The rest of the Worldwide Smoke emerged from below the decks of the Humo Robinson, and they found an undersea paradise of beautiful scenery of numerous vibrant colors and even more beautiful mermaids.

"Oh my…" said Johnson, blushing at the mermaids.

"Holy moly…" said Roxanne, lighting up a new cigarette.

"You all must be pirates…" said one of the mermaids, an air of fear in her voice.

"Only pirates would shoot up out of the water in the cove like that," said another.

"Humans here to kidnap us?" asked a third.

"We're not pirates, darlings, we're adventurers here to train at the Fishman Karate dojo!" Lulupo exclaimed, striking a pose.

"Oh, that's much better," said another mermaid flirtatiously. Puerco fell over due to his nosebleed. "If you were pirates, then you would have had to answer to Whitebeard if you hurt anyone here."

Schwarz picked up Puerco by his collar and smacked his face to wake him up. Puerco sprung to his feet and said "I'm fine… I'm fine… Thanks, Schwarz."

"Feel free to dock here, adventurers," said yet another one of the mermaids. "That is, until the border patrol shows up…"

"Don't mind if I do!" Puerco shouted as he stripped off his shirt and dove over the edge of the Robinson. He landed in the water, and swam over to hug a mermaid. As the mermaid's (large) chest came in contact with his face, he had another nosebleed that propelled him upward with rocket-like force that landed him back on the deck of the Robinson.

As he huffed and puffed, Ren turned to Zinnia and said "I'm not only one uncomfortable with getting physical exam from him, right?", to which Zinnia nodded.

"I'M GONNA LIVE HERE FOREVER!" Puerco shouted as he sprang to his feet. Roxanne, in turn, responded by bending him into a pretzel.

"Keep it in your pants, bud," she said, patting him on the head.

"You know, I will say it's odd we didn't dock at the port town," said Lulupo.

"You mean we didn't have to go through all that…?" Johnson asked.

"Well, of course there's a port, darling. That's the entrance I used the one time I came here many years ago. But for some reason, Shaska just threw us through the barrier."

"Did you forget we're a band of wanted criminals?!" Shaska shouted as she surfaced and began scaling the hull of the Robinson with her tentacles.

She hopped over the edge of the ship and landed on her human legs. "Ow, yeah, maybe I should have kept the casts on…"

"Shaska! This place is amazing! Why did you ever leave?!" Puerco exclaimed as he desperately tried to un-bend himself.

"Unbend the little pervert, Roxanne," Shaska said, lighting up a new cigar. "And that's a long story for another time."

The sight of Shaska is what caused the mermaids of the cove to start panicking.

"That's… Shaska the Greedy!" said one of them.

"The one who killed that entire city?!"

"I can't believe she'd do that…"

"Surely, she wouldn't do that to Coral Hill…"

Shaska heard all this and shouted at the mermaids "Of course I didn't kill that city! And even if I did, I'm from here! I'm here for a peaceful mission!"

"Call the border patrol," whispered one of the mermaids to another, who nodded and swam away.

"Oh, don't make this ugly!" Shaska shouted. "I know King Neptune, dammit!"

"Then you can explain your situation to him, you murderer! Explain why you brought humans here!" shouted another mermaid.

Sure enough, without even needing to be called, a border patrol ship pulled up to the cove. It was a floating ship in a large bubble being pulled by a giant eel. It had the kanji for "royal border patrol" written on either side.

A fishman officer in a beige military uniform stepped out holding a transponder snail.

"This is the Ryugu Kingdom border patrol! Come peacefully with your hands up!" called the officer.

The ship pulled around to dock next to the Robinson, and several more officers filed out with guns drawn. Puerco held his hands up and alternated between being terrified at the officers and making googly eyes at the mermaids. Everyone else drew their weapons to prepare for combat.

"Stand down!" Shaska ordered, holding her hand behind her as she faced the officers.

"Shaska the Greedy! You have a lot of guts showing up here again after what you did in the Mazurka Kingdom!" the lead officer called as he recognized her.

"I really didn't want any trouble. I know what I stand accused of. That's why I snuck in illegally."

"Well, you can explain your actions before King Neptune and the royal guard," said the border patrol officer. "You are a criminal in the eyes of this kingdom and of the world."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah… Damn it all…" Shaska muttered as she held her hands up.

—-

For the second time in her life, Shaska found herself behind the bars of a dank jail cell in the Ryugu Kingdom royal palace. The fighters had their weapons stripped from them, while the noncombatant Mercury Collective survivors were crammed into a cell across the hall like sardines. For the second time in her life, Ruth found herself in a tiny cage away from Zinnia, who was now crying due to being separated from her beloved snake.

"Now what?" Johnson asked.

"Surely, the king would have let you in if you're such good friends with him, darling," Lulupo said.

