Warriors of Sky, Part 7: Mutiny

NOTE: I got addicted to Ni no Kuni II again. The game just does not want to end and I love it. So, let's throw up a bunch of side characters with brief descriptions! I call this one, "A Wikia editor's nightmare!" No, you are NOT required to know any of these brief Ni no Kuni characters, nor will they be relevant in later chapters. (Also there's a Number Cryptogram.)

Santa Hylia; Skaios' room

Skaios was put to bed as Midna returned with a cold towel. "I must say, I never hear of a god developing a fever very often. Let me take that bandanna off."

"No!" Skaios sat up, holding his headwear. "It's embarrassing."

"I'm too mature to laugh at silly body parts. Most of the people I work with have stick limbs, but plump hands and feet. Like, how do they not weigh their selves down?"

"Hnnnrr… fine-but-don't-tell-anyone." he said quickly. Skaios pulled off the bandanna, and a fluffy gray cloud of hair puffed to life.

"! …" Midna resisted the urge to snicker. She composed herself and spoke rationally. "Interesting. Jirachi is another Firstborn, and he has a star head. It's fitting for Firstborn to have bodies befitting their element."

She gently placed the cold towel on Skaios' cloud. Steam emitted from it as the cloud was rumbling. "Does this cloud change form depending on your mood?"

"I think. Most of the time, when I'm excited, it swirls around. It looks too weird though."

"Makes sense. You seem to be struggling with yourself, to put it bluntly."

"Or maybe it's 'cause I just embarrassed myself in front of my entire crew! I can't believe I listened to you; you've been nothing but frustrating this whole time!"

"You showed authority to your crew, as the captain. The TRUE captain."

"But that isn't what I'm supposed to be! I want to be equal to my crewmen. I don't want to be above them."

"Skaios, are you serious about your crew? About this kingdom? Do you really want your ideals to come to life?"

"Of course! This crew is the best thing I've come to know! I want the whole universe to have fun and be free like this kingdom!"

"Then you need to start acting like it. You're the symbol of this crew, so you need to get serious. Even a 'Free' Kingdom needs to be organized and run with a strong leadership. I know it sounds controversial, but it's the only way your ideals will thrive."

Skaios sighed. No matter how much he denied it, it only hurt him. But how could he do what Midna said, show authority, and still be able to embody freedom? He didn't know, but maybe he should try. "But I…I don't know how to lead like…like an actual ruler."

"But some of your crewmen have leadership skills, don't they? You can ask them for help. But you have to remind them that you're the Emperor, the symbol of this crew. You have to logically think about their opinions and whether or not to sign off on them."

"…" Skaios faced her with an earnest twinkle in his eye. "Will you help me, too?"

Midna smiled and placed a hand to the cheek below the eyepatch. "Sector V is my responsibility; I have to go back with them. I'd like it if you could make Kokichi give me back to Dillon. But promise me you'll become a great captain."

"I…I'll try."

"Eee hee hee! You should probably get some sleep for now. But when you wake up, you should be ready to introduce a brand new you to the kingdom."

"Okay… I will."

Innocent Smile; dining room

"Many thanks for joining me for dinner, Monaca." Kokichi said, seated across from the child as they dined on steak and peas. The table had a dice design, as did the wallpaper, while the floor had a purple carpet. "So, what's the occasion? Wanna tell me any juicy secrets?"

"Monaca tires of eating with her noisy friends. She prefers a more dignified setting with a healthy meal. All they eat is yucky pizza and hotdogs."

"America was such a bad influence on us. Good thing President Jimmy kicked the bucket."

"But I wanted to inquire about your new crewmen. The ones you gambled from Sector V? Do Monaca a favor and refuse to return them."

"You sure?" Kokichi's eyes narrowed in an upward crescent, with pure malice seeping from them. "Aren't they our new allies? Our wonderful friends? It would be awfully sour to get on their bad side."

"Monaca reads them like a book. They're desperate because their organization is crumbling. Their leader is nowhere to be found, their friends are being captured like butterflies. In their hearts, they're crying, 'Oh, please be our friends, Sky God Pirates, we can't stand to have anymore enemies!'"

"Nee hee hee! Sounds about right. Earth's greatest sector is afraid of losing their pride, so they need to rely on friendship. Well, if they wanna be buddies, they won't mind if I play with Midna and Candy Girl, won't they?"

"That's right! And Monaca hopes Kokichi will let her play with them, too." She closed her eyes and swayed her head to an unheard tune. "Vanel-chan will love our virtual death courses."

"I see no reason to share with you." Kokichi stood and about-faced for a moment. "I mean, I'm already keeping your naughty secrets." And he faced her with a gun trained, his crescent expression unchanged. "My darknessbending protects me from your mind-tricks, and my Observation Haki can see through any lie."

"Monaca is very grateful to Kokichi." Her smile didn't falter, but she held her fingers ready to snap and set off a bomb. "She would be positively ruined had he not shared her ideals. But everybody would HATE Kokichi if he tries to ruin Monaca. Because Monaca would have everyone go out in a blaze of glory."

"It's a good thing neither of us fears death."

"We'll only come back as spirits."

"Then why bother waiting? Let's get it over with now."

