The wedding had no specific invited guests; it was an open wedding welcoming all who were invited. This led to many uninvited onlookers, such as Vander Decken IX.
Ordinary fishmen were unaware of these secrets, but Vander Decken IX was different; his family had passed down this secret for generations. The exact details of the first-generation Vander Decken's identity were unknown, and it was not even certain if he was a fishman.
A phrase passed down in the Vander Decken family said that the legendary Mermaid Princess possessed a mysterious power to subjugate the Sea King Types. Pursuing this legend, the first-generation Vander Decken set his sights on the sea floor.
According to the timeline, during the era of the first generation's existence, he might have witnessed the true power of the Sea King.
Moreover, his identity might have been that of a human. After setting his sights on The Sea, the first-generational Vander Decken began intermarrying with the Mermaid Race and the Fishman Race, gradually altering the bloodline within him. By the ninth generation, he was almost indistinguishable from a fishman.
The Sea King was the goal pursued by this family. Seeing those giant Sea King Types, Vander Decken IX realized that his target had appeared.
However, he was lost in thought.
"Captain, what's wrong? What are you thinking about?"
"I'm thinking about what that little blue thing is..."
Vander Decken was also the captain of a pirate crew, with a group of fishmen under him. They were a part of Fishman Street that did not follow Tiger's orders, remaining independent. Although they were not aggressive like Hody's faction, they differed from other fishmen.
"The Sea King should be the Mermaid Princess, so Princess Shirahoshi is the Sea King, but that blue thing..."
Originally, there was only one goal, but now the target suddenly became two, leaving Vander Decken unsure of what to do. After a brief thought, he decided to pursue both simultaneously.
Shirahoshi belonged to the royal family, making it difficult to take action at the moment, but from Manaphy's range of activities, he devised a plan.
"Let's go, everyone; we have a big task to accomplish."
...
Vander Decken left with his followers, while Otohime came to where Mandfeish was.
"Lord Mandfeish, I'm sorry to disturb you, but... could you come to Dragon Palace City? We have some urgent matters to discuss with you; they are very important."
Although the wedding between Mandfeish and Rushaka on Fishman Island was merely ceremonial, she understood its significance and didn't want to disturb them. However, it concerned Shirahoshi and matters related to the Sea King.
This was a top priority for the future of Fishman Island. Manaphy and Mandfeish were creatures on the same side; Manaphy, who could communicate with the Sea King Types, should know some secrets.
That's why she made this somewhat unreasonable request.
"Is it about Shirahoshi?"
"You...."
Mandfeish directly mentioned Shirahoshi's name, which surprised Otohime. Manaphy had just communicated with those giant Sea King Types. During this period, Manaphy had been basking in the glory of being a "hero" and shouldn't have communicated with Mandfeish.
"Don't be surprised, Your Highness, I know more than you might think."
Mandfeish was also one of the top ranks in the Hundred Beasts Pirates, privy to a lot of internal information. Translating the Poneglyphs had always been an activity of the Hundred Beasts Pirates, and their records of the Sea King's location were at Sky Island.
Sky Island had long been under the control of the Hundred Beasts. Copies of the Poneglyphs had reached the hands of the Hundred Beasts, and Mandfeish had seen the relevant materials while stationed nearby.
Though not detailed, he could sense the focus of those Sea King Types' gazes. By connecting the dots, he formed his own speculations. Seeing Otohime's expression now, he could completely confirm it.
"Rushaka, hold off for a bit, come with me."
He was uneasy leaving Rushaka in a place that had just experienced a rebellion, so he took Rushaka with him to Dragon Palace City.
...
"Lord Mandfeish, since you already know, I won't hide it from you anymore. Shirahoshi is this generation's Sea King, and the true form of the Sea King is the Mermaid Princess."
Inside Dragon Palace City, Otohime and Neptune had dismissed all the guards. Rushaka was waiting outside, leaving only Mandfeish and Manaphy in the room with Neptune and her.
As he left, Mandfeish had brought Manaphy along, effectively taking him out of the embrace of the big sister mermaid.
"Is that what you wished to say, Your Highness? If you want me to keep it secret, there's no problem; no outsider will know about this."
Within the Hundred Beasts, they were aware of the Sea King but had no intention of taking action, as the Sea King was currently of little importance to them.
Not to mention, Manaphy can already accomplish Sea King-like feats. As long as no one else was eyeing the Sea King, they could shelve the issue for now.
The locations of the Plate and the Poneglyph are now two main targets for the Hundred Beasts. One concerns Arceus, and the other concerns the position of the Pirate King. Once all the Plates are found, Arceus' creations are much more frightening than the Ancient Weapons.
Keeping it concealed is the best condition for the Hundred Beasts, so Mandfeish wouldn't expose it, and even if he reported, it would be to Kaidou and the others.
For Arceus and others, who already knew the result, this report was pointless.
"I trust your integrity; that's for the best. But there's another matter."
Otohime, who was like a human lie detector and could sense whether someone's words had sincerity, still used her Observation Haki in this situation, and then she spoke of another matter.
"The Sea King will randomly awaken within the Mermaid Princess, but apart from this, when the Sea King awakens, a guide also emerges. He will guide the Sea King in growing correctly, preventing the Sea King from going down the wrong path."
The impact of the Ancient Weapons is destructive. If the Sea King Types lose control, aside from the Red Earth Continent, the small islands on The Sea cannot withstand the power of these sea beasts.
"A guide?"
"Yes, but we don't know who the guide is. I feel that... Lord Manaphy might be this guide."
"Manaphy?.. No, Princess, why do you think I'm the guide?"
For a moment, Manaphy forgot how to speak human language. He couldn't understand why Otohime would come to that conclusion.
"You appeared around the same time as Shirahoshi's birth, and you can also communicate with the Sea King Types. According to royal records, that is a privilege of the Sea King.
I don't know why you can do it, but I think there must be a connection. I can sense the purity in your soul, Manaphy, are you willing to be friends with Shirahoshi?"