Most of the crew still didn't know what a Kraken was, so Porche explained to them that it was the sea monster the captain had just subdued.
Buggy's memory stirred.
"The North Sea giant Kraken? You can actually tame that thing?"
At that moment, a rumbling echoed from the depths, like several massive whips lashing against stone walls, the sharp snap resounding through the water.
The next instant, under the ghostly green glow of the light curtain, everyone caught sight of the Kraken's many writhing tentacles. From that alone, they could roughly estimate the monster's size—and their hearts skipped a beat.
The Kraken was enormous. Even dozens of sea cows combined couldn't match its bulk!
"This is kind of interesting," Law murmured, curious rather than afraid. "I wonder what it looks like inside? Just what kind of organs does a creature like this have, to let it survive so deep underwater and stay so ferocious?"
Perona, on the other hand, was terrified. The visions she had seen in her nightmares—wasn't it a massive tentacle just like this one, dragging her into a deep, dark abyss?
Could her nightmares really be coming true?
Clutching her stuffed bear, Perona trembled on the verge of tears. She shrank behind the others, desperately searching for safety.
"What's wrong with you?" Alvida asked with concern.
Perona shook her head and refused to answer. Alvida had no choice but to take her hand—only to feel how cold and clammy it was, trembling all over.
Realizing the girl was genuinely afraid, Alvida pulled her into an embrace.
"Don't be scared. The captain's here."
But Perona couldn't voice her true fear—that what she dreaded most was Captain Davy Jones.
Davy Jones, meanwhile, paid no attention to such trivialities. He had just sensed the exact direction of the Flying Dutchman. At once, he adjusted the Terror Ghost Ship's heading and steered it toward that location.
No sooner had the ship changed its course and begun its descent than the Kraken came surging after them.
Its small head and massive torso shot forward in a straight line, while countless tentacles of varying sizes twisted and undulated, propelling it onward.
At first glance, the crew thought the beast was hunting them down. Even after hearing Porche's explanation earlier, they couldn't help but tense up.
Even Crocodile, once one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, raised his golden hook warily.
If he were dragged into the sea by those monstrous tentacles, he knew he would be helpless. Forget fighting back—even exchanging his life for its would be nearly impossible.
For Devil Fruit users, the deep sea was the harshest environment of all.
But the Kraken was indeed as Porche had said—utterly tamed by Captain Davy Jones. Instead of attacking, it eagerly surged ahead of the Terror Ghost Ship and began diligently clearing the path.
When sea monsters blocked the way, it slew them. When boulders obstructed the route, its tentacles crushed them into rubble, ensuring the ship's smooth passage.
Buggy's face twisted into a strange expression.
"Why does this thing look less like the legendary Kraken and more like… a hunting dog? All it's missing is wagging its tail and sticking out its tongue at Captain Davy Jones."
The words had barely left his mouth when the Kraken suddenly twisted around. One long, slender tentacle extended toward Davy Jones at the bow, curling slightly—as if seeking approval, showing off its accomplishments.
Davy Jones gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.
"Hey—it actually turned back!" Buggy gaped.
The Kraken, encouraged, threw itself into the task with renewed vigor. It darted several hundred meters ahead, scouring the waters around it to carve out a broad, safe channel for the ship.
Hatchan shook his head in disbelief.
"Nyuu… If Jinbe and Arlong knew about this, that the Kraken had been reduced to this state, I wonder what they'd say."
Back in the day, they had spent tremendous effort trying to tame the Kraken, and failed. Yet here it was now, bowing its head obediently before Davy Jones. Hatchan couldn't help feeling a mix of astonishment and resignation.
After sailing a while longer, a sudden dazzling light appeared ahead, glowing and flickering like a floating orb.
Porche tilted her head in confusion, her conductor's baton pausing mid-spin.
"That's strange. In these waters, only Fish-Man Island should give off light. But what's with this glow?"
Hatchan froze for a moment, then realization struck him.
"It's the Anglerfish Sea Monster! That has to be it! It's the Flying Dutchman's 'patrol guard'!"
