Vander Decken IX

Vander Decken IX (バンダー・デッケン九世) is the current captain of the Flying Pirates on their ship, the Flying Dutchman, and the eighth descendant of the Vander Decken of legend. He is a Japanese bullhead shark fishman and the secondary antagonist of the Fishman Island Arc.

Appearance
Decken is a tall individual with beige-colored skin (mid-dark brown in manga), slim build, and lanky limbs. His most distinguishing feature is his four legs. He has a short, scraggly goatee, a long, wavy mustache with spiky edges, and similarly, long, wavy and spiky black hair. After being rejected by Shirahoshi, he shaves the top of his head in depression. He also has sharp teeth, with bigger webs between his fingers than most fishmen, a very thin, pointy nose and a prominent hunch that puts his head on equal level with his shoulders.

He wears three golden bands on each of his ankles, and two pairs of sandals. He sports green overalls reaching just below his knees, with ruffled edges and decorative buttons on both the straps, over a light green-colored (white in the anime) shirt with ruffled edges. He sports a yellow cape, also complete with ruffled edges, draped over his shoulders, and two massive beaded necklaces hanging on his chest. He wears a yellow fedora with a purple band on his head which he seems to have had for at least ten years. In order to maintain his power's lock onto Princess Shirahoshi, he wore a red glove on his right hand at most times.

While masquerading as his supposed cursed ancestor during his first appearance, he wore a dark colored cloak that covered up his body.

In the past, he wore a broadly horizontal-striped shirt under light overalls with a gun strapped to his hip. He had cat-like whiskers instead of a mustache and did not have a goatee. His hair was shorter and was straight and rounded like dreadlocks.

Personality
Decken often has his arms crossed over his chest with each of his hands holding two fingers in a 'victory' sign.

He is very formal, as shown when he introduced himself to Hody Jones. He often adds "I think" (のハズだ) to the end of his sentences. He also does not want to become an underling to anyone which is the reason why he did not join the Arlong Pirates, but is willing to get into a partnership with anyone who shares a similar goal with him, as long as he is treated as no less than an equal.

He seems to be somewhat of a poet, reciting a haiku after Shirahoshi rejected him. He was also reciting a poem when the Straw Hats first encountered him.

Decken is deeply obsessed with Princess Shirahoshi, which leads him to act without thinking straight and usually acts one step ahead of the situation, such as writing wedding invitations before even proposing or realizing that he has no friends to invite, or calling Neptune "father" before the wedding that Neptune disapproves of anyways. He is also a madman when it comes to Shirahoshi, as he is willing to go to extreme measures such as throwing Noah just to kill one person. However, unlike many fishmen and despite joining forces with the New Fishmen Pirates, Decken himself never showed any sympathy for or against the centuries of prejudice against humanity.

He has been described as a bandit of the sea floor, and the residents of Fishman Island feared him for years. Typical of a pirate, he believes violence is the answer for everything, which is most evident by how he displays his affection for Shirahoshi by throwing large weapons at her. He has a desire for treasure as he does not approve of his giant angler fish, Ankoro, eating ships before he can collect the ships' treasure.

He tends to overreact to certain situations that surprise him, such as reacting shocked and depressed when Shirahoshi turned him down for "not being her type" and decided to cry endlessly, recite a haiku, and shave the top of his head in depression. This was shown again when she rejected him a second time despite her life being on the line at the time and when her brothers showed up. This makes him one of the more comedic villains shown (like Buggy or Spandam).

Like many characters in the series, Decken has a distinct laugh, starting his with "Ba" (i.e Bahohohoho!).

Crew
Decken has a loyal crew. Wadatsumi is very obedient and follows Decken's every command, while the rest of his crew cheers him on. They are also aware of the Decken family's ambitions about getting the legendary mermaid who can communicate with Sea Kings, a legend that only a few know about. Unlike most cruel pirate captains who dominate over their subordinates, Decken has a casual relationship with his crew. However, Decken is not above abandoning them. When Noah collides with the bubble surrounding Fishman Island, Wadatsumi falls off the ship and Decken ignores his pleas for help and calls him a sacrifice.

