Ten thousand meters below the surface, deep in the ocean's crushing darkness—
A submarine volcanic zone pulsed faintly with crimson light.
A massive lanternfish glided through the depths, towing behind it a battered old ship.
That weathered vessel was none other than the Flying Dutchman, once belonging to the infamous pirate of legend—Vander Decken.
Every sea has its myths, and the name Vander Decken was one whispered with dread and disbelief alike.
But the man aboard now was not the legend himself—it was his descendant, Vander Decken IX, a fishman who had eaten a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit.
"Set course for Mianjin," Vander Decken IX rasped, his voice filled with venom and madness.
"Yes, Captain!"
A massive bald sea monster, towering over a hundred meters tall, responded obediently.
"No word yet? Has Shirahoshi replied?"
Vander Decken IX's bloodshot eyes glimmered beneath the lantern light.
"Not yet, Captain Decken," the sea monster answered in a slow, foolish tone.
"It's been nearly eight years… and Shirahoshi, my beloved Shirahoshi, still hasn't come to me. That vile Neptune must be keeping her locked away!
He's hidden her inside that cursed Hard-Shell Tower, cutting us apart—me and my one true love! And now, sooner or later, he'll sell her off to some human noble in a political marriage!"
His voice grew shrill with obsession, echoing like a banshee's cry through the sea.
"Unforgivable! Absolutely unforgivable! Shirahoshi belongs only to me! Only I am worthy of such a divine, pure creature!"
Then, as suddenly as a current shift, his tone softened—deranged, almost loving.
"If we cannot be together, my dearest Shirahoshi, then I'll send you my eternal love in another way...
Today, as always, you shall receive my Rose Axe!"
With a crazed laugh, Vander Decken hurled the massive double-bladed axe, the rose patterns gleaming faintly.
Years ago, his cursed palm had touched Shirahoshi's skin, marking her forever.
"Captain, you're throwing it the wrong way again! Fishman Island's on the other side!" the bald sea monster warned dimly.
"It's fine," Vander Decken sneered. "My undying love will always find her! The bond between the sun and the stars shall guide it!"
The axe spun through the dark, then twisted sharply mid-flight, veering toward its true target—
Fishman Island, Ryugu Palace, and the trembling princess within.
This was the power of the Target-Target Fruit, a cursed Paramecia ability that bound its mark for life.
As long as that mark remained, the target could never escape.
"Let's head to Fishman Street, Mianjin," Decken growled. "That fool Hody's been scheming again. If he wants to work with me, he'll have to prove he's worth my time!"
He sneered, and the Flying Dutchman vanished into the abyssal shadows.
Fishman Island — Ryugu Palace
Inside the grand banquet hall, the celebration halted the instant Sugisawa Yuuto spoke.
Announce to the entire island that Princess Shirahoshi is getting married?
The room fell into stunned silence.
"Any questions?" Yuuto asked casually, noticing everyone's bewildered expressions.
"I've got one!" Nami raised her hand immediately.
"President, what does announcing Shirahoshi's marriage have to do with catching that creepy Vander Decken?"
"Yeah, exactly!" the rest of Fairy Tail's members nodded eagerly. They all wanted to know the same thing.
"It's simple," Yuuto said calmly. "Since that lunatic is so obsessed with Shirahoshi, if he hears she's about to marry someone else, he won't sit still. He'll come running."
"I see…" Robin's eyes gleamed with understanding. "A baited trap. If we can't find him in this vast ocean, we'll let him find us instead."
King Neptune smiled bitterly. "But... Shirahoshi is only fourteen. Isn't it far too early to talk about marriage?"
As a father, even hearing the word "marriage" made Neptune's stomach twist.
"It's just a rumor," Yuuto reassured him. "Spread the word, let it draw him in. Once the job's done, you can explain the truth."
He paused, leaning back. "Of course, it's not guaranteed to work. If Vander Decken's far away and misses the news, we'll need another plan."
"No need to worry," Jinbei said with confidence. "Word spreads fast in the deep sea. The fish themselves will carry the gossip across the currents."
"But… who's going to be the supposed groom?" asked Prince Shark Star hesitantly.
"Does Shirahoshi have any close friends?" Yuuto asked.
The second prince, Dragon Star, shook his head. "None. She's been isolated in that tower for years."
Yuuto turned toward the shy princess. "Then, Shirahoshi—what do you think?"
"Eh… m-my marriage partner?"
Her face turned bright red, and she fidgeted helplessly, completely lost.
Yuuto chuckled. "Never mind. It doesn't matter who it is. It's only a rumor."
"So, King Neptune," he said lightly, "shall we proceed?"
Neptune hesitated, torn between reason and fatherly instinct.
But before he could answer—
BEEP! BEEP!
The palace alarm blared.
A massive rose-patterned axe tore through the sea at blinding speed, smashing through barriers and heading straight for Shirahoshi!
"Shirahoshi!!!"
Neptune, Jinbei, and the princes shouted in horror.
But before the weapon could strike, it stopped—frozen mid-air.
Yuuto raised his hand, fingers tightening.
CRACK.
The axe shattered into fragments.
With him present, no harm would come to the princess. Still, the sight terrified her; tears welled in her eyes as sobs escaped.
"Enough," Neptune said hoarsely. "Sugisawa Yuuto, I accept your plan!"
He looked at his daughter's trembling form. For her sake, Vander Decken had to be eliminated—no matter what.
That very day, through the Transponder Snail, King Neptune's announcement spread across the entire island:
Princess Shirahoshi is to be married.
The news hit like a tidal wave.
"What did he say!?"
"Princess Shirahoshi… getting married!?"
"She's still just a girl!"
"Who's the groom!?"
"It must be someone extraordinary!"
Rumors ignited instantly.
"Earlier, didn't Lord Neptune and the princes greet those outsiders?"
"Yeah—those people from Fairy Tail!"
"Could it be… the princess's husband is the president of Fairy Tail!?"
"No way! A human!?"
"Our princess marrying a human? Impossible!"
The island erupted with noise and speculation.
"Then again," one pirate murmured, "it would make sense. The Fishman King must be trying to ally with the Fifth Sea Emperor—Sugisawa Yuuto."
"Yeah! Smart move. If Fairy Tail supports Fishman Island, no one will dare trade or enslave merfolk again!"
"That Neptune sure knows how to play the long game!"
Within hours, the entire island's rumor mill crowned Yuuto as the future prince-consort of Fishman Island.
"Congratulations, President," Nami teased. "You're about to become royalty!"
"Hey, hey, who's spreading that garbage!?" Yuuto grumbled, black lines forming on his forehead.
Robin smiled knowingly. "No one needed to spread it. People just connected the dots."
Erza nodded. "We arrived, the news followed, and you're the only man in the guild. It's natural people would assume."
"For little Shirahoshi's sake, please endure it for now," Mirajane said kindly.
Yuuto sighed. "Yeah, yeah…"
Time passed. Two days later, the rumor had grown out of control.
Even the currents beyond Fishman Island carried the tale.
Far away, in the deep abyss—
"Nani!? What did you say!?" Vander Decken roared, eyes bulging.
"Princess Shirahoshi… is getting married!? To a human!?"
The walls of the Flying Dutchman echoed with his fury.