The officers of Worldwide Smoke (sans Isha) gathered on the deck of the Humo Robinson. The seven officers brought with them a small platoon of grunts (including Freddie and Delilah). All in all, twenty members of Worldwide Smoke stood on the deck as the rest remained on standby to protect the ship.

Shaska stepped out and began to pace in front of her subordinates, tentacle feet making squishing sounds as she did so. She turned to her crew and flicked ash off her cigar.

"Alright, everyone, we ready?"

She was met with reticent nods from the officers and grunts. Then, she turned around and pulled out her binoculars. She surveyed the island as best as she could, given the distance and the battleships in the way. On the southern edge of the island was a forest.

"Bingo."

Shaska tossed the binoculars to Schwarz and said "you think you can get us over there, blondie?"

Schwarz looked through the binoculars at the forest, then spawned a portal large enough for Shaska (and by extension, everyone else) to fit through.

"This should drop us right in the middle of that forest," Schwarz said.

"Perfect. Remember the plan, everyone: hide. Disguise yourself as an employee if you can. Then when the king shows up, we ambush him and take his head," Shaska explained, blowing smoke.

"But he knows we're com—" Johnson tried to say.

"Even if he knows we're on the island, he won't know where, bird kid. I doubt his Haki's that strong."

She turned toward the portal. "Now come on, guys. Let's do this! And remember! No hurting the Nobles!"

—-

If stripped from its broader context as an island where slavery is openly practiced by corrupt nobility, Vicks Davis Island would be a paradise on earth. It was a summer island where lush, rolling hills of green populated the scenery, along with grand palatial estates and fields of all sorts of crops, primarily cotton, tobacco, and indigo. The beauty was, of course, greatly marred by the slaves being forced to harvest these crops, being brutally whipped and beaten if they slowed down for even a second. And almost comically juxtaposed from the grand estates were small towns composed of ramshackle huts and shacks, where the only difference between the poor people who inhabited them and the slaves of the fields was the lack of a bomb collar around the neck.

The island of Vicks Davis is home to three cities: Lant, Mayko, and Sens. The capital city of Lant lay in the center of the island, with its plantations on the west side of town bordered by a forest and a swamp. Up and down the streets of Lant walked the Celestial Dragons with their personal pet slaves, visiting the numerous shops and restaurants that lined the city.

It was hot, humid, and worst of all, mosquitos were a constant nuisance from the nearby swamp. The Celestial Dragons paid this no mind, however. Each World Noble is outfitted in a futuristic, almost spacesuit-like costume, complete with a glass dome helmet that prevents the Noble in question from having to share the air that the common people breathe.

On the deck of his plantation home's balcony, one particular Celestial Dragon sat in a rocking chair. He was a short, rotund man with a bushy mustache and long hair that was styled into a single giant curl on top of his head. His helmet was fitted with a special pouch that allowed him to sip his scotch without having to take his helmet off and breathe "unclean" air. In his hand was a long chain that was attached to the bomb collar of the slave beside him. She was an older woman, appearing to be in her early fifties, and standing around six feet tall (towering over the Noble). She had short black hair and wore what basically amounted to a potato sack as clothing. Most notably, however, were her feet. She didn't have normal human feet. Her legs were purple, and her feet resembled octopus tentacles.

The Noble rocked in his chair slowly. "Aaaah… 'tis a fahne day t'day, ain't it… er, ah fergot yer name again. Not that it matters."

"It's Korla, Saint Legree…"

"Yes, yes…" Legree responded. He poured the rest of his scotch bottle into his helmet's pouch and then smashed it on Korla's head. Korla didn't flinch, even as blood trickled down her face. All she did was let out a weak sigh.

"Now, now Miss Korla, 's tahme fer us t'go insahde. Ah wish t'have m'way wi—"

"Yes… Saint Legree," Korla interrupted as she stood up.

Legree delivered a swift punch to her gut, causing her to double over. "You will speak when ordered to, slave. Forty yeahs heah and y'still don' get it."

"Y-yes… master…"

—

The small Worldwide Smoke squadron disembarked from the portal on the western end of the island. The forest was dense, and the humidity caused the crew to start sweating immediately. A narrow, but deep river cut through the forest, leading directly to the city of Lant.

"This feels familiar…" said Schwarz, trying to avoid stepping on any twigs as he walked along the river bank.

"Yeah, this is just like how we entered the Panipuri Kingdom half a year ago," Roxanne replied, tying her hair back.

"Let's just hope there's no swarms of mosquitoes this time…" Puerco said with a shudder.

