Merman Street.
Once a refuge for homeless fish-children, it had long since become the shadowed quarter where outcasts gathered. Fish-men, thugs, and pirates clustered there now—an underworld hub plotting to overturn Fish-Man Island.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Hysterical shouting echoed from the New Fishman Pirates' headquarters.
"Shirahoshi loves me so much—she can't be marrying someone else! I won't believe it!"
Vander Decken IX screamed, voice cracking with emotion.
Silence held for a beat, then a chorus of laughter broke out.
"Hahaha—what's so funny? Did I say something wrong?" Vander Decken IX's eyes were raw; he panted and cried out again.
Hody Jones and the lieutenants of the New Fishman Pirates laughed in unison.
"Oh, no—don't get me wrong," Hody said with a sneer. "Your love for Princess Shirahoshi is obvious to all of us. Honestly, you'd make a fine match."
"Really? You think so?" Decken brightened at once. "I thought you were harsh, Hody, but you're discerning after all!"
Hody's grin faded into a more serious expression. "It's not just about matches. That old man Neptune—he's using his daughter as bait to tie a bond with the president of Fairy Tail. He's planning to marry her off to a human!"
"What! Shirahoshi marrying a human?!" Vander Decken IX flinched again, ready to explode.
"I knew it! I knew it'd be like this—Neptune obstructed me, kept Shirahoshi away in that tower, and now he'll parade her into a political marriage. Unforgivable!" Vander Decken ranted, fury tipping into despair.
Hody's face hardened. "We fish-men are stronger than humans—they have no right to lord over us. Neptune's been weak. It's time to change the order. The fish-men should rule! Humans deserve to be trampled!"
"Yeah—let's overthrow Neptune!" cried the others. Squid King, Daruma, and the rest cheered and banged their fists.
"Come join us, Vander Decken. Help us topple Fish-Man Island!" Hody extended the offer.
"No," Vander Decken replied quietly. "I'll settle this my own way."
He turned and walked away without looking back.
"That bastard—won't even toast with us," grumbled a hammerhead fish-man, but Hody held him back. "Follow him. See what he's up to."
Not long after, from the ark moored behind Merman Street, a low rumble echoed.
"Is Noah moving?" King Squid Carlos furrowed his brow.
Before anyone could answer, the sea shook violently.
"Hey—are you kidding me? Noah's got no engines!" someone cried.
"But… Noah's ark is moving!" another shouted in disbelief. "Is Vander Decken behind this?"
Panic erupted. The whole street was in chaos as the ark Noah started to lurch and list, its massive hull straining against the moorings. Buildings trembled and cracked from the shockwaves.
"Captain Hody—Noah's heading for Fish-Man Island!" Daruma yelled.
Hody burst into delighted laughter. "Perfect—this is brilliant! Vander Decken's ability is a real gift!"
"What do you mean, Captain?" Carlos asked.
"Imagine Noah smashing straight into Fish-Man Island," Hody said, eyes glittering. "Half the island could be destroyed—a million casualties. Neptune's regime would fall in an instant!"
The cadres followed his thought, faces lighting up with savage joy. "We were going to take years to build a movement. Now—today—we can change the island in one blow!"
"Board Noah! Make this happen!" Hody ordered. The New Fishman Pirates moved as one.
On the ark's deck Vander Decken IX laughed wildly. "Start her up, Noah! Today I shall deliver my love to Shirahoshi!"
Across Fish-Man Island, the populace was still buzzing with the marriage announcement—some rejoiced, others protested. Radical fish-men marched with banners.
"Princess Shirahoshi must never marry a human!"
"Neptune, don't use her as a prop!" the voices chanted.
Old wounds simmered: Fisher Tiger's death, Princess Otohime's murder—incidents that had hardened the hearts of many fish-men. To radicals, Shirahoshi's rumored marriage was intolerable.
Suddenly, a cry from the sky: "Look—Noah! The ark!"
"Noah's falling—Noah's coming down!"
Panic spread like wildfire. If Noah's massive bow broke through the island's bubble membrane, ruin would come. Even merman who breathe underwater would stand to lose more than half their numbers. The island was blanketed in the shadow of doom.
The ark's heavy iron chains shredded the island's protective bubble and struck the ground—tearing and crushing everything in their wake. Doomsday had arrived.
In Dragon Palace City, the royal family steeled themselves.
"Damn you, Vander Decken! He used the Target Fruit to steer Noah—how could this happen?" Prince Shark Star's eyes were bloodshot.
"If Noah falls, nothing will stop it—killing Vander Decken won't stop the ark now!" Jinbe clenched his fists, helpless.
"Is this the end for Fish-Man Island?" King Neptune's voice trembled.
Shirahoshi, who had been trembling and shy, found resolve. "Father, brothers, Lord Jinbe—this happened because of me. I will not let Noah destroy our home!" she cried, standing firm despite fear.
"Brave little princess," Mirajane said softly. "But you don't need to risk yourself."
"This is Fairy Tail's commission," Erza added. "We'll take care of it."
"Urrutia's time magic can rebuild the damage even if the hull hits," Bonney offered. "He can reverse the ruins."
"And that ship up there—big as it is—won't be a problem with our president here!" Nami said, bravado cutting through the panic.
"President, come on!" Wendy, Perona, Runty, and the others cheered.
With the royal family and millions of islanders watching, Sugisawa Yuuto climbed skyward step by step—his stature rising against the wind. He called on magic.
Enormous—activated.
Ten paces later, Yuuto transformed into a hundred-meter titan. As Noah's bow threatened to break the island's membrane, he reached out and caught the sky itself—the ark's prow with a single hand.
Gasps and stunned silence spread across the island and beyond.
From the depths, giant Sea Kings let out a chorus of astonishment. "Joy Boy?" one cried. "Has Joy Boy returned this era?" they whispered. Some called it the awakened power of a sun god; others murmured mythic names. The Sea Kings' surprised cheers rolled like thunder.
Sugisawa Yuuto stood towering amid the swirling currents and wreckage, a living bulwark against annihilation—one hand bracing the ark, the other warding the sea. The ark's forward momentum stalled, held by sheer will and enormous magic.
Around him, Fish-Man Island held its breath. The New Fishman Pirates fell silent, their plan interrupted as if the world itself had slammed a giant hand on pause.
The battle for the island had shifted in an instant, and everyone—murloc and mermaid, pirate and prince—saw clearly that Fairy Tail's president was no ordinary man.