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Auguro let out a sigh of relief, and the atmosphere around them immediately lightened.
Phew. Luckily, he wasn't referring to that kind of affection.
If word got out that on his very first visit to Fish-Man Island, Auguro had set his sights on the Mermaid Princess, where would he even put his face?
Auguro offered a slight smile.
"Haha! Little Shirahoshi is so adorable, who in the world wouldn't like her?"
"Don't worry! I'll definitely take care of that scoundrel, Vander Decken, for you!"
Shirahoshi immediately broke into a delighted smile upon hearing that.
In that instant, it was as if a million stars lit up in her eyes, and every curve of her pink lips radiated a sweet, gentle charm.
The sight of her filled everyone with a feeling of warmth and sweetness.
She was truly the most flawless Mermaid Princess, her charisma vastly surpassing those common, merely pretty faces!
"Your Majesty Auguro, how do you plan to deal with Vander Decken?"
Concerned for his youngest daughter, Neptune also approached and asked proactively.
Auguro reassured Shirahoshi, telling her to go relax and play.
He then turned to Neptune.
"It's quite simple! All we have to do is publicly announce that Shirahoshi will be leaving the palace. Vander Decken definitely won't be able to resist showing up!"
"At that point, we'll just eliminate the root of the problem—that culprit!"
Vander Decken himself isn't the difficult part; the trouble is that the guy is always hiding and can't be found.
"Will that really work?" Neptune seemed a little skeptical.
Auguro shook his head.
"Vander Decken's goal is to claim Shirahoshi as his own, so as long as there's a chance, he will absolutely appear!"
"The flying axe attacks and such are primarily just his way of venting frustration."
"If you're truly worried, you could even leak the news that you're holding a contest to select a suitor for Shirahoshi. If he doesn't show up, it's considered an automatic surrender. That guy definitely won't be able to stand that!"
In the original timeline, Vander Decken's possessiveness and jealousy toward Shirahoshi were extremely strong; he would never allow anyone else to become her husband.
So, he will undoubtedly take the bait!
Neptune nodded, but then a look of conflicted hesitation appeared on his face, as if he wanted to speak but wasn't sure how.
Auguro asked directly, "What is it? Is there another problem?"
Neptune offered an awkward smile.
"I'm just a little puzzled! Why would Vander Decken want to claim Shirahoshi as his own?"
"I recall the last time he saw Shirahoshi was several years ago!"
Auguro gave Neptune a sidelong glance.
Is this old fox trying to play games with me?
How could you not know why Vander Decken wants Shirahoshi?
You witnessed it yourself when Shirahoshi summoned all those Sea Kings!
Auguro didn't play any more guessing games. He stated the truth plainly.
"Vander Decken has his eye on Shirahoshi's ability, of course, he won't let her go!"
Neptune's hands instantly trembled upon hearing that.
As expected, Auguro also knows about Shirahoshi's identity as the Ancient Weapon Poseidon!
In that moment, a cascade of thoughts rushed through his mind, and he even considered whether Auguro might also want to use Shirahoshi to achieve his own goals!
"I'm not as twisted as they are! To me, Shirahoshi is a person first! I won't force her to do anything! She just needs to grow up happy!"
Auguro clearly articulated the worry in Neptune's heart.
It was true that Auguro didn't want Shirahoshi to fall into the wrong hands, which would needlessly increase his own risks.
However, he also wouldn't treat Shirahoshi like a tool.
He is the dignified Soul King, and a 'cheat' user at that—does he really need to rely on a little girl to conquer the seas?
If that were the case, he should forget about global domination and just go home and raise pigs!
Neptune laughed awkwardly.
"You are right! I was letting my small-mindedness judge a noble man's heart!"
He said this aloud, but what he truly thought in his heart remained unknown.
Auguro didn't get angry.
After all, she was his daughter, and it was natural to be a little overprotective.
In any case, what he said was the truth, so there was no need to worry about offending Neptune and causing an island-wide rebellion on Fish-Man Island.
"After we deal with Vander Decken, I'll designate a section of Water Seven for Fish-Man Island! We can even open up a Mermaid Theme Park there!"
Auguro was already starting to plan the logistics for Fish-Man Island's return to the surface world.
With the Jigoku Gate (World-Crossing Gate) in place, travel between the two locations would be incredibly simple. In case of an emergency, there was also Blueno, the Door-Door Fruit user, to help out, making the whole arrangement quite secure.
Ignoring the conflicted Neptune, Auguro attentively enjoyed the performance of the Mermaid Dance Troupe.
A mermaid with long, curly black hair swam up close to Auguro and performed a solo dance for the palace's honored guest.
Auguro recognized this mermaid—it was Ishilly, the one who, in the original timeline, would incite Sanji to a massive nosebleed that nearly killed him from blood loss.
Seeing her up close, she was indeed stunningly beautiful and captivating.
It was completely understandable that a pervert like Sanji couldn't resist the temptation.
The banquet lasted until midnight before finally concluding. Auguro and his entourage were escorted to the most honorable guest quarters in the palace for rest.
The next day, Neptune was already eagerly preparing the trap for Vander Decken.
First, he announced that since she hadn't left the Hard-Shell Tower for years, Shirahoshi would be going to pay her respects to her mother, Queen Otohime, the day after tomorrow.
The two-day buffer was to allow Vander Decken time to receive the news and make the journey.
Furthermore, Neptune truly decided to take Auguro's advice and publicly announced a competition to select a suitor for Shirahoshi.
He even specifically mentioned that due to the trouble caused by Vander Decken, they needed to find a son-in-law who was strong enough to protect Shirahoshi!
Auguro thought, Well done!
This was essentially a dagger straight to Vander Decken's heart!
Not only are you choosing a suitor, but you're making it clear that it's a direct counter-measure against him!
If Vander Decken still doesn't take the bait after that, it would only mean the guy had truly changed his mind!
That very evening, in a deep-sea shipwreck graveyard.
Vander Decken was dramatically reciting a 'love poem' he had written to Shirahoshi.
"Ah! My sweet, darling fiancée, Shirahoshi! Your enchanting eyes sparkle like the stars and have utterly mesmerized me! How I wish I could be by your side every single moment!"
But as he continued to read, Vander Decken grew increasingly deranged.
"Shirahoshi, Shirahoshi! Why won't you answer me!"
"Shirahoshi! Answer my love!"
Amidst his furious roar, Vander Decken grabbed a hammer from the table and hurled it away.
Corrected by the power of his Target-Target Fruit, the hammer flew straight toward the Hard-Shell Tower, where Shirahoshi resided!
When it came down to it, Vander Decken had no genuine love for Shirahoshi.
It was nothing more than an extreme, twisted possessiveness!
Just then, a Fish-Man swam over and reported to Vander Decken.
"Captain, we've received intel from our insider on Fish-Man Island—Princess Shirahoshi is going to leave the Hard-Shell Tower!"
"Furthermore, King Neptune intends to select a suitor for Shirahoshi!"
"What did you say?"
Vander Decken grabbed the messenger by the neck and shook him viciously.
"Shirahoshi is my fiancée! What right does that scoundrel Neptune have to choose a husband for her!"
The Fish-Man managed to break free with difficulty and explained the specific details of the situation.
Upon hearing that Neptune was deliberately targeting him, Vander Decken immediately broke into a savage, cold smirk.
"He thinks he can cast me aside and marry Shirahoshi off to someone else? Neptune, you're dreaming!"
"Men! Set sail immediately! I'm going to claim my fiancée!"