The wedding did not explicitly invite guests; it was an open wedding welcoming all who wanted to accept. This led to many onlookers showing up, such as Vander Decken IX.
Ordinary Fish-Men were unaware of these secrets, but Vander Decken IX was different. His family had passed down this secret for generations. Vander Decken’s exact identity was unknown, and it wasn’t even certain if he was a Fish-Man.
There was a saying passed down in the Vander’s family: the legendary Mermaid Princess possessed a mysterious power to subdue the Sea Kings. Following this legend, Vander Decken set his sights on the depths of the ocean.
Based on the timeline, Vander Decken might have witnessed Poseidon’s true abilities during his era.
Furthermore, there’s a possibility he could be human. After setting his sights on the ocean, Vander Decken began intermarrying with both the Merfolk and Fish-Men, gradually altering his lineage. By the ninth generation, his lineage hardly differed from the Fish-Men.
Poseidon was the goal of this family’s endeavors. Upon seeing those colossal Sea Kings, Vander Decken IX realized his target had appeared.
But he was lost in thought.
“Captain, what’s wrong? What are you thinking about?”
“I’m thinking about that blue little thing…what is it?”
Vander was also the captain of a pirate crew, leading a group of Fish-Men who operated independently of Tiger’s orders in Fish-Man District. While not as radical as Hody, they were still different from other Fish-Men.
“Poseidon should be the Mermaid Princess, so Princess Shirahoshi must be Poseidon. But that blue thing…”
Originally, there was only one target, but now there were suddenly two. Vander was unsure what to do. After a brief contemplation, he decided to capture both.
Shirahoshi was royalty, so there was nothing that could be done about her for the time being. However, he devised a plan based on Manaphy’s activities.
“Let’s go, boys. We have a big task ahead.”
……
Vander left with his subordinates, while Otohime arrived where Mandrell was.
“Sir Mandrell, I apologize for the trouble, but could you come to Ryugu Palace? We have some important matters to discuss, very important ones.”
Although Mandrell and Rusalka’s wedding on Fishman Island was just a formality, she understood its importance. She didn’t want to disturb them, but it was about Shirahoshi and Poseidon.
This matter was crucial for the future of Fishman Island. Manaphy and Mandrell were on the side, and Manaphy, who could communicate with the Sea Kings, might know some secrets.
So she made this somewhat unreasonable request.
“Is it about Shirahoshi?”
“You…”
Mandrell mentioned Shirahoshi’s name directly, surprising Otohime. Manaphy had just talked with the colossal Sea Kings, but he was still basking in his “hero” glory and shouldn’t have spoken to Mandrell yet.
“Don’t be surprised, Your Highness. I might know more than you think.”
Mandrell was one of the high-ranking members of the Beasts Pirates, privy to much internal information. Translating the Poneglyphs was one of their activities, and the Poneglyph mentioning Poseidon’s location was on Skypiea.
Skypiea was brought under the rule of the Beasts Pirates long ago, and copies of the Poneglyph also ended up in the hands of the Beasts Pirates. Mandrell had already reviewed the relevant documents while stationed nearby.
Though the records weren’t detailed, he could sense the Sea Kings’ focus. By piecing together his thoughts, he formed his own speculation. Combining this with Otohime’s expression, he confirmed his suspicion.
“Rusalka, let’s delay it for a bit. Come with me.”
He was worried about leaving Rusalka in the place where the rebellion had just taken place, so he took Rusalka with him to the Ryugu Palace.
……
“Sir Mandrell, since you already know, I won’t hide it. Shirahoshi is this generation’s Poseidon. Poseidon’s true form is the Mermaid Princess.”
In Ryugu Palace, Otohime and Neptune dismissed all the guards. Rusalka also waited outside, leaving only Mandrell and Manaphy with them in the room.
When leaving, Mandrell also brought Manaphy along, rescuing him from Mermaid Sister’s embrace.
“Is this what you wanted to tell me, Your Highness? If you want me to keep it a secret, that’s no problem. No outsider will know about this matter.”
Beasts Pirates know about Poseidon but had no intentions of acting because current Poseidon was useless to them.
Not to mention, Manaphy could also perform Poseidon-like feats. As long as no one else coveted Poseidon, they could temporarily set her aside.
Location of Plates and Poneglyph were Beasts Pirates’ main objectives at the moment—one concerns Arceus, the other One Piece’s location. As long as all the Plates are found, Arceus’ creations would be far more terrifying than ancient weapons.
Keeping the secret was also beneficial for the Beasts Pirates. Mandrell naturally wouldn’t expose it, and even if he reported it, it would only be to Kaido and the others.
For those like Arceus who already knew, the report was meaningless.
“I trust your character. That’s good to hear. But there’s another matter.”
Otohime is like a human lie detector, she can sense whether someone is being sincere or not, and in this situation, she also used her Observation Haki. Then, she brought up another matter.
“Poseidon awakens randomly within a Mermaid Princess, but besides this, a guide also appears when Poseidon awakens. They guide Poseidon’s development in the right direction to prevent them from straying onto the wrong path.”
The power of ancient weapons is catastrophic. If the Sea Kings went berserk, no small islands in the sea except the Red Line can withstand the power of these sea monsters.
“A guide?”
“Yes, but we don’t know who the guide is. I think…Sir Manaphy might be the guide.”
“Mana~?… No, Big Sister Queen, why do you think I’m the guide?”
Manaphy momentarily forgot how to speak human language. He didn’t understand how Otohime reached this conclusion.
“You appeared around the same time Shirahoshi was born. You can also communicate with the Sea Kings, which according to the royal family’s records, is exclusive to Poseidon.”
“I don’t know how you did it, but I believe there’s a connection. I can sense your pure heart. Manaphy, would you be Shirahoshi’s friend?”
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