Lunch Break

Prepare your brain cells, people, because it's time for some info-dumping! Also, you guys remember how, back in the Firstborn Saga, when we were introduced to the Kong Family and the DK Rap was meant to coincide with the scenes? Well, get ready for a comeback~

Nextgen Pirates H.Q.

Emperor Nebula had her office painted with wood colors, her décor resembling a luxurious captain's cabin. Her head was propped on a galactic chart table as she moved a model ship across it. She held up a shining pink cutlass with purple feathers embedded in the hilt, a present sent from her mother's new job after she learned of this situation. "Hm… wouldn't mind keeping the office this way. Kinda diggin' the pirate shtick."

"Ahoy, Captain Nebula! We're home!" Vweeb sang as he, Makava, Tronta, and Arianna entered the cabin.

"Welcome back, mateys." Neb greeted, stepping around the table. "So, were you successful?"

"Yeah… we were." Makava replied. "We were able to locate the Kong Family on Mushroom."

"Excellent! Will they help us against King K. Rool?"

"Eh…about that…"

A few hours ago

When Team Vweeb remembered their parents' old stories, they decided to search for the Kong Family, believing they would be glad to battle K. Rool again. In the time since the Firstborn Quest, the Kongs apparently had their island transported back to Mushroom's ocean, using the same magic as last time. Their ship soared across the ocean until they came upon that familiar island with a mountain resembling DK's head. (Play "DK Rap Where Are They Now" on YouTube.)

Team Vweeb landed in a jungle clearing, walking out to study the Kongs' village. …The land was very poorly cared for and dead. The elderly apes in the area, like Swanky or Funky Kong, stared at them with dull, hopeless faces. With hesitation, Makava asked them where they could find Donkey and the others. Funky pointed to four particular houses.

The first one they walked to was Donkey's house. They knocked on the door.

The elderly gorilla was there to greet them, scoffing at them crankily as he invited them in.

The kids noticed the wall was littered with guns—Arianna was horrified by the rhino, parrot, and swordfish heads on his wall!

Donkey shot a few rounds with his Coconut Gun, proving that it still works… but then he turned his gun on Arianna, his expression grim.

He shook his fist angrily, told them to kiss the seat of his solid gold statue, and leave. Alas, the first member of the DK Crew had failed them.

Their next destination was Tiny's house.

When the tall, slender Kong recognized Vweeb on Ari's head, she shrunk down to dance with him, faces beaming!

But it was then they noticed newspaper clippings on a wall, discussing bee genocide. …They learned a horrible truth about Tiny.

There were dead bees piling the floor, including a shrunken Yang and Blake. Tiny's expression was fiery and grim.

She noticed a beehive outside and climbed up a tree to get to it. She shrunk down and went in to begin the massacre.

The aliens decided to walk away calmly, ignoring the thrashing sounds.

Lanky's door was pulled open by a 7-foot long arm. He was upset, not thinking he belonged.

They noticed a college degree for sex education as Lanky dressed in his clown attire.

He pulled out a hotdog and bagel puppet, about to give a lecture—the kids decided to leave in disgust.

The next stop was Diddy's house. …Lanky snuck up behind Tronta and said, "Just for you."

When Diddy answered the door, they were surprised to see he hadn't aged a day for 23 years.

Indeed, his growth had been stagnated, but he cursed at them grouchily and chugged a beer.

Makava was repulsed, seeing a sexy picture of her mom! She tore it to shreds and then kicked Diddy away!

Diddy said "Bah" and went to work on his computer job. The page was titled, "Why Tachyon is the Only Dad I Need."

The kids let him be, upset by their little progress.

And then they visited Chunky Kong…'s grave. He had been killed by Manky Kong six years after the Firstborn Quest, so they thought they should pay their respects.

The kids lay in defeat in the middle of the village. They were approached by Dixie Kong, smoking a cigarette as her fur was mostly rotted. "Not the reunion you were hoping for, huh?" she asked. "The place kinda went to shits after Chunky died. And after Cranky got stuck in the fridge. We gave up fighting the Kremlings. Decided, 'Let them have their bananas, whaddo we need 'em for?' Good thing our kids didn't have to live like this. They left a while ago, doing who-knows-what."

"Sigh… it seems this was a wasteful journey." Arianna said. "Let's go home."

Now

Having been traumatized by their meeting with the Kongs, despair riddled the aliens' faces. "Sometimes I wonder if what we do even matters…" Makava moaned.

"Maybe it would be easier to give up fighting…" Arianna followed.

"What if I end up like Diddy…" Vweeb said.

They hadn't moved or spoken after that. They were becoming as gray as statues. "BZZZZZZTT!" Nebula shocked them with Space Lightning.

"You'll have plenty of time to regret your life choices when you're older! Now, go down to the lunch room and GET SOME FOOD!!"

"AYE, CAPTAIN!" The kids chorused and zipped off! (Play "Village Harbor" (2nd part) from One Piece!)

"SHINYYYYY SOUFFLÉ!" Akko's teeth crashed into a soufflé decorated with shiny sparkles!