"Or any other dangerous monsters," said Zinnia. Ruth hissed in agreement.

As a unit, the crew marched forward through the forest, stepping over downed trees that were in their path. In the distance, however, a pair of Marines on patrol heard Worldwide Smoke rustling through the brush.

"Who goes there?!" one of them shouted, pointing his rifle into the forest.

"I got this," Schwarz said as his eyes flashed red. With his Observation Haki, he saw through the rest of the forest and found the silhouettes of the Marines. He then spawned two holes behind them and grabbed them by their collars, and effortlessly pulled them through.

"Hello," Schwarz said with a twisted grin as the two Marines' heads slowly swiveled around, terrified looks on their faces.

Shaska stepped forward and cracked her knuckles as the rest of the crew surrounded the pair of Marines.

"Sh-Shaska the Greedy…!" one of them stammered.

"Here's how this is going to go," said Shaska, blowing smoke. "Scream, and you're dead. Try to contact your buddies, and you're dead. Do anything but comply, and you're dead."

The two Marines nodded slowly.

"Now drop your weapons and strip," Shaska growled.

The two Marines complied. Their rifles hit the ground with a clatter, and they tore off their clothes, emptying their pockets as they did so. Soon enough, they were left in their underwear, still surrounded by the small party from Worldwide Smoke.

Shaska flicked ash off her cigar and ordered "Schwarz. Warp these clowns to the Robinson. And…"

She looked down and around the small crowd gathered around her. "Eeny, meeny, miney, you two," she said, pointing at Freddie and Delilah. "Strip and get into their uniforms. You're gonna spy for us."

"Roger that," Schwarz replied, spawning a portal under the half-naked Marines to the deck of the Humo Robinson.

Freddie and Delilah, for their parts, exchanged nervous glances, but after a glare from Shaska, complied and stripped down to their underwear and pulled on the Marine uniforms.

"Shaska, wouldn't it be wise to send me out disguised as a Marine, instead?" Johnson asked. "I was a Marine, after all. I'm familiar with the protocols."

"You're too valuable to get caught. You're much stronger than they are," Shaska replied. "We need our main fighting force in tip-top shape. Now, here's what you two are going to do," she added, turning back to Freddie and Delilah. "You're gonna look for a place on the island where Marines and security personnel gather. A barracks. When you do, dial us up and the rest of you will sneak in, beat them up, and disguise yourselves as guards."

"What will you do, Miss Shaska?" Zinnia asked. "You are quite large and would most likely not fit into a uniform."

Shaska finished her cigar and flicked the butt into the river. "I can hide in here indefinitely. Thankfully, transponder snails still work underwater. And no matter where on the island you end up, I'll be able to reach you quickly by controlling the river water. You guys got your marching orders now?"

The rest of the crew nodded. Freddie and Delilah looked at each other and gave a nervous gulp, then looked at Schwarz as they raised and cocked their newly-acquired rifles.

Schwarz spawned a portal under their feet and dropped them at the edge of the forest, and the larger force continued their way through as the pair of "Marines" began to patrol.

—-

The city of Lant was bustling with activity from the poor commoners trying to hock their wares to the Celestial Dragons. Among the customers were slightly wealthier commoners, but they were still poor by most definitions.

Saint Legree made his way down to a stall selling fried poultry, Korla in tow with her bomb collar around her neck. He approached the stall and eyed up the shapely girl behind the counter. She had to be seventeen at most.

"Wah… aren't you a fahne drinka water?" he asked. "Ah take it yer new?"

"G-Good afternoon, sir," she mumbled. "Ah'm new hea, yes. This is mah pa's stall an' he wants me t'start in th'family business."

"What's yer name, sweetheart?"

"V-Varina, sir…"

"Aw, don' be nervous, Miss Varina! Wah, a pretty girl lahk you'd make a fahne wahf fer a Celest'l Dragon one day! In fact…"

He rubbed the chin area of his helmet.

"Ah'll take ya on as mah own raht now! Come, Varina, yer gonna be mah twenty-first wahf!"

"B-but…!"

"N-now, hold on!" exclaimed a burly man coming out from behind a curtain attached to the stall. "That thea's mah daughter! She's all ah got after her ma passed! You ca—"

Saint Legree pulled out a gun and promptly shot Varina's father in the chest, killing him instantly. Varina's eyes lost all their color as she cupped her hands to her mouth.

"Pa!" she cried as her father hit the ground and blood pooled around his lifeless body.

"Come now, Miss Varina. You'll serve me well."

"N-no…" she stammered.

"No?" Saint Legree responded, cocking an eyebrow. "Suit yerself."