Princess Shirahoshi
He is attracted to the Mermaid Princess, sending her letters, packages, and even threatening marriage proposals. He decided that he must marry Shirahoshi after he saw her ability to communicate with Sea Kings, a trait belonging to the mermaid princess of legend that the Decken family has been seeking for centuries. He is rather obsessive about getting the princess to marry him, showing clear signs of erotomania as he believes the princess is in love with him, going so far as to say she can either marry him or die. His obsession led to him reserving his right hand for Shirahoshi alone, targeting her since she was only six years old, and going as far as to write wedding invitations before even proposing to her. He has been threatening her for ten years by sending her "love notes" in the form of weapons with his ability.

After ten years, he enters the palace and refers to Neptune as his "father" despite not taking Shirahoshi as his wife, believing both him and Shirahoshi have spent the last decade dreaming of each other when in reality Shirahoshi is revolted at Decken. When Decken proposes to Shirahoshi during her first time outside of Hard-Shell Tower in ten years, the Mermaid Princess politely rejects him by saying that he is not her type. Seeing that Shirahoshi has no feelings for him, he decides to forget about marriage and aims to kill her. Since every weapon he throws get blocked by Luffy, Decken goes as far as to throw a massive ship that will destroy Fishman Island and everyone on it.

Ryugu Kingdom
Decken has a dislike for the king, as he believed Neptune was keeping Shirahoshi from him to use her marriage for political reasons. King Neptune is angered at Decken for threatening Shirahoshi, who he considers to be his treasure. The king had his sons form an army to find Decken. To get to Shirahoshi, Decken allied with Hody in his ambition to overthrow Neptune.

Monkey D. Luffy
Luffy has earned Decken's hatred by standing between him and Shirahoshi. After getting rejected by Shirahoshi, Decken tried to kill her several times. Unfortunately for him, Luffy blocked every weapon that Decken threw at the Mermaid Princess. Decken decides to throw the giant ship, Noah, because of Luffy thwarting his attempts to kill Shirahoshi.

Hody Jones
Decken formed an alliance with Hody Jones, with the understanding that they are equals, not leader or underlings. However, Decken has no interest in the goals of the New Fishman Pirates and only used this alliance to get closer to Shirahoshi. After Shirahoshi rejected him, he is willing to see Fishman Island destroyed as revenge which clashes with Hody's goal of becoming King. Likewise, Hody used Decken in the hopes of eliminating Shirahoshi, but upon his failure, Hody considers Decken to be useless. Once Hody sees Decken's treachery, which is attempting to destroy Fishman Island and everyone on it including Hody himself, the alliance is void and Hody becomes an enemy. Therefore, when Hody reaches Noah, he stabs Decken in revenge. Decken, in return, declared that he will kill Hody at all cost for that attack.

Abilities and Powers
Vander Decken IX is the eighth descendant of the legendary wicked pirate Vander Decken and the captain of the Flying Pirates: as such, he has authority over his crew and controls the legendary, enormous ship Flying Dutchman. He also has at least two gigantic sea creatures at his command, these being the fishman Wadatsumi and Ankoro. When Decken joined forces with Hody Jones, it was stated that these two pirate captains working together would be unstoppable.

In terms of physical prowess, as a fishman, Decken is at least ten times stronger than the average human, as demonstrated when he was able to carry and throw a large battle axe.

He also seems to hold a great deal of endurance, as he was able to recover just moments after Luffy pummeled him into the ground with a Jet Hammer attack. He was also able to survive getting stabbed by Hody's trident, slashed by his own axe, and falling from considerable heights. He was also capable of surviving Luffy's assault on Noah despite being hit by the attack. However, it is shown that he has limits, as he was knocked out just by hitting his head on a step after slipping.

