The Fifth, Part 2: His Loyal Operatives

This chapter takes place on January 25, 2036.

Planet Wisp; Galactic Kid Council

The Supreme Leaders of the Intergalactic Kids Next Door had gathered in the audience chamber. This included the Minish, who shared seats with the Kateenians, and even the trolls and Gems from New Galaxia were in attendance. There were a few absent, however: the Hyrule KND, Mobian KND, and even Nebula's personal favorite, whose vacant seat was closest to the central platform.

"Good respective time of day, fellow Kids Next Door." Nebula began. "I've called this meeting to bring attention to an ever-growing force that has threatened numerous KND sectors within the past month: the Four Pirate Emperors. Almost sequentially, the Four Emperors have captured sectors from Earth, Superbia, and other worlds, and worse is the fact that Planet Hyrule and Mobius have been completely taken over by two of them. Furthermore, I've been informed that Earth's very own Sector V has joined forces with them."

This stirred a cluster of conversation from the leaders, before Karkat Vantas shouted, "PIPE DOWN, you idiots! They're obviously just pretending to work for them!"

"NO!" Sheila Frantic shouted from Nebula's platform. "They're bloody traitors, the lot of them! I won't ever forgive them until I kick all their arses!"

"Ahem." Nebula coughed. "You can view that scenario however you like, but the bottom line is, for the sake of our fellow operatives, we must go to war with the Four Emperors. Just another day in the life, right? Except, given these special circumstances, Sheila here has proposed a plan. Miss Frantic, the floor is yours."

Sheila withdrew a large book and plopped it on a desk, a camera magnifying it for all to see. "Me mum had this since she was a tyke: a full copy of the Pirata Codex. These are all the rules that all pirates live by."

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Lenari (Minish leader) shouted. "Since when do pirates have rules, it looks like a silly movie prop!"

"Well, technically they're guidelines, but the Code has been treasured by pirates for generations! And here's the part I wanna show ya." Sheila opened to the desired page. "This part talks about how to become the Pirate King. 'The Pirate King is the one respected by all pirates. Higher than even the title of Emperor, whoever becomes the King will have supreme position and authority over all in the Pirate World. There is only one way to achieve this title: when all Pirate Lords and Emperors have acknowledged only one pirate as their true leader, whether by force or will.'

"I think it's that rule," Sheila explained, "that caused all the pirates to go to war the first time. They were tryin' to oust each other and have all the force of all their crews. But it also says that there needs to be Four current Emperors before a King can be decided. It was decided that a war was an acceptable way to decide the King."

Holy crap. Mason thought to himself. I've never seen Sheila sound so knowledgeable about anything. Heheh! Most of the time, she's all fists and feet, but she sounds like she's read this whole book 10 times over!

"So, if there was already a Pirate War, why did none of them become the King?" Griffin Firecrystal (Avalar leader) asked.

"I'm not exactly sure, but I think it was because a winner was never decided. According to the Code, if an Emperor dies during a war they fought in, it's decreed they have submitted to the eventual victor. However, if an outside party kills or 'defeats' an Emperor, it doesn't count as a submission, and I think it's because of that the war could never really finish. After all, Davy Jones got killed by Melody's mum, and Blackbeard was whooped by Yours Truly."

"So, what's all this have to do with anything?" asked Pluey (Pumparia leader).

"It's obvious the new Four Emperors are preparing for a war." Nebula stated. "Whether capturing our operatives was part of the plan or not, the fact is we are already involved. And if we're forced to fight in this war, we might as well go home with the full bounty! That's why I propose that the Kids Next Door announce ourselves to the universe as pirates. And with me as your leader, I will become the Fifth Pirate Emperor, and by winning this war, the other Four Emperors will become our ALLIES!"

Her face was beaming as she completed this speech. She was waiting for the excited reactions from her subordinates. "Well?! Pretty epic plan, right?"