There was a stalemate. Crescent eyes were peering into round eyes and vice-versa. Kokichi's finger was on the trigger, and Monaca was set to snap. Whose finger would react faster? That was the question looming between them.

…Click! A cuckoo bird poked out of the gun's cock. "It's a lie~"

"Ufufu!" Monaca folded hands. "You know how to make Monaca smile~"

"It's all in the name of fun." He grinned, tapping the bird to his head.

"Hah…" The two returned to their food. "Tomorrow is going to be pretty eventful. Let's hope Captain Nagisa isn't overwhelmed by the pressure."

Light of Hope; Nagisa's room

The only light in this darkness was Nagisa's desk lamp. His eyes were bloodshot as he wrote ceaselessly. "As a swordsman, Meta Knight is obviously the best match against General Tsao, but as Tsao leads a team of Gorons, we'll need some earthbending White Lotus to combat them. Ah, but if Tony Butch arrives to back up Tsao, we can have Juniper fight him. Wait, should we reserve Meta Knight for Rā's al Ghūl? Yes, perhaps. No, Commander Sasuke is specialized in stealth, as is Rā's. No, Sasuke is far more powerful, he should fight Majin Buu. Wait, is Buu a Haki user? If he isn't, then perhaps Vaati could fight him—would his magic affect Logia airbenders? Oh, speaking of Logias, we should have Kokichi fight Pawtucket Pat, since his Darkness can nullify his defense. Or should we reserve that for a more powerful bender? I wonder how well Kokichi could effect—FUCK, A TYPO, FUCKING DAMMIT TO FUCK!" He erased it like a madman!

"So, Kokichi could AFFECT Mandy's fearbending, maybe, and he might be able to resist her, but she's still pretty strong physically, so perhaps…"

The next morning…

The light peeked over the horizon. Sector MG slept at an Inkopolis hotel, on comfy, squishy jellyfish beds. Cheadle and Maria shared a bed, the latter snuggling closely to her mother figure. Though the conditions were satisfactory and comfortable, a mild anxiety weighed on their minds. They were anxious to leave this place at the stroke of morning, but they feared the comfort of sleep would cause them to miss their deadline.

"Oi! Wake up, you lot." Wendy and Romeo were jabbed in the face by the hilt of Louise's staff. "Time to rise and Shine Sprite!" The group was groggily waking up. "Come on, the ship is-" She stepped on Phil's discarded clothing.

"SQUEEEAAAK!" Her foot nearly crushed a mouse, which zipped out of the shirt.

"HOLY HECK! Some quality room THIS is!"

"PHIL!" Oliver jumped out of bed and gently caught the mouse. "Phil, you okay? Anything broken?" The mouse rubbed his back.

"That thing is your pet?" Louise asked.

"He's not a pet, he's a teammate!" Oliver replied, grabbing the purple pills. "See for yourself." He fed Phil a pill, and the mouse sprouted into a naked human.

"HOLY DAMMIT!" Louise shut her eyes. "Give me a damn WARNING next time!!"

With everyone dressed up, Louise led them to the roof of the building. A Hat Ship hovered next to it. "Skaios will probably move the islands by noon. Now's the best time for you to leave; then this ship can come back and no one will notice."

"See, Mom?" Maria spoke, lightly kicking the air. "I am getting better!" Indeed, she hadn't used the wheelchair on the way up.

"That's good, Maria. It'll be easier to recover once we're out of here. …Er, but don't call me 'Mom'!"

Maria was the last of her friends to walk onto the ship. "Oh, and if Queen Peach asks, I don't want another…" But when they turned back around, Cheadle had vanished. "Cake?"

"M-Miss Yorkshire?" Wendy called, searching around with a look of concern.

"All of you, step off the vessel." To their surprise, Hannyamaru, a samurai with a sharp-toothed mask rose from the shadows. "By order of Commander Uchiha, you are forbidden to leave the Free Kingdom."

"And what's stuck up Uchiha's butt all of a sudden?!" Louise asked.

"Miss Louise, your attempts to aid in their escape may be seen as treason. The commander will want a word with all of you."

"Where did Miss Yorkshire go?!" Maria demanded.

"As an influential ruler of a powerful nation, we cannot allow her to leave."

Louise gasped. "The King's Brig! Don't tell me you're locking her in there?!"

"You are asked to surrender yourself-" The samurai drew his sword.

"Expelliarmus!" Oliver disarmed him, and Romeo followed with a flaming kick to the head. The samurai tried to reclaim his sword, but Romeo used a bright Light Flame to weaken his vision, he and Oliver pursuing and attacking until he was down.

"Guys, Commander Uchiha's a master ninja!" Louise said. "He probably used some technique to swipe the doglady without us noticing!"

"How do we save her?!" Maria shouted.

"He'll be heading to the Santa Hylia. That's where we lock up kings and queens!"

At this moment, Sasuke was leaping across the city with silent speed, a casket strapped to his back. "What's the meaning of this?!" Cheadle shouted, struggling in the casket. "Why can't I break free?!"

"This is the law I proposed as the 4th Sky God Captain." Sasuke spoke sternly. "Rulers such as yourself possess the most influence, and such influence is harmful to the Sky Gods' ideals. You must be imprisoned for such time that your ideals and responsibilities as a ruler are broken. I can help with that." His eyes morphed into Sharingan.