"Don't wolf it down like that, Akko, you'll choke!" Lotte said.

"Mmmmmmm sho yummyyyyy!" Jasminka wept as the juicy Peachmallow melted in her mouth. "Yuzu really is the miracle cheeeeef…"

The cafeteria was bursting with energy as everyone was locked in conversations with food in their mouths. "The next round is on me!" Evan cheered, holding a crown-shaped cup of King Soda. "Eat to your heart's content! Here, Cheren, let me fill your plate for you!"

"Hey, I can get my own food!"

"RUN, tiny animals!" Tani bellowed over the tiny broccoli forest of chocolate animals on her tray. "Run from the gaping maw of the FOREST TITAN!" Her massive mouth chomped a clear path through the forest.

"Hannah, look, it's Tani!" Barbara Parker pointed.

"Hm? OH, it's you two again!" Tani recognized the witches.

"I didn't expect to see you here!" Hannah beamed. "I see you rescued your friend!"

"Yep! And the next on the rescue list is our kingdom! Care to join us?"

"We'd love to, but we're on a rescue mission of our own. Great Grandma took our life force and we need to get it back."

"Crikey. I thought I noticed a few wrinkles on you two."

"WRINKLES?!" The witches zipped off to find a mirror.

"I forgot what fine cooking tasted like!" Makava dipped squid tentacles in sauce and enjoyed the spicy taste.

"AAAAAAAHH!" Callie screamed, pointing at her in panic. "MONSTER! How could you kill and eat poor, defenseless Inklings like that?!"

"Relax, Callie!" Sunni consoled her. "They're the non-sapient squids! Uh, right Makava?"

"Don't ask me, Yuzu's the chef."

"Non-sapient creatures only, please!" Yuzu winked. ("Phew!")

"PFFFFFFAAAA HA HA HA HAAAAAAA!" Sheila Frantic was laughing up a storm at the sight of 5-year-old Augustus, having to squat her knees to get sort-of-level with the child. "You got turned into a little twerp! Heh, that'll teach you to try and copy the Sunny Fist!"

"I'm gettin' sick of you brats talkin' down on me!" Augustus shook, Tama restraining him.

"Be good boy, Augsus." Nel said, pouring milk down his throat. "Nel give you healthy milk~"

"And no, readers, this is not a dirty joke." Stewie stated.

"Ha ha ha! I'm sure Haruka and Haylee would like to see that." Mason chuckled.

"Oh, Maseyfairy!" He was then hugged from the side by Carol, who was eating Dollar Salad. "It's been so lonely fighting the Big Mom Pirates without you!"

"Heh heh, but you have a team now, Carol!"

"But it's not the same. Especially because you haven't paid me back the $62,132 you owe me."

"Grrrrr, I have to catch one of these pirates and collect their bounty!"

"Come to think of it," Pacifica said, "we haven't seen Sebastian ever since he fought off that gum guy."

"I still feel his presence, so he's certainly not dead." Ciel replied. "He'll have a lot to answer to for his tardiness."

Mocha was seated on the floor away from the group, enjoying a pool-sized bowl of Amazon Mango Soup. "I can't remember the last time I had soup from a bowl this big." Maddy said, standing on a ladder to drink from the bowl as well. "Well, I do, but it was pretty embarrassing."

"So, how's training been going for you, Maddy?" Mocha asked her best friend.

"Hopefully, it's passable. Sheila and I weren't planning to battle until it was time for the counterattack. We're two of the trump cards, to put it… EEAAAAAHH!"

"What's wrong?!"

"Where the heck is Zach?!" Maddy looked around. "I just remembered he ran away when we were investigating Free Kingdom! Has he really not come back ever since?!"

"You're the one who thought he would find his way back!" Sunni argued.

"Grrrrrr! My stupid brother better have a good reason for ditching us or he ain't hearing the end of it from me!"

"WAAAAAAHH! I can't believe we're missing the banquet!" a girl's voice cried in the distance.

"Hurry, Yosafire! Rawberry's gonna eat everything on our table!" a cute, kitty voice yelled.

"Ah, I see the Troll KND has arrived." Nebula observed with a smile. "They wanted to discuss some things with us."

"Sweet! I get to tease Karkitty some more." Cheren smirked.

"IT'S MY BAT BUDDY!" Rawberry Preserves, a troll with hot pink hair shaped like bat wings and a black dress, dive-bombed directly onto Lola Stork.

"AAAAH! NOT YOU AGAIN! DON'T EAT ME!" Lola shook desperately from Rawberry's teeth.

"Oh, how I missed Chef Yuzu's Gold Apple Pie!" Yosafire, a green-haired troll with red clothing and a Cross necklace, dug her face into her favorite pastry.

"Didst thou know Gold Apples art a cursed fruit on Skypia that canst put thee to a hundred-year sleep?" Fybi asked.

"Shay shompthing?" Yosaf's mouth was full of apples.

"Nay."

"CHEREEEEEN!"