". . . . !" The entire chamber exploded with protests! "No offense, Supreme Leader, but you're completely crazy!" declared Lemillion (Superbia leader). "Those pirates not only took half of one of my best sectors, they captured an innocent child who was under our protection. We've shamed heroes everywhere, and you expect us to stoop to their level?!"

"What we'll be doing is no different than what the KND does every day!" Nebula argued. "We don't work for any government and act independently, sharing or acquiring our own resources, just like the pirates! …Though, to make our point, I guess we will have to raid a government building."

"I VOTE FOR PIRACY!" Bender Rodríguez shouted. "Finally, my years of bank-robbing have paid off!"

"I don't CARE about making buddies with them!" Pyler (Solaran leader) shouted, his violet flame igniting. "I just wanna beat the crap out of them!"

"I admit, I'm not totally married to this plan." Nebula replied. "No matter what, we WILL rescue our operatives. But if we go through with it, and I become King, we may have to remain pirates indefinitely, or I'll be disrespecting their culture by throwing away the crown, and that alliance will crumble. In fact, it may even create other problems. But, if those allies stay faithful to us, then we shouldn't have to worry. Still, I won't go through with it unless the majority agrees."

The leaders were silent as they glanced at each other. "I'm not asking for a decision now. I want you all to discuss this with your own operatives. You'll each be given a recording of this meeting, and there will be a poll posted on the website asking if they want to become pirates. Beyond that, it will be up to you all on how you wish to approach the coming battle. If there are no other questions…"

"I have one." Minksman raised his little hand. "Where's Cheren? Was he captured, too?"

"I have no real idea, but as soon as he shows up, he's gonna walk the plank. Earth is in a complete mess right now, but luckily, I've appointed a temporary replacement for Cheren. Is there anything else? …Dismissed."

As the leaders were making ready to return home, Nebula spoke with her vice-leader, Jerome in private. "Just wanted to tell you that's the craziest plan I've heard in eons."

"Thank you for the input, Bro." She smiled in sarcasm. "Actually, let's pay a visit to Earth real quick. If we can't contact Cheren, maybe Nerehc will have some idea where he is. If not that, he could certainly lend us a big hand in this war."

KND Moonbase; three hours later

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T HELP?!" Nebula bellowed at the Negaverse leader.

"I'm sorry!" Nerehc raised his hands in defense. "I really want to, but, funny thing is, we're kinda caught up in our own Pirate War. It's REALLY crazy, too! First, the Little Dad Mafia, they-"

"DON'T." Nebula was not in the mood for this. "Just… focus on your war, and we'll handle ours. I don't need any more headaches."

"Alright. Maybe I'll send you a journal about it or something!" With that, Nerehc returned to the mirror.

"Sigh…and his operatives have gotten a lot stronger, too."

"Well, on the bright side," Vweeb said from her shoulder, "if it goes well on his end, you'll have even MORE allies!"

"Hm hm, there's that. Man, I could sure go for some semla right now, my sweet tooth's been active all day."

"That Field Day game got you addicted, huh?"

"E-yep."

Audience Chamber

There was an unsettling air amongst the operatives gathered in the auditorium. They noticed that several sectors were absent and they knew why. They were almost hoping that Cheren was going to make his sudden return, only to be disappointed. Jerome had just showed them the video of the meeting, and the fact Cheren was missing only filled them with more dread.

"So, you lot can vote on that poll on your own time." Jerome said. "As was discussed, your Supreme Leader is still M.I.A., and until he is found, we have assigned a temporary replacement. May I introduce, King Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum of Avalar."

A golden-haired boy with cat ears, a tail, and king's attire stepped up, greeting the operatives with a smile. Beside him was his partner, the Forest Pirate Tani. "Hello! It's very wonderful to meet you all. You may not know me, but I was a captive of the Sky God Pirates until two of your operatives were kind enough to rescue me. The least I can do is help lead you in these dark times. I've been given brief descriptions about some of you, so based on that, I would like to help develop a plan-"

"BOOOOOOO!" Evan was punished with all manner of trash, unwanted food, weapons, and bending alike.