Devil Fruit
Decken ate the Mato Mato no Mi, a Paramecia type Devil Fruit which allows him to throw any projectile, including people, at targets he has designated. By touching people with his bare hands, he can "lock on" to them and make them his targets. From there on, any projectile he throws with that respective hand will automatically seek out a targeted person of his choice like a homing missile, and will not stop until it reaches it or is hindered by an obstacle. It is revealed that he does not necessarily have to throw the object in order for it to fly at his target, but merely touch it with the hand that marks his target, as demonstrated when he touches the Noah to send it flying towards Shirahoshi. He can also only remember as many people as he has palms (i.e. two), which is why he wears a red glove on one of them. Also, if Decken dies or falls unconscious, the effects of his ability will disappear.

Decken used his power to threaten Shirahoshi by sending weapons to both woo and try to kill her, which is why the princess is locked up in her room, as evidenced by the many weapons that are stuck in the tower's door. He also used this power to throw people so they could arrive at Shirahoshi's door and infiltrate the palace. He can also use his powers as a means of locating one of his targets and can even ride on some of the objects he throws, as shown when he threw and jumped on a large piece of coral to find Shirahoshi. He uses his right hand to lock onto Shirahoshi and wanting her as a permanent target, Decken only uses his left hand to switch his secondary targets such as Hatchan and Hody.

In addition, the loss of the ability to swim affects Decken more than a human Devil Fruit user since, as a fishman, he would have a huge advantage underwater, an advantage he can no longer use due to the side-effects, but still can survive underwater. Also, as a Devil Fruit user, he is powerless in the sea, as he requires a flutter kick coating.

Weapons
Despite not being visible anywhere on his body, Decken has a great array of weapons at his disposal, which have mostly been seen used in conjunction with his Devil Fruit powers.

He seems to have a penchant for large battle-axes with a rose design on the sides and knives. He throws giant double-bladed ones at Shirahoshi from afar during several occasions, and tried to kill her with single-edged smaller (but still rather large) ones, which he also employed proficiently in melee when fending off some inhabitants of Ryugu Kingdom who were trying to stop him. However, judging from the exterior of the Hard-Shell Tower he has a large variety, including swords and maces.

He also has knives installed in his front sandals, so he can raise his front legs to fight with them while being supported by his hind legs.

Aside from the large amount of weapons he currently carries on his body, he has other weapons alongside him. Ten years prior to his introduction, he was seen carrying a rifle on a hip holster.

In the New Fishman Pirates' hideout, after making Hatchan his target, he showed off his Devil Fruit powers by hitting the fishman with a thrown knife and then threw a volley of arrows at Hatchan, forcing him to flee.

Past
Eventually, Vander Decken IX became captain of the Flying Dutchman and formed a crew which included Wadatsumi and Ankoro, hunting down coated ships that tried to descend to Fishman Island for their treasure.

Arlong once offered Decken a place in the Arlong Pirates, but Decken declined, citing that he does not work under anyone.

Ten years ago during an uproar with a World Noble, Decken witnessed Princess Shirahoshi's legendary ability to call upon Sea Kings. He was overjoyed, as encountering the mermaid with this power was the dream of his ancestors. He declared to his ancestors that he had succeeded in accomplishing their goal. Decken then set his sights on marrying her. Seeing as she was too young at the time, Decken came up with a plan to use the Tamatebako to age Shirahoshi into a woman. The problem was that the Tamatebako was in the Ryugu Palace and Decken could not enter the palace unless he marries Shirahoshi. Since Decken does not have a problem with big women, he decided to give Shirahoshi ten or twenty years first. He started writing wedding invitations even though he had not propose to Shirahoshi yet, and then realizing that he does not have any friends to begin with.



During the confusion when Queen Otohime was shot by Hody Jones, he managed to "mark" Shirahoshi with his acquired Devil Fruit power using his right hand before getting chased away by a soldier. Before Otohime's funeral, he started sending letters to Shirahoshi, which the princess never replied to. Decken relentlessly send more letters and then packages and eventually threatening marriage proposals. His actions terrified the princess and angered her father, King Neptune. The Ryugu Kingdom respond to Decken's threats by raising an army against him and his crew. Decken then became a wanted man on Fishman Island. Thanks to the Mato Mato no Mi, Decken was able to remain a stalker while the Neptune Army was unable to find him.