"Hm? OW!" Cheren could not turn his head in time before Karkat BASHED him with his Clawsickle.

"What the HELL was with that vanishing act you pulled?! I was afraid you were pulling another God Tier shit!"

"Hey, don't attack Cheren that way!" Evan kicked him away.

"Mind your own, Furry!" Karkat batted him in turn.

"You'll pay for that!" Tani tackled the crab and started to beat him.

As Evan recovered, he saw Nepeta standing over him with big eyes. "So, are you available?" :3 she asked the cat boy.

Meanwhile, Vweeb was chilling in the hollowed-out base of an orange gelatin dumpling. "This is paradise in the making." he said, using a tiny straw to slurp the jelly.

Little did he know of the looming titan that was Maria, the child's eyes allured by the jiggly dessert. Her natural, taste-driven instincts compelled her to grab the dumpling and bring it to her gaping maw. "Hey, that's the last one!" Akko stated, grabbing the jelly.

"My eyes had it first!" Maria tugged on the dumpling.

"I saw you eat all the others!"

"H-Hey! Ladies, stop!" Vweeb yelled, but his voice was muffled by the jelly. "WAAAAH…"

Their squabble caused the dumpling to fling into the air. Yosafire saw it hurdling her way: her mouth stretched wide, knowing this was destiny! Alas, Akko was passionate! She stormed after the dumpling, eyes fixed on it. "UWAAAH!" She leapt, mouth open—and CRASHED face-first into Yosafire! Akko fell on top of the troll, both their mouths connected via gelatin.

"WOOOO! Akko just goin' IN!" Amanda cheered.

"How disgraceful can you be, Miss Kagari?!" Diana shouted.

The two girls pushed their selves off the floor, pulling away as the gelatin ripped in two. Vweeb was freed from the center, the girls chewing and swallowing. "PLS don't tell Froze about this." Yosaf said.

"Oh hey, I remember you!" Akko pointed. "You guided us to New Galaxia!"

"Oh, it's YOU!" Yosaf beamed. "You're the TTLY clueless witch!"

"CLUELESS?!"

"Relax, I'm JK! You know, a couple weeks ago, I met a new friend from the Gem KND. Her name's Phos, and she SRSLY reminded me of you! I think you'd really hit it off!"

"Really? You'll have to introduce me sometime!"

"Am I witnessing the form8ion of Clu8 Clueless?" Vriska asked. :;:;D

"I wanna be clueless, too!" Maria jumped between the girls, grabbed their necks, and dragged them into the floor.

"Maria, you just flattened that Kateenian!" Cheadle shouted.

Vweeb lifted Maria up with super strength and said, "Your cluelessness is suffocating." (End song.)

Evan waved and rang a bell in the air, drawing silence throughout the mess hall. "May I have your attention, everyone?" the young king requested. "The Supreme Leader has something he would like to ask you."

"Ahem…" A heavy weight returned to Cheren's heart. He brought up the question he had been dreading. "There's no point in denying that everything that's happened until now has been my fault. Regardless of my reasons, I left my office during a very dire time and caused terrible things to happen to you. While I have every intention of fighting for the rest of this war, would you prefer if Evan or someone else led you-"

"NO WAY!" almost everyone shouted at once.

"W-What?"

"Cheren, even if we wanted to blame you," Sunni replied, "we might as well blame all the hundreds of other operatives who weren't there to help us. Before long, we would end up killing each other."

"So, we could either blame ourselves for not protecting them," Melody followed, "blame the dead people for not defending themselves… or we could blame the bloody pirates that killed them. Personally, I prefer the latter."

"But just for your satisfaction," Nebula began, "let's rethink these events and put you in them. If you were at Sector IC when they were attacked by the Breakfast Club, they probably could've put up a better fight, but then their Commander Buu was there, too, and he could've captured you. Or, if you were at Rainbow Monkey Island when Sector W fought Manky, maybe they would've had a winning chance, but I heard King K. Rool was right on his way to the island, and I doubt you would've survived that battle. And based on what just happened with Queen Mandy, could you have stopped her from beating up Sector TD? And keep in mind, this is BEFORE you underwent that training."

"You're making me feel worse." Cheren shrank in his seat.

"What I'm trying to say is you're no different from the operatives you lead, so all of you deserve to share the blame equally. The same with Sector V! If you went with them to help with this 'alliance' thing with the Sky Gods, those guys could've easily captured you! So, just quit blaming yourself and work on saving the rest of them! The same goes for you all, too!"

"YEAH!!"

"Heh heh… you're all so amazing." Cheren blushed. …It was then he remembered something when she mentioned Sector V. "DILLON! He was captured by Mandy, I saw him before Evan and I were thrown out!"

"Dillon?!" Mason exclaimed. "But he should've been with the Sky Gods, how did he end up with Mandy?"

"I don't know, but when he saw me, he said something about 'Azula's theme park.' He said they were keeping… something there. He couldn't really finish his sentence."

"Hey, we actually saw Dillon!" Maria spoke up. "Louise and I told him about Aunt Eva; about the situation with Monaca."