"The king and I are friends, yes, but I doubt the border patrol knows that," said Shaska. "And don't call me Shirley."

Johnson rolled his eyes.

"At least I'm not freaking pregnant this time," Shaska thought.

Just like last time, a massive, muscular merman standing forty feet tall descended into the jail with a bubble around his tail. He had bushy orange hair and a huge orange beard, and carried an equally large, ornate trident. This time, he was joined by a much smaller mermaid with blond hair tied into two loops above her head, wearing a white kimono.

"Welcome back, Shaska-jamon," said now-King Neptune sarcastically.

"Honey, is this the one who saved those mermaids thirty years ago that you told me about?" asked the small (though only small in comparison to Neptune and Shaska; she was still over seven feet tall) mermaid.

"And you are…?" Shaska asked, casually sticking her arms through the bars.

"Shaska! Show some manners-jamon! This is my wife, Queen Otohime!" Neptune declared. "You haven't changed at all since you met my father-jamon!"

"And what's with the 'jamon'? Is that, like, how you talk now?" Shaska asked, now picking her nose.

"It's quite alright, Neptune. I sense no ill will in her heart. In fact, I sense a lot of turmoil," said Otohime.

"Sense turmoil?" Shaska asked. "What, are you some kind of Haki user?"

"I sense in you someone who is headstrong and determined, but someone who also bears much regret in her life. Perhaps how you treated someone in the past?" Otohime asked.

Shaska was taken aback by this. Her fight with Zeiko flashed in her mind. "H-How…?"

"I also sense that despite your rough exterior, you are more open-minded than the average mermaid," Otohime said. She smiled, then said "in fact, I can see it. Your crew is almost entirely humans. It has been a… project of mine to bring the surface world and Fishman Island together in harmony. While it has not exactly gone 'well' so far, I am faithful that one day we will be able to live in peace with the humans."

"You'd be surprised by the power of the almighty berry," Shaska said. "And besides…"

She thought back to how her sister was kidnapped by crab fishmen so many years ago. "It's not just humans that mistreat fishmen and merfolk…"

"Hm… now I sense a deep sadness in your heart," said Otohime.

"Let's not dwell on that," Shaska said. "Look, could you let me out? I'm on a mission to save the world, and I need a place to train so I can get stronger."

She explained Minus World and how their influence was spreading fast.

"I wouldn't be surprised if that king guy's men started poisoning the minds of the Ryugu Kingdom with his filth," Shaska said.

"Hoh! Hardly! The average person here hates humans-jamon!" said Neptune.

"Well, consider yourselves lucky, then," said Shaska. "If he gets his way, this may well wind up being the last free kingdom in the world. All the government-affiliated kingdoms are falling one by one. It's only a matter of time before he goes after Emperor territory like this place."

She reached into her jacket and pulled out von Esen's wanted poster.

"See this bounty here? It means the World Government is more scared of him than they are of Whitebeard."

She put the poster away and continued with "I'm the only one crazy enough to take him on, so please…"

"Shaska, you've been a hero before, but don't think we haven't heard about your exploits on the surface-jamon," said King Neptune.

She hesitated and thought "I can't believe I'm about to do this, but… I really have no other options…"

Shaska got down on her hands and knees, then placed her forehead on the ground.

"Please. I beg you… Your Highness," she said, almost choking on the last words. "I implore you to let us out so we can train here."

"Shaska? What are you-" Schwarz asked.

"Follow me!" Shaska growled at him.

Slowly, each member of Worldwide Smoke bowed on their hands and knees. Ironically, Schwarz was the last to do so.

"Ugh, guess I really have to…" he thought as he bowed.

Neptune was shocked by this. Otohime wasn't, if only because of her powers.

"Shaska, in the two times I've met you, you've shown yourself to be incredibly brash and arrogant-jamon," said Neptune. "But it seems this really is dead serious to you if you'd throw your pride away like this-jamon."

"As much as the idea of all becoming equal appeals to me, I will say it doesn't sound as good if they're not all free, too," said Otohime. "Humans and fish people can't live in harmony if they are all under the boot of this Balthasar von Esens."

"Please. The fate of the world depends on it," said Shaska.

Neptune thought about it for a moment, stroking his beard.

"There had better be a Ryugu Kingdom left standing by the time you're done with your training-jamon," he said.

Shaska's eyes shot open at this, and she looked up from her prostrated position.

"You… You mean it?"

"I can see into your heart, Shaska," Otohime said. "This is truly a life or death situation to you. I will see to it that the masters at the dojo train you and your crew despite most of you all being human."

She clapped her hands and said "this will be a great opportunity for the people to meet humans who aren't monsters!"

Tears began pouring down Shaska's face. "Th-thank you! Your Majesty!"

"But please, just use the normal entrance next time-jamon!" Neptune exclaimed.