"Who the hell is this twerp?!" Ruby of Sector KB shouted. "Give us back Cheren!"

"We don't want no foreigners runnin' our business!" Chimney screamed.

"Bring Cheren back to us!" Drake Puncture of Sector Q demanded.

"Give us Mother 3!" Eddy Flores yelled.

"ENOOOUUUGH!" Tani cried, aiming her bow. "The next person who speaks is getting an arrow to the face!"

"J-Just, calm down." Evan stuttered. "Look, I…I know I could never replace your leader, and I never intended to… but after hearing how much you've been going through following his absence, I felt obligated to help you. What you need is a strong leadership to get you back on your feet."

"A 'strong leadership'?" Evan gasped when he felt a gun to his head: Ciel Phantomhive of Sector $ had snuck behind him. "You? I don't think even Cheren would let himself be defeated so easily."

Evan closed his eyes and took a breath. "But shouldn't you pull the trigger before claiming your victory?"

"Don't mind if I do." Ciel shot the gun.

Time seemed to slow down for Evan as he bent back to dodge the bullet. Afterwards, he swiped the gun from Ciel's hand, smirking at the earl. "His Observation Haki is impressive." came the voice of Sebastian Michaelis. Evan frowned when the butler began to scratch his cat ears. "And I sense a remarkable air about him. I say he will make a fine leader."

"You only say that because he's a bloody CAT!"

"Well, if I may weigh in," said Bon Clay Jr., Sector KB leader, "I don't care how good you can tango, I ain't lettin' any pussycat replace mah Cherry Boy."

"Seconded." Melody Jackson folded her arms, scowling. "It's one thing to replace teammates, but I won't replace family members."

"Ahem, Melody?" Mason spoke up awkwardly. "About that, I need to talk to you after this."

"We only want Cheren!" Grenda (Sector GF) thundered. "No CATS! No CATS! No CATS!" She started pounding the seat in front of her.

"Okay, everyone needs to calm down!" ordered Mikoto Misaka, Sector AC leader. "Look, I'm fairly new to this organization, so maybe I don't have the sentimental feelings you all have, but we should at least give this guy a chance."

"I'm not gonna listen to a thing this guy says." Lars of Sector BC stated. "Cheren was the perfect mix of friendly and aggressive, that's what made him so special. This guy doesn't look aggressive at all!"

"Honestly, that was one of the best things about Cheren." Lee Andrew replied.

"Finally, someone gets it!" Ruby proclaimed.

"We do not have time to argue about this." Sapphire said. "Cheren or no Cheren, we need a leader."

"Yeah, leave it to you to not give a crap."

"Actually Ruby, I will be remiss if this boy overstays his welcome and will personally grab him by the tail and throw him into space if he does so."

"R…Really?" Ruby gazed at her partner with admiration.

"I dunno." said Sind, leader of Sector GT. "When we first wanted to join, Cheren tried to forbid it because we were too big."

"But then he realized you were pushovers, so he allowed it!" Chimney argued. "CHEREN BEST BOY!"

Argument erupted throughout the chamber, and Evan shrank in guilt. "Oi, Sheila, can't you tell them to stow it?!" Tani asked.

"Yeh, no can do." Sheila twisted her pinky in her raccoon ear. "I happily accept you as me mates, but not as a Cheren replacement."

Seeing that the debate was going nowhere, Jerome announced, "I'm calling an assembly recess! Please return in 10 minutes!"

He, Evan, and Tani met in a private room. "I've gotten so used to running a kingdom that I thought running a new kingdom would be easy." the king said, sitting on a chair with his head bowed in shame. "But they really don't like me."

"They're just a bunch of babies." Tani said. "If they're so used to a 'wonderful' leader like Cheren, why can't they accept a NEW wonderful leader? Especially if it's only temporary, flippin' heck!"

"Hello? Anyone in there?" There was a knock at the door.

