Vander Decken's Shock: The Blood-Eyed Ninja Was Still Alive!

"Hahaha~"

"I must say, your battle plan is indeed excellent," Hody nodded approvingly. "If it were any other Fish-Man here, you would have really outpaced them."

After saying that, Hody paused for a moment, then continued with a cold laugh, "But unfortunately... you're facing me after I've ingested a large amount of Energy Steroids!"

Faced with someone so powerful, a mere human with special abilities has no chance of escaping!

Shrimp, hahaha~

'Hateful!'

Seeing Hody laughing uncontrollably, Merry's face turned extremely ugly.

If the seawater hadn't weakened her Wind Force, how could this guy have possibly dodged his attack?!

Then, Merry began to think about how to resolve the current situation.

'Right now I need to grab Luffy with one hand, so I can't use Wind Loss...' Merry murmured to herself. 'In that case... I'll attack him with the wind!'

Although it's uncertain whether this move can defeat Hody, as long as it can send the opponent flying with the wind, it's the same!

That way, she can bring Luffy into Noah's Ark!

With that thought in mind, Merry raised her right hand towards Hody, clearly intending to use her ability to attack Hody.

"What, you want to attack me with some weird abilities?"

Hody, who nimbly moved past Merry, said coldly, "You think I'd let you hit me?"

Stop joking, okay?!

Knowing that the opponent's attack power is relatively strong, he would never allow the opponent to hit him!

After a cold laugh, Hody picked up the harpoon again.

'Damn it, I refuse to believe I can't hit you!' Merry thought to herself, ' Water Tornado!'

"Boom!!"

The next moment, a terrifying Wind Force erupted from Merry's hands.

Then, the force began to spin on Merry's side, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a horizontal deep -Water Tornado!

"Boom!!"

After unleashing her attack, Merry immediately withdrew her arm and turned to rush upwards.

The next moment...

"Puff!"

"Ah!!!"

"Gurgle..."

A sharp harpoon pierced the arm that Merry was using to grab Luffy, causing Merry to scream in pain. This also caused the girl to uncontrollably swallow a mouthful of seawater.

But Merry knew she would die if she continued like this, so she forced herself to shut her mouth.

Then, she looked down at her arm that had been punched through, and her eyes gradually became moist.

'pain...'

If she hadn't withdrawn the Wind Force below in time... that arm would have been torn off by now.

Thinking about this, Merry felt like crying.

But when she thought about her current situation, Merry forced herself to hold back.

After all... Luffy can only rely on her now!

"Mei... gurgle gurgle gurgle..."

Upon seeing Merry's appearance, Luffy instinctively called out to her, but because they were in the ocean, he only managed to utter one word before uncontrollably starting to drink seawater.

After drinking a large amount of Luffy, Byakugan gradually began to roll back.

"Hahaha~"

Upon seeing this, Hody immediately burst into laughter.

"So, humans are the lowest of the low!" Hody laughed, "Faced with the ocean, all you can do is let out a few desperate cries!"

"Hahaha~"

"Waaah..."

Merry ignored the noisy guy and, enduring the excruciating pain, looked down at Luffy.

If she hadn't insisted on not letting go of Luffy, Luffy would have been swept away by the whirlpool by now...

'Damn it, what am I supposed to do now?!'

Hody's eyes lit up immediately, as if he had discovered something interesting.

"Looks like you really care about this Straw Hat," Hody grinned. "How about we play a fun game?"

Upon hearing Hody's words, Merry immediately looked up at him, her expression turning somewhat fierce.

They looked as if they wanted to tear a piece of flesh off Hody.

Unfortunately... this look had no effect on Hody at all; instead, it gave him a cute but fierce feeling.

"Little thing, glaring at me won't do any good," Hody said. "Because I'm in control of the entire domain now."

"Hahaha~"

'hateful...'

Merry, trembling, looked up at Noah's Ark, which was now starting to distance itself from them again.

what to do?