Alliance with the New Fishman Pirates
Ten years later, he encountered the Straw Hat Pirates when Wadatsumi stops Ankoro the angler fish from eating the Thousand Sunny. Decken then orders Wadatsumi to attack the Thousand Sunny so he can take their treasure. Unfortunately for him, the kraken, Surume, having been tamed by Luffy, intervenes and defeats Wadatsumi. Decken then yells at Wadatsumi to get up and retaliate, but is informed by one of his crew that the undersea volcano is about to erupt.

With the volcano starting to erupt, he orders Ankoro and Wadatsumi to pull the Flying Dutchman away from the approaching magma and says that his business with the Straw Hat Pirates is not finished.

He is later seen with Wadatsumi and Ankoro, asking Wadatsumi how long it has been since he has started proposing to Princess Shirahoshi. Wadatsumi replies that it has been ten years. He blames Neptune, saying that he thinks the king has a politically motivated wedding planned for her. He comments on how painful it is, as he thinks that they are both in love (though really it is just him). He then brandishes a large axe with a rose painted on it, saying that he will present her with it. He then throws it, but the axe doubles back and takes out the mast of his ship, causing one of his crew members to tell him that he missed. Decken then crosses his arms, saying he never misses. He then declares his love for Shirahoshi by saying that he would never find another woman like her. He says it is good if her love unites them, but that she cannot live her life with another man, as he will kill her if she does. He declares that she must pledge her love to him or die, saying her fate is either marriage or death.



Later, he and his crew arrived in Noah, where the New Fishman Pirates were waiting for him. He is told where to go, and he apologized for being late; citing his earlier trouble with the volcanic eruption. He then greeted Hody Jones and after putting on a glove, he shakes hands with him. As their crews cheer them on, the two then cement their intent: the complete collapse of the Ryugu Kingdom.

As Decken sets the plan into motion, Hatchan appears and tries to talk Hody and Decken out of going through with the operation. When Hatchan asks Decken about why he is helping the New Fishman Pirates when he did not help Arlong, Decken states that he is not the kind of person who follows under anyone and his relationship with Hody is nothing more than a partnership. Hatchan is unable to sway Hody and Decken proceeds to use Hatchan as a demonstration for his powers while saying that violence is the way to express opinions. Decken then touches Hatchan making him a target. Decken throws a knife in the air behind Hatchan, and it flies back towards Hatchan, stabbing him in the back. Decken explains that after a person becomes his target, he can hit that target from anywhere. He then sends Hatchan running when he throws a volley of arrows. With that settled, Decken then uses his ability to throw a group of captive pirates and send them flying into Shirahoshi's tower, thus infiltrating the palace.



He is later seen heading for the Ryugu Palace with Hody Jones and his crew while riding on top of sea monsters. Decken is eager to have his marriage with Princess Shirahoshi. Once they enter the palace, they find King Neptune and the palace guards already subdued, courtesy of the Straw Hats. Decken was immediately met with accusations by Neptune, who assumed that Decken was behind his daughter's inexplicable disappearance. Decken denies these convictions, saying that he has yet to be properly engaged to Shirahoshi, and demanding her be returned at once would be too egotistical even for Neptune. Ignoring his statement, Neptune pressed on and angrily asked where was his daughter taken, which informed Decken that Shirahoshi was no longer in the palace.

He then goes in to a frothing rage, but was promptly assured by Hody that she may still be somewhere nearby, since the human pirates that Decken sent flying have landed directly within the Ryugu Palace; and even if she wasn't, Decken would still be able to track where Shirahoshi is. This calms Decken and he proceeds to once again enter a bubble as he embarks outside, where he uses a giant coral as a medium for his power to discern Shirahoshi's location. The coral flew away from the palace, confirming Decken's suspicions that the princess wasn't in Hard-Shell Tower anymore. He is then seen riding on top of the coral, stating that only "death" can keep him and Shirahoshi apart.