"I will, Your Majesty!" Shaska said, shooting to her feet and wiping away her tears.

Neptune signaled to the jailer to let Worldwide Smoke out, which he did. Ruth was freed too, much to Zinnia's delight.

"We will release your ship from its custody, too-jamon. The vault we found was impenetrable, but the contents of your armory have been confiscated for the time being. Consider it collateral to make sure you don't destroy the Ryugu Kingdom like you did that city in the Mazurka Kingdom-jamon," said Neptune.

"Allegedly," Shaska insisted.

"And, I'm sure you're well aware, as you have trained there yourself, but you and your crew will be on your best behavior at the dojo-jamon. It's the pride of Fishman Island!"

Shaska nodded, then turned to face the non-collective members of the crew stuck in the cell with her. "Alright, men, women, and Lulupo, the next few months are going to be torture for everyone, myself included."

She punched her palm, then said "but it'll all be worth it once we put that king guy and his creepy princess sister through the ringer!"

She then turned to face the collective members, who just had their cell unlocked too. "And you guys? You're gonna be made into an elite fighting force. Not only will you swab the decks of the Robinson, you're gonna help beat up the weaker guys in the king guy's armies so the rest of us can focus on the king guy himself!"

Some of the collective members nodded, some of them were taken aback at them basically being cannon fodder.

"Worldwide Smoke is goin' to war! But first, we gotta train. We're gonna show that clown that while we all deserve equal rights and opportunities, we can't be forced into equal outcomes! You with me?!"

"YEAH!" the Mercury Collective citizens shouted.

"First, the training! Then, Kemurchant Corporate! Then, MINUS WORLD!"

The crowd was less enthusiastic about that statement, to which Shaska said "what, you didn't think I'd forget, did you? We still have a business to take back as well. I need a whole fleet, not just you guys. But trust me, you guys will be the elites of the elites by the time we're done."

She pulled out a cigar… and remembered her lighter had been confiscated due to being a potential weapon.

"Hey, kingy-ding, could I get a light?"

"That humility didn't last long!" Worldwide Smoke thought collectively, falling over.

She felt at her chest and checked her jacket pockets.

"My cash wads, too. Basically I need everything back."

"We will return you and your friends' weapons-jamon," said Neptune. "But, again, I must stress…"

He leaned down as much as he could to get on Shaska's eye level.

"If you hurt even one hair on one civilian's head… that's it-jamon. Your ass is grass."

Shaska nodded, unlit cigar in her mouth.

—

After retrieving their weapons from the border patrol, Worldwide Smoke and the Mercury Collective survivors were escorted by the royal army to the Fishman Island Dojo in Coral Hill. In spite of its status as Fishman Island's "pride and joy", the building and its surrounding complex were surprisingly plain looking; they resembled what a run-of-the-mill karate dojo on the surface would look like, except with much more of a coral theming. The Robinson was moved to the port at Coral Hill, under constant surveillance by the army. Worldwide Smoke was given the opportunity to retrieve their belongings from the ship before, and they held onto them at the entrance to the dojo in simple, burlap sacks.

Shaska took the lead and stood at the front of her decently-sized crowd of subordinates in front of the gates of the dojo, puffing on a cigar. She turned to face them, and said "Alright, maggots! For the next six months, you're all going to eat, sleep, and breathe training! And when six months are up, we're gonna take back Kemurchant Corporate! That make sense to everyone?"

Puerco held up his hand and said "what about me? I don't fight. Nor do I intend to-"

"Oh, you're gonna learn," Shaska interrupted, blowing smoke. "I don't care what it takes, doctor kid, but I'll make a fighter out of you, too."

She flicked ash off her cigar and took another puff, then said "in the next six months, Master Funagyoshi and I are gonna teach you the basics of Fishman Karate and Haki. I built one hell of a business empire, so we're gonna have one hell of a time taking it back. Part of me hopes we'll be able to do it through negotiation alone, but the other part of me relishes the opportunity to use force to get my company back. Point is, you all will be as strong as any Kemurchant by the time we're done. Stronger even."

She looked specifically at the main members of Worldwide Smoke (i.e. the ones who weren't part of the Mercury Collective).

"As for you… Roxanne, Schwarz, Lulupo, Puerco, Ren, Zinnia, bird… you just got yourselves a promotion for sticking around as long as you have. You're all gonna be officers in my new army."

"So it's an army now…?" Roxanne thought.

Zinnia held up her hand. "Can Ruth get a promotion, too?" she asked, scratching the snake's chin.

Shaska rolled her eyes and blew smoke, "sure, whatever."

"Yay!" Zinnia exclaimed.

Shaska turned back around to face the dojo. She thought to herself "alright, king guy. I'm comin' for you. Keep yourself under control for the next six months."

She cracked her knuckles.

"Then… I'm gonna clean your clock."

TO BE CONTINUED