What should I do?!

"Listen up, little one," Hody said, stroking his chin as he gripped the harpoon. "How about I let you go up on Noah's Ark if you're willing to put Straw Hat down?"

"That way you can survive for now."

"Hahaha~"

After laughing, Hody lowered his head and continued, "Of course, you have a second option too~"

"Keep getting caught by my harpoon, and then... figure out a way to escape with Straw Hat!"

"But in that case, you'll immediately face my attack!"

After saying that, Hody paused for a moment, then his eyes immediately turned fierce, and he said, "Once you make that choice, I will tear you to pieces without hesitation!"

Perhaps fearing that Merry wouldn't believe him, Hody continued, "Little thing, in my eyes, there's no such thing as a cub having special privileges!"

"Anyone who poses a threat, I will kill!"

"So I advise you to choose the first one."

"Hahahaha!"

At the end, Hody burst into laughter again, clearly enjoying the feeling of putting pressure on others.

"Make a decision for me, you human girl!"

"Hahaha~"

But as Hody laughed, he realized something was wrong. Why were the little human girl's eyes completely unchanged?

Shouldn't she be grateful that she has the option to live?

If she gives up on Straw Hat, she will have a chance to survive!

Even if it's only temporary, it's still much better than being killed by yourself right away, isn't it!

But the other party... why is that?

At this moment, Hody was filled with doubt and couldn't understand why Merry would react this way.

"Kid, don't you want to live?"

"Partner!"

In the deep sea, Merry uttered those two words with difficulty, and at the same time raised two fingers to make her choice.

Then, she glared fiercely at Hody, as if to say, "You want my life?"

"Then you can have it!"

"But if you want me to abandon my comrades' lives and live on... then I'd rather die!"

For her, and for her Straw Hat Pirates crewmates, the word "crewmate"... has never been a choice!

Then, Merry raised her uninjured hand and pointed it at Hody, clearly intending to use her abilities to attack.

Even if this attack might tear her arm off, she would do it!

She would rather Luffy live than lose her own arm!

"Is this your answer...?"

Hody saw through Merry's thoughts, fell silent. He simply couldn't understand why this little human girl had such courage.

Isn't she afraid of dying?

She looks only a few years old... why does she have such willpower?

For a moment, Hody even felt a sense of confusion.

Hody, having dispelled this strange thought, then turned fierce.

"Since that's the case... then you should just die!"

'Bring it on!'

Seeing Hody's fierce gaze, Merry's eyes also turned fierce; she was ready to fight to the death.

But before she could make a move, she suddenly saw a figure rushing towards her from a distance.

'That's... Shirahoshi's brother!'

As if she understood what the other party was going to do, Merry immediately abandoned her previous idea and began to gather another attack.

At that moment, Sharks rushed to Hody's side, his eyes fierce as he raised his sword and slashed at Hody.

"Die, Hody!!"

Hody:???

Hody was immediately filled with questions as he looked at the Sharks that had suddenly appeared in front of him.

'Why is this guy here?' Hody wondered. 'I beat him up like that... how can he still move?'

Although he didn't know what was going on, Hody wasn't going to let himself get beaten up for nothing.

So he pulled the harpoon out of Merry's arm to block it.

The next moment...

"Clang!"

The harpoon and the longsword clashed, producing a crisp sound.

"Hody!"

"Sharks..."

Looking at the merman glaring at him, Hody smirked and said, "You piece of trash, you dare to come looking for trouble with me? Aren't you afraid...?"

Before he could finish speaking, he felt a change in the flow of water around him.

Then, as if remembering something, Hody turned to look at Merry.

"Little thing, you..."

"Vortex Storm!"

"Boom!!!"

A terrifying Wind Force swirled up the seawater and then slammed into Hody, sending him flying towards Noah's Ark in the distance!

"Whoosh~"

"Ugh!!!"

Hody coughed up a mouthful of blood after being hit, and his expression became extremely ferocious.