Jerome answered to find Nagisa Shiota, leader of Sector SA. "Hi! Mind if I speak to Evan?"

Jerome turned to the king, who nodded. Nagisa stepped in. "Index, here he is." He held his phone up to him. A young nun was displayed on it.

"Hello, Evan! My name's Index; I'm an operative, but for certain reasons, I'm kind of in hiding. Have you ever heard of the Rukh?"

"Rukh? Uh, the word doesn't sound familiar…"

"Let me put it simply: right now, there's a huge swarm of gold butterflies fluttering around you."

"W-What?!" Evan panicked and flailed his arms.

"No, relax! Only I can see the Rukh, and they're not harmful in any way. They're mystical spirits who gather around special people who have the ability to influence others, and you happen to have a whole bunch. It shows that you're a wonderful king whom a lot of people are loyal to! I think only Cheren has as much Rukh as you do. Unfortunately, it seems his Rukh influenced the operatives so much that they refuse to adapt to new Rukh."

"So, you mean a bunch of invisible spirits make people decide if they should follow someone?!" Tani questioned. "What load of rubbish is that?!"

"Th-That's not what I mean! The Rukh's power relies on the person's ability to lead and persuade others. Evan's influence was all natural, but if that influence were missing, as is the case with Cheren, your followers will be in chaos. …If nothing else, I guess I'm trying to boil this down to a psychological science."

"So, because they're too used to Cheren's Rukh, they won't adapt to mine, is that it?"

"I'm not sure if they will or not, but all that matters is getting everybody on the same track. Just try to say things that Cheren would say."

"Like what?"

Moonbase Bridge

"So, what did you want to talk to me about, Mason?" Melody asked.

Mason had led her to a tan-skinned boy with a teal track jacket. The boy seemed to be gazing at Melody with his mouth slightly agape. "Melody, this is Yuta. We rescued him from the Sky Gods, too."

"Princess Melody Jackson!" Yuta got down on one knee and took her hand. "It's such an honor to meet you! My father and I worship the Sea God, so we're super big fans of you!"

"Oh." Melody was unpleased. Of all the reasons to be famous, being related to Kyogre was not one she preferred.

"Hey, has your mother ever told you about a boy named Cojero, from when she visited Adabat? That was my dad! Haha, we all oughta meet up for a family dinner! I also have a big sister, and she's a real great waterbender, too."

"I thought you two would be a great team." Mason replied. "I mean, not like joining the sector or anything, but since he's on our side now, and…"

Mason thought the best thing to do was stop talking when he felt Melody's glare. "Nope." She kicked Yuta on his back. "'Far as I'm concerned, Sector L only has one waterbender-"

"Melody, at the very least, give him some tips and training."

"Only if he passes my test. Yuta, what happened to my brother?"

"Your brother? …Oh yeah, when I used to watch the KND News, I always cracked up at his jokes! 'Course, that was two years ago. Where is he, actually?"

"HE GOT KILLED, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED!" Melody kicked Yuta's head like a soccer ball. "So, don't you DARE go admiring me without acknowledging HIM!" And she marched away.

"Yeah… thought I mentioned that." Mason scratched his head awkwardly.

"W-Wait!" Yuta recovered and rushed after her. "Please don't be mad, I'm sorry I didn't know!"

"I'll bet you didn't." Melody faced him again. "Look, buddy, we have nothing to do with Kyogre. If you're going to idolize us, idolize us for being heroes, not because of stupid Kyogre. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more experienced people to speak to." She left on that note.

"Sigh…I feel terrible." Yuta said, bowing his head.

"The lesson is, don't meet your heroes." Mason replied, patting his back in comfort.

"I'm not giving up, yet!" Yuta quickly pumped up with energy. "I must honor Melody and Danny by fighting beside her in the field of battle! After this assembly, I'm gonna try again."

"You can if you want to, but don't try to hit on her. She's already taken." Mason tapped his shoulder and pointed to a closet.

