Dealing with Vander Decken

"He's coming!"

The unease in Vander Decken's heart had reached its peak. He kept feeling that something terrifying was watching him and drawing closer.

"Bald Sea Monster, keep watch! Don't let anyone get near Noah!"

"Got it!"

Mizunami patrolled the area around Noah alone, casually grabbing a giant Sea King to snack on.

On Noah's deck, a dozen or so fish-men stood on guard. They could all see their captain's tension and unease.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

A sound like shattering glass came from behind them. Vander Decken and the others turned toward it in terror, only to see Cifer tearing open space with one hand, the other tucked into his pocket as he looked at them.

"Finally found you."

"A Devil Fruit user? You can actually travel through space? What a terrifying ability!" Vander Decken wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "Then why did you come looking for me? Did Neptune send you?"

Cifer did not answer. Instead, he glanced around, clearly realizing that he was aboard the massive ship Noah.

"A pointless little scheme."

Spiritual Pressure surged forth like a raging ocean. Vander Decken suddenly dropped to his knees, as though an enormous mountain had fallen onto his back. Even breathing became a luxury.

The fish-men beside him could not withstand even a single moment. The instant Cifer's Spiritual Pressure spilled out, they lost consciousness and collapsed, leaving Vander Decken alone to struggle.

As Cifer slowly raised his hand, Vander Decken could no longer maintain his forced calm. He cried out hoarsely, "Bald Sea Monster! If you don't come now, your captain is going to die!"

What he never expected was that Mizunami had chased after his chattering little snack and run somewhere he could neither hear Vander Decken nor see Noah, completely forgetting his orders.

"Quite the creative last words, weakling."

The mere overflow of Spiritual Pressure was enough to pin him in place. In Cifer's eyes, he was no different from an ant.

"Wait! I won't harass Princess Shirahoshi anymore! Spare me! I'll personally apologize to them!"

Seeing that Cifer could not even be bothered to speak with him, Vander Decken had no choice but to beg for mercy, repeatedly slamming his forehead against the deck.

"Neptune and the others really should see what becomes of you." Cifer nodded as if in agreement. As for Shirahoshi, what came next was not suitable for a girl whose heart was as pure as blank paper.

Vander Decken was overjoyed at those words. But when he raised his head, he saw Cifer lifting a hand, terrifying power gathering at his fingertips.

"Didn't you say you would spare me?!"

Vander Decken's eyes nearly split apart. Fear made his entire body tremble, and the pressure on him left him unable to move. He could only watch helplessly as Cifer attacked.

Cero Oscuras.

In that instant, Vander Decken vomited a large mouthful of blood. A single strike had severely damaged his internal organs and broken an unknown number of bones. Yet he still felt fortunate, because he was alive!

Why had he proposed to Princess Shirahoshi? Because of her beauty? No! Because of her power, because she was the legendary Poseidon! But all of that required one thing: he had to stay alive! It did not matter how much a dead man possessed.

Cifer's Spiritual Pressure had dissipated. Vander Decken lay on the ground, gasping for air. Though his entire body felt as though it had been torn apart, he still felt the beauty of being alive.

"Let's go. You don't expect me to carry you, do you?" With a casual wave of Cifer's hand, space shattered open again. In Vander Decken's view, there was nothing but void on the other side.

Still, he staggered to his feet, followed behind Cifer, and stepped into the emptiness.

Meanwhile, Noah remained suspended above Fish-Man Island.

Outside the Hard Shell Tower of Ryugu Palace.

"Father Emperor, Boss Jinbe, I've already ordered the palace guards to search for Mr. Cifer. There should be news soon." Prince Hoshi swam over from afar, panting heavily, while Neptune, Jinbe, and the others continued guarding the tower entrance.

Space suddenly tore apart. Under their astonished gazes, Cifer tossed Vander Decken, who looked like a dead dog, onto the ground.

"This guy is... Vander Decken!"

At a single glance, Neptune's fury surged forth. Because of this man, his precious daughter had spent all these years living in fear every day, never daring to leave her home, as though she lived in a prison!

Neptune no longer cared about maintaining a king's dignity. In front of everyone, he pinned Vander Decken down and rained massive fists onto his head.

Vander Decken was already badly wounded. With Cifer and Jinbe standing nearby, he dared not fight back. He could only keep shielding his head with both arms and cry out, "Your Majesty Neptune, stop hitting me! I came to admit my mistakes!"

Neptune ignored his pleas and continued punching. The Left Minister, the Prince, and the others beside him all wished they could join in.

"If you don't want to die, stop!" After taking blow after blow, Vander Decken's face was already covered in blood. With nothing left to lose, he shouted, "If you beat me to death, all of Fish-Man Island will be buried with me!"

Even as furious as Neptune was, he had no choice but to stop. He was not merely a father; he was also the king responsible for all of Fish-Man Island!

Vander Decken used all his strength to shove Neptune off him, then shakily rose to his feet with a sickly smile on his face.

"I ate the Target-Target Fruit. I'm a Target-Target Person. I marked the supermassive ship Noah, resting on the ocean floor, as an arrow, and through one of the targets I marked, it is now positioned directly above Fish-Man Island. What do you think will happen if I die?"

Vander Decken pulled out a dagger and held it to his throat, shouting, "Let me leave this place now!"

"That bastard!"

Veins bulged on Neptune and the others' foreheads, but they did not dare attack him. No one dared gamble on whether he was telling the truth, because they could not bear the cost!

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

And that pale-faced bastard too! He had no idea how Cifer had found him, but once he escaped this time, he would launch the fiercest retaliation against Fish-Man Island!

"Useless."

Ignoring Vander Decken's warning, Cifer walked toward him step by step. His footsteps were light, but to Vander Decken, they sounded like a call from hell.

"Stop right there! Otherwise, I'll really stab myself!" Vander Decken kept backing away and shouting, wildly waving the hand holding the dagger.

"Cifer-kun!"

"Mr. Cifer!"

Jinbe, Neptune, and the others all grew tense. If Cifer really pushed him over the edge, a result where both sides perished was something no one could accept.

But did Vander Decken truly have the courage to die with them?

Cifer walked up to him and casually waved his hand, snatching the dagger from his grasp. Only then did everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

The next moment, all of them widened their eyes. The dagger Cifer had just taken had already pierced through Vander Decken's neck and come out the other side!

He clutched his neck and fell to the ground, blood gushing out as his body convulsed nonstop. His mouth hung open, but he could not utter a single word.

"Take a deep breath. Feeling dizzy is normal."