Ultimately, the man was blasted by Merry's power and flew to the edge of Noah's Ark, where he was then embedded in the wood.

After doing this, Merry's face turned pale due to blood loss, and her strength gradually diminished.

Even so, she did not let go of Luffy's hand.

"What a terrifying little girl..." Sharks looked at Merry with lingering fear, never expecting this little girl to be so terrifying.

If the attack hadn't been directed at him, he would have been sent flying by now.

"Help... gurgle gurgle gurgle..."

Merry, pointing at Luffy, only managed to utter this one sentence before she began uncontrollably drinking seawater, clearly reaching her limit.

Seeing this, Sharks immediately took out its Bubble Coral and rushed over.

After capturing both of them, Sharks used Bubble Coral to create a bubble, which provided Luffy and Merry with a space where they could survive.

"Cough cough..."

Once she could breathe again, Merry coughed up the water she had inhaled and then began to inhale large gulps of oxygen.

After taking a few breaths, Merry turned around and used her undamaged arm to press down on Luffy, forcing the water out of his stomach.

"Puff!"

"Cough cough, he's... he's alive..."

Luffy coughed violently after spitting out the water, while also showing an expression of relief at having survived a close call.

I survived, thankfully.

Then, he looked at Merry with a worried expression and said, "Merry, are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

Merry, clutching the wound on her arm, shook her head, then looked up at the sky and said, "But... that guy might still be alive."

Her attacks would be significantly weaker in the ocean, so the opponent should still be alive.

"It's alright, I'm just glad you're okay," Luffy said. "I'll take care of him."

"But your wound..."

"She shouldn't die," Merry said, shaking her head.

Despite what Merry said, Luffy still felt incredibly angry.

"That bastard Hody, isn't he...?"

Looking up at Luffy in the air, his eyes instantly turned furious, as if he wanted to tear Hody apart alive!

"I won't let him get away with this!"

How dare Hody! That bastard dared to hurt Merry... He'll definitely make that bastard pay!

Just then, Merry coughed lightly, which made Luffy tense up again.

"Merry, you..."

Upon hearing this, Merry glanced down at the huge bloody hole in her arm, then shook her head and said, "I told you, I'm not going to die anytime soon."

Although she is bleeding, she won't die anytime soon.

Luffy paused for a moment upon hearing this. Was this a question of whether he would die temporarily?

If we don't treat the wound on Merry's arm in time, this little girl might die!

Thinking of this, Luffy's eyes became somewhat panicked.

However, Luffy quickly calmed down because he thought of Xi Yan!

"I know how to help you!"

"What are you going to do?" Sharks asked.

"Um?"

Upon hearing the sound Luffy turned around and saw the giant shark- Fish-Man.

"You are... Little Coward Star's brother?"

Sharks:???

Little Coward Star?

Are you talking about your own sister?

While my younger sister is indeed timid, she shouldn't be called "Little Coward Star"...

After letting out a silent sigh, Sharks said, "If you're talking about Shirahoshi, then it is indeed me."

"My name is Sharks."

After speaking, Sharks paused for a moment, then asked again, "What do you plan to do?"

"Go find Little Coward Star and Xi Yan from the front."

Luffy glanced at Merry's bleeding wound and said, "Let Xi Yan treat Merry."

Merry will die if she keeps bleeding, so... he must go find Xi Yan first!

"I understand, now I'll look for..."

Sharks froze at this point, then looked at Luffy in shock and said, "Who did you say?!"

Because of extreme shock, Sharks's voice rose many times, and his eyes bulged out of their sockets.

"Xi Yan."

"Xi Yan?!"

"Is this the Xi Yan I know?!" Sharks asked quickly, "Isn't he already dead?!"

The newspaper clearly stated that the Blood-Eyed Ninja was dead, so why is Straw Hat...? Could it be that the man isn't dead?

Thinking of this, a hint of wild joy appeared in Sharks's eyes.

If that man is really here, then Fish-Man Island is saved!