Melody gasped. Her mind was already connecting the dots. "Was he… talking about my mom? Was he trying to say my mom was at this theme park?"

"But Monaca works for Skaios, not Mandy." Yuta replied. "It doesn't make sense that she would end up in Mandy's captivity."

"But I feel it." Melody grasped her heart. "I don't know if this is Haki or whatever… but I'm so sure! Mom is on Hyrule—she has to be, it's the only lead we have!"

"Then now we know for sure we can save her!" Yuta cheered. "I believe in Melody's feelings! …" His expression became downtrodden. "But if she really IS on Hyrule… and Dillon was sent to Hyrule after learning this… if he was trying to find where Monaca hid Eva… is Monaca working for Mandy?"

"She did give off a pretty creepy vibe." Mason replied.

"I…I have to ask Jataro and Masaru. I have to ask what they know."

"There's really a chance to save Mom…" Melody was close to tears, Eric patting her back in comfort. "We know where she is… there's still time to save her…"

"There certainly is." Nebula smiled. "Alright, I think everyone's about done eating. In 10 minutes, meet back here and we'll discuss the next phase of our plan. I'm sure there's a lot you all want to share with each other."

After lunch was over, some of the operatives gathered in the morgue, where their fallen friends lay at rest in capsules. "Sally Harper, killed by Pink Monkey of the Kremling Krew." Jerome said, walking past her still, peaceful form. "Darcy Chariton, killed by Aranea Serket, Sky God Pirates." The wound through Darcy's stomach had been patched. Jerome then walked by a capsule with a blackened, burned corpse whose gender could not be identified, and Quill Ramsey was beside it. "Drake Puncture, burned alive by Smaug, Boogey Pirates. He killed a few alien operatives, too, including Pumparian leader Pluey, and Sector Hinobi operative Haneesh."

"Smaug is burning in Hell now, I promise you that." Cheren assured. "How are the others doing, Quill?"

"We couldn't really fight any more after the fact." Quill replied. "We're all pretty shaken up."

"You can still return home if you want."

"As the new leader, I think the wisest choice would be for us to do that. But I'll ask how the others feel. A part of me still feels… we need to see this fight through to the end."

"WHAT?!" They heard a voice outside, and Evan recognized it as Tani's. They rushed out to see her with a distraught expression, talking to Louise. "You're joking! No way my dad is dead!"

"I'm only telling you what I saw!" Louise said. "When we rescued Cheadle, we fought a bunch of Aranea's zombies, and one of them was your dad. …He was probably killed after that little… mutiny thing."

"I…I can't believe it!" Tani buried her eyes. "Batu… m-my dad is dead… sniffle!"

"Tani…" Evan put a hand to her back in comfort. "I'm so sorry…"

"I'm going to kill him! No matter what it takes, I HAVE to kill Skaios! How DARE he take everything away from us!"

"Tani, please, just go lie down and rest. Go let your feelings out… but I need you to keep a level head."

"Sniff… okay… Thanks, Evan…" Tani left, tears subsiding just a bit.

"Sigh… Batu was one of my closest friends."

"Does she have a mom?" Cheren asked.

"Not really. Aside from her pirates, she's an orphan now. Something we have in common, I guess."

"You too, huh? And still running your own kingdom, life must be hard for you guys."

"You probably know all about it, don't you, Cheren?"

"Been through more despair than I know what to do with."

"Heh heh. You know, there was a time when I thought, if I could unite all the nations in the world under one rule, I would make everyone live happily ever after. But now I wonder if that would even be possible… without stooping to the level of these Emperors."

"Happy endings just don't exist. There's just temporary peace."

"You're right. …But an ending under the Sky God Pirates is a terrible fate for my kingdom. Cheren, just as you had to restore Hope in your operatives… I need to be the one to take Evermore back and restore Hope to my people."

"Don't try to handle everything yourself. You can restore their hope by showing them the powerful allies you collected. I mean, people skills are a real big thing, y'know~" Cheren grinned.

"Ha ha ha! And how!"

…

Sunni asked to meet with Callie in private, the two seated on a balcony with a view of space. "Sunni, if you're mad at me about your sister… I-I really don't know what to say…"

"That's not what I wanted to ask you. Do you know someone named Harry Gilligan?"

"Harry… oh, y-yeah. He's the Sector V boy. He came to us after a concert and said he really liked our music. Since then, Pearl, Marina, Marie, and I have been teaching him how to sing like us in Inkling, though he works better with rap."

"Yeah, that's the thing. We snuck into the Free Kingdom last month and I saw Harry on the big TV. He sounded… Eh, to be honest, I cringed super hard." Sunni blushed. "But if he was trying to speak like you guys, I feel like that's offensive."

"No, we feel the same way whenever an outsider talks like us." Callie smiled. "Your human tongues aren't naturally built for it."

"Te he…" Sunni giggled. "Honestly, I'm just not into rap at all; most of it is too vulgar and just… stupid. Still, I feel like, if Harry likes you guys, maybe I should give your music a chance."