Some scary music played as Eric Horvitz peeped out of the closet. Though he was still a scrawny nerd, that dark glare was strong enough to drop all Yuta's defenses.

Sector Q were hanging out in one area, waiting as their teammate, Miko walked over with armfuls of soda. "Boop," she tossed one to Drake, "boop," to Quill, "boop," to Eddy, "water," that one to Carmine, "and Trick Bonus for Jenny!" She let a can roll down her arm before flicking it to Jenny.

"It's not that I don't like that Evan guy," Quill began, "but if we're gonna temporarily replace Cheren… shouldn't it be one of ours, like Francis?"

"Maybe, but Francis has never had the same 'charisma' that Cheren did." Drake replied. "Evan almost has something, but it ain't enough."

"Does that mean I have the same charisma as you?" Quill inquired with a smirk.

"Hey, I elected you as vice-leader 'cause you know how to stay focused. I'm the one with the charisma~"

"What kind of reasoning is that?"

"Come on, you know you look up to me!"

"As an equal!"

"Ah, settle down, you guys!" Miko said. "I mean, I like Cheren, too, he's a nice guy… but come on, we're about to go to war with pirates!" She pumped her fists excitedly. "It'll be just like Mercenary's Oath, where we'll have to sail around, sink ships, and loot them of their gold! Hype, hype!"

"Speaking of not staying focused." Eddy remarked.

"Excuse me? You're Numbuh Me_K.O., right?" They were approached by Nebula.

"Yup, that is ME, all right!" Miko grinned. "What brings you to me, Supreme Leader? Got a special mission for me?"

"I was asked by Sasha to pass on a message for you. When Hyrule was taken over, Sector Hinobi volunteered for a mission to infiltrate the planet. They haven't reported ever since."

"They…they what?" Miko's mood died with her smile. "W…what happened to them?"

"We don't know. But since you were their teammate, she thought you should know. Sorry I couldn't tell you more."

"Oh…" As Miko turned away in gloom, Nebula decided to leave them be.

"So… still hyped?" Eddy asked.

"Eddy, that's mean!" Carmine yelled.

"Oh, I'm more than hyped." Miko turned with fierce eyes. "I'm freakin' HYPER with VENGEANCE!!" Digital flames ignited behind her!

"Heh ha! I guess we don't have a choice now!" Drake laughed.

Melody had gone to meet with Sunni Chariton and Maddy Murphy. "So, girls, I want your opinion, you really think Sector V up and turned traitor?"

"I just asked Sheila about it, she keeps insisting they're 'traitorous drongos.'" Maddy replied. "Chris told me himself they were going to try and make allies with them. But if Sheila's trying to make Nebula go with this whole 'Emperor' thing, that's gonna put them in a bad position, won't it?"

"Sheila's always been an oddball." Sunni followed. "Who knows if she's trying to help them or if she took it the wrong way?"

"Either way, Chris hasn't been responding to my emails. I can see why you're worried for them, Melody. You think we'll end up having to save them, too?"

"Yes, I do. But if it comes to that, I'd rather leave it to you girls. There's actually someone else on my mind."

"Who?" asked Sunni.

"I've been trying to email my friend from Superbia the past few days, but she won't respond. I think she's been captured by the Kremlings, too. I want to rescue her. Hopefully, Tsu's hanging in there."

Planet Mobius; Mogeko Kremlin

Tsuyu Asui was tied to a chair with her eyelids taped open. Her head was fixed to face a projector screen. Moge-ko Leijon hooked a computer up to it and announced, "I present to you: Asui's fan art!" She clicked, and a slideshow began.

Froppy's eyes were exposed to various pictures drawn by her adoring fans. "W-Wait! Is that me?! W-What am I doing with Deku? A-And with Uraraka?!"

"Asui is such an inspiring hero!" Moge-ko cooed, stroking her froggy face. "Everybody loves her! She is a symbol of peace."

"N-No! This isn't how I wanted people to admire me! Please, stop showing me these!" Froppy struggled to escape. "This is degrading! Please, I don't wanna look at these!"

