The over two hundred strong crew departed from the Kemurchant HQ, leaving behind a fifty man skeleton crew to manage the affairs of and protect the building. With the upper management of the company either dead or having fled in the chaos, middle manager Gyozart was (unwillingly) chosen to watch over the headquarters in the absence of Shaska and Worldwide Smoke after they retrieved his unconscious body. The officers stood in the main lobby around Gyozart, almost in a threatening manner.

"Why… WHY ME?!" Gyozart yelled.

Shaska puffed her cigar and raised a tentacle to Gyozart's lips and said "shshshshsh… you'll get a hundred thousand berry bonus if you stay put and watch this place. 'Kay, uh…"

"Gyozart."

"Gary," she replied as she pulled out a stack of cash. "Keep this place neat and tidy while we're g—"

"I'm not doing crap for you, Shaska!" Gyozart shouted. "Have you forgotten that everyone here hates you?!"

Shaska pulled out another stack of cash, but Gyozart promptly smacked it out of her hand.

"You can't buy our loyalty back, Shaska! Not after how you treated us before!"

"Pfft. You sound like my kids," Shaska muttered between puffs of her cigar.

"Yeah. And just like your kids, we're not gonna do a word of what you say! No matter how much you say you've changed!"

Shaska picked up the stack of cash that was knocked out of her hand and promptly stuffed it back in her jacket. She then stroked her chin as she blew a puff of smoke.

"Hm. Now what…?" Shaska mused.

"Not my problem," Gyozart growled.

Shaska took her cigar out of her mouth, poked her forehead and bowed her head, clenching her eyes and teeth as hard as she could. She thought long and hard about her next move, to the point her face turned red.

After what felt like hours, Shaska released her tension and heaved a heavy sigh, turning to Gyozart with a dejected look on her face.

"Mmm mmm mmmm mmmm mmmmm mmmmm…" she mumbled.

"What was that?" Gyozart asked, leaning forward with a hand to his ear.

Shaska huffed, then mumbled the same thing.

"One more time?" Gyozart asked.

Shaska huffed again, then gritted her teeth and said "You can… keep… your… union stuff…" as she flicked ash off her cigar and stuck it back in her mouth. Her face was bright red as the other officers' eyes shot open.

"Are you…?" Gyozart started, dumbfounded.

"D-don't get the wrong i-idea, idiot!" Shaska interrupted, face still bright red. "I still hate unions! But it's what's best for the company at this very moment! I can't afford to leave any of my strongest officers behind to watch this place! This is an important mission we're going on!"

"Uh-huh…" Gyozart responded, face curling into a sly smile.

"And here!" Shaska exclaimed, pulling out more stacks of cash. "A TWO hundred thousand berry bonus if you stay here and protect HQ while we're gone!"

"I must say, this is an interesting turn of events, Shaska, darling," Lulupo said coyly, to which Shaska shot him a dirty look.

"Yeah, maybe us officers should unionize, too," Schwarz said, to which Shaska immediately swiveled her head around for a dirty look at him too.

"I still do not know what a union is…" Zinnia muttered.

"Fine, you have yourself a deal," said Gyozart. "We'll stay as your employees for the time being. We can renegotiate our contracts after you're done with your little mission."

Shaska's flushed face returned to normal, and she turned to the other officers with a "alright, men, women, and drag queen! Let's go! We got a king to stop!"

The officers nodded, and the two hundred strong force departed from Kemurchant HQ, Shaska leading the way.

—

As night began to fall, the crew had marched about half a mile through Fishverly Hills, the location of Kemurchant HQ, drawing the attention of the townspeople.

"Is that… Shaska?" one asked.

"I heard she let a bloodthirsty human loose on the island six months ago…"

"She's got a veritable army with her now…"

"How is she not in jail…?"

Shaska blew smoke and turned to Schwarz. "Hey, pretty boy. Think you can warp us to the Robinson? I'm not keen on listening to the peanut gallery for the rest of our march."

"I don't know where it is relative to us, so no," Schwarz replied, clasping his hands behind his head.

"Mrrrr…" was all Shaska could respond with.

"Do you think we should say goodbye to Master Funagyoshi and the king and queen?" Roxanne mused.

Shaska punched her palm and blew some more smoke, saying "there'll be plenty of time for that after we take out the crazy king guy! We'll take his head up to Marie Jois and deliver it to the Five Elders personally. Then we'll have the party of a lifetime at Sabaody!"

She flicked ash off her cigar, then continued with "no matter what it takes, we're gonna catch Von Esens!"