He soon arrives at Coral Hill and demands Shirahoshi to marry him. She bluntly rejects him, claiming he is not her type. Enraged, Decken prepares to kill her, but Luffy gets in the way. Luffy smashes the flying coral and pummels Decken into the ground. He recovers just moments later and says to Luffy and Shirahoshi that they are not getting away as they prepare to leave on Megalo. He calls out to Wadatsumi to attack them, but Wadatsumi gets hit in his front tooth by Luffy's Jet Pistol. As Wadatsumi cries out in pain, Shirahoshi escapes Decken's clutches much to the latter's anger. After Decken gets away from the locals, he throws weapons at Shirahoshi several times only for them to get deflected by Luffy.

The Coup d'État
He is later seen in Noah, lamenting his lost love. He was so crushed by Shirahoshi's rejection that he even shaved the top of his head. His crew tries to console him, but he does not want them to. He reminds them that Shirahoshi is still a child, even though he decided to marry her for the sake of his ancestors. He then recites a haiku to himself about his rejection, and is frustrated by Luffy saving her every time he tries to kill her. He then gets an idea that he says will make everything break apart.

He touches the giant ship, Noah, with his right hand, making it fly to Shirahoshi. As Decken's crew is shocked, he states that both Shirahoshi and Fishman Island will be destroyed. When Noah is above Gyoncorde Plaza in Fishman Island, Wadatsumi falls into the plaza. Wadatsumi begs Decken to help him, but Decken tells him that he will have to be a sacrifice for the cause because he cannot stop the ship anymore once it has been launched. He then notices that Shirahoshi has disappeared from the plaza and appeared in front of Noah. When she tells him that he should only kill her and not the people in the island, he shows glee at her bravery and notes her beauty knows no ends, and then throws a knife at her that hits her in the shoulder.



While Hody and Luffy climb up to Noah, Decken throws some knives towards Shirahoshi, asking her whether she will die from her blood being spilled or Noah crashing into her. The thrown knives are blocked by Manboshi and Ryuboshi. Hody reaches the deck of Noah and Decken welcomes him. Hody then pierces Decken with his trident. However, Decken manages to touch Hody with his left hand.

Decken steps back and curses Hody for his betrayal. He throws one of his axes towards Hody but he easily evades it. Decken then tries to hit him once more with the knives in his sandals but misses him. Hody then bites Decken in the leg. When the axe returns for Hody, he uses Decken as a shield and the axe hits Decken instead which causes him to fall in the boat.

Decken is still alive and starts plotting to kill Hody for what he has done to him. However, when Noah shakes, Decken slips and hits his head. Decken passes out and the ship starts falling towards Fishman Island.

Imprisonment


After the Sea Kings stop Noah from crashing into the island, the princes bring the unconscious Decken and Hody to the plaza and put them in chains, with Fukaboshi declaring that both pirate captains will be incarcerated forever. Decken is then locked up in the palace prison along with the officers of the New Fishman Pirates; he apparently remained unconscious and out of the picture when the officers woke up and critically aged by their Energy Steroids abuse.

Major Battles

 * Vander Decken IX vs. Hatchan
 * Vander Decken IX vs. Monkey D. Luffy
 * Vander Decken IX vs. Hody Jones

Trivia

 * Decken is so far the only known fishman to have eaten a Devil Fruit.
 * His Devil Fruit only allows him to target as many people as he has hands. Ironically, while he has four legs, he has only two hands. Also, he is the only known fishman so far to have more legs than arms.
 * Because of his Devil Fruit, he is also the only known fishman unable to swim. This is a reversal of most adaptations of the Flying Dutchman legend: the captain is a human spirit who cannot step onto land.
 * Decken being the "cursed" captain of the Flying Dutchman and his pursuit of Shirahoshi somewhat follows a motif used in Richard Wagner's opera: the captain can be freed from his curse if he can find a faithful woman.
 * Decken appears as playable character in One Piece: Gigant Battle! 2 New World.

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