Santa Hylia

The White Lotus guards grew hopeful at seeing the sunrise. It signified the end of their shift, and blissful sleep would soon be theirs. "Hey, Kuzco." an earthbender greeted his fellow firebender. "You up for hittin' Goldpaw after this?"

"Hyeah right." Kuzco chortled. "I'm getting too old for this 'freedom' nonsense. Why do you think I chose to stay up here instead of going to that train-wreck of a kingdom?"

"I hear ya there." Both leaned on the railing of the deck. "Is Vaati still hooked on that 'finding the Original Worlds' thing?"

"Yeah, that's why Louise tried to find those ring things. Honestly, it's gonna get us all killed."

"Aye. I'm thinkin' of going back to Earth Kingdom and screwing this place."

"Me, too. …Oh look, a bunch of those Avalarans are riding the Air Tunnel." Kuzco indicated a massive crowd, led by Tani and Batu, surfing the zigzaggy tunnel straight up to their deck.

"Hah! I like watching people fly in those things, they're like a swarm of spider-flies!"

"Hey, did you hear that spider-flies might be going instinct?" The Avalarans were ready to attack.

"They are?"

"Yeah, they keep getting trapped in their own webs." The guards were too tired to notice the obvious threat.

"Well, how's it gonna affect the ecosystem?"

"Some people say it'll lead to an infestation of butterbees," Tani was screaming the call of battle, "and if you ever been stung by one of those things, it-"

"AAAAIIIIIYAAAA!" Tani mercilessly speared them into submission. "Warriors 4 Evermore, commence Operation: Save the King!"

The Lotus guard in the crow's nest was fast asleep, but awoke at the sound of fighting. He peeped over the edge, eyes popping at the sight of a conflict. "OI, Commander Vaati!" He fished around for his communicator. "We're under atta-" Khunbish flew overhead on an Air Rider and dropped, knocking him out. (Play "Boss Battle" from Ni no Kuni!)

A Lotus firebender shot flames at Muriel, a Mobian cat in a green dress, but despite her appearance, she was very nimble, combatting the guard with a bow-and-arrows. A Lotus poisonbender spread gas around the deck, but Marlene, a mouse Mobian, used a magic bubble to protect herself, maneuvering toward the Lotus before casting a chi-block spell on him. She proceeded to disperse the gas with Ventus. A Lotus waterbender threw Ice Discs to attack Phorkys, a Fishman, but only a few cuts were dealt before Phorkys struck her with a Water Sword. Afterwards, a young Fishgirl with blue hair hurried over to Heal Phorkys with her own bending. "Thank you, Speio." Phorkys said.

A human boy with green goggles named Chip hooked up some small magibots to a door terminal, the entrance to the ship's cabin. Several minutes passed, all the while more guards tried to attack him, but a platoon of robots protected him, controlled by Oz, a man in a blue suit. "How much longer, Chip? My Beta Corps can't keep this up!"

"In just a few… GOT IT!" Chip exclaimed as the entrance opened. "TANI, THE CABIN'S OPEN!"

"ALL TROOPS, PULL BACK!" Tani bellowed.

"What're ya sayin', Lass, let's go while the gettin's good!" Batu argued.

"W-Wait, I didn't say that!"

"Don't be lyin', you tramp of a daughter!"

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!" Tani shouted with fury.

"I-It wasn't me!" Batu panicked in defense. "Somebody was mocking me!"

"BOSS, ABOVE YOU!" Khunbish cried, too late as two arrows fell and stabbed Batu's arm and Tani's leg.

They saw Katniss Everdeen falling, but the Lotus sniper transformed into a bird to make for a soft landing before changing back. This was all thanks to her Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Mockingjay. "Is this some sort of mutiny?!"

"Not even close!" Batu said, readying his axe. "We only want our king back! Otherwise, we don't care if you all fall to Davy Jones!"

"Tani, we'll hold her off!" Moggie May, a blue cat Mobian, stood in the way with a bow aimed, archers accompanying her. "Hurry and find Evan!"

"Aye-aye!" Tani quickly applied soreaway bandages (healing plants) to herself and Batu with her bending. With their wounds healed, they rushed to the cabin.

With several Evermore Warriors by their side, they stormed the Sheikah Tech hallway. Meta Knight's Star Knights obstructed their path, but were chopped by Batu's axe like logs. Defeating the impish Nightmares was a simple task, it felt like, and Batu was about to do the same to one bundled in a black cape. But an arm punched out of that cape and blocked the axe, and Dio Verando kicked Batu off his feet. "Arrr, I thought ye were another Star Knight. But it was you, DIO!"

"YOU MADE THAT REFERENCE ON PURPOSE!" A furious Dio threw a punch, to which Batu countered with Haki.

A band of Mobian dogs cleared the hallway of Star Knights, led by Ya Pi, a dog in golden armor. "Nuuuuuooeee…" His ears perked at the sound of moaning. The dogs saw a horde of Alternian trolls hurriedly limping their direction, their blank eyes glowing blue. "What are those?!"

"I think those are Aranea's minions!" Tani said, her arrows doing little to slow them. "They're zombies controlled by her psychic, but I think they're on autopilot. We'll have to rescue Evan before the Commanders catch on for real."