—-

Around 11:00 that night, the large crew made it to the port town of Coral Hill. They came to the docks, where they found the Humo Robinson, still intact thanks to the royal guards stationed in front of it. The guards saluted and dispersed from their stations as Shaska and the rest of Worldwide Smoke approached, each one bearing a face of relief.

"You would not believe how many graffiti artists and vandals we had to stop!" one of the guards said as he passed.

"Yeah, at least one a day," said another.

"I can buy that," Shaska replied as she boarded the ship.

Slowly but surely, Worldwide Smoke climbed aboard the Robinson, officers taking the lead with the grunts not far behind.

"Hm… so this is the fabled Humo Robinson," said Isha as she grew acquainted with the deck. She noticed the Shaska figurehead at the front of the vessel and rolled her eyes. "No accounting for taste, though…" she added under her breath.

"Ah… Is good to be back on ship I worked so hard on," Ren said with a smile as she bent down and felt the wooden deck, which was still coated in the Sabaody soap resin.

"Alright, guys!" Shaska declared after everyone had boarded the Robinson. "We don't have time to rest tonight! We're setting sail for Raijin Island immediately, and then onto Vicks Davis as soon as the log changes!"

"What's this we business?" Johnson asked. "I'm not a navigator, nor do I operate the helm. In fact—"

"Fine, fine, smarty pants," Shaska interrupted. "Everyone who's non-essential to the actual sailing can hit the hay for tonight."

"Last I checked, we did not have any hay on thi—" Zinnia started, only to be interrupted by the other officers shouting her name.

"Roxanne, Lulupo, whip us up some grub for the trip!" Shaska ordered.

"Shaska, darling, I don't think the two of us alone can feed a crew of two hundred plus…" Lulupo said.

"Then get some of the grunts to help!" Shaska responded. "There's kitchen staff among you guys somewhere!"

"Are our ingredients even usable?" Roxanne pondered. "It's been six months. I think we should resupply before storming off to face Von Esens. Much as I want revenge on his creepy sister."

Shaska pinched the bridge of her nose and said "fine. Get some rest, everyone. First thing tomorrow, we go shopping for supplies. Then we set sail for Raijin Island!"

The rest of Worldwide Smoke nodded and headed off for the dormitories, stomachs empty due to the lack of food on the Robinson.

—

After a short, but unpleasant, night's sleep brought on by hunger, Worldwide Smoke awoke at the crack of dawn and gathered in the galley.

"Maggots!" Shaska declared as she lit up the first of many cigars for the day. "Here's the deal: you clowns are part of a bona fide paramilitary organization now. We're gonna meet here every morning for breakfast and your orders for the day. But…"

Her stomach grumbled.

"The only order for you grunts today is to go into town and acquire supplies for all of us that'll last until we get to Vicks Davis Island."

She pulled out several wads of cash and tossed them to Freddie.

"There's a million berries. Now don't go nuts, okay? Just the essentials for two hundred fifty people for a few weeks. And I want change, got it?!"

Freddie nodded, and he gathered together a small group of around twenty grunts to head into the city for the supply run. As they left the galley, Shaska turned back to her officers and the other remaining members of Worldwide Smoke.

"Now all you other grunts get to cleaning! This ship is filthy after six months with no upkeep!" she ordered.

The lower ranking members nodded and ran off to search the ship for cleaning supplies. Zinnia held up her hand.

"Yes, snake g—Zinnia?"

"What should us officers do, Miss Shaska?"

"Kick back and relax! That's what we have the grunts for!" Shaska exclaimed.

"Kick… back…" Zinnia muttered, gears somehow audibly turning in her head. She looked at Puerco, then delivered a spinning kick to the small of his back, sending him flying through the wall and leaving a Puerco-shaped hole. Everyone else showed different signs of exasperation, including Ren burying her face in her hands and Shaska pinching the bridge of her nose; Roxanne simply took a sip from her hip flask.

Zinnia looked around with a confused expression and said "was that not what was meant…?"

—

In the waters of the New World, a massive, castle-like ship drifted along the waves. It bore the words "Die Gleichheit" on either side in large, gold letters, and on its mast, a red sail bearing the logo of the World Government crossed out. The Spirit of Liberty sailed toward its next location, Vicks Davis Island with one goal: liberation.

Balthasar von Esens' pitch black armor made loud clanking sounds as he made his way to the bridge, followed close behind by his creepy younger sister, Balthasar von Rusila, skipping daintily.