"Tsu is everyone's favorite." Moge-ko massaged her sensitively. "We all want Tsu. Tsu is waifu."

"NOOOO! Please stop! I'm not an object, I'm a U.A. hero! Stop drawing me like that! NOOOOOOO!"

Tsu's cries echoed through the door. A Frogoon and a Mogeko were standing guard. The Mogeko wore a blissful smile, while the Frogoon had round eyes and a long frown. They made no reaction to the wails of despair. They simply did their job.

…The Frogoon slowly glanced at the Mogeko. …The Mogeko calmly smiled at the Frogoon. …The Frogoon carefully faced forward again. …The Mogeko did the same.

Moonbase Audience Chamber

Everyone regrouped in the auditorium once the recess was over. None of them seemed especially thrilled to resume their debate, nothing would've changed in those 10 minutes. Even King Evan seemed sardonically eager as he took his place before them. "Hello again, everyone. Hope you enjoyed your break. Putting your thoughts into consideration, it's clear to me you won't settle for anything less than your Cheren. Well, if you want Cheren so badly, why don't you go and get him yourselves?!"

The operatives were taken aback by his newfound assertion. "Seriously, why don't you?! MY subjects risked their lives to save me, and because of that, they were all captured, probably being tortured like all your friends! The worst part is, they would've failed were it not for your two operatives lending a hand. And if they were kind enough to save me, what's stopping you from saving your friends? SO, GET OFF YOUR LAZY ARSES AND GO SAVE THEM!"

There was some murmured discussions before Chimney asked, "And how we s'posed to do that without getting caught ourselves?!"

"If you would shut up and listen, maybe you'd know!" Tani retorted.

"Right now, I want nothing more than to save my kingdom." Evan continued. "I know that, right now, they're depending on me to come back for them. So, I'm positive that Cheren is relying on YOU all to save your friends. So, let's share the burden and rescue them together! Show me what Cheren has taught you and let's go save EVERYONE!"

"YEEEAAAAAHHH!"

Though no one else could see, the sight was clear on Index's screen: golden butterflies fluttered throughout the stands. Before, they were being repelled and rejected by the operatives, only to now be welcomed by a newfound motivation: to bring pride to their true leader.

"I'm glad you're all excited, but I want you to think carefully. You must decide whether or not you truly wish to go to war with the Four Emperors. If you'd rather stay at your homes and be with your families, if you truly think you're not ready for a battle of this magnitude, there is no shame in that. But if you're prepared for the worst, then I would like some volunteers. Our first priorities will be to form Rescue and Scouting Parties. I want to meet with every available Sector Leader and discuss a plan. So… show of hands?"

Sector W7 were the first to raise hands. Sector Q wanted in on the action, as did the three members of Sector SA, Sector AC, Sector $, KB, and RZ, whilst other sectors were mixed on their volunteers. "Alright. Leaders, please join me in the meeting room. Let's show Cheren how far you've all come! Kids Next Door FOREVERMORE!"

"KIDS NEXT DOOR FOREVERMORE!" ("Crap, that sounds WAY cooler than 'Kids Next Door Rulez'!" Drake said.)

"WE'RE HEEEERE!!" Suddenly, Sector MG burst into the room. "We're sorry we're late!" Wendy yelled.

"You guys won't believe it!" Maria screamed. "We were captured by the Sky God Pirates, but we escaped! We didn't lose a single operative! Heh, those Four Emperors are total jokes!"

". . . . ." The operatives greeted them with stares. "Would somebody like to fill them in?" Jerome asked.

As the auditorium was beginning to clear out once more, Melody heard a familiar annoying voice: "MELODY!" Behind her, Yuta was on his knees and begging. "I am filled with determination! Please allow me to fight beside my hero! Give me the chance to honor both you and Danny!"

"Sigh… you're very annoying." Melody shook her head, but sported a smile. "But whatever, I'll take it as long as I can rescue Tsu. If you fall behind, I'm leaving you in the dirt."