"Aye, that we will!" Batu caught Dio in an arm-lock and pounded his head. "Just as soon as I'm done smashing this scallywag!" Dio morphed into a bat to escape, then reformed as he grabbed Batu's arm and slammed him to the floor.

"Chip, stay with me!" Tani pulled the boy genius along with him. "I might need your hacking skills to free him."

"Okay, but I can't run that fast! Slow down!" (Pause song.)

Sunny Day

Mason woke to a rather quiet morning. With his friends barely waking up, he went up to the deck to check on Sheila. Almost as he expected, she was already on her feet, gazing at the sunrise. "As crazy as this kingdom is, you can't beat the view, eh Sheila?"

She was silent for a moment. "…Mason, what do you s'pose Cheren would say if he found out we were up here?"

"Uh, I dunno. He'd probably be glad we were trying to make new friends. You know he loves makin' friends, right?"

"Oi think it's cowardly." she stated simply. "It's one thing to not make enemies of our enemy, but makin' friends with 'em is another thing."

Mason would always look forward to seeing her shiny smile against the rising sun. But today, Sheila was frowning, practically angry. "What do you mean by that?"

"Ever since Cheren left, the KND's been falling to pieces. Our mates getting captured one after the other, and what do we do? Make buddies with the blokes doin' all the capturin'!"

"But Sheila, these pirates haven't purposely antagonized us, yet. And we'll reason with Kokichi-"

"That's what I mean." She was in no mood for humor. "We got so afraid of these pirates that we'd rather reason rather than rumble. Call it a sixth sense, but I feel them laughing at us. Laughing because Earth's greatest sector had to resort to relying on these scoundrels. And that laughing hurts my pride as a pirate! I want to be able to rely on me own crew, not me bloody rivals! And not just Sector V, I'm talking about the Kids Next Door. We're the strongest crew in the universe, aren't we? We sailed all the way to New Galaxia and crushed the biggest band of pirates ever known to alien!"

"Heheh…" Mason was humored by the irony. When they first set sail as the Raccoon Pirates, Sheila was glad to be away from the Kids Next Door. She was ready to renounce them. She wanted Sector V to be its own crew. Now, she would rather side with the KND as a whole instead of her own crew? "It's too bad we couldn't keep all the power-ups we got-"

"Mason." Sheila stood next to him. Her voice was only meant for his ears. "I won't side with the Sky God Pirates. I'm gonna leave this crew if it comes to that."

Pure truth flowed with her words. Mason could have attested this as one of Sheila's childish speeches, like during the N.E.C.S.U.S. mission, when she expressed outrage at the lack of adventure. She failed to see the importance of this alliance over her "pride." Still… could he argue? Deep down, he too questioned if these pirates were trustworthy. But things would only be worse if they made direct enemies of them. If Sheila was stubborn enough to leave, how would that affect them?

"Nyaaaaaaahhhh-hah-hah-HAH-HAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" These thoughts were disturbed by a madman's wails. Kokichi Oma was bolting up the valley like a lunatic escaped from jail. He skid to a halt a few yards from the platform and kneeled, pounding his head into the ground. "Oh, PLEASE help us, Sector V! It's a disaster!"

"What's that noise?" Chris asked, the others climbing up on deck in their pajamas.

"Hey, it's that Kokichi creep again!" Haruka scowled. "What are you whining about?!"

"THE KREMLINGS! A bunch of Mobians from the Kremling Krew are attacking the Santa Hylia! And Skaios is still sick, there's no way we can stop them! Please, I'll return Midna and Penelope, I promise!"

"Shouldn't an Emperor's crew be strong enough without their captain?!" Chris retorted.

"Look, they're our allies now. We have to help them." Aurora reasoned. "Besides, we want our teammates back, right?"

The ops returned below to get dressed. Sheila scowled down at Kokichi; his pouring eyes morphed into joyful crescents. "You might not be teammates after today."

Light of Hope

"Captain Nagisa, it's an emergency!" Kotoko cried, barging into his room. "The Cloudcoil Pirates are attacking the flagship! They're saying it's a mutiny!"

"A MUTINY?!" Nagisa's bloodshot, bulging eyes met Kotoko's sweet pink ones. "HOW MANY ARE INVOLVED?! I already finished the battle specs for the Cloudcoil Pirates against the White Fang! I LOST 20 MINUTES OF PLANNING!"

"I-It's mainly the Cloudcoil, a-and a bunch of fighters from Evermore. Er, and I think they said Louise was a traitor?"

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME, LOUISE?! Do these hoodlums not realize how much WORK I put in for them?! I'm straightening this out ONCE and for all!" Nagisa pushed Kotoko aside and marched forth, his mind all but broken. (Resume song.)

Santa Hylia

Sasuke arrived at the flagship, nimbly leaping to the upper deck. For a moment, he was taken aback by the chaotic atmosphere taking place on the lower deck. "When did this become a morning activity?" he remarked.

"GIVE BACK MY DOGMOM!" Sasuke dodged the laser fire that rained around him, seeing Sector MG aboard a Hat Ship. The ninja channeled lightning to his fingertips and fired, destroying the ship with pinpoint accuracy. Fortunately, Wendy protected them in a Protego, the seven kids landing on the deck.

"You Kids Next Door are a hindrance to the Sky Gods." Sasuke readied another bolt of lightning. "Since the Will of Rebellion failed to awaken inside you, I'll have to do it myself!"