"Oh, don't let Pearl hear you say that." Callie shook her head. "She's the Queen of Squid Rap. But that isn't all we have. Here, listen to one of our songs." She pulled out some headphones, stood to put them on Sunni, and turned on the cassette player. Sunni recognized Callie's voice, along with whom she assumed was Callie's cousin, both singing gurgly lyrics.

"You… with me… the moon… the rock around, give it… to me… You need to hear our song. Need to… have it… You need to hallelujah, when I rule, when I rule, and I fuel the melody, you better KID."

"Hmm… I can kinda dig it." Sunni smiled, nodding her head a bit. She pulled off the right phone to hear Callie.

"It's called Calamari Inkantation. It's based off an ancient melody my cousin and I discovered. The Inkantation has the power to change hearts. When we first played it, the Inklings and Octolings started to become friends."

"Aww, that's really sweet. Are you guys musicbenders?"

"No, but I will say Pearl comes close."

"Ah. …That just reminded me of somethin'. We know this girl named Sugar; she had this curse that stopped her from aging, but when she discovered her musicbending, she was able to grow to her proper age. I think the reason for her curse was Time Chi. We learned that musicbending can cure supernatural ailments, even ones with timebending… S-So, what if musicbending can fix the people on Mobius?"

Callie lightly gasped. "You think? I remember Ineptune telling me they were using a timebender girl… but even if you're right, that's an awful lot of people you'll need to sing to."

"It's still worth an experiment. We'll call Sugar up and have her and Meloetta sing to Emily and the others. Callie, you may've just saved Mobius!" Sunni stood to full height, lifted the older Inkling like a child, and gave her a hug.

"Squirmy! You're splatting me!" Callie cried, her face beaming as well. "But I'm really glad to help. For all I know, K. Rool might've been planning to shoot us with that cannon, too. So, I really hope this can work! …Oh, I just remembered something! Sunni, put me down." Sunni did so, watching with astonishment as Callie's hair-tentacle became a phone.

Inkopolis

Marie was in the studio with the Gilligan Triplets. The room was quiet as they were working on their own activities. "AH!" Marie's head rang, startling them. "H-Hello? W-What was that?"

"Marie, it's me, Callie!"

"C-Callie?!" The Gilligans looked at her confusedly; they could also hear the voice in Marie's head. "Wait, is this that Call Fruit thing you mentioned?"

"Yes! I secretly marked you as one of my contacts, in case we ever got separated."

"Well, it sounds like she's okay." Harry commented.

"WAS THAT HARRY?!" Sunni shouted in Callie's ear, hurting both squids.

"SUNNI!" Harry beamed. "Where are you guys?"

"We're on GKND H.Q.; a bunch of us are here."

"Cool! Listen, Sunni, I heard what happened to-"

"Wait!" Artie yelped. "Is Sector W7 there, too?!"

"Artie? Yes, why?"

"Sunni, I think one of the W7 members is a fake! One of them is Roger!"

H.Q.

"R…Roger?" Sunni replied with a gasp, Callie shocked as well. The psychic turned her attention to the Big Grin Pirates, whom were still at their table. …She closed her eyes and used Aura Sense to study them. There was nothing wrong with Chimney, or Aisa, or Mocha's massive aura, Aeincha's tiny presence, or… Gonbe possessed a sickly, puke-colored aura… She would think an animal would possess a more peaceful aura… unless…

Sunni drew her lightsaber and charged at the group. Aisa gasped, sensing an attack—they whipped in Sunni's direction. "AAAAAHH!"

'Gonbe's life flashed before his eyes when the saber swung in his trajectory! The sword burned his fur right off, exposing the alien underneath. The six girls were utterly horrified; their mouths may have just stretched into an unfixable gape. "…Well, there goes my deposit on that rabbit suit."

"RAAAH!" Chimney tackled and strangled the alien. "YOU ARE NOT GONBE-CHAN! Where is my neko, huh?! WHERE IS MY BUDDY?!"

"Your rabbit's dead, you ate him!"

"HAAAAHN?!"

"I think it was on Halloween, you ate him or something. When Kokichi heard about it, he told me to travel back to that point and take his place."

". . . . . ." Chimney turned completely pale and fell over. "I ate Gonbe-chan? I ate . . . Gonbe-chan? . . ."

"And you…you've been pretending to be our rabbit all this time?" Aisa asked. "Impossible, I couldn't sense you with my Haki or anything!"

"Master of Disguise! Anyway, we knew you would eventually go and fight the Kremlings, so I used you guys to spy on them and gain information. But, the jig is up."

"I was cuddling with this creep…" Aeincha said.

"I scratched his paws…" Apis said.

"He let me use him as a foot rest…" Aisa said.

The girls had all gone pale and soulless. "Life is despair… despair is life…"

"For the record, girls," Roger continued, "I spent some of my free time under your sink, and BELIEVE me, you should… really get it disinfected. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a rich girl to swap places with. Aaaaand SLOW DOWN!" Roger used his timebending to slow time and flee the scene.

