"Sogyon, Masagyoshi," Funagyoshi said. "Watch over these students and begin their training in earnest." The two fishman students nodded.
He then pointed at the officers who were still conscious and said, "you five. You're going to come watch. I sense that you're the strongest of this crew. Besides the two who were just defeated by Sogyon and Masagyoshi, at least."
Puerco looked around, then pointed at himself and said "even me?"
"Oh, don't get me wrong, I can sense just how weak you are," said Funagyoshi. "But at least you're not completely emaciated like those people!"
Puerco's expression became one of incredible annoyance.
Funagyoshi clapped his hands and said "come! It is important you see a duel between two Fishman Karate masters so you can visualize just how wide the gap is!"
Roxanne, Puerco, Lulupo, Ren, and Johnson nodded, then stood up to follow Funagyoshi and Shaska outside.
Outside the back of the dojo was a large courtyard. It was lined with multi-colored coral, and, befitting a dojo, cherry blossom trees. There were also statues of famous fish people, including King Neptune, along with what looked like mythological creatures of some sort.
The officers of Worldwide Smoke kneeled down on the grass as Shaska and Funagyoshi stood at opposite ends of the courtyard and assumed fighting stances.
"Show me what you've learned on your adventures!" Funagyoshi exclaimed.
"Heh, it'll be nice to go all out against someone not trying to kill me!" Shaska said.
She held out her left hand and pulled her right fist back, then thrust it forward, creating a massive shockwave in the air's water vapor.
"ARABESQUE BRICK FIST!"
As the shockwave flew at Funagyoshi, he waved his arms in front of his face.
"Leisure Silk Torrent!" Funagyoshi called, gathering the water vapor that was shot at him around his hands.
"And, Water Shot!" Funagyoshi shouted, flinging the water back at Shaska with the force of a bullet. Shaska, for her part, jumped at blinding speed to dodge, and the Water Shot left a perfect hole in the wall behind her, no cracks or anything.
Shaska flipped forward and brought her tentacle-y heel down on Funagyoshi's head, shouting "Flaming Axe Kick!" as she did so. However, Funagyoshi managed to grab her ankle and slam her into the ground. While he held her, he also gave her a mighty shock with his electric eel powers.
"AAAAAGH!" she howled as Funagyoshi prepared for his own heel drop, releasing her ankle and raising his foot high. She rolled out of the way and sprung to her feet, propelling herself off her hands to do so.
She went for a leg sweep, but Funagyoshi's eyes glowed red, and he managed to jump over her tentacle foot. He then went for a spin kick to the face, but Shaska managed to block with her forearm, then grabbed his foot with her off hand. As she went to flip him over, he shocked her again, causing her to release him and jump backward.
"Heh! I forgot how much of a pain it is to actually hit you!" Shaska exclaimed as she flicked ash off her cigar.
"Maybe you've just grown weak from spending all your time around humans!" Funagyoshi retorted.
Shaska lunged forward with an elbow strike. Funagyoshi's eyes glowed red, and he dodged to the side. However, he was too slow to react to her extending her arm to hit him with the back of her fist.
As Funagyoshi reeled from this, Shaska followed with a knee to the gut, then used that momentum to jump and do a spin kick to his long neck. Shaska then followed that all the way through, dragging Funagyoshi down to the ground with her foot. While he hit the ground, he discharged more electricity, shocking Shaska and making her howl in pain as she reflexively pulled her foot away.
"All the Haki in the world means nothing if you're not fast enough to react, gramps!" Shaska said, puffing on her cigar.
Funagyoshi swept at her feet as he pushed himself up, similar to a breakdance, but she dodged by jumping back. When Funagyoshi was back on his feet, he had his back turned to her. He spun around for another kick, but Shaska managed to close the gap and delivered a mighty punch to his chest.
"One Thousand Brick Fist!"
Then she followed up with her other hand.
"Two Thousand Brick Fist!"
He was knocked back a little, but Shaska gave chase.
"Five Thousand Brick Fist!"
He was knocked back even further, but again Shaska chased.
"Ten Thousand Brick Fist!"
Funagyoshi was up against the wall of the courtyard now, huffing and puffing. Shaska stepped forward, swinging her right arm round and round in a circle as she held her shoulder with her left hand.
"You ready for this?!" Shaska shouted. Funagyoshi began sweating.