"No worries!" Yuta stood up with hands to his hips. "I will fight for you with all my strength!"

January 28 (Play "Fight the War" from Kipo!)

"These are all the operatives who were confirmed captured." Francis Drilovsky briefed, showing the images on the holo-screen. "Lola and Terry were initially sent to spy on the Big Moms, during which their friends were taken from their own treehouse, meaning we can only assume the worst for the former two. Our non-operative ally, Suki provided us with a detailed report of the event, and she desperately wants to rescue them. But I doubt we want her to get killed, so let's have someone smarter go with her."

On Planet Sweetopia, under the dark of night, six figures dove from an airship into the Broccoli Forest, opening parachutes to make for a soft landing. "Merp? Did you hear that?" asked a Veggie Shy Guy as he and his partner went to investigate, candycane spears ready. Both Shy Guys were shot by Antikill bullets and knocked out.

"Excellent shot, My Lord." Sebastian said to Ciel, who twirled his gun proudly.

"Make sure you allow no enemies to see you." Ciel told his team. "We must collect whatever intel we can on our enemies, and of Sector IC's whereabouts."

"Yeah, you don't need to tell us 50 times." Pacifica Northwest remarked, carrying a chi-blocked lunch box. "The real problem is making sure Suki doesn't go crazy. These Size Crystals have a time limit, y'know."

"I'll catch her in my Binding Bands in case she tries to." Prince Raleigh said.

"Look out, Big Mom Pirates!" Carol cheered with a proud smile. "Carol Masterson is back for Round 2!"

"Why on Earth should we take Suki?!" Ciel shouted. "She'll be a liability!"

"But Suki is powerful, isn't she?" Evan asked. "She'll be very helpful in a bad situation. Just find a way to keep her in check."

"Next is Sector TD," Francis continued, "who were captured by the Boogey Pirates on Hyrule, while Sector JP has eluded capture and are investigating. But most important is that Cheren and Panini are there, too."

A Boogey Pirate ship glided over a barren canyon whose walls could be mistaken for giant bones. Two figures dove off and into the canyon's depths, kicking toward the ground to slow their descent. Nagisa and Morgiana landed softly in the canyon's base, Goombella peeking out of the former's backpack. "You guys ready to start living off the wild?" Nagisa asked.

"It's going to feel so empty without Index with us." Goombella said.

"If the pirates were watching the news that day, having her would paint a target on us." Morgiana replied regrettably.

"Yeah…" The Goomba sighed. "Well, I guess we better find Killua-"

"On second thought, maybe it's not too late to bring Index." Morg said quickly in a flustered fashion.

"I thought so, Morgie." Nagisa smirked.

The Boogey ship that had carried them sailed to a nearby mountain, magically transforming into a S.C.A.M.P.E.R.. As soon as it landed, the ship retracted into Kiki Yamaka's broomstick. The five Sector MG members took in the surroundings. "I've actually got experience exploring the wild." Oliver said. "It was during a week-long field trip to Avalar."

"Why did we have to come here?" Kiki shivered. "I can already feel Lord Mandy… staring at me! Eeeeeek…"

"Still can't believe Maria didn't wanna come with us." Phil said. "I hope she'll be alright with that nutjob sister of hers."

"Let's find a spot to camp for the night." Wendy suggested. "Then we'll set off on a fresh new morning!"

Sector Q had begun their venture up Mount Hebra, where Sector Hinobi was reported to have landed. They saw a crowd of demons gathered and looking at an enclosed area. The six operatives raced up as Drake shot his harpoon through a Fatblin's head, Eddy blasted fire to melt Ice Lizalfos, and Miko bashed the Tallblin with her hammer to send them sliding down the snow. "Guys, look!" Miko pointed at the wreckage of a ship. The team recognized its Hinobi Technology. "They really did land here… what could've happened to them?"

