Balthasar von Esen's fanfare rang throughout the city. Most of the combatants in the streets stopped, including Shaska. She dropped the Unclean she was beating and looked up at the town square, which was less than half a mile away.

"Friends! Dear lost sheep! Lend me your ears!" Von Esens proclaimed in his deep, booming voice. "Ze time for revolution has come! Und a new day vill dawn upon ze vorld! Rejoice! As your king has arrived!"

"King…?" Shaska wondered aloud, puffing on her cigar as she casually used the back of her fist to punch out an Unclean who was sneaking up behind her.

She turned to the Kemurchants who were spellbound by von Esens' proclamation. "Look alive, guys. I'm gonna go check this 'king' guy out. Hold down the fort while I'm gone."

Shaska took off for the town square at top speed. Her mind flashed back to her conversation with Gil Fernandez back in the Gokashi Kingdom, and how he was seeking revolution. She flashed back to her conversation with Samudra about how his uncle became obsessed with equality and revolution.

"Could it really be…?" she thought.

—-

As Samudra came to the town square (with Schwarz slung over his shoulder), Von Esens stood in the center, and began to speak further.

"Comrades! I am here today as your new king! For centuries, ze oppressive Vorld Government has ruled zis planet viz an iron grip. Und as each month, each day passes, it becomes clear to ze masses of ze vorld zat revolution iss ze answer!

"Each day, hundreds are slaughtered by pirates zat ze Marines vill do nothing to stop because of zeir greed! Each day, hundreds of innocents are killed by Marines, which ze Vorld Government will cover up! Each day, hundreds are sold into slavery to be playsings for ze crooked Celestial Dragons, und once again, ze Marines vill do nothing to stop!

"It iss becoming more und more evident viz each passing day zat ze Marines are nothing more zan another pirate crew in zis Great Pirate Era! I believe in one zing only, ze power of ze human vill! Using zis, ve shall rise! Revolt! Give birth to a new era! An era off true equality! Zere vill be peace, land, und bread for all! I! AM BALTHASAR VON ESENS! UND I! AM GOD'S CHOSEN TO BE ZE VORLD'S NEW KING! Follow me into ze new vorld order! To UTOPIA!"

The combatants in the town square were silent, then the Unclean army erupted into applause. The Marines, on the other hand, were not amused, and were unsure of who to attack now.

"Do… Do we attack this von Esens guy…?"

Shaska entered the town square, with Franco close behind. Franco landed behind her and said, "Shaska the Squeeze, by authority of the World Government, I hereby-"

"Oh, you're that captain kid from before," Shaska interrupted. "I think you've got bigger problems right now," she said, pointing at von Esens.

"I am here to re-enter ze vorld viz zis holy war! Utopia iss on ze horizon!" von Esens declared.

"Brother! I vanna kill somevon!" Rusila whined.

"You have been good today, so you may kill von person, Rusila. Only von, though," he replied.

Rusila giggled with glee and daintily skipped forward. The crowd stood there with bated breath, unsure of what was about to happen.

A Marine saw Franco and ran over to him. "C-captain? What should we do?"

Franco looked at Rusila's dainty skipping, and shouted "Hey! What do you think you're doing?! You can't kill someone while Marines are present! I mean, you shouldn't kill someone period, but especially not while Marines are present!"

He pointed his sword at her. "Don't even think about it."

Rusila looked at him and smiled. "Hi, Mister army man!" she cheerfully said with a wave.

Franco was confused. "I said, no killing!"

"Big bro said I could! So I'm gonna kill somevon!"

Franco said nothing and started running at her, but Rusila didn't flinch. Instead, her hair rippled, and a small shockwave shot through the air at Franco.

Franco was caught off guard and was swiftly brought to his knees by the shockwave. Unable to move, he choked out "what…? What is this…?"

Shaska was shocked.

"That power…!" she thought, puffing on her cigar.

The ensign ordered the Marines to take aim at Rusila, but she simply looked at them with another smile. A shockwave rippled through the air, and the entire brigade of Marines fell unconscious.

"I'm gonna kill somevon! Big bro said I could!"

She turned in the direction of Worldwide Smoke and Johnson, then held out her hand to point.

"Eeny meeny miny moe," she started, pointing at Lulupo, then Ren, then Andy, then Roxanne. "Catch a tiger by the toe," she continued. "If he hollers, let him go…"

She looked around the crowd, then curled her hand into a fist. Her fist became jet black and shiny. Then, she locked eyes with Andy.

Before he could even blink, Rusila was right in front of him. And without a word, she shoved her fist right through his chest, killing him instantly.

The rest of Worldwide Smoke stared in horror as she pulled her hand out, drenched in Andy's blood. As he collapsed onto the pavement, she locked eyes with Roxanne, who couldn't say anything. Rusila simply smiled and daintily skipped back to her brother, singing a lovely tune as she did.

