"Shirahoshi! My beloved fiancée, I've come to take you home!"
Vander Decken strode forward with a swagger that screamed unhinged confidence, eyes bulging and expression wildly exaggerated.
"Eek!"
Shirahoshi shrieked and hurriedly hid behind Neptune.
Her three brothers, led by Fukaboshi, were instantly enraged. They raised their weapons and shouted furiously.
"You shameless bastard! Prepare to die!"
Fukaboshi gripped his trident and thrust forward with all his strength, aiming straight for Vander Decken's head.
Vander Decken hopped aside nimbly, dodging the strike.
Even though he looked pathetic, he was still a pirate captain after all. He had at least some basic combat ability.
Gripping an axe in his right hand, Vander Decken swept it sideways, knocking Fukaboshi's trident aside.
In a flash, he closed in and slammed his left palm into Fukaboshi's chest.
"Fish-Man Karate… 3,000 Brick Fist!"
Bang!
Fukaboshi was blasted back several meters, a streak of blood appearing at the corner of his mouth.
Vander Decken sneered. "I'll let it slide since you're my future brother-in-law. But if you try to stop me again, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Fukaboshi and his brothers were momentarily stunned, instinctively halting their advance.
Seeing this, Vander Decken smiled smugly and turned toward Shirahoshi, putting on what he clearly thought was a gentlemanly expression.
In reality, it only made him look more creepy and revolting.
"Ah… my Princess Shirahoshi! I've come to marry you! Please, be my wife!"
The fake affection in his voice only amplified how disgusting he felt.
"I… I refuse!" Shirahoshi peeked out slightly and answered timidly.
Vander Decken froze.
The heart overflowing with twisted affection seemed to shatter completely in that instant.
"W-Why?" he asked blankly. "I love you so much!"
Shirahoshi glanced at him, then immediately hid again.
Her voice was timid… yet unwavering.
"B-Because… you're too ugly!"
Boom!
It felt like thunder struck Vander Decken straight in the soul.
Ugly.
He was being rejected for being ugly?!
That already shattered heart was pulverized into dust on the spot.
Pfft!
Hidden nearby, Oguro burst out laughing.
This was exactly why he hadn't stepped in yet.
He was waiting for this legendary moment.
Why don't you like me?
Because you're ugly.
Absolutely brutal… emotional damage at its finest.
"Damn it!"
Completely unhinged now, Vander Decken threw his head back and roared.
"Shirahoshi! I never thought you'd be such a shallow woman! If I can't have you, then no one will!"
He spread his arms wide, somehow pulling out knives, daggers, and throwing axes from who knew where.
Fueled by pure resentment, Vander Decken screamed and hurled everything at Shirahoshi!
In an instant, Shirahoshi's face went pale.
She had seen this power before. Unless it was fortress-level protection like the Shell Tower, nothing could stop those attacks.
"Tsk. Letting you perform your 'ugly guy' highlight reel was enough. Why are you adding extra scenes?"
A teasing voice rang out, light in tone yet carrying unquestionable authority and dominance.
What shocked Vander Decken most was this—
The moment that voice sounded, Neptune and the others instantly relaxed.
As if the owner of that voice gave them absolute confidence.
The next second, he understood why.
Slash!
A silver flash cut through the air.
Every weapon that had just left Vander Decken's hands was sliced cleanly in half, clattering uselessly to the ground.
A tall, handsome man wearing a noble, luxurious cloak stood calmly in front of him.
Just one person… yet it felt like an immeasurable mountain blocking his path.
Then, to Oguro's slight surprise—
Vander Decken turned and ran without saying a single word.
His strength was mediocre, but he had one redeeming quality.
He knew when he was outmatched.
This man wasn't normal. Staying would be suicide.
"Damn you, Shirahoshi! Damn Fish-Man Island!"
Vander Decken screamed as he fled.
"I'll find the treasure ship Noah and use it to destroy Fish-Man Island completely!"
With Noah's sheer size, a direct collision would spell total annihilation for the island.
Pure madness.
If he couldn't have it, he'd destroy it.
"That won't do. Fish-Man Island is my territory now… I can't let you wreck it."
A familiar voice sounded from ahead.
Vander Decken looked up in horror, only to see Oguro standing there calmly, as if he'd been waiting all along.
Before Vander Decken could say anything, Oguro's right hand moved.
In the next instant, Vander Decken felt a chill at his neck… and his body suddenly felt weightless.
Then he saw it.
A headless body.
The shape, the clothes… all painfully familiar.
"Is that… my body?"
In his final moment of awareness, Vander Decken realized—
The thing flying wasn't his body.
It was his head.
Oguro snorted coldly as he looked at the corpse.
Trying to pull something like this right under his nose… death was the only possible outcome.
Returning to Shirahoshi and the others, Oguro had Fukaboshi arrange cleanup.
To avoid traumatizing Shirahoshi, he'd deliberately waited until Vander Decken ran far away before killing him.
At the same time, Oguro issued orders to the Shadow Dragon Guard to wipe out the remaining pirates.
They were strong by Paradise standards, but against Shadow Dragon Guards who had mastered the Six Powers and even Haki, they were completely outclassed.
Without the brutal tempering of the New World, these pirates were still just rookies fresh out of the beginner zone.
After all, not everyone gets lucky enough to meet someone like Rayleigh in Paradise.
Once the order was given, the Shadow Dragon Guard went all out.
The pirates, who had barely been holding their ground, collapsed instantly.
Rukia and the others also stepped in, directly subduing the stronger pirates on the spot.
The pirates were utterly dumbfounded.
Wait… if you're this strong, why were you acting earlier?
Were you just messing with us?!
The Shadow Dragon Guard didn't care.
Working together with the Sea Kings Army, they captured every last pirate.
With Oguro's help, the unrest quickly came to an end.
From that day on, Shirahoshi finally gained the freedom she had long dreamed of.
Afterward, under Neptune's guidance, she sincerely paid respects to her mother.
Once that was done, Oguro had people escort Shirahoshi back to the palace.
The next matters… were a bit too adult for her.
Oguro and Neptune, along with the upper leadership of Fish-Man Island, gathered in the island's plaza.
There, all the pirates were being held under guard.
Oguro had spared these scum for a reason.
They still had their use.