"TWELVE THOUSAND BRICK FIST!" she called as her fist flew at Funagyoshi.
"I SURRENDER!" Funagyoshi shouted, right before Shaska's fist made impact. Shaska stopped dead in her tracks, fist mere fractions of an inch away from his chest.
As Funagyoshi doubled over to catch his breath, Shaska puffed on her cigar and said "looks like it's not me who's gotten weaker, old man."
"I admit, I'm not what I used to be…" said Funagyoshi. "Which is why I must reiterate my question as to why you came to me…?"
"And I'll reiterate my answer! Because I got a bunch of employees who need training! And even if I'm stronger than you, surely there's something to be gained in having a sparring partner even close to my level."
"I see your point…" said Funagyoshi. "…and don't call me Shirley."
Johnson had his face in his palm.
Shaska flicked the ash off her cigar and said "that weird king guy is on the same level as the Three Emperors. I felt his power myself. I know someone stronger than you, yes, but he's busy with his own life. You, on the other hand, have devoted your entire life to training yourself and others. It would be much more productive this way."
Funagyoshi was somewhat incensed by that. "…Who is this person you know that's stronger than me, anyway?" he asked, conveniently sipping from a hip flask.
"Dark King Silvers Rayleigh," Shaska replied, eyes closed, pinky in her ear. Funagyoshi spat out his liquor.
"That was our reaction, too, master darling," said Lulupo.
As Funagyoshi wiped his mouth, Shaska said "I feel this'll be beneficial for all of us. I'm an expert at making deals."
She puffed on her cigar, then added "I can help train the others, too, if you want."
"Then it'll be a lot of work for the both of us, then," said Funagyoshi. "I have never tangled with an Emperor before… but it is possible to defeat an enemy much stronger than you. If you know what you're doing."
"I'm listening…" Shaska said.
"I'm sure you've learned such strategies in your business dealings."
"I never really applied strategy before. I'm usually just richer and stronger than everyone else," she replied, flexing her muscles (which were hidden by her gi). "Business and bounty hunting are usually pretty easy when you have a billion berry idea and can lift a battleship by yourself."
"Hm. Well, as it stands, you will not be able to defeat this king you speak of unless you apply strategy. You are weak compared to him, and he is strong. Therefore, you must make it appear like the opposite; all warfare is based on deception," said Funagyoshi.
"Tell me, Shaska," he said, sipping from his flask again. "How well do you know yourself?"
"I've been on this earth for forty-eight years. It'd be weird if I didn't know myself," she replied, blowing smoke.
"And how well do you know this king…?"
"Well…" Shaska began. She slumped forward and said "not very well… All I know is that he's insanely strong, insane in the brain, and probably insanely hard to find. All I know about him besides his desire for 'equality' above all else is that he's headquartered in a place called the Twilight Kingdom. Other than that… He killed a bunch of World Nobles, shrugged off the Marines like they were nothing, then fell off the face of the earth for twenty-odd years."
"Then it might not be a good idea to visit this Twilight Kingdom. At least not yet," said Funagyoshi. "You must learn all you can about him. Learn why he thinks the way he does, and find out not just how strong he is, but how strong the forces that are under his control are."
"We got six months," said Shaska. "After that, we're gonna look for his forces, and beat the information out of them."
It was then that Sogyon entered the courtyard, interrupting Shaska and Funagyoshi's conversation.
"Master, I apologize for the interruption, but we have a problem in the dojo."
"We will continue this conversation another time, Shaska," said Funagyoshi.
"Speaking of the king's forces…" said Roxanne. "What happened to that cat we captured back in the Mercury Collective? We locked him up and I don't recall us freeing him like we said we would."
—-
Back on the Humo Robinson, Setzer was still trapped in the pet carrier he was locked in.
"I'm so hungry…" he muttered. "It's been over a week and they haven't fed me or given me any water… I'm surviving on sheer hatred alone."
Then, a thought crossed his mind.
"Hm… food… eat… fruit…"
He remembered he wasn't naturally a cat, then shifted back to his full-sized human form, which was over nine feet tall. He broke right out of the pet carrier.
"WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THIS SOONER?!" Setzer shouted. "It's not like the damn thing was made of sea-prism stone!"
He stumbled a bit walking around, having not eaten for over a week and having been stuck in a cramped, confined space for just as long.
