Over the years, he had encountered many pirates diving through the deep sea to reach Fish‑Man Island and enter the New World—and he had successfully ambushed and robbed more than a few of them.
Drawing on his intimate knowledge of these waters, he had amassed quite a fortune through plunder.
Even his rotting hulk of a ship, The Flying Dutchman, still carried a certain menacing reputation. Many pirates still remembered the legends of its former glory.
Combined with Vander Decken IX's Devil Fruit power, this reputation allowed him to build a name for himself in the deep waters just outside Fish‑Man Island.
Why only outside? Because he was still a wanted criminal in the Fish‑Man Kingdom itself.
Now, by sheer misfortune, he had set his sights on the El Pirates as his next prey.
Though the Flying Pirates he commanded were practically gone—he had almost no crew left—Vander Decken believed that with his own skills, his Devil Fruit ability, and the giant sea monster at his command, it would be easy enough to shake down and rob any pirate ships passing through.
But as the saying goes: walk too long in the dark, and you will eventually meet a ghost. Vander Decken had finally run into a disaster he could not escape.
How could the El Pirates be easy pickings? Did he honestly think he was stronger than the World Government or Marine Headquarters?
At best, he was nothing more than a weakling—half‑Fish‑Man though he was, he still had to rely on a bubble just to breathe underwater.
Yet he possessed enough reckless courage to charge ahead.
This scrawny, four‑legged, two‑armed Fish‑Man, wearing a tiny top hat and draped in countless necklaces, stared at El's ship with wild excitement.
The El Pirates made no effort to hide their identity, but Vander Decken had lived in the depths for so long that he knew little of the changes happening on the surface.
Confined to the sea floor and preoccupied with his own "business," and with no real crew to keep him informed, he was completely out of touch.
Aside from the giant monster pulling his ship, the Flying Pirates consisted of only himself.
Interestingly, back in the day, when Arlong was driven out to the East Blue by Jinbe, he had stopped by to invite Vander Decken to join him—but Vander Decken had refused, claiming he would not work under anyone else.
In truth, Vander Decken and his crew managed to scrape by in the deep sea fairly well.
As a Fish‑Man himself and with a giant Fish‑Man as his companion, they were far more adapted to this environment than pirates just descending into the depths.
That advantage alone was enough to let them overpower, rob, and seize whatever supplies they needed.
Vander Decken used this edge to lurk around the approaches to Fish‑Man Island, preying on ships making the crossing.
And since both he and his monster were native to the sea, they could escape quickly if faced with a stronger opponent.
Forbidden from entering the kingdom itself, he had found ways to survive by lying low and operating outside its borders.
He was not entirely cut off from the island, either. In Fish‑Man District—the lawless slums where the most unwanted inhabitants of the kingdom gathered—he found a different reception.
There, Fish‑Men and Merfolk cared little for his reputation; they even maintained a steady trade relationship with him.
The trouble was that his income depended entirely on luck. Encountering other ships in the vast deep was rare.
The best spot for ambushes was right at the gates of Fish‑Man Island—but that area was now "patrolled."
Fish‑Man District was a haven for all sorts of outcasts. It had once been the home of Fisher Tiger, the hero of the Fish‑Men, and later of Jinbe, the Knight of the Sea.
After those two left, the district had been without a strong leader for a long time.
But in recent years, a new figure had risen to organize the people there—and since then, Vander Decken could no longer loiter near the entrance.
So as far as he was concerned, the El Pirates' ship was a golden opportunity he could not afford to miss.
"Go! Sea monster! Seize their vessel!"
His giant servant held an overwhelming advantage in these waters. Many pirate crews stood no chance at all against something so enormous.
In some forgotten corner of the abyss, Vander Decken had already piled up the wrecks of ships he had looted and sunk.
If El's crew did not put up too much of a fight, he planned to drag this one there as well.
To him, their ship was already as good as his.
"What an idiot…" Doflamingo sneered. Even the usually calm and calculating warlord could not hide his contempt.
Could this fool not even sense the overwhelming pressure radiating from the El Pirates?
Even an average pirate would have felt the difference in strength between themselves and their opponent.
That sense for danger was almost a requirement for survival in the Grand Line; anyone who lacked it had long been weeded out in the first half of the route.
The world of piracy was brutal. These were people who ignored the laws of the World Government and the Marines.
Without rules, betrayal and conflict were constant. To have no instinct for peril meant certain death—unless you were incredibly lucky.
Did this pirate rushing toward them have such luck? It was hard to say. If he had no luck, he would never have survived this long in the deep.
But if he did have luck… how had he ended up crossing paths with the El Pirates?
…
"All right, if we wait any longer, he'll strike first," El said, now able to see the enemy ship clearly. He turned to his officers.
"Who wants to step up and teach this fool a lesson?"
He had already set the example by handling the Kraken himself. If no one volunteered…
"I will!"
Boa Hancock spoke up, grabbing the coral device that generates personal air bubbles and leaping into the water.
Pop!
A transparent bubble formed instantly around her, sealing out the pressure and water.
As a Devil Fruit user, entering the ocean was extremely dangerous—even with protection, her strength would be diminished.
But to prove her loyalty to El, Hancock was willing to take that risk.
"Who is that?"
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