Sure enough, the next instant, an enormous, hideous fish lunged out of the darkness. A glowing lure dangled from its forehead like a fishing rod, casting its eerie light.
It made no attempt to distinguish friend from foe. Its massive jaws gaped wide, dagger-like teeth poised to snap down on the Terror Ghost Ship.
"That fish—!" Buggy nearly shouted in panic.
But the Kraken moved even faster. Its tentacle curled into a fist and smashed into the giant anglerfish's side, knocking it downward. The Terror Ghost Ship narrowly avoided its gnashing jaws.
Then, dozens of tentacles wrapped tightly around the beast. Ignoring its thrashing, the Kraken dragged it toward its own maw. The crew soon heard the sickening crunch of feeding in the depths.
Chunks of flesh and clouds of blood swirled up from below.
Cold sweat broke out on Buggy's round nose.
"Thank goodness the Kraken's on our side. Thank goodness…"
The other crew members wholeheartedly agreed.
After a brief but hearty meal, the Kraken didn't forget its duty. It promptly swam back ahead of the Terror Ghost Ship, diligently resuming its role as pathfinder.
A massive, dilapidated ship floated in the depths, its bow adorned with a skull. Two long swords were crossed behind it, giving the vessel a grim, old-fashioned look.
Upon its tattered sails, bold letters were emblazoned:
Flying Dutchman.
"Heave-ho, heave-ho…"
A four-legged fish-man wearing a hat stretched his limbs, then picked up a spear lying within the protective bubble that covered the deck. The weapon was intricately carved with the likeness of a beautiful mermaid.
"Princess Shirahoshi… today's gift will be this spear. You'll love it, just like all the others I've given you before!"
He pulled off his right glove and clasped the spear in his bare palm, testing its weight. Then, with a mighty throw, he hurled it into the sea.
Whoosh!
The spear pierced through the bubble and shot into the water. Despite the crushing resistance of the deep, it lost no momentum. Instead, it suddenly veered, turning sharply toward the direction of Fish-Man Island, as though guided by fate itself.
"Hahaha…" Vander Decken IX pulled his glove back on, then reverently kissed the back of his hand before his eyes gleamed with greed.
"Princess Shirahoshi, no matter how long I have to wait, I'll wait for you. Nothing can stop our union!"
"But Captain…"
A huge, round head suddenly rose from the front of the ship, though the voice that came out was oddly childlike.
"It's been almost eight years now. Princess Shirahoshi still hasn't replied to you."
"You don't understand, Wadatsumi!" Vander Decken snapped. "Haven't you heard? That bastard Neptune locked her up in the Hard-Shell Tower! She definitely wants to marry me, but she can't see me! We're just like Romeo and Juliet—it's Neptune who's tearing us apart!"
The fat fish-man called Wadatsumi was far larger than even the Flying Dutchman itself. His furry chest and belly were exposed as he hauled the ship forward with ropes, steering its course while answering his captain.
"Still… are you sure it's really love, Captain Vander Decken? From beginning to end, Princess Shirahoshi has never said anything about it."
Vander Decken's temper flared. If not for Wadatsumi's simple-mindedness and brute strength—useful for pulling the ship and driving away sea beasts—he would never have tolerated such an unperceptive subordinate.
Coughing a few times, he launched into the tale handed down from his forefathers, as if to prove himself right.
"Wadatsumi, you don't know the full story. After Vander Decken I obtained the Flying Dutchman, he went mad. He slaughtered his entire crew and vanished into the deep sea. But even he had moments of lucidity. And during those moments, he entrusted his will to the second generation."
"In the deep sea lies a being who can command the Sea Kings—a true 'Sea King.' As his descendant, it is my duty to find this 'Sea King' and make it mine! And I believe Princess Shirahoshi is that Sea King!"
"Think about it, Wadatsumi—doesn't it all fit together? The ninth descendant of Vander Decken, and the 'Sea King' herself, Princess Shirahoshi! We are destined to come together, to command the Sea Kings, and to rule the entire ocean!"
As Vander Decken spoke, his eyes shone with mad brilliance.
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