Solving Vander Decken

"It's coming!"

Vander Decken's unease reached its peak. He had a feeling something terrible was watching him and closing in.

"Bald sea monster, watch closely! Don't let anyone near Noah!"

"Understood!"

Manatsumi patrolled around Noah, casually catching a giant Sea King to snack on.

On Noah's deck, about a dozen Fish-Men stood ready. They could tell their captain was tense and uneasy.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

A sound like shattering glass came from behind. Vander Decken and the others turned in fear towards the source. Cifer, who had just torn through space with his bare hands, stood there with one hand in his pocket.

"Finally found you!"

"Devil Fruit user? You can travel through space? That's a terrifying ability!" Vander Decken wiped the cold sweat from his brow. "So, what do you want with me? Did Neptune hire you?"

Cifer didn't answer his question. He glanced around, clearly realizing he was on the massive ship Noah.

"A useless little trick."

A surge of Spiritual Pressure, like a raging ocean, washed over them. Vander Decken suddenly collapsed to his knees, feeling as if a mountain was crushing him, making even breathing a luxury.

The Fish-Men beside him couldn't even withstand the first wave. The moment Cifer's Spiritual Pressure leaked out, they lost consciousness and fell to the ground. Only Vander Decken struggled to hold on.

As Cifer slowly raised his palm, Vander Decken could no longer maintain his composure. He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Bald sea monster! If you don't come now, your captain will die!"

What he never expected was that Manatsumi, in pursuit of his little crunchy snack, had already run far beyond the point where he could hear his voice or see Noah, completely forgetting his instructions.

"Quite the unique last words, weakling."

Just the overflowing Spiritual Pressure was enough to pin him down. In Cifer's eyes, he was no different from an ant.

"Wait, I won't bother Princess Shirahoshi anymore! Spare me! I'll apologize to them myself!"

Seeing that Cifer disdained to communicate with him, Vander Decken had no choice but to beg for mercy, repeatedly banging his forehead against the deck.

"Indeed, Neptune and the others should see your fate." Cifer nodded as if in agreement. As for Shirahoshi, the remaining matters were not yet suitable for the pure-hearted maiden.

Vander Decken's eyes lit up with joy. He looked up, only to see Cifer raising his hand, a terrifying power gathering at his fingertips.

"Didn't you say you'd let me go?!"

Vander Decken's eyes widened in disbelief. Fear made him tremble uncontrollably. Combined with the pressure on him, he was completely immobilized, forced to watch Cifer attack him.

"Cero Oscuras."

In that instant, Vander Decken spat out a large amount of blood. With a single blow, he felt his internal organs severely damaged, and he didn't know how many bones were broken. Yet, he felt fortunate because he was still alive!

Why did he propose to Princess Shirahoshi? For her beauty? No! For her power, because she was the legendary Sea King Poseidon! But all of that required one prerequisite: he had to be alive! The dead had no use for anything.

Cifer's Spiritual Pressure dissipated. Vander Decken lay on the ground, gasping for breath. Even though his entire body felt like it had fallen apart, he still felt the beauty of being alive.

"Let's go. You probably don't want me to help you, do you?" Cifer waved his hand, and space shattered once more. In Vander Decken's vision, there was only emptiness on the other side.

Still, he staggered to his feet and followed Cifer, stepping into the void.

And Noah remained suspended in the sky above Fish-Man Island.

Ryugu Palace, outside Hard Shell Tower.

"Father Emperor, Boss Jinbe, I've already instructed the palace guards to look for Mr. Cifer. I'm sure we'll have news soon." The First Prince, Hoshi, swam over breathlessly from a distance, while Neptune, Jinbe, and the others were still guarding the tower entrance.

Space suddenly tore open. To their astonished gazes, Vander Decken, looking like a beaten dog, was thrown to the ground by Cifer.

"This guy is... Vander Decken!"

With a single glance, Neptune's rage surged. It was because of this man that his beloved daughter had lived in fear for so many years, never daring to go out, living like a prisoner!

Neptune, disregarding his image as king, pressed down on Vander Decken in front of everyone, his massive fists raining down on his head.

Vander Decken was already severely injured, and with Cifer and Jinbe nearby, he didn't dare fight back. He could only use his arms to shield his head, shouting:

"Your Majesty Neptune, stop! I came to admit my mistake!"

Neptune ignored his pleas, continuing to punch. The Left Minister and the princes beside him wished they could join in.

"Stop if you don't want to die!" After enduring constant blows, Vander Decken's face was covered in blood. He threw caution to the wind. "If you kill me, the entire Fish-Man Island will be buried with me!"

Hearing such a declaration, even Neptune's anger had to subside. He was not only a father but also a king responsible for the entire Fish-Man Island!

Vander Decken pushed Neptune off him with all his might and shakily stood up, a sickly smile on his face.

"I ate the Target-Target Fruit, making me a Target-Target Person. The super-giant ship Noah, sunk at the bottom of the sea, has been marked by me as an arrow. A target marked by me is now stopped directly above Fish-Man Island. What will happen if I die?"

Vander Decken pulled a dagger from his person and placed it at his throat, shouting, "Now let me leave here!"

"This bastard!"

Neptune and the others' veins bulged, but they dared not make a move. No one dared to gamble whether he was telling the truth, because they couldn't afford the consequences!

Vander Decken finally burst into laughter. Since becoming the captain of the Flying Pirates, he had never felt so humiliated. Seeing them wanting to attack him but not daring to was incredibly satisfying.

And that pale-faced bastard! Although he didn't know how he found him, once he escaped this time, he would launch the most furious revenge on Fish-Man Island!

"Useless."

Cifer ignored Vander Decken's warning and walked towards him step by step, his movements light, but to Vander Decken, they sounded like a call from hell.

"Stop right there! Or I'll really stab you!" Vander Decken kept backing away, shouting loudly, his hand holding the dagger gesturing wildly.

"Cifer-kun!"

"Mr. Cifer!"

Jinbe, Neptune, and the others grew tense. If Cifer really pushed him too far, no one could accept a mutually destructive outcome.

However, did Vander Decken have the courage for a mutual destruction?

Cifer walked up to him and, with a casual wave, snatched the dagger from his hand. The crowd finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The next moment, all their eyes widened, because the dagger Cifer had just taken was already stabbed through Vander Decken's neck and out the other side!

He clutched his neck and collapsed to the ground, blood gushing out, his body convulsing. His mouth gaped open, but he couldn't utter a single word.

"Take a deep breath~ Dizziness is normal."