While Princess Shirahoshi excitedly followed her family to Princess Otohime's grave, Vander Decken IX, lurking in the shadows, began his insane actions.
He sneakily approached a giant coral tree, waving his webbed palms and striking hard.
Crack.
A section of massive coral requiring several people to embrace broke off, crashing heavily to the ground.
Then he grabbed that huge coral piece, seemingly casually throwing it forward.
Something strange happened.
That heavy coral seemed to gain life, automatically changing direction in midair and flying rapidly toward the Sea Forest!
Vander Decken IX leaped up, landing on the coral's surface, letting it carry him speeding through the air.
"Go! Take me to my beloved!"
He spread his arms, releasing maniacal shouts: "Shirahoshi! I'm coming!"
Meanwhile, on the other side of Sea Forest, Neptune's family went to pay respects where Princess Otohime eternally rested, while Kai brought his companions to another relatively secluded area of the forest.
There, a massive, ancient square stone stood quietly among dappled tree shadows and shipwreck debris, its edges covered with deep green moss.
The boulder's surface was carved with dense, ancient, mysterious text, awaiting guests who could decipher its meaning.
"This—this is a Poneglyph!"
Robin's pupils suddenly contracted as her breathing became rapid.
She ran over desperately, slender fingers trembling with excitement as she carefully touched that cold, rough stone carving surface.
"That's right, this is the surprise I mentioned."
Kai smiled slightly.
Though he already knew the contents, giving it to Robin as a gift was perfect—much more valuable than gold, silver, or jewels.
"I know this place!"
Yamato also spoke excitedly: "Roger and Oden came here too! It's recorded in the diary!"
But then her face showed confusion: "But—according to the diary, there should be two Poneglyphs here? Where did the other go?"
"Don't know who took it—whereabouts unknown."
Kai felt somewhat regretful.
The missing piece was one of the four red Road Poneglyphs necessary to reach Laugh Tale. Finding it would essentially mean obtaining all of Laugh Tale's coordinates.
Because the other three—no, two—locations were already determined.
"That Roger guy—he came here too?"
Ace looked down at the ground beneath his feet, his expression becoming complex.
Had that man he called "Father" also stood here, gazing up at this heavy stone?
Then Robin, who had quickly scanned and memorized the entire Poneglyph's contents, returned with satisfaction, her face showing the scholar's joy of solving mysteries.
"It's an apology letter written by Joy Boy to someone."
Robin introduced the contents to her companions.
Simply put, it was from a man named Joy Boy who left an apology letter for being unable to fulfill a promise with someone.
"Unfortunately, there's no detailed information about Joy Boy himself, nor does it specify who made the promise with him."
Robin felt somewhat regretful.
"I know! It's a promise between Joy Boy and a mermaid princess."
Unexpectedly, Yamato raised her hand high, exactly like a student who knows the answer in class.
"Yamato, how—how do you know that?"
Robin's surprise was no less than suddenly discovering a vocational school student was actually a world-class mathematics genius.
Yamato's character had never been associated with knowledge.
"Oden's diary says so!" Yamato giggled as she revealed: "He even speculated that Joy Boy and that mermaid princess had an unusual relationship—they might have had something going on!"
Kozuki Hiyori nearby felt her eye twitch.
Was Father's diary writing style so wild?
"What else did the diary say? About Joy Boy, about promises, what else was mentioned?!"
Robin no longer cared about her usual elegance and politeness, excitedly grabbing Yamato's hands and shaking them back and forth, desperate to know more.
"Um..."
Yamato tried hard to remember: "He also said a person who inherited Joy Boy's will would appear in the future, working with the new era's mermaid princess to complete that unfinished promise. That's all the diary wrote about Fish-Man Island."
Actually, though Kozuki Oden wrote all witnessed history and secrets into his diary, he ultimately tore out the most crucial pages himself.
They only said answers to questions like what the Void Century was, what the D clan was, and what Ancient Weapons were—all were at Laugh Tale.
