Chapter 137: Van der Decken (Patreon)

Chapter 137: Van der Decken

The appearance of Van der Decken instantly tightened the air in Mermaid Cove, as if even the sea breeze had frozen in place.

"Van der Decken! How dare you come here!" Fukaboshi was the first to charge forward from the crowd, his jagged shark fin glinting coldly under the sunlight. His trident slammed heavily into the sand, sending grains flying.

Ryuboshi and Manboshi quickly closed in as well, forming a triangular formation to shield Shirahoshi from the rear, their eyes sharp with vigilance.

Though they had seemed relaxed these past three days, their nerves had been on edge the entire time—and now, their target had finally appeared.

Shirahoshi hid behind Bahr, her aqua-blue eyes filled with fear, her caudal fin pressed tightly against the sand. Even Megalo hunched his back, letting out a low growl from his throat, as if sensing his master's unease.

Van der Decken used the momentum from his axe's landing to flip upright, steadying himself on the beach. His long hair whipped around, scattering droplets of seawater. He dusted off his mud-stained coat, his gaze sweeping over Fukaboshi and his brothers before curling his lips into a sneer. "Three brats think they can stop me?"

"Van der Decken, you've harassed Shirahoshi for years—today, you won't get away with it!" Fukaboshi's trident struck the sand again, his serrated fin standing rigid with fury, his anger practically blazing from his eyes.

Ryuboshi gripped the hilts of his swords, his expression dark as a storm. Manboshi held up his shell shield defensively, his round face tense, lips pressed tightly together.

"Boss, wait for me!" A deep voice called from the distance as a massive, bald sea monster swam closer, towing behind it a ghost ship with tattered sails. Its hull was covered in barnacles and seaweed, flickering in and out of view through the mist—none other than the legendary "Flying Dutchman"!

"That's… the legendary ghost ship?" An elderly Fishman gasped, his voice trembling.

The Fishmen in the cove quickly retreated, the once-bustling beach emptying in an instant, leaving only the sound of waves crashing against the shore.

Shirahoshi trembled behind Bahr, her large frame shaking slightly, her aqua-blue eyes locked onto Van der Decken.

Even from this distance, the man's presence made her remember the fear-filled days and nights she had spent in the Hard Shell Tower.

"That was an interesting move just now." Van der Decken suddenly turned to Bahr, licking his cracked lips as his gaze roamed over him. "Blocking my attack like that… So you're the one who wants to marry Shirahoshi—Bahr of the Cross Guild."

"Van der Decken, you've finally shown yourself." Jimbei stepped forward, positioning himself protectively beside Shirahoshi, his tone as heavy as iron. "All these years, you've used your powers to attack the princess, forcing her to live in fear. It's time to settle this debt."

"Oh, Jimbei." Van der Decken glanced at him dismissively, as if he were nothing more than an afterthought, before his eyes immediately snapped back to Shirahoshi behind Bahr. His voice dripped with a sickening obsession. "Princess Shirahoshi is mine. She was destined to be mine from the moment she was born. No one can take her away!"

Shirahoshi, still hiding behind Bahr, bit her lower lip before mustering the courage to peek out slightly. Her voice was soft but clear. "Mr. Van der Decken… Y-you're not my type… Please stop this..."

The words struck a nerve in Van der Decken's deepest obsession. His infatuated expression froze instantly, twisting into rage as his pink hair stood on end: "What did you say?!"

"I never liked you..." Shirahoshi's caudal fin flapped uneasily against the sand, her voice trembling with tears yet resolute as she continued, "Every day in the Hard Shell Tower, I lived in fear... Please, just let me go."

"Let you go?" Van der Decken suddenly erupted into maniacal laughter, the sound laced with shattered despair. "After all these years chasing you, after everything I've given up for you! And this is what you say?!"

This is the epitome of an extreme stalker—what does he mean by 'chasing'? It's been harassment all along.

"You!" His head snapped up, crimson eyes locking onto Shirahoshi with a gaze that seemed ready to devour her whole. "If I can't have you, then I'll destroy you! No one else will—"

Before the words "No one else will live" could leave his throat, Van der Decken's vision blurred. Out of nowhere, Bahr materialized right in front of him!

"Ghk—!" Van der Decken felt his throat constrict as he was hoisted into the air, feet dangling. He flailed wildly, limbs thrashing, but couldn't budge the iron grip even an inch.

The next instant, Bahr's wrist flexed violently, slamming him into the ground like a ragged sack!

"BOOM—!"

The impact sent tremors through the beach, sand spraying as Van der Decken coughed up blood, eyes rolling back before he slumped unconscious.

"All that yapping was a waste of time." Bahr flicked his wrist, eyeing the crumpled figure with a cold smirk.

He wasn't like Straw Hat Boy, who wasted breath on enemies. Trash like this wasn't worth humoring with banter or threats. If they dared show themselves, the cleanest solution was to end it fast.

The scene unfolded too quickly for anyone to react. The bay fell dead silent.

Fukaboshi and his brothers stood frozen, weapons half-raised, faces still etched with battle-ready tension—clearly unprepared for Van der Decken's humiliating defeat.

Shirahoshi covered her mouth, aqua-blue eyes wide with awe. "Lord Bahr... you're amazing..."

"BOSS—!"

A deafening roar shattered the stillness as the giant kraken abruptly released its grip on the Flying Dutchman. Its colossal fist, trailing a howling gale, hurtled toward Bahr.

The monstrous figure blotted out the sky, its shadow swallowing half the shore. The sheer force of the wind sent nearby Fishmen stumbling back.

This wasn't a punch—it was a moving mountain, the air itself whimpering under its pressure.

Yet Bahr didn't budge. Only when the fist was a mere half-meter from his nose did he finally lift his gaze.

He did nothing more than sweep his eyes over the kraken's wrinkled face. An invisible force erupted from him like the deepest, most frigid ocean current, crashing into the beast's mind.

"THUD!"

The massive fist halted mid-air, a hair's breadth from Bahr's face.

The kraken's enormous body trembled violently, beads of cold sweat rolling down its creased skin. Its pupils shrank to pinpricks as primal instinct screamed—

"Stop! Don't move! Take one more step and you'll die! Die horribly!"

"It seems you've learned to control it at will." Jimbei observed the scene and nodded calmly.

Bahr didn't respond. During his time at Amazon Lily, with Hancock's thorough guidance, he had already grasped the basics of Conqueror's Haki. Releasing this level of pressure was child's play to him.

He cast a cold glance at the bald sea monster, his indifferent gaze as if looking at an insignificant insect that didn't know its place.

"Guild Leader." Jimbei spoke up then, glancing at the mermaids peeking out from the Flying Dutchman. He pleaded, "They're all from the mermaid tribe. May I handle their disposition?"

"Do as you wish." Bahr couldn't care less. Dragging the unconscious Van der Decken inside, he called out, "Yixili, could you find me some fruits?"

Paramecia-type. The Target-Target Fruit allows its user to designate targets by touching them. Once locked on, the target becomes an inescapable mark - any object thrown by the user will automatically pursue them regardless of distance. The only way to stop the attack is to intercept or destroy the projectile mid-flight.

Waste not, want not. With such an ability falling into his hands, there was no reason to let it go to waste.