Roxanne fell to her knees and tried to wake her husband as the life drained from his eyes. She had no idea what to do.

"A-Andy…?"

As the other members of Worldwide Smoke (and Johnson) drew their weapons in preparation for combat, von Esens turned to them.

"Hm? You dare to challenge your king?"

Shaska stepped forward and cracked her knuckles.

"You're damn right! I don't give a shit who you think you are! You killed one of my employees! So now it's my job to put the hurt on you!"

Samudra ran forward and put Schwarz down. "Lady Shaska, no!"

"Oh, the cheating prince," Shaska responded dryly. "What?"

"That's Balthasar von Esens!" Samudra shouted.

"I've heard the name. And I know what he's done. I know how he killed a family of Celestial Dragons, survived, and then fell off the face of the earth…" she replied.

Shaska blew smoke, then continued. "I'm surprised the World Government even let that story run, to be honest, but there's only so much they can cover up, I guess. Point is, I'm not letting him kill my employees and get away with it!"

"Ah… Shaska ze Greedy… a crooked business voman like you vill have no place in ze new vorld order. If you vant to keep your head, you vill kneel before your king," said von Esens. "In ze new vorld order, zere vill be no masters except Balthasar, and God above me."

"Oh, can it!" Shaska shouted, assuming a fighting stance.

Von Esens glared at her, and a shockwave emanated from his eyes. Shaska was brought to her knees, just like Franco.

"You sink you can defeat me, Shaska ze Greedy?! You cannot even defeat my villpower!"

Shaska could barely pull her head up.

"What's… What's going on?!" a confused Ren asked.

"That power! It's Conqueror's Haki!" Lulupo exclaimed.

"Indeed!" von Esens responded. "Zis iss ze power God has bestowed upon me! I am chosen by God Himself to usher in a new era!"

"What's Conqueror's Haki?" asked Puerco.

"Haki is the physical manifestation of one's willpower. There's three types, but what's important right now is the third, Conqueror's Haki. It's extremely rare and enables someone to completely overpower someone else's will, often knocking them out without even needing to throw a punch," Lulupo explained.

Shaska managed to struggle to her feet. She turned on her Observation Haki to get a sense of just how strong von Esens actually was… and she began to sweat.

"Impossible… I've never felt power like this…" she thought, dropping her cigar.

"Hm? It's impressive zat you are still able to stand, Shaska ze Greedy," said von Esens. He glared at her again, making another shockwave that knocked her on her butt.

Shaska felt something she hadn't felt in over thirty years: fear. Pure, unadulterated terror. As she struggled back to her feet, she didn't assume a fighting stance. Instead, she turned to her crew.

"Worldwide Smoke, we need to leave."

"But Miss Shaska!" Lulupo exclaimed, not retracting his hair. "The girl in the dress just murdered Andy right in front of us! We can't-"

"This isn't a fight we can win, pretty boy!" Shaska shouted. "This isn't like the Mazurka kingdom! We'll die if we try to fight this guy!"

"A vise decision, Shaska ze Greedy," said von Esens. He shot another wave of Conqueror's Haki at Worldwide Smoke, knocking them over, and leaving Roxanne and Puerco completely unconscious. The only one still standing was Samudra.

"This… Is this the power of a conqueror…?" Zinnia choked out.

"Indeed, it iss, girl. You vill know your place," said von Esens.

It was then that Barabar's rukh bird descended and landed in the town square. The old man disembarked, and turned to his benefactor, kneeling in submission.

"My king! I am humbled to be in your presence!"

"Good morrow, Barabar. You may rise," von Esens replied. "Vere iss your reactionary nephew?"

"Right here," said Princip. He cut his way through the crowd carrying Ta'Gup's severed head. He placed it before von Esens, then kneeled.

"Ah, Sirhan Princip. Very good. You are von step closer to securing your spot in Heaven," said von Esens. "Rise, Princip."

He drew his sword, then said "kneel vonce more, Sir Barabar."

Barabar did what he was told, and von Esens placed the blade on Barabar's shoulder, then on his opposite shoulder. "I hereby dub you my official liaison in ze Panipuri Kingdom. You are ze official voice of God for zis island. Then, vhen Minus Vorld's mission is complete, you vill join me as von of my right hand men vhen I take ze throne at ze vorld capital at Marie Jois."

"I am honored, my king," said Barabar.

"Now hold on!" Samudra shouted, drawing his spear. "I am Panipuri's chosen son! I am the one the seer's prophecy spoke of centuries ago! If there's one person to rule after my brother's death, it's me!"

He started emitting steam from his body.

"You will leave this kingdom at once! Your poisonous ideology has caused enough damage!"