"Hey, Luffy!"

Clutching her wound, Merry stared blankly at Luffy and said, "Why did you just blurt out that Xi Yan is still alive?!"

Didn't we agree to keep it a secret?

"Is there anything more important than your life?!" Luffy shouted. "Besides... Xi Yan also said that he could tell others about his affairs if necessary."

"And Brother Star is none other than Little Coward Star's brother."

So I think it's okay to tell him.

Even the Little Coward Star knows that Xi Yan is still alive, so it's okay if his brother knows too, right?

Besides, he has no other choice now, does he?

Upon hearing this, Merry pursed her lips, but she didn't say anything more, which could be considered as an assumption of what Luffy had said.

Sharks exclaimed excitedly, "So, that man is really still alive, right!"

"Is that right?"

At this moment, Sharks was so excited that he was almost unable to control himself.

After all, to him and to Fish-Man Island, Xi Yan, this human, was a hero!

"That's right, Xi Yan is still alive." Luffy nodded and said, "However, Xi Yan said that this matter needs to be kept secret from others."

"So... can you keep this secret for us?"

"This..."

Sharks swallowed hard, suppressing his excitement, and said, "Then can I tell my father about this?"

"He would be very happy if he knew."

After all... the heroes of Fish-Man Island are still alive!

"Then go ask Xi Yan yourself," Luffy said. "I'm only telling you now because I have no other choice; otherwise, I wouldn't be saying anything."

After saying that, Luffy picked up Merry and carefully pressed his hand against Merry wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

Seeing this Sharks opened his mouth, wanting to say that doing so might cause the wound to become infected.

But thinking about it carefully, it seems there's no other way to stop the little girl's bleeding, so... let's leave it at that for now.

As for infection?

Only those who survive are eligible to be infected!

"Hold on tight, Straw Hat!" Sharks placed the two of them on his back and said, "I'll get to the bow of the ship as fast as I can!"

Although they are currently in the area below the stern, about half the distance of Fish-Man Island from the bow,... at his speed, he can definitely arrive in a few minutes!

So... little girl, please don't die!

Otherwise... he wouldn't know how to face that hero from Fish-Man Island!

"Please, Brother Star!"

"Profound!"

"Target hohohohoho~"

"Shirahoshi, your anxious look is so captivating!" Vander Decken, carrying a pile of things, appeared on the deck and excitedly looked at Shirahoshi, saying, "I love it so much!"

"Target hohohohoho~"

"I'll give you one more chance. If you're willing to marry me, I'll spare your life. How about it?"

"Target roar roar roar!"

"How about it? Think about it!"

At this moment, Vander Decken's face was filled with excitement, clearly showing that he had Shirahoshi completely under his control.

"I'm sorry..." Shirahoshi, struggling to swim, cried out with her eyes closed, "I still stand by what I said, you're not my type!"

"Click..."

Once again deeply hurt, Vander Decken clutched his chest and knelt on the ground, his entire body turning ashen.

At that moment, he felt a profound despair.

A moment later, he suddenly raised his head and said, "In that case... then you should die!"

Enraged, Vander Decken grabbed a large number of weapons and hurled them at Shirahoshi without mercy.

Unfortunately... all of these weapons were knocked away by Xi Yan!

"Clang!"

"Clang!"

"Clang!"

"Damn humans!"

Looking at Xi Yan, who was standing on Shirahoshi and staring at him, Vander Decken felt both angry and jealous.

He was angry that this bastard dared to get in his way, and jealous that he could stand on Shirahoshi's back.

'Damn it... I should be the one standing there!' Vander Decken roared inwardly.

"Are you finished?" Xi Yan asked calmly, looking at Vander Decken.

Van Decken paused for a moment, then frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"

What do you mean by "Are you done talking?"

"You can shut up now that you've finished speaking."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xi Yan took off the Sunglasses he was wearing, revealing his Mangekyō Sharingan.

Vander Decken:!!!

