island (with Hatchan's futile attempt to stop him), and fighting several Marines before he was stopped by the Vice Admiral Kizaru.
 * Some of the Fish-Man Island citizens withdrew their signatures because a human pirate committed a robbery.
 * Aladine having a conversation with a crewmember.
 * The fight between Arlong and Jinbe is extended.
 * In the manga, it is ambiguous as to how Rear Admiral Strawberry received his grievous injuries. But in the anime, it is confirmed that it was Jinbe who had viciously beaten him before rescuing Fisher Tiger.
 * In the manga, the talk between Arlong and Jinbe, about his becoming a Shichibukai happens at Impel Down, the fight between the two happens at an unknown island of the Grand Line, and the conversation between Jinbe and Aladine on Arlong not understanding the will of Tiger happens on the ship. But in the anime, all the scenes occur at the same unknown island.