Faster than wind, Vaati's foot kicked Sasuke's arm skyward, directing lightning to the heavens. "I told you not to attack my DAUGHTER!"

"Are you betraying us as well, Vaati?"

"I have the freedom to protect my family in this damned kingdom!" Vaati unleashed a flurry of kicks upon the ninja, but Sasuke read every move and blocked with matching speed. He used Haki to grab Vaati's foot and twist it, but the Minish morphed into wind and blew him up to the air, only for Sasuke to use a Substitution Jutsu with a barrel.

"That casket has a Japanese sealing tape." Oliver observed. "I know a spell that can break it, but I need help aiming."

"Try this, Ollie." Philip handed him a rifle designed to fit Oliver's wand in the cannon. The wizard used a scope to focus on the casket.

On the lower deck, Sector V and Kokichi had arrived. The chaos taking place was a stark contrast to the peaceful, quiet atmosphere on their ship. "This looks less like an invasion and more like fanservice for a fantasy game." Haylee commented.

"I can't even tell who's on whose side." Artie replied.

"Obviously, the Mobians are the bad guys!" Kokichi insisted. "They're the Kremlings, duh! Now, get to thrashing, please!"

"So be it!" Without questioning, Chris charged and threw a Flame Fist at Raxel, a mouse in black armor. The heat became unbearable, so the mouse was quickly felled. Aurora froze some dog Mobians in ice, and Haruka immobilized the cats with syringes. The robots were sent to combat them, to which Artie shot them with a laser rifle and Haylee bashed them with her wrench.

"Oi, what gives?!" Khunbish shouted. "Why's the KND helping them-" He was bashed in the head by a brutish Dice Pirate.

"Can't say I don't welcome it." Katniss said, deciding to abandon her battle and fly into the cabin as a Mockingjay.

Aranea and Meta Knight had also arrived, surveying the battle from the sky. "Sector V's already 8eing a 8ig help, it seems." Aranea smiled. "It'll 8e easier to we8 the tr8ors now."

"Yes. We can only hope Commander Uchiha…?" Meta Knight's gaze fell onto two particular operatives. "The Uno children…" As if by a trigger, Monaca's words reverberated in his mind. "The Galaxia Sword…" Aranea felt a psychic aura encapsulate his mind, as if Monaca planted a mental seed that would only grow in this condition. "THE GALAXIA SWORD!" And Meta Knight swooped down, striking at Aurora and Chris with no warning.

"WHOA!" yelped Aurora. "Meta Knight, what's your deal?!"

"I now understand the potential I saw in you! Which of you holds the Galaxia Sword?!"

"We don't have the sword!" Chris shouted.

"No matter! If it means owning it, I will FIGHT YOU!" The Unos could only evade Meta Knight's sudden swings. Aurora entered Ice Fury and froze his sword with frosty kicks, but Meta Knight would only remain frozen for a second before resuming the assault.

Shaking her head in disbelief at the knight, Aranea began to trap the fallen Avalarans in psychic spider-webs. Now, the Hope Pirates were the next to fully absorb the disaster, and Nagisa slowly drowned in a pool of despair. Vaati vs. Sasuke, Meta Knight vs. Aurora, and yet other Sector V ops were assisting in the Avalaran capture. "What should we do, Captain?" Masaru asked.

"…" Nagisa dropped. This was too much for him to handle, it was too much. His parents were scolding him from Hell. He was an absolute failure.

"Wellp, then I'm gonna join the fun! AAAAHH!" Masaru stormed into the fray.

"W-Wait, Masaru!" Yuta called. Watching as Kotoko and Jataro tried to take part in the battle, fear began to consume the innocent boy's heart. I don't think we can survive a war at this rate… I can't take this, anymore. I have to escape, but how?

King's Brig

"EVAN!" Having finally reached the brig, Tani and Chip ran past each cell before finding their king. "Evan, there you are! Please, can you hear me?!" She pressed her hands to the energy barrier.

A 14-year-old Faunus with cat ears and golden hair groggily lifted his head. His royal attire was damp with sweat and reeked after months of going unwashed. "Uuuuhh… T-Tani… is that really you?" After all the brainwashing at the hands of Sasuke, and trying to resist it, he thought he was hallucinating.

"Yes, Evan, it's me!" Tears of joy glinted off her face. "Don't worry, we'll save you! Chip, hurry!" Her comrade was currently hacking the cell's terminal.

"Should we save these other captives?"

"I want to, but we don't have time. We'll come back for Evermore and save everyone-"

A deadly gust of wind blew into the chamber, sending a chill down Tani's spine. Emperor Skaios was marching in, rubbing a tired eye. "Arrrrgh… why is there a trail of sleeping guards leading to this room?"

Tani was almost confident that Skaios was still in despair, almost positive that he would be too weak to stop this invasion. Perhaps that was still true? But if it wasn't, he could kill her and Chip in the blink of an eye. Until Chip could free Evan, she couldn't let that happen. With fear driving her heart, Tani lunged at the imp! "AAAAAAAHHH!" Skaios was too tired to realize the spear was aimed right at his other eye. Tani was going to tear him limb from limb if it meant saving Evan!