Robin regretfully released her hands, murmuring: "Joy Boy—who exactly was he? What was that unfulfilled promise..."
"Why not ask me directly?" Kai smiled mysteriously.
"What?!" Robin turned in surprise, red lips parting, losing her usual intellect and elegance: "Kai-sama, you also know about Joy Boy?"
In that moment, she suddenly felt her existence as an archaeologist was meaningless.
Was the Void Century's history like common knowledge? How did everyone seem to know some inside information?
Kai's words were earth-shattering: "Joy Boy was active about 800 years ago, during that historical period called the 'Void Century.'" He's said to be the world's first pirate."
"The first—"
"Pirate?!"
Everyone was shocked.
This identity alone was astounding, not to mention its direct connection to the "Void Century" history the World Government would do anything to erase!
This double taboo combination instantly raised everyone's curiosity to its peak.
"So cool!"
Bonney's eyes sparkled with stars.
This was knowledge no books would record.
"Joy Boy had a promise with the mermaid princess 800 years ago. I don't know the specifics, but it was likely to make all of Fish-Man Island and its residents completely leave the 10,000-meter depths, surface above sea level, and truly bask in sunlight."
Kai continued: "Later, in a great war that swept the world, they lost to some powerful opponent. Naturally, that great promise could never be fulfilled."
"War with whom?" Robin asked urgently.
"The time isn't right—I can't say."
Kai shook his head, his tone brooking no argument.
Now wasn't the time to reveal Im's existence to his companions.
"Sigh—" Everyone released disappointed sighs.
Seeing their disappointment, Kai thought and offered another piece of information: "Speaking of which, Joy Boy has quite a connection to your people, Kuma."
"Me?"
Kuma's honest face showed confusion, but he quickly understood—if it was about 800-year-old legends: "Sun God Nika?"
"Exactly. Joy Boy was precisely what your Buccaneer race has passed down through generations—the symbol of liberation and freedom, Sun God Nika."
"In that world-sweeping war 800 years ago, your ancestors very likely fought, following in his footsteps."
Kai casually revealed a secret buried for 800 years that could shake the world.
Since he had already revealed it, he might as well finish what could be said.
"Wow, so Nika's story was real!"
Bonney was completely satisfied.
The legend of Liberation God Nika had given her considerable courage during her illness.
Robin looked strangely at Kai.
Kai-sama always seemed to have information others couldn't know.
Casually revealing Princess Otohime's real killer; just arriving at Sea Forest and expertly having Neptune point out the Poneglyph's location—these things aside.
Most incomprehensible were figures like "Joy Boy," whose names weren't even clearly recorded in archaeological sanctuaries like Ohara—yet he knew them intimately.
Robin felt an urge to excavate this man thoroughly.
Unaware he had become Robin's archaeological target, Kai called everyone to leave.
When they met up with Neptune's family after their respects, a sudden change occurred!
"Shirahoshi, my treasure! I've come to marry you!"
An extremely lecherous male voice rang out from above like broken gongs, shattering Sea Forest's tranquility.
In the sky, seeing increasingly clearly Princess Shirahoshi below, Vander Decken IX, riding his coral projectile, excitedly rubbed his hands.
As long as he could reach there and touch Shirahoshi, he could send his little treasure to his ship.
Kai turned at the sound, red light flashing in his eyes as if seeing some interesting future, his lips involuntarily curving high.
The next second, Shirahoshi's timid voice sounded.
"But... I don't like you."
"Gah!"
The aggressively approaching Vander Decken IX's smile instantly froze, movements freezing as even his colors seemed to fade like a weathered stone sculpture.
Then he put on a demanding expression: "You—how can you not like me!"
Completely consumed by rage and possessiveness, Vander Decken IX suddenly pulled out sharp throwing knives from his chest, madly hurling them at Shirahoshi without looking!
The knives automatically adjusted direction in midair as if they had eyes, aiming at Shirahoshi.
"Ahh!"
Facing the whistling deadly knives, Shirahoshi fearfully closed her eyes tight, her massive body trembling with terror.