Legree shot Varina square between the eyes, killing her instantly as well. Korla didn't flinch throughout this ordeal, nor did any of the bystanders.

"Now, Miss Korla, grab us some frahd chicken and less be on our way," he simply said as blood poured out of Varina's head.

"Yes, Saint Legree…"

Freddie and Delilah were on their "patrol" down this street, and bore witness to the murders of Varina and her father. They were the only people on the street to have any sort of reaction, aghast at the Noble's brutality.

"Unbelievable…" Freddie muttered.

"Sh-should we do something…?" Delilah asked. "This reminds me of life back at the Collective."

"Remember: the boss said not to attack Celestial Dragons. And I'm guessing he's one of them."

Saint Legree and Korla walked past the fake Marines, carrying several buckets of fried chicken.

"You two, clean up that mess," Legree ordered. "Make yerselves useful."

He then eyed up Delilah. Her figure was hidden by her men's uniform, but her pretty face was only partially obscured by her cap.

"Wah… maybe ah will come away wit a new wahf t'day…"

Freddie and Delilah's blood ran cold.

"I-I'm already spoken for, sir. I c-can't…" Delilah stammered.

"Please don't resist," said Korla. "You Marines, of all people, should know better."

Legree punched Korla in the gut and growled "you will not speak out of turn, Miss Korla!"

Delilah got an idea. "B-but, sir! I need to protect the island so you're safe, your majesty!"

"Ah'll hea nothin' of it! Come!"

Legree reached out to grab her hand, but she quickly pulled it away.

"I said 'no!'"

"Hm. Shame," Legree said, raising his gun again.

Delilah panicked. "TWO HUNDRED BRICK ROUNDHOUSE!" she called as she spun around and drove her heel through Legree's helmet and straight into his cheek. The impact sent him flying through the wall of a nearby building with a loud crash.

Korla covered her mouth in shock. Freddie buried his face in his free hand. "Shit…" he muttered.

The people of Lant stood there, completely dumbstruck at the sight of an apparent Marine attacking a Celestial Dragon. A nearby Celestial Dragon immediately pulled out a transponder snail and dialed it.

"EMERGENCY! ONE O'YER DOGS JUST ATTACKED A NOBLE! GET AN ADMIRAL , QUICK!"

The comms officer on the lead battleship relayed the info to Vice Admiral Izmena, who picked up the receiver of the transponder snail and said "the admirals are all busy at the moment. Don't worry, my lord. I'll take care of it. I'll… pacify the offender, posthaste."

"GET YER WORTHLESS ASS T'PIEDMONT STREET IN LANT, THEN!"

"Roger that," Izmena said, hanging up.

Izmena then immediately picked up the snail's receiver and dialed into the PA systems of all the battleships surrounding Vicks Davis.

"Attention! All hands report to Lant immediately to destroy a vermin who dared to lay hands on a Celestial Dragon! Leave only minimal crews onboard!"

—

On the Spirit of Liberty, a Minus World comms officer intercepted the Marine transmission with a black transponder snail, and promptly reported to Balthasar von Esens via baby transponder snail.

"Minimal troops left on zeir ships? Zey are making zis too easy…" von Esens said.

"Big brother! I vanna sink ze boats!" Rusila declared.

"Not now, Rusila. Your bloodlust vill be sated vhen ve reach ze shore."

The Spirit of Liberty came within view of the nearest Marine battleship, which promptly opened a comms channel.

"Halt!" called the commanding officer of the battleship. "You are approaching World Government territory! State your business or be sunk!"

The scope of the situation dawned on the commanding officer though as the flags of Minus World came into view and it became apparent that the Spirit of Liberty dwarfed even a Marine battleship.

"M-Minus World…"

"FULL SPEED AHEAD!" ordered von Esens. "OPEN FIRE!"

Cannons befitting the massive size of the Spirit of Liberty popped out of the hull and fired massive cannonballs at the Marine battleship, exploding on impact and leaving a gigantic hole in the ship. The commanding officer scrambled to dial Izmena.

"Vice Admiral Izmena! We have another problem! Minus World is here!"

Izmena simply smiled a crooked smile. "Let them in. Let them be demolished, too."

"But ma'am! They're going to raze everything on the isl—"

"TELL THEM TO MEET ME IN LANT!"

"Ma'am!"

Izmena hung up her transponder snail as she transformed into her rhino form and ran at top speed toward Piedmont Street in Lant.

"Not only Shaska, but Balthasar von Esens as well…" she thought with a sinister grin. "I'll make admiral for sure!"

TO BE CONTINUED