And the spear tasted blood! But not Skaios'. A shadow had suddenly gotten between them, horrifying them both! Midna had been impaled in the stomach. "KUEHF!" She threw up shadowy blood.

"MIDNA!"

"No!" Tani withdrew the spear. "Y-You're the one from the video! The one Kokichi…"

"Cough…" Midna showed him half of her smile. "Even if you're immortal and I'm not… no one hurts my brother."

". . ." A storm raged on Skaios' head. The anger he felt toward Kokichi was now felt for Tani. "You… How DARE you…"

"No, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to…"

"HOW DARE YOOOOOUUU!" A great typhoon pressed Tani and Chip to the end of the room.

"PLEASE, I CAN HEAL HER!" Tani despaired that her nearly-victorious plan was utterly crumbling. "PLEASE, JUST LET ME!"

"I gave you all freedom, and THIS is how you repay me?! How dare you abuse my gift… HOW DARE YOU ALL!!"

Upstairs, Batu had aged to a bitter old man, having been bit too many times by Dio. "Didn't know my bites could temporarily age my victims, huh?" Dio smirked. "I'm afraid this battle is over."

"Dio, where did the forest girl go?" He faced up at a familiar Mockingjay.

"She went to the brig, let's go get her!" Dio transformed, and the bat and bird flew deeper into the cabin.

Vaati cast an Evenstar spell (a massive dark sphere) at Sasuke, the ninja flying far to the side to evade, after which Wendy froze his feet to the deck with an ice spell. In that brief instant before unfreezing, Oliver shot the Mornstar Rifle, zapping the casket's seal with perfection! Cheadle sprung to life out of her prison, and Sasuke's attempt to slice her was thwarted as Vaati blew him off the ship. But one Substitution later, Sasuke was back, his ninjas surrounding the mages.

As mayhem raged in every direction, Sheila couldn't help but feel suspicious. If these Mobians were Kremlings, then why were they assisting the Cloudcoils, and why were those human warriors helping them? "P-Please! Pleeeease!" She gasped, seeing Muriel the cat Mobian trapped helplessly in a psychic web. "Please, Sunny Fist! We only wanted to help Evan. Please, save him!"

Sheila immediately knew: Kokichi lied. They were not Kremlings, they were Tani's friends. How could they be fooled? "…What does Evan look like again?" she whispered.

Within a few minutes more, Skaios came out of the brig, dragging Midna's wounded form. Katniss dragged Tani and Chip by the arms, and Dio escorted the elderly Batu. Skaios could not believe this mayhem. The entire crew was amassed on his deck! There were Monokumas against Avalaran robots, Undyne against Fishmen, zombie trolls, White Lotus, Star Knights, Inklings defending Louise from ninjas, the Hope Pirates fighting the child warriors, it was an absolute clusterfuck!

"I'm not ready to be Captain, I'm not ready!" Nagisa shook.

"Ufufu! Monaca loves fireworks!" Monaca repeatedly snapped her fingers, exploding multiple soldiers whose clothing she touched.

"I will have the Galaxia Sword!" Meta Knight declared.

"I said we don't have it!" Aurora insisted.

"We have to save Evan!" an Avalaran yelled.

"KREMLINGS EVERYWHERE!" Kokichi cried.

"Oi, hands off me daughter!" Batu shouted at Katniss.

"Hands off my daughter!" Vaati attacked Sasuke.

"Hands off my daughter!" Cheadle knocked out Fujin. "I MEAN, MARIA!"

Skaios could not take it anymore. Filling his lungs to the brim, the captain ended it all: "EEEENOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUGH!" (End song.)

Everyone faced the captain. They had never seen him so frustrated. He swooped by Nagisa and took back the captain's hat he rightfully owned. "I don't know what the hell's going on, but there's going to be some changes around here! If you all won't get serious about this kingdom, then I have to MAKE you! We're supposed to be fighting for freedom, not each other! We probably look like a joke to the other pirates. Well, not anymore, because I'M the one and only captain from now on! Any objections?!"

"Not at all, Captain!" Jataro saluted. "Also, I would like to report a mutiny!"

"A mutiny. And who is responsible for this… mutiny?"

"It was them, sir!" Kotoko pointed at the culprits. "It was Tani, Batu, and the Avalarans!"

Skaios glared at the one who hurt Midna. The injured Twilight Princess gazed at Skaios with a mixed sense of worry and pride.

"I see… and what of you, Sector V? What's your business up in here?"

"They helped us, Captain!" Kokichi grinned. "They helped us stop the nasty traitors!"

"They did?…" This fact broke Tani's heart. She looked at Sheila with the worst disappointment and betrayal. And Sheila felt this.

"Um, wait." Aurora spoke, her Fury dying. "I think there's been a misunderstand-"

"Then my decision is final." Skaios beamed. "Sector V has proven to be our maties! They are our new friends, and we will gladly rescue their fellow mates from the clutches of the dreaded Yonko!"

"Oh! Well… that's great!" Though she was still very confused, Aurora smiled in thanks. "I'm glad we could help."

That's when Sheila snapped. "Hold on! There's another mutiny taking place!"

"Aye? And what's that?" Skaios asked.

"MINE!!" Her Midas Fury was unlocked! At the speed of light, she DASHED into the ship!