"Despicable, attacking a little girl!"
Jinbe roared angrily, his burly figure instantly blocking Shirahoshi, assuming Fish-Man Karate's classic stance: "Water Shot!"
Several water drops shot from his palms, precisely hitting every knife and knocking them to the ground with clanging sounds.
"Vander Decken IX! How dare you show yourself—don't think about leaving today!"
Seeing this nightmare that had troubled his daughter for years, Neptune was both shocked and delighted.
Today might be the perfect opportunity to completely eliminate this threat!
Then Vander Decken IX finally awakened from his fury.
He definitely couldn't face so many people head-on.
He struck the giant coral beneath his feet, and it instantly changed direction, carrying him at extreme speed toward outside Fish-Man Island.
Jinbe shouted: "No good, he's escaping!"
Standing on the high-speed flying coral, Vander Decken IX crossed his arms proudly, turning back to laugh: "Didn't expect this escape route, did you? You can't catch me—"
His wild laughter suddenly stopped.
Because a slightly mocking chuckle rang clearly in his ear like a ghost:
"Then—did you expect my arrival?"
Vander Decken IX stiffly, bit by bit, turned his head.
"Ahhh!"
When he saw who had somehow silently appeared beside him, almost face-to-face, Vander Decken IX released dolphin-like screams.
The next second, he felt a hand grab his throat.
Then his body lightened as the scenery began spinning and blurring wildly.
When Vander Decken IX could see clearly again, several large men had surrounded him.
"I was wrong! I was completely wrong! Spare my life! Please, I'm begging you!"
Vander Decken IX adhered to principles of self-preservation, kneeling without psychological burden and kowtowing frantically, tears and snot flowing.
But soon he discovered his crying pleas seemed ineffective on these menacing men.
Vander Decken IX's eyes rolled cunningly as he immediately switched pleading targets, desperately kowtowing toward Princess Shirahoshi: "Princess Shirahoshi, I was wrong! I'll never harass you again! Please, forgive me!"
Seeing him cry so "miserably," kind Shirahoshi indeed felt some reluctance and pity.
She quietly pleaded: "Father, Uncle Jinbe, let's forgive him."
Yes, exactly!
Vander Decken IX's eyes flashed with successful scheming joy as tears flowed even more fiercely.
Neptune and Jinbe frowned.
Forgiving Vander Decken IX was definitely impossible, but directly killing him here might leave Shirahoshi psychologically scarred.
Should they just imprison him?
As both men struggled with this dilemma—
"Hey! What are you doing?!"
Vander Decken IX's panicked shouts suddenly rang out.
The lecherous tiger shark fishman desperately gripped a slender yet powerful arm, struggling futilely.
Unfortunately, his weak strength was like tickling to Kai.
Kai effortlessly lifted Vander Decken IX before Shirahoshi, asking: "Tell me, if we spare you this time, what do you plan to do next?"
"Of course, reform and become a new person! I'll change for the better, contributing my part to Fish-Man Island's prosperity!"
Vander Decken IX put on airs of dedicating his life to Fish-Man Island, internally cursing Kai as an idiot—who would tell the truth when asked like this?
But absorbed in his acting, he completely missed Shirahoshi's increasingly ugly expression.
"You—you're lying."
Shirahoshi frowned cutely, saying quietly but certainly: "Brother Kai, he—his heart is still cursing you—"
"What?! I'm not!"
Vander Decken IX was greatly alarmed.
Seeing Kai's instantly darkened expression, he was scared witless, frantically struggling and trying to explain.
But before he could organize more words—
The next second, tremendous force came from his neck.
Crack.
A crisp bone-breaking sound rang out.
Vander Decken IX, who had been frantically struggling and arguing, suddenly stiffened, his eyes instantly bulging and losing all light, his legs kicking weakly before joining his good brother Hody.
Kai expressionlessly released his grip.
Vander Decken IX's corpse limply collapsed to the ground.
For disgusting enemies like Vander Decken IX, Kai had no habit of showing mercy.