A mouse ran by with a piece of food, catching Rusila's attention.

"Brother! Vait!" she called, causing her brother to stop.

"Yes, vhat is it, Rusila?" he responded in his deep, commanding voice.

"Zere is a mouse!"

"Yes? Und?"

The mouse looked up at Rusila and nibbled on its food, the most innocent look in its eyes. As it began to scamper off, Rusila snatched it off the ground quicker than the untrained eye could track, and squeezed it tight until it exploded, its blood spraying everywhere. Von Esens didn't flinch at all as a few drops landed on his armor, which he promptly wiped away with his red and gold cape.

"Yes, yes, Rusila, hass your bloodlust been sated for now?"

"I vant more blood!" she cheerfully exclaimed, licking the poor thing's blood off her fingers.

"You can haff more blood after our dinner tonight. But since you spoiled your appetite, you may only haff von footsoldier tonight. Ist zat understood?"

Rusila whined, before von Esens interjected with "und vhat happens if you vhine?"

"Zen I don't get any footsoldiers…" said a dejected Rusila.

"Very good. Now, you must be on your best behafior, Rusila. Ve haff a very important day next veek. If you are good, you vill dine on ze finest Celestial Dragons at Ficks Dafis Island," to which Rusila smiled.

Von Esens continued to head toward the bridge with Rusila resuming her dainty skipping behind him. Eventually, von Esens came to the bridge and opened the door, finding his soldiers operating the ship as normal.

"Comrade Von Esens!" called one of the soldiers, leaving his post to run up and salute. "My lord!"

"Back to your post, comrade," von Esens growled. "Or you vill be Rusila's playsing tonight."

"Sir!" the soldier responded before returning to his post.

Von Esens sighed, then muttered "ze former Marines… zeir spirits are easiest to break, und yet zey haff ze hardest time following ze minutiae."

"Comrade naffigator!" von Esens called. "How much longer until ve reach Ficks Dafis?!"

"Six days, comrade!" the navigator responded.

"Good. Liberation shall soon come. Und ze Vorld Government vill haff no choice but to see me as ze sreat to zeir power I truly am."

"But big bro, your bounty iss—" Rusila interjected.

"It iss not high enough! I vill not rest until zey understand zat even Gold Roger paled in comparison to my vill! Ze government vill crumble und eqvality vill rule ze day! God as my witness."

The helmsman's eyes shot open. The Spirit of Liberty was barrelling full speed into a storm that had materialized out of nowhere. The ship began to rock violently, and soon the ship was drenched in a torrential downpour.

"Comrade!" the helmsman called to the king. "This is bad, we've wandered into one of the Grand L—"

"It iss fine," von Esens interrupted. "I haff ze power off ze heafenly fahzer on my side. Ze Spirit of Liberty shall not sink zis day."

"But comrade!"

"You understand zat you are replaceable, no?" von Esens questioned. "Von more outburst like zat und you vill be Rusila's playsing for tonight."

"Und I play rough!" Rusila interjected, innocent smile on her face.

"Rusila, you may return to your room. I vill handle ze storm."

"Okay, big bro! I'm gonna haff a tea party!"

"Be nice to your toys, zen. I do not vant to come get you und find stuffing everyvhere. Again."

Rusila giggled, then daintily skipped away. Von Esens, for his part, descended a nearby ladder and headed down for the deck, where he found his soldiers scrambling in what served as the castle's courtyard.

"Comrades! Calm yourselves! God hass not chosen me to die in a mere storm! He hass chosen me to lead zis vorld!"

But his orders fell on deaf ears, and the soldiers continued to scramble in a panic. Von Esens closed his eyes, heaving a heavy sigh. He crossed his arms, and his eyes shot open. A massive shockwave rippled through the air, shaking the ship even further and causing all the soldiers in the courtyard to fall unconscious.

"I VILL have order. Now, as for zis storm…"

He drew his sword, the Balmung, and planted it in the ground, then knelt in prayer.

"My God, iff it is your vill, grant me ze strength to dispel zis storm."

As the rain fell, the sky began to rumble and flash with lightning. Von Esens stood up resolutely and brandished his sword. A bolt of lightning fell, but without even touching it with the blade, von Esens cut through the lightning with a quick horizontal swipe. Sparks of black lightning emanated from his sword as he did. He followed with a massive vertical slash through the air, which was accompanied by even more black lightning. The shockwave from this slash was so immense and powerful that it flew through the air, cutting through the clouds and splitting the heavens with ease. A clear path was formed for the Spirit of Liberty to travel through, and von Esens sheathed his sword with a simple "hmph."