"Whoa, prince, where did this come from?" Shaska asked. "You were practically crapping your pants a moment ago."

"It is my duty as the last surviving member of the royal family to defend this kingdom!" Samudra declared, shrouded in steam.

"Rusila, you may make an example of him," said von Esens.

"Yaaaaaay!" Rusila cheered. She started running toward Samudra with her hands coated in her Armament Haki. Before Samudra could even react, she jumped forward, and tore his head clean off with her bare hands. As his body collapsed, she cheerfully tossed his head up and down and giggled like a child with a ball.

"People of ze Panipuri Kingdom! My rule iss merciful! But all who question it or dare to rebel vill meet ze same fate as your princes! My order iss absolute, for I am God's chosen!" Von Esens declared.

Shaska was at a loss for words. She wanted to vomit from the violence on display.

"Worldwide Smoke…" she choked out. Lulupo managed to stand up, and he dropped the assassins he was carrying and picked up Zinnia, Ren, Schwarz, Roxanne, and Puerco. The latter three were still unconscious from the effects of blood loss or the Conqueror's Haki. He also picked up Andy's corpse. The Marines started to regain consciousness and started to stand up one by one, along with Captain Franco.

Shaska smacked her cheeks with both hands to regain her senses. "Worldwide Smoke!" she declared. "Get on that bird! We need to make a tactical retreat!"

Shaska and Lulupo headed for the rukh bird at top speed and began to board, but von Esens wasn't having it. He drew his sword.

"You vill not leave viz your life, Shaska ze Greedy. Somevon like you vill prove to be a sorn in my side."

"Shave!" Franco called. He teleported in front of von Esens and clashed swords with him.

Shaska noticed this, but said nothing because she didn't want any further attention on her. She and Lulupo boarded the cabin of the bird quietly.

"Balthasar von Esens, by authority of the World Government, I hereby put you under arrest!" Franco growled.

"Get us out of here!" Shaska ordered the pilot. She pulled out a huge wad of cash and threw it at him, and the bird started to fly.

"Adorable," said von Esens. He lazily pulled his sword back, causing Franco to fall forward, then with a single slash, cut off Franco's sword arm.

Franco howled in pain as he fell to the ground. Before von Esens could glare at the bird with Conqueror's Haki though, Franco was back up, and slashed at his legs with his off hand. "I'm not done yet!" Franco declared. "You will face justice, Balthasar von Esens!"

"Could you give me von moment?" von Esens carelessly asked as he tried to exert his Haki on the bird as it flew higher and higher, but Franco wouldn't allow him. He slashed at von Esens again, but chipped his sword on von Esens' armor.

"I'm your opponent, king!" Franco shouted. Even as he was missing an arm, he jumped off the air with his Moon Walk and attempted to bring his sword down on von Esens' head. Von Esens was not amused, and cut off both Franco's legs at the knees.

The rukh bird took off, and Franco landed on the ground, screaming in pain. As blood pooled around Franco, von Esens looked at the bird flying away and huffed in frustration.

"Captain!" Johnson shouted. The Marines circled von Esens, paying no attention to the Unclean army. Johnson assumed his half-ostrich form, and ran over to Franco, picking up his mangled body with the robot hands from his backpack.

"Are you going to challenge me, too, bird?" von Esens asked derisively.

Johnson glared at him. "I…"

Johnson was faced with the most important decision of his life: attempt to bring in von Esens and inevitably die? Or leave with his life and be labeled a coward?

"Lieutenant! We await your orders!" shouted the ensign.

Johnson froze, unsure of what to do, all the while Franco bled out.

"Choose visely, Marine," said von Esens.

—

The rukh bird soared away and landed in the ocean next to the Humo Robinson. The crew disembarked. Puerco finally regained consciousness.

"What… What happened?" he asked.

"We lost," Shaska replied, lighting up a new cigar. "Doctor kid, you better get right to patching up the blond pretty boy. He can't have very much blood left."

Puerco noticed Schwarz's still unconscious body. His eyes shot open as he felt for a pulse. It was still there, but very faint.

"Lulupo, get him to the infirmary, stat! He needs surgery and an emergency blood transfusion!"

"No need to tell me twice, darling," Lulupo responded. He still had Schwarz, Roxanne, and Andy's corpse in his hair.

"Snake girl, raise the anchor and get us out of here, pronto. We're heading for Fishman Island now," Shaska ordered.

"Yes, ma'am!" Zinnia responded.

As the crew scrambled to leave, Shaska stood on the deck and puffed on her cigar.

She thought about Andy, she thought about Samudra… and she thought about how her daughter was still alive, but critically injured.

She blew some smoke.

"Damn," was all she was able to say.

TO BE CONTINUED