After leaving the Hard Shell Tower, Caelan unleashed his full speed.
"Mana Burst: Flame!"
The magic energy within Caelan surged outward, golden divine flames enveloping his entire body.
In the next moment, Caelan soared into the sky.
He transformed into a streak of golden light, blasting toward Noah's Ark at supersonic speed.
The radiant light was dazzling and visible from all over Fishman Island.
Most residents didn't understand what was happening. They simply assumed it was some strange natural phenomenon.
Meanwhile, Neptune led the three princes in a rush toward the Hard Shell Tower.
They had also received a threatening letter from Vander Decken and, in a panic, were hoping to find Caelan to discuss countermeasures.
"The golden light in the sky is so beautiful!"
On the way, several people noticed the golden streak left by Caelan and couldn't help but comment on its beauty.
However, the situation was too urgent for anyone to appreciate it.
"What do we do now?"
Neptune wiped sweat from his brow, clearly anxious.
He didn't know how Vander Decken planned to destroy Fishman Island, but with things at this point, it was better to assume the threat was real.
"Don't worry, Father. Caelan-sama is the legendary Sun God. Everything will be fine."
The three princes were full of confidence, placing unwavering faith in Caelan.
Before learning that Caelan was the Sun God, they had doubts.
After learning he was the Sun God, they trusted him completely!
"Idiots…"
Neptune didn't know what to say to his sons.
He wasn't worried that Caelan wouldn't be able to deal with Vander Decken IX.
With the power Caelan had shown, even a hundred Vander Deckens wouldn't be a problem.
The issue was that they didn't know where Vander Decken was hiding.
No matter how powerful you are, if you can't find your enemy, it's meaningless.
"Forget it, we should find Caelan first."
Neptune thought to himself and picked up the pace.
Soon, they arrived at the Hard Shell Tower.
But Caelan was nowhere to be seen. Only Shirahoshi remained inside, dazed.
"Father! Brothers!"
Seeing her family arrive, Shirahoshi called out happily.
"Shirahoshi, do you know where Caelan went?"
Neptune asked anxiously.
"About twenty minutes ago, Vander Decken attacked again. Caelan said he was going to take care of it and left."
Shirahoshi replied blankly.
She had no idea where Caelan had gone.
"Caelan already left to deal with it?"
Neptune was stunned.
He had no leads at all, yet Caelan had gone out on his own?
Could Caelan really figure out where Vander Decken was hiding?
Neptune was filled with doubt.
After all, Caelan was an outsider and didn't know the area like he did.
That was why he felt they couldn't rely solely on Caelan.
"We can't put everything on Caelan. We must do our part too!"
"Shirahoshi, stay here. Your brothers and I are going to search for Vander Decken."
With that, Neptune left the Hard Shell Tower with his three sons.
"?"
Shirahoshi tilted her head, watching them leave.
Her father and brothers were acting strange. Caelan was clearly more reliable.
"We'll each lead a team to search for Vander Decken. We must stop him before he can destroy Fishman Island!"
Neptune said to his sons as they prepared to split up.
"Understood!"
The three princes nodded solemnly.
They knew how serious the situation was.
Just as they were about to act, a golden flame streaked through the sky and headed straight toward the Hard Shell Tower.
"Be careful!"
They immediately went on high alert, watching the flame descend with vigilance.
Could this be Vander Decken's method of destroying Fishman Island?
As the golden flame touched down, two figures appeared.
Caelan stood calmly, holding the lifeless body of Vander Decken IX in his hand.
As expected, Caelan had located the Flying Pirates on Noah's Ark.
With just a few punches and kicks, he had wiped them out entirely, leaving only Vander Decken IX's corpse as evidence.
"Caelan-sama!"
Neptune was shocked to see him return.
"We were just about to go find you! Vander Decken threatened to—"
The three princes began speaking over each other in panic.
"I know. It's already been dealt with. This is Vander Decken's body."
Before they could finish, Caelan tossed the corpse onto the ground.
Their words stopped abruptly as they stared in disbelief.
Dealt with?
So fast?
Instinctively, they didn't believe it and hurried over to check the body.
"It really is Vander Decken IX!"
After careful inspection, Neptune confirmed the identity of the corpse.
The three princes also examined the body and nodded. There was no mistaking that face.
This was the man who had terrorized Shirahoshi for eight years, forcing her into isolation.
Now that the crisis had passed, Neptune looked at Caelan with deep admiration.
The three princes felt the same. In their hearts, he truly lived up to the title of Sun God.
For eight years, they had failed to catch Vander Decken. Yet Caelan had resolved the threat in just over twenty minutes.
The difference in ability was staggering.
"I told you I'd handle it."
Caelan replied flatly.
For most enemies, as long as he knew their location, they were already dead.
"Let's go tell Shirahoshi the good news."
Clapping his hands, Caelan walked back toward the Hard Shell Tower.
Neptune and the three princes smiled awkwardly and followed.
They had just left that tower barely a minute ago.
"Caelan?"
Shirahoshi asked in confusion.
Hadn't Caelan only left a short while ago?
Could it be that he hadn't dealt with Vander Decken?
But it didn't matter.
Even her father and brothers hadn't been able to capture Vander Decken for eight years.
She figured she'd have to comfort him.
"I've already dealt with Vander Decken. You don't need to hide here anymore."
Caelan said with a gentle smile.
"Caelan... that's not something you can just—"
Shirahoshi froze mid-sentence.
Was he just trying to cheer her up?
At that moment, Neptune entered with the three princes, smiling as he announced,
"Caelan has taken care of Vander Decken. You can finally see the outside world!"
Hearing her father and brothers confirm it, Shirahoshi finally believed it was true.
It felt like a dream. She couldn't believe how wonderful it was.
It took her a moment to fully process it.
"Wonderful..."
Shirahoshi murmured, her aqua-blue eyes glimmering like they were bathed in sunlight. Her entire being seemed brighter.
Then she turned to look at Caelan, the one who had rescued her.
A surge of gratitude swelled in her heart, accompanied by a faint sense of admiration.
"Thank you, Caelan!"
Without hesitation, Shirahoshi scooped Caelan up and pressed him against her chest.
Caelan's body was enveloped in soft, warm white.
A full-grown man, over two meters tall, had completely disappeared.
(To be continued.)