Mason had no idea what her plan was, but he thought he understood the general gist. "MINE, TOO!" He swallowed an entire can of Silver Flurp, channeled all the gas to his lower intestine, and rocketed to the air! The pirates could only stare with confusion. "Mini Atomic GAS BOMB!" The deck was swallowed by a green, toxic cloud! Both Sky Gods and operatives alike choked and coughed in the stench.

Sheila found her way to the brig, past all the KO'ed guards, and recognized Evan based on the description: a fellow Faunus, albeit with cat features. "AAAAAAHHHHH!" She unleashed rapid-fire Light Fists upon the terminal until it had no choice but to shatter. The barrier was down, so Sheila grabbed Evan and got away!

Her Light Fury was gone by the time she returned, but as the gas dissipated, Sheila made her presence known on the railing. "I'm becoming my own pirate, and I'm taking this prisoner with me! Catch ya later, drongos!" And she fell off the ship! This was both to be dramatic, and the fact she was physically exhausted.

"I wanna be my own pirate with you!!" Mason jumped after her.

"Hold on!" Skaios was going to chase them—he was stabbed from behind by a large icicle, going through his eye. "AAH! I CAN'T SEE!"

To the pirates' horror, Yuta Asahina was the culprit! Not once slowing down, he grabbed Tani in his arms, ran for the edge, and cried, "I'M COMMITTING TREASON, TOOOO!"

"YUTA?!" his former friends cried. ("Ufufufu!" Monaca giggled.)

And with that, all five escapees were falling thousands of feet toward the ocean. "OI, SHEILA!" Mason called. "Is there a reason why we jumped off?!"

"I was just tired!! There was no other way out of there!"

"I can swim, but I don't know if I can survive this!" Yuta cried.

"THIS IS THE EEEEEND!"

But the descent stopped! A blue beam was suspending them. "NO! We've been caught by Aranea's psychic!" Yuta said.

"It's not psychic!" Tani beamed. "It's a traction beam! IT'S BRACKEN!"

"Who?!"

"She was supposed to pick us up after the rescue! We might be able to escape!"

They were all pulled into a blimp-shaped airship, which took off immediately afterward. "You had me worried for a moment there, Tani." said the pilot, a pink-haired woman in a yellow shirt. "I thought you wouldn't make it."

"I almost didn't. …Thanks, Sheila."

"Hehe!" the raccoon grinned on the floor, too tired to stand.

"But why did you help, Yuta?" Mason asked. "Why did you betray them?"

"Oh, I guess I didn't tell you." Yuta recalled. "The truth is-" The ship suddenly halted.

"Something's caught us!" Bracken said. "It's psychic energy!"

"Drat! It really is Aranea this time!"

Indeed, the troll captain was able to bind them in a psychic grip. She reeled them in with all her strength. All those on deck watched the scene with anticipation. With no eyes on him, Kokichi smiled up at the sails. His short, female crewmate gave a thumbs-up, aimed a sniper rifle, and shot.

"AH!" The bullet lodged into Aranea's head. She released her grip and fell. "A chi-blocking bullet?! Ugh, it must've been an Avalaran!"

"I'll save you, Nea!" Undyne dove into the ocean. She grabbed Aranea in her arms and rose to the surface.

"Thanks a ton, Fish8ud!"

"Anytime, Zombuddy! Here, lemme get that bullet out." Undyne buried her fin into the bullet hole and yanked it out of Aranea's undead brain. "Euck. Brain goop." The two shared a laugh.

"All ships, do not let the traitors get away!" Meta Knight ordered, a squad of Star Ships taking off.

The Free Kingdom was now miles behind the ship's back. "There's more coming!" Mason yelled. "Is this ship meant for space travel?!"

"Unfortunately, no. But I can escape them." Bracken answered.

"As soon as you do, find a KND treehouse."

"Uhhhnn…" Vision returned to Evan's eyes. A familiar face slowly formed. A face that positively delighted him. "Tani… how long was I in there?"

A tear graced the curve of her smile. "Too long, Evan. Much too long."

The two shared a hug. Mason, Sheila, and Yuta smiled. Though they might not've known these two very well, it was clear they were lifelong friends. Though, Mason felt they reminded him of another pair.

"Ah, excuse me." Evan was helped to his feet. "I know this isn't the most favorable of circumstances, but thank you for saving me. Allow me to introduce myself. I am…"

King of Evermore, Candidate for "Supreme King"

EVAN PETTIWHISKER TILDRUM

On the Santa Hylia, Haruka began to treat Midna's wound. "First time I ever had to treat a god."

"I'm not exactly feeling godly anymore…"

"But what were Mason and Sheila thinking?" Haylee wondered. "I mean… mutiny?"

"She wanted to help Tani's friend, but she didn't want us to get in trouble because of it." Harry deduced. "That's the best I can figure. And Mason went with her because he always does."

"It's gonna be tough to go without them…" Aurora said.

"Captain Skaios." The boss was approached by Sasuke and Vaati, his eye in the process of healing. "I wish to report another treachery. Vaati allowed a bunch of prisoners to escape."

"It was my daughter, and you tried to kill her!" Vaati argued.

"Quiet, both of you!" Skaios ordered. "Vaati is one of my most capable leaders, so I'm keeping him around. Now make yourselves useful and round all these mutinous blackguards to the brig."