The moment he saw Xi Yan's eyes, Vander Decken was so shocked that his eyes bulged out, his face filled with disbelief.

If he wasn't mistaken... those were the eyes of the Blood-Eyed Ninja!

'Damn it, wasn't he already dead?!'

This man was clearly killed by the people of the Human Kingdom two years ago, so why is he still alive and has even come to Fish-Man Island...? Why is that?

Wait... could it be that this man didn't die two years ago?

Otherwise, there's no way to explain why they're here.

Then, a feeling of despair arose in Vander Decken's heart.

He... was no match for this man.

The next moment, Vander Decken's eyes lost their light, and he was completely controlled by Xi Yan.

"Um?"

Shirahoshi glanced back at Vander Decken and paused, then asked in confusion, "Big Brother, what did you do?"

Why did Vander Decken suddenly become so still, as if he were under control?

"I've got him under control." Xi Yan, having withdrawn his gaze, turned to Shirahoshi and smiled, "Now he can neither hear us nor launch another attack."

If it weren't for Vander Decken running into the cabin to get weapons, he wouldn't have given the other guy the chance to come to his senses now.

"Lord Xi Yan, you can actually control others?"

Shirahoshi stared at Xi Yan in astonishment, clearly not expecting him to possess such abilities; this was simply too powerful!

"Of course," Xi Yan said with a smile. "Controlling this kind of trash is a very easy thing for me."

Vander Decken was ultimately just a minor character, not worth mentioning.

Then, Xi Yan looked up at the enormous Noah's Ark and said, "Shirahoshi, if you don't swim faster, Noah's Ark will crash into you."

Shirahoshi was startled upon hearing this, then turned and swam away into the distance, saying, "Lord Xi Yan, didn't you already control Vander Decken? Why is this thing still hurtling towards me?"

"I did control him, that's true, but if I kill him now or remove his powers, Noah's Ark will crash directly onto the Fish-Man Island below," Xi Yan explained. "So I can't do anything to him right now."

"So that's how it is..."

Shirahoshi Xing nodded, understanding what Xi Yan meant, then raised her head and shouted, "Lord Xi Yan, I will do my best to swim to the far end!"

"Profound!"

Just then, two figures darted over from a distance, their expressions increasingly shocked.

"Um?"

Xi Yan, noticing them, paused for a moment, then said in surprise, "Aren't these Shirahoshi's Second Brother and Third Bro...?"

How did these two end up here?

"Shirahoshi!"

"You... who did you just say?" Star Emperor asked Shirahoshi excitedly.

Sunfish Star looked at Shirahoshi excitedly, waiting for her answer.

"This..."

Seeing the expectant looks in their eyes, Shirahoshi hesitated. Should she... tell her two older brothers about this?

After thinking for a moment, Shirahoshi looked at Xi Yan, intending to ask him for an answer.

Xi Yan nodded upon seeing this, indicating that it was acceptable.

These two people are Shirahoshi's family, so there's no problem letting them know.

After receiving Xi Yan's confirmation, Shirahoshi raised her head and said, "Brother Star Emperor, Brother Sunfish Star, you heard me right, I did just say Lord Xi Yan."

"Then... does that mean..."

The two brothers trembled, their eyes filled with disbelief as they looked at Xi Yan.

Could this man be the hero who saved their Fish-Man Race two years ago in Mary Geoise, Ōtsutsuki Xi Yan?!

"Hello." Xi Yan, who had reactivated his Mangekyō Sharingan, smiled and looked at Star Emperor and Sunfish Star, saying, "Let's get to know each other again. I'm Xi Yan."

"It really is you!"

After receiving an affirmative answer, Star Emperor and Sunfish Star became extremely excited, and their bodies trembled even more violently.

The hero of Fish-Man Island... is really still alive!

Then, Sunfish Star excitedly said, "Why didn't you tell us you were still alive?"

If they had known that Xi Yan was still alive, how could they have made such a blunder?