"…" The girls couldn't move from their despair. "Well, uh, we have a quick way to contact Sector V now! Yippee!" Sunni clapped.

…

Yuta went down to the prison hold to meet Masaru and Jataro, chi-cuffed in their cell. "What?! You think Monaca's a traitor?!" the former shouted.

"Okay, we don't really know that for a fact, yet." Yuta admitted. "But we DO know that she killed Melody's dad, an innocent man who did nothing wrong! I understand that your parents were awful and I don't blame you for what you did, but can't you understand this has gone too far? You're not going to find peace with the Free Kingdom, especially if we're hurting so many innocent people like the Avalarans or the Inklings."

"But Monaca wants the Free Kingdom to win." Jataro replied. "And what makes Monaca happy makes us happy."

"What if it made Monaca happy to know you were dead?"

"DON'T EVER SAY THAT AGAIN!" Masaru outbursted.

"So, I'm right, huh?! Would it change your mind if you found out Monaca never cared for you?"

"That wouldn't happen in a million, trillion years! Except maybe to Jataro, but that's just his kink."

"Fine then. We'll get proof on how Monaca really feels about you. Then you can decide." Yuta marched out of the hold, leaving them with this thought.

In a different area of the brig, Nebula was examining the rescued U.A. operatives, who were rolling around like overgrown infants, along with Emily and her parents. Beside her was Sector U.A.'s leader, Tenya Iida. "We'll keep them here until we can find a way to reverse their… condition. I doubt it would do your KND's reputation much good if they were seen like this."

"Yes, no doubt." Iida replied. "Still, it was very gracious of you foul pirates to save them. But this will not excuse the VILLAINY you have caused!!" His eyes flashed with justice!

"You're really dedicated to your part, Navy Captain." Nebula chuckled.

…

Ciel gasped. "Hey, I sense Sebastian coming!"

"You do?!" Carol gasped.

"Yes! Come, to the hangar!"

A damaged Big Mom ship was sailing to the hangar. With caution, the Wisps decided to let it in, weapons at the ready. The Luxury Crew rushed out, seeing a battered Sebastian stumble off the boat. "Sebastian!" Ciel called.

"Hm? Ah, my Young Lord. Forgive me for keeping you." Sebastian could barely keep himself up.

"What in the world… Don't tell me you were beaten by that jester!"

"I'm afraid it's true. His strength was on par with that of a demon. I dare say he might have finished me off. But then…"

Sebastian lay gasping on the floor, staring up at his victor, their form casting a shadow. Hisoka had assumed a more slender physique, his hair longer and eyes prettier. "I've never come across a man as daring as you." Hisoka said, short of breath. "Why, I…I had nearly lost control for a moment. Alas, I must bid you farewell. I can't bring myself to finish you off. But now, Great Grandma has a job for me. A search and retrieval mission. Well, it's sure to become an execution. But I want you to bring the boy next time~"

"Hmph. I assume he's referring to me." Ciel said. He smacked his butler brutally, "How dare you fail to beat him!"

"I deserve all the shame, My Lord."

"Hey, don't treat your butler like that." Weiss stated. "Sigh… but what could that man have been talking about? Who is he 'retrieving'?"

"It could be anyone. The Four Emperors have all kinds of political and underworld connections. But since the KND is in a direct conflict with them, you're probably thinking they're an operative or someone related."

"No matter who it is, we should rescue them, right?" Raleigh asked.

"I suppose. But for now, we have little information. …It's almost time for the meeting. Let's go." Ciel led his team out of the hangar.

…

When the break was over, everyone returned to the cafeteria, the tables scrubbed clean. Emperor Nebula stood in the center, along with the Troll KND. "Everyone, I would like to thank you for all your work for this past month. We've made great progress in rescuing our captive operatives, and though we've suffered some losses, we mustn't let their sacrifices be in vain. Before we discuss our next plans, the trolls have some important things to tell us. And I believe you wanted to speak first, Rawberry?"

"Frank you." Rawberry replied, still munching on a rather large bat. "Okay, show of hams, people: would you believe me if I said I was a member of the Linlin Family?"

"HUH?!" They all jumped in shock.

"Actually… she DOES resemble a Linlin." Kid Augustus realized, the boy sitting in Tama's lap, who sat in Nel's. "She has pink hair, matching eyes, she's a glutton… Heck, she even helped me design Sweetopia in the first place!"

"Not to mention the hunger pangs." Yosafire said with a quirky wink. "She went TTLY bonkers the first time she ate a Fire Bat! She tore up the town looking for more!"

"Okay, but are you trying to say you're one of my cousins?"

"I'm more than just your cuisine, August." Rawberry remarked, poking the boy's nose. "I'm the original Linlin."

"WAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Everyone gave their best face-faults.

"Don't forget, I'm one of the people that designed your universe. The one who designed the Sugary Wonders was me. I'm from a strange bread of trolls that are constantly starving and desperate to eat. Even weirder is that if you eat my hair or something, you'll become infatuated with me. Hehe, I sip a few of my boogers into Macarona's food sometimes~"

"Basically, the Sweet Gene comes from you." Lola deduced. "You're the one who started this whole mess!"