"I'm so hungry… and stupid…" he muttered. "I'm gonna steal some of their food… then… I'm gonna find them and kill them. I'm gonna make an example out of them. They may have beaten Dear Leader… and they may have exposed Minus World as a giant cult… but I'm going back. I don't know anything but Minus World anymore. Maybe Mister von Esens will give me a position of power again… I don't even know if he knows Dear Leader was defeated."
—-
Funagyoshi re-entered the dojo.
"What's going on?" he asked his top students.
"They've all keeled over," said Masagyoshi.
Sure enough, the survivors of the Mercury Collective weren't exactly in the right shape for intense martial arts training, having been starving for most of their lives. They lay on the floor of the dojo, groaning in agony.
"Food…"
"So hungry…"
"The spirit is willing… but the flesh is weak."
Funagyoshi rested his face in his palm and said "it's going to be a long six months, isn't it?"
"Are we sure this is a good idea?" Sogyon asked. "Even if it is worth a billion berries, these are still humans we're dealing with; they're inherently frail."
"We must do as the queen asks of us. I know her dream of friendship with humans is a pipe dream… but it's still her order," said Funagyoshi.
"What's going on in he-oh," Shaska said as she walked back into the dojo. She blew smoke, then said "these guys ate like kings back at Sabaody… but I guess that wasn't enough."
"Food…"
"Alright, you all can take a break for lunch," said Funagyoshi. "As for you, Shaska…"
"Yes?"
"Prepare yourself. In addition to your physical training, I will teach you everything I know about battle. I may not be a soldier, but I am a warrior. Military tactics will be indispensable in your encounter with the king."
"Well, yeah."
"Bring your officers back inside. We shall begin their training while these people are eating. They can watch just like your officers watched us," Funagyoshi explained.
—-
After Setzer raided the pantry on the Robinson, he went up to the deck. To his surprise, he found the ship crawling with fishman guards, stationed there to make sure Worldwide Smoke wouldn't kidnap mermaids and run. Even if Neptune and Shaska were friends, they weren't close friends, and Shaska was still a wanted woman. In addition, the security prevented the Robinson itself from being stolen by pirates.
"Who goes there?!" called one of the soldiers as Setzer entered the deck. The soldier pointed his gun at Setzer, who held his hands up.
"Easy. My name is Setzer. I'm not entirely sure what I'm doing here, myself."
"You're a human!"
"And you're a fish freak."
"So Shaska was lying! The king and queen gave her permission to train at the dojo, but it turns out she was planning something sneaky all along!"
"Shaska's my enemy," Setzer bluntly said, picking his nose. "And I think you might be my enemy, too, based on how you're pointing that gun at me."
Another soldier showed up with a "I heard a commotion! Who is this?"
The first soldier said "he claims to be an enemy of Shaska's… but I'm not sure how much I can trust that."
"You said she's at some dojo? Where can I find this dojo?" Setzer asked.
"I'm not telling you! You're a strange human, and the dojo is this island's pride and joy!" exclaimed the first soldier.
Setzer shaved right in front of the soldier, who he towered over. He bent over to make his face on the soldier's level, then growled "if you don't tell me, I'll find someone who will. And your wife will become a widow."
"I'm not married, though…"
"FINGER PISTOL!" Setzer called as he poked the soldier in the chest with the force of a bullet, piercing his armor.
As the soldier doubled over, the other soldier readied his gun and fired at Setzer, who dodged with a Shave technique. Setzer appeared behind the second soldier, and used a Finger Pistol to poke the back of the soldier's head with the force of a bullet, piercing his helmet and killing him instantly.
"Worthless," he said, stroking his chin. "I'll find that dojo yet. And when I do, Shaska dies. But first, I gotta get a transponder snail. I think I still remember von Esens' number…"
—-
Schwarz began to stir on the dojo floor. As he sat up, he saw the other officers practicing their punches, following the lead of Masagyoshi.
"Whoa… What did I miss?" he asked, rubbing his head.
"You're missing out on valuable training, human," said Sogyon, crossing his arms. "You got cocky."
"You'd be cocky too if you were as awesome as I am," Schwarz responded, standing up. Even though Sogyon's eyes were black beads, he somehow rolled them.
"Tell me, human, what drives you to fight?" Sogyon asked.
"To avenge the murder of my family. I come from the noble Johann family of the South Bl-"
"I don't need your entire life story. I got the gist," Sogyon interrupted. "You're from one of the four Blues, yet you've made it all the way to Fishman Island without knowledge of Haki. Do you know what Haki even is?"