"Yes, Lord Xi Yan," Star Emperor said excitedly, "If you had told us sooner, our misunderstanding could have been cleared up."

After all... they believed in Xi Yan's character!

"It's a long story," Xi Yan said with a hint of helplessness. "In short... I faked my death two years ago, so the World Government doesn't know I'm still alive."

"Is this why you've been hiding the fact that you're still alive?"

The difference Star Emperor" and "Sunfish Star" is immediately clear.

This is indeed a very effective way to avoid trouble from the World Government.

After all... that way no one will bother them!

Thinking of this, the two said in unison, "Don't worry, we will keep your secret!"

"Okay." Xi Yan nodded with a smile.

"Then could you tell my father and my brother Sharks?" Star Emperor asked again.

"No problem."

Xi Yan nodded and said, "Telling your family is fine, and I trust you can keep this a secret."

"Thank you for your trust," Star Emperor said, bowing slightly.

What an understanding man he is...

"You're welcome."

"We have so much to tell you," said Sunfish Star, wiping away tears from the corners of her eyes.

Their mother would be so happy to meet someone like Lord Xi Yan.

After all, this man did what her mother had always hoped for!

Thinking of this, even more tears welled up in Sunfish Star's eyes.

"Let's talk about that after we've resolved this matter." Turning to look at Xi Yan behind him, he narrowed his eyes and said, "The most urgent thing is to deal with this Noah's Ark."

If this problem isn't solved, not only will Fish-Man Island be destroyed, but my companions will also be in danger.

Therefore... he absolutely cannot let this thing fall!

"That's right."

Sunfish Star finally realized what was happening, then wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and said, "The most important thing now is to solve this problem."

Otherwise, they wouldn't have had a chance to sit down and chat.

"Where is that Decken?" Star Emperor asked.

"I have him under control," Xi Yan said, pointing in the direction of Noah's Ark. "He's on the deck of that ship now."

Upon hearing this, Star Emperor turned around and glanced at Noah's Ark, immediately spotting the man whose eyes had lost their luster.

'They actually managed to control it...'

As expected of Lord Xi Yan, you are truly amazing!

At this moment, Star Emperor was filled with countless emotions.

"Now that Vander Decken is under control, things are much easier," Sunfish Star said, looking into the distance. "All we need to do now is move Noah's Ark away, and everything will be fine."

As long as Noah's Ark can be moved, Fish-Man Island will be fine!

"That's right."

Star Emperor glanced down at the deep-sea boulder that was constantly rubbing against Noah's Ark and said, "But we can't let this ship get damaged..."

Upon hearing this, Xi Yan looked surprised and said, "This ship is already in such a state of disrepair, and you still intend to keep it?"

This can't be opened anymore, can it?

"Our father said this ship has a very important significance and must not be destroyed," Star Emperor said. "So we absolutely cannot let it crash to the bottom of the sea."

As he spoke, Star Emperor glanced at the direction Shirahoshi had gone.

Continuing forward would indeed allow Noah's Ark to escape the skies above Fish-Man Island, but it would also lead to the ship's complete destruction at the bottom of the sea.

so...

"Special significance..."

Xi Yan looked at the enormous warship, which was half the size of Fish-Man Island, and said, "You're not planning to use this ship to go to the surface, are you?"

Based on Jinbe's previous descriptions, Queen Otohime has always hoped that the Fish-Man Race of Fish-Man Island could live on the surface.

However, relocating an entire clan is not an easy task; at the very least, a sufficiently large ship would be required.

And this Noah's Ark... was the perfect size!

"I don't know." Star Emperor shook his head and said, "Our father never told us whether this ship was used to relocate the Fish-Man Race. He only said that this ship was very important."

"Is that so...?"

Xi Yan stroked his chin and thought for a moment, then looked at Shirahoshi and said, "In that case, let's go upstream first."

"Once we're away from those obstacles, we'll start swimming sideways again."

"Good!"