Warriors of Sky, Part 6: Inner Conflict

Inkopolis; nighttime

As soon as twilight set, the Squid Sisters took their place onstage: Callie had purple leggings and long, twin black hair-tentacles, and Marie had green leggings and white hair tied in a bow. Both wore dark scaly dresses and black shoes. "GOOD EVENING, Inkopolis!" Callie announced with enthusiasm. Like all Inklings, her voice sounded like gurgling and was somewhat incomprehensible to human ears. "It's been a while since we've been on our homeworld! Let's celebrate this visit by making the best Turf War ever!"

"'The best Turf War ever'?" Marie questioned. "Talk about overhyping. You're just going to make everyone upset in the end."

"Hey, don't say that! Emperor Skaios is watching, so this battle needs ALL the hype! With Team Squitaba vs. Team Squam, this is sure to be an epic Turf War!"

"Yeah, but doesn't Squam have some new kid on the team? And it's a human. He's gonna get splat big time, and not in a good way."

"It sucks that he's on YOUR team then! Now, let's spice up this battle with a little song! And remember, guys:"

"Staaaay fresh!" they both cheered and posed for their adoring fans.

Artie Gilligan was armed with a blue ink gun and pack, standing with Squam and two other male Inklings. "So like, is this paint we're shooting, or do you guys harvest your own ink?"

"This guy's gonna suck." a hatted Inkling said.

"For your information, I'm an excellent marksman! I just have a natural curiosity for alien cultures."

"Well, if you're low on ink, just get some from the hydrants." Squam instructed. "Otherwise, you'll have a pretty hard time at this sport. …Okay, it's starting. Ready your weapons!" (Play "Ink Me Up" from Splatoon!)

All four splatters on either side divided and filled the town with color. Artie was equipped with a standard Sploosher, shooting globs at a rapid pace. His team also equipped him with several grenades, which required ink from his gun before he could throw them and explode a wider area in goop. "YIPE!" He dodged just inches from a sniper shot, leaving a long trail of orange ink. Artie saw the enemy Inkling up on a high ledge, but since his gun couldn't shoot that far, he attached a Squirt Rocket onto the cock. He pumped it with ink and launched up, the Inkling dodging before it exploded.

"Yo, get up there and catch her!" Artie yelled to the hatted Inkling, squirting an ink trail for