"The girl with the snake told me; it's the physical manifestation of one's willpower," Schwarz said.
"And yet you do not have enough willpower to overpower me. That may just be because you're a human, though."
"Could you cool it with the racism?" Schwarz asked.
"No. Fishmen and humans will never get along. That's just a fact of the world. But, I suppose since the queen has ordered us to do so, I could train you in how to use Haki during the six months you're here."
Schwarz winced at this. "You? Train me? After all the bile you've been spewing at me?"
"If you don't, then it's obvious you don't really care that much about avenging your fami-" Sogyon tried to say before he was cut off by Schwarz grabbing him by the collar.
"Teach me, blobfish. I want to destroy him. Have you ever heard of a man named Sirhan Princip?"
"I know the name. He showed up in the paper recently with a bounty of over eight hundred million berries. As opposed to your absolutely paltry fifty two million. Now, let go of me before I break that wrist of yours."
Schwarz obliged, and Sogyon continued. "Haki is extremely difficult to master. It can take years to learn even the basics. Even I only have the slightest grasp of it. But it's important you learn it so you and your crew aren't absolutely slaughtered in the New World."
Sogyon's beady black eyes flashed red, and he looked out over the officers. "Hm. I can't believe you really are the strongest besides Shaska and the bald guy. And it's looking like only Shaska and the girl with the snake have measurable Haki abilities.
"Each of you who isn't completely emaciated should learn Haki while you're here in addition to your strength training. Those starving ones don't have a chance in the allotted time frame. I doubt you'd even be able to manifest the slightest bit of Haki in six months due to your being human, but it's worth a shot."
"Fine. When do we start my Haki training?"
"I will have to ask the master. In the meantime, go join the rest of your crew in your punch training."
Schwarz nodded, and went off to join the rest of the officers.
—-
Shaska and Funagyoshi watched the training from the side of the dojo.
"My philosophy of battle comes down to three simple points," said Funagyoshi. "One, know when to fight, and when not to. Two, know how to deceive your opponent. And three, know yourself and your opponent equally well. If you hold to all three of these, you should never lose a battle. Does that make sense?"
Shaska blew smoke and said "I guess so. But I like fighting. And I want to put the hurt on the king guy more than anything. So, I will fight him. But I need more strength first."
"And that's fair enough. But we need to work on your perspective, too. You may be a successful business tycoon and bounty hunter, but if this man is as powerful as you say he is, you'll need more than strength. You want to break his resolve without throwing a single punch."
"I'll save that for when I get my business back," Shaska said, flicking ash off her cigar. "Right now, I don't think they know I'm here yet, so I'm gonna ride that for the next six months until I can show up to HQ, kick the door in, and demand my position back from the board of directors. They're all pretty strong, too, being bounty hunters and all. But if I can intimidate them, I'll be able to do as you say and break them without fighting. I want my king-slaying army to be as strong as possible, so that means killing as few of my Kemurchants as possible."
"Understood, Shaska. We shall spar another time to keep your body sharp, and tomorrow we shall practice more on philosophy," said Funagyoshi.
—-
Kemurchant Corporate was an absolutely massive complex located in Fishverly Hills, standing higher than the sky waterways that the fish swam in. Its main building resembled a giant conch shell, and on the top floor was the CEO's office. In the CEO's office was an ornate desk, along with a bookshelf lined with all sorts of books on how to run a successful business. On the desk was a nameplate reading "MIWAGYO", along with a transponder snail.
Purupurupuru…
Purupurupuru…
Purupurupurucaaaaaaaaalick!
"This is Miwagyo."
"Miss Miwagyo! We have news! Apparently word through the grapevine is that Shaska has been spotted on the island! We don't know her current whereabouts at the moment, but the Humo Robinson is docked in Coral Hill!"
A fishwoman with six arms covered in white and black stripes in a gaudy purple suit smoking a cigar leaned forward. "Interesting," she said. "It seems she's going to try and take back Kemurchant Enterprises. Apparently she doesn't realize the board kicked her out for a reason. Or that her name is PR poison. No matter. If she comes knocking, show no mercy."
"Yes, ma'am!"
The fishwoman hung up the transponder snail, then put her feet up on the desk.
"I've been waiting for this. Shaska."
TO BE CONTINUED