"There's more coming!" Jenny called attention to some Miniblin surfing down the snow. Using snow-treading rollers, Jenny skated up the mountain to defeat the demons with firm kicks.

"Maybe these guys will have an answer!" Drake hook-palmed. "And if they don't, they're gettin' the 3-hole treatment!"

"Sector W was captured by the Kremlings." Francis showed pictures of them next. "All we know is they were separated and are being held in various settlements. It's possible they're on Mobius, the Kremlings' territory. Compared to the others, spying on the Kremlings may be the most difficult. You have to assume that every non-sentient animal is in league with them, including the tiniest ant, and they'll all be sharing information with one-another. Think very carefully if you want to explore that world."

"I'LL DO IT!" Chimney cried.

Not long after landing on Mobius did Mocha find herself wrestling with a dinosaur. She had it in a choke hold as the beast collapsed under her weight. Another Redeye charged at Mocha, its teeth aimed at her neck, but Aisa leapt off her friend's back and shot three arrows into its brain. Chimney was using Fishman Karate against five Sharpclaws and was able to best the prehistoric soldiers.

"RAAAAH!" Another Redeye was charging at them, but it appeared to be a cyborg, its left eye mechanical. April Goldenweek painted a red mark on a tree, hoping to lure the beast, but it kept its sights on her as she ran. "It looks like my Hypno Paint doesn't work on that one."

"These Kremlings have no appreciation for nature!" Apis shouted. "Turning animals into machines?! It can't get any worse than that!"

Elsewhere on the planet, Sector AC landed on a coast. Three Almost Mecha-Lions were charging at them; they were robotic lions with flesh faces on chainsaw heads. Misaka zapped lightning at the cyborgs to disable them. "What kind of animals are they, anyway?!" yelled her teammate, Touma as he was punching away walking fish with dog heads.

"I would say they're chimeras." Kuroko Shirai replied, using her Teleport power to warp needles into wolves with cacti lodged in their brains. "Animals that have been scientifically fused into one."

"Seriously? These Kremlings are messed up."

"Couldn't agree more." Misaka said, zapping two orangutans with walrus heads. "Hope we get the chance to crush whoever's idea this was."

"The GKND have procured several ships belonging to each of the crews during previous encounters." Francis said. "We can use them to sneak onto the respective planets."

"But how will we sneak into the Free Kingdom?" Maddy asked. "We still can't get in contact with Sector V."

"We might have a way." Wendy replied. "Louise said she hid Paint Portals all around the kingdom, and I think she's willing to cooperate…"

"I sure hope so." Melody replied. "If she pulls another gun on us, I'm seriously socking her."

"At any rate, I hope you all are satisfied with your decisions." Evan said. "I don't know where Cheren is now, but I'm sure he's doing his best for you all, and he'd be proud of you for taking action!" (End song.)

Planet Hyrule; Lost Woods

Cheren was blindfolded as he sensed his way through the woods. Compared to other tests Bisky put him through, this felt pretty basic for Observation Haki. They kept walking until Cheren sensed an enormous tree with bark in the shape of a mustache and eyebrows. But before that tree lay a gaping pit. Cheren lifted the blindfold to properly observe the darkness.

"This is the entrance to the Pit of 100 Trials." Bisky said. "You must go in there unarmed, using only the materials you find in the depths, as well as the Haki you mastered. If you can successfully reach the bottom and return, you'll have passed my lessons. You sure you're ready?"

His face showing determination, Cheren discarded his weapons and his jacket. He formed a "T" pose as he glared into the pit. "Ready when you are."

Bisky smiled. He truly believed he was strong enough to survive, believed his will would carry him through. Nothing was going to hold him back, nothing would distract him. Bisky reached and placed a hand to Cheren's back. "Your friends were all captured by the Four Emperors."

"What—AAAAAAHHHH!" Down, down into the pit he fell. Bisky listened until his screams faded to silence. Even she wasn't sure how deep the pit stretched, nor how long he would be down there. But she would camp here and wait for him to deliver his pent up fury.