"Hey, I only wanted for the Sugary Wonders to be eaten separately! I didn't expect someone to bake them all in a cake!"

"Fine, but are you saying you know a way to help stop them?"

"I can serving-ly help you fight them, but there's something else I wanted to bring up." Rawberry's expression became more serious. "I also designed one of the Newborn."

Their attention was now more alert than ever, and some felt that they didn't like where this was going. "Oh, yeah." Cheren replied. "I remember in your notes, it said there was a Food Firstborn."

"Yes, I implanted that Firstborn Egg with my blood. It's safe to assume that Firstborn shares the same qualities as me or the Linlin Family. Now, we don't really know where the Newborn ended up after their eggs hatched, besides the ones we've encountered, but it's safe to assume that my Foodborn lives on Sweetopia. Do you understand? The Big Mom Pirates could have a Firstborn at their disposal."

"No way!" Augustus stated. "If Big Mom had a Firstborn, I sure woulda known about it!"

"You didn't even know Sweetopia existed until you created it." Melody remarked.

"I would imagine," Rawberry went on, "if the pirates had a Firstborn, they would keep it under wraps, or else even more people would target them, and they'd only use it as a last resort. Of course, this is only my theory; we don't know for a fact if they actually HAVE the Firstborn or are even aware of it, but it's better to consume the worst case scenario."

"But that means when we win, we'll have TWO Newborn!" Vweeb said enthusiastically.

"After all this crap, we deserve the full set." Melody inputted.

"Any more questions for our troll friends?" Nebula asked.

"Nepeta, who's Moge-ko?" Melody raised her hand.

"She's my sister." Nepeta bowed her head in shame. "We're all vewy ashamed of her." 33:

"Been there, heard that, next question." Neb clapped.

"Vriska, your ancestor killed my sister." Sunni said.

"Yeah, everyone always thinks she's the nicer one." Vriska sighed. "Sorry you had to look at her darker side. See, she cares way too much a8out her friends, that's why I prefer to 8e mean to mine!"

"Alright, this seems like a good time to change tactics." Nebula decided. "There are still more people we need to rescue, but with the numbers we have now, I think it's time to focus our attention on the pirates themselves. As you know, our ultimate goal is to defeat the Four Emperors. According to the Code, if the Emperor is defeated or killed by the other participants, then they've officially 'lost' this war. Of course, the Code is more of guidelines than actual rules. Even if they lose their captain, who's to say the next runner-up won't seize their title? If we want to ensure a complete victory, we'll have to take down all the high-ranking officers."

"Pardon me, Numbuh Eternal." Diana Cavendish spoke up. "We have reason to believe that Queen Sherbet is planning to battle King K. Rool on Mobius, in order to take back her cake. Queen Sherbet has taken life force from my friends, and we see this as a chance to take it back. If Sherbet and Kroctus meet in battle and exhaust each other, it could be our chance to at least finish her."

"It won't work that way." Sheila stated. "We ain't gonna be the top pirates if we let the others get a headstart. I refuse to pick up their table scraps!"

"Your pride is truly unbearable." replied the Cavendish. "All that should matter is that the other Emperors are defeated and-"

"Oi, I've already been working on a plan, Richie Witch. So, you can sit back and watch. Right, Maddy?"

"Aye." Maddy nodded seriously. "In fact, if they're really meeting up, this plan's gonna work like a charm."

"Ahem." Nebula coughed. "Do I need to remind you two that your idea is incredibly stupid and risky?"

"We'll be fine." The girls chorused.

"What are you talking about, Maddy?" Mocha asked.

"It's a surprise."

"To that end," Nebula continued, "you may notice that some sectors are missing. Sector SA, the Story Pirates, for instance, are in the process of investigating the Divine Beasts. The Divine Beasts are massive robots controlled by Mandy's crew and probably her most powerful force. Their research may be key to stopping them and hence stopping Mandy. Our other missing team is Sector V; we know Dillon was captured by Mandy, but the others are still working under the Sky Gods. After these recent events, I have doubt they'll harbor any sentimental feelings for the Sky God officers. We can use Callie to keep in contact with them, but we'll need more direct aid from them."

"Leave that to us, Captain!" Maria saluted.

"Good. Now, it's time for everyone's favorite part: deciding which operatives will fight which Commanders!" A holographic chart was displayed, showing all the high-ranking officers under each Emperor.

Boogey Pirates

Mandy (Queen)

Sivam (Top Commander)

The Divine Beasts

Azula (Flame Commander)

Smaug (deceased)

Rā's al Ghūl (Assassin Commander)

Cortez (Phantom Commander)

Bellum (Phantom General)

Cindy Cortix (Undead Pet Commander)

Gaz Membrane (secret officer)

Creeper (threatening?)