Vaati and Sasuke exchanged a cold glance, mentally calling a truce. "Eee hee hee." Midna giggled. "I never would have believed it, but you might actually make a pretty good leader."

During Skaios' speech, and after the Red Leaf Ninjas were KO'ed, Sector MG had vanished. A neon paint portal was left, but it was quickly erased by Squitaba's ink. Sector MG, Cheadle, and Louise reappeared in a portal in Inkopolis. They made a hasty getaway in Kiki's broomstick S.C.A.M.P.E.R.. "Well, thanks to you clowns, I'm now a traitor." Louise said. "You really know how to wreck my life, Maria."

Unbeknownst to them, Cheadle was smirking. While Sasuke was escaping with the casket, he had actually traded it to Hanzo for another casket. Standing with them was Daikoku, the Transformation specialist of the Red Leaf Ninjas. However, he had to stay in character, just until they get to Peach's castle. "You're lucky we all managed to escape, young lady!" 'Cheadle' stated. "And I expect you to show respect to your mother when we get to her castle."

"Whatever, Dogmom."

"Growwwllll!"

GKND H.Q.

Sheila's group had been fleeing the pirates for a full day before they managed to lose them. With the aid of a Mushroom KND sector, they were taken to GKND. Sheila summed up the mission to High Supreme Leader Nebula in one sentence.

"Sector V defected from the KND?!"

"Yep." Sheila nodded simply. "They're Sky God Pirates now, the traitorous blokes."

"Hmmm…" Nebula placed a hand to her forehead. "This sounds too weird to believe, but it is troubling nonetheless. Sigh, I feared it wouldn't come to this, but it seems we can't avoid a fight with the Four Emperors any longer. I'll mobilize all our forces."

"Now, hold on a second. As much as I wanna get back at those buggers, this is a matter between pirates. And we need to honor the pirate traditions."

"What're you talking about, Sheila? And how will 'honoring the pirate traditions' save our friends?"

"Nebula, how much you know about Pirate Culture, anyhow?"

"I, uh…I didn't think pirates had a culture."

"Would ya care for a lecture, mate?" Sheila smirked. "Oi know everything there is to know about the Pirates' Code, and there's some bits of it that'll really pique your interest. Especially considering you're a girl of culture to begin with."

"…" It was true that Nebula was extremely fond of any and all cultures, and she dreamed of getting to know as many as possible. But even if Sheila was right and that pirates did have a culture… what was she planning? Nebula folded her hands and responded, "I'm listening."

I actually have some bigger plans with Evan, so that's why they're receiving so much emphasis. Now, normally I would ask my usual "who were your favorite characters" bit, but people don't even answer unless you ask them directly. But I would like to thank Sarstar for her feedback on this fic! We can't stop now—this is only the beginning! With the 4th prequel finished, we are all finished with all F0U4 Emperors—

FOUR—Four—F-Fo-FOUR—

FOUR EMPERORS-17-21-5-5-14—F-FOUR EMPERORS—

FOUR—14-5-2-21-12-1—FOUR—FOUR—FOUR!!! FOUR… FOur…Four…

…

Four?…

…

…

The chains bound him to the very bottom of the Sanzu River. He could hear all the voices of the dead, relishing in their despair. Not a single bubble, not one tiny ounce of breath existed. His lungs were filled with the toxic liquid, his body weighted by thousands of fathoms of pressure. Just as he always preferred it. It was what filled the void in his empty heart.

His slimy eyes glanced up: a huge metal box was slowly descending from the surface. It disturbed the bleak silence with its cranking noise. To the visitor, his form was barely recognizable in these dark depths. His body was one with the seabed: his tentacles wriggled in the currents like seaweed.

The elevator stopped. Magellan, a large demon with bat wings and a black warden's uniform, spoke through a microphone. "Davy Jones, you have been specially summoned for an important event. You will be transported and supervised by our guards to the Mortal World."

"Huhuhuhahahaha!" A spark of life brimmed in Jones' chest. "So, it has finally resumed-ah! The Pirate Wars. I pray they have not forsaken the ancient ways?"

"I was told to ask if you still had the contract." Magellan said.

"Yes… I have kept it on me at all times-ah." Davy Jones reached behind his tentacled beard and extracted a scroll. He unraveled it. It was written in ancient font.

Ye who hath sworn an oath to this Contract

Doth offer thine soul to the one who claimeth the Crown

Ye who win this war shall be bestowed the highest status.

All the wealth of the world be yours.

-Davy Jones

-Kaido

-Marshall D. Teach

-Sorbetes Linlin

"The Four Emperors of old swore the souls of their crew to this contract. Unfortunately, the war never met an official conclusion. Blackbeard's crew were detained by the gods due to him being one of the future Thirteen Darknesses, and Sorbetes was not considered the true Emperor of the Big Mom Pirates; the late Sherry was still deemed the leader, and she had not signed the contract. And I, myself, was struck down by that wretched Eva. Only Kaido and his Beast Pirates met a proper end in this war. But with this new generation of Emperors, the war will finally conclude-ah! And I… will FEAST on their souls!"

The tentacles enveloped the contract, suckling and savoring it as Jones imagined a flavor. He could already taste those thousands of succulent souls. "Yes… all Five Emperors… let us finally drown in the depths."