With a swish of his cape, von Esens turned around and headed back into the castle, paying no heed to his unconscious soldiers. As he entered, he was greeted by the sounds of rapturous applause from his soldiers.

"THANK YOU, COMRADE!" one of them cried.

"We love you, comrade!"

"Truly God's chosen!"

The soldiers continued to clap and cheer. Von Esens' eyes began to flash red, and scanned the crowd. Eventually, he found what he was looking for: a soldier who had stopped clapping.

Quicker than the eye could track, the ten foot tall man in heavy armor dashed through the crowd to the soldier who had stopped applauding. He picked the soldier up by the throat and brought him to his eye level.

"Comrade… vhy haff you stopped applauding…?"

"Well—I—-I…"

"Comrades! Sleep easy tonight! Rusila's playsing for ze night hass folunteered himself!" von Esens called over the applause. And with that, the soldiers heaved sighs of relief, slowly stopped clapping, and dispersed back to their posts. Von Esens headed upstairs, doomed soldier in tow.

—

Von Esens came to the door that was obviously Rusila's room, meaning it looked like a little girl lived there despite Rusila looking to be in her mid-twenties or so. The door was bright pink with a red flower motif. Von Esens knocked, and Rusila's childlike voice cheerfully exclaimed "come in!"

Rusila was seated at a small table with a toy tea set, surrounded by stuffed animals and dolls. The walls were lined with a seemingly infinite amount of more stuffed animals. Notably, there were also dried bloodstains everywhere, and the room reeked of a combination of blood and perfume.

"Big bro! Ve're haffing a tea party!"

"Yes, yes. Good news, Rusila. Your playmate for the night has been decided," von Esens said, holding up the terrified soldier.

"Yaaaaay!" Rusila cheered as her brother tossed the soldier into the room and closed the door. The sounds of the soldier's blood curdling screams soon followed. Von Esens, for all his might, couldn't help but shudder on the other side of the door.

A soldier ran up to von Esens as he departed from Rusila's room. She was carrying a transponder snail and said "Comrade von Esens! I have been looking everywhere for you! Doctor Feelgood is on the line!"

"Sank you, comrade," von Esens replied, taking the snail and the receiver. The soldier saluted and went on her way.

"Comrade Feelgood," von Esens said.

"Ah… no need for the, ah, codenames, comrade," Feelgood said. "I got a, ah, white transponder snail, ah… attached. It's… ah… stopping any and all possible… ah… interception."

"Fine. Warlord of ze Sea, Seven Ford," von Esens replied.

"Ooh, and now we're going with… ah… titles?" Ford asked.

"Vhat do you vant?!"

An almost deathly-thin man in a large overcoat but no shirt with hair different shades of green was sitting in a massive throne, a throne so big it could be for a giant. He had the kanji for "seven" tattooed on his face. The room was very dimly lit, with the only real light coming from his lighter whenever he took a hit off his pipe. Indeed, one of the World Government's own Seven Warlords of the Sea (at this point in history, at least) was on the take from Minus World.

Ford took another puff of his pipe and said "ah… what was I… ah… calling for anyway…?"

"Ford!"

"Oh yeah! Did you hear… ah… about Shaska…?"

"Vhat about Shaska?"

"She got her business back. It's in… ah… all the papers. And… ah… I'm pretty sure she's gunning for you."

"Maohahaha… I know. Und I vill crush her under my heel like ze insect she is," von Esens laughed.

"You… ah… sure?" Ford asked. "She seems pretty… ah… tenacious."

"I haff ze power of ze divine on my side. She is nozing in comparison."

"Well… give her… ah… a good one for me… My business still hasn't fully recovered after that stunt she… ah… pulled six months ago…"

"Yes, yes. It hass been much more difficult to keep my kingdoms in line vizout your Happy Happy Grass."

"As your… ah… liaison in the Two River Kingdom, I say you stamp her out… ah… now."

"Zat vas ze plan, Ford. You're just stating ze obfious because you're on your own supply, aren't you?"

"Mufufufu… maybe…"

"Good bye, Ford. Ve vill talk again after I haff destroyed Shaska and her Vorldvide Smoke for good."

"Later…"

Von Esens hung up the snail's receiver and left to return it to the communications room. As he walked, he started to talk to himself.

"Shaska… crooked businessvoman. You vill face my difine justice soon. Zat day, ze whole vorld vill be von step closer to true eqvality."

TO BE CONTINUED