Kremling Krew

King K. Rool (King)

Baron K. Rool (vice-leader)

Scales (Dinosaur King, strongest Kommander)

Fredrik (Snowmad King)

Moge-ko (House Pet Queen)

Manky Kong (Jungle King)

Specter

Helmaroc (Avian King, status unknown)

Ineptune (Sea Queen)

Adam Taurus (White Fang Vice-Captain)

Big Mom Pirates

Sherbet Linlin (Queen)

Majin Buu (Breakfast, Top Commander)

Breakfast Club (consists of Lucky, Cap'n Crunch, Trix, Sonny, and Tony)

Pea (Dinner Commander)

Hisoka Morow (Dinner General)

Tsao Chicken (new Lunch Commander)

Pawtucket Pat (Snack Commander)

Ernesto Taco (imprisoned by Sky Gods)

Goomnut (threatening?)

Sky God Pirates

Skaios (Emperor)

Vaati (White Lotus, Top Commander)

Aranea Serket (Free Spirits Commander)

Undyne (imprisoned by Boogeys)

Meta Knight (Star Knight Commander)

Sasuke Uchiha (Ninja Commander)

Kokichi Oma (Dice Captain)

Hope Pirates (Nagisa, Kotoko, and Monaca remain)

"Imperator Giz would like to raise an objection!" declared the Supreme Leader of the Irken KND. "My mother cannot be in Mandy's crew! She told us she was going to Solana for a gaming tournament!"

"And did you ever check in with her or confirm that?" Nebula asked.

"Giz, I know what I saw." Miko stated. "I know the Gamer Queen when I see her! But even though she kept attacking us, she protected us from Smaug. It almost felt like she thought of this whole thing as one big game. But games stop being fun when people die for real."

"But I…Giz can't believe this! Mother always jokes about conquering others, but to actually become an invader… it's maddening!"

"Then why don't we go down there and see for ourselves?" asked his cousin, Knaab.

"We have a score to settle with her first." Miko replied. "Sorry to ask this, but… let us go ahead of you."

"Imperator Giz will allow this. But only ONCE!!"

"Knock it off…" Knaab sighed.

"Let's actually discuss how we're going to approach all of them." Nebula got back on track.

The pirates listed above were identified as the strongest members of their crews. Putting the Emperors aside for now, Nebula clicked on the officers one at a time and went over their strength and abilities. During this time, the operatives had been debating which ones would be good matches. When Nebula finished, the kids made their decisions. They discussed which opponents would be best suited for them, and some members thought it best to fight them in pairs. Of course, they also had to speak for the operatives who weren't there, but once they passed on the message, they were sure to agree.

"I can totally take down Azula…" one boy said.

"Yeah, I'm sure this can work against Moge-ko's power." one girl said in another discussion.

"I'm positive that we can beat Sivam." another girl said, her friend agreeing.

"No doubt, he's the perfect match for Kokichi."

"In a test of endurance, he can definitely beat Majin Buu." a boy said.

The results of these discussions would only be revealed once these battles came to be.

…

"Of course, we can't forget the matter with Kokichi." Nebula mentioned. "If his words are true, and he's planning to destroy your reputations if his crew fails… it may lead to more hardships in the future. Even so… that's no reason to spare him the punishment."

"Kokichi…" Cheren mumbled something very softly.

"Cheren?" Panini faintly heard him. "Are ya worried about him? Heh, you probably have your own share of private secrets."

"Huh? Uh…yeah… we'd best stop him…"

There was a strange look on Cheren's face. He was suddenly very absentminded. Not even the slightest reaction to Kokichi's threat. Was he really that confident in his reputation? No, that couldn't be it…

The meeting was adjourned and everyone returned to their pirate ships. "Cheren." Evan spoke to his new friend. "I'll see you later. I've got a kingdom to save."

"Back atcha, Evan." Cheren knuckled him. "My operatives will help you all the way."

"Are ya feelin' better now, Lass?" Panini asked Tani.

"Aye… I'll be orright. May the best girlfriend win, Panini."

"I guess that'll be both of us!"

"I'm helping you, too, Maria." Cheadle told her. "I can't save Mobius without your help, or Queen Peach's. Our next objective is saving her."

"This will be the best mother/daughter bonding experience ever!"

"Yes, Maria, it will." Cheadle sighed in dismay.

Miko Kubota was about to board a Hinobi truck with her old team. She turned at seeing Sector Q follow her. "You guys don't have to come with me. We'll find Mitch… but you don't have to get hurt for our sake, anymore."

"Maybe… but it wouldn't feel very satisfying unless we saw the mission through to the end." Quill replied. "We promised to help you find all your friends… so, we gotta finish. But we'll leave you to your fight."

"…Alright then."

"Nextgen Pirates, hoist the colors!" Cheren proclaimed from atop his flagship, the Reign Supreme. It was white with red royal banners and a figurehead of himself wearing a crown. "You all have your duties, so let's beat the Four Emperors! Every last one! We will-"

"WE WILL BECOME THE KING OF THE PIRATES!" Sheila jumped him from behind and stole the spotlight! "Hey, I was doin' this a lot longer than you were."

"Blurb… at least they get the point."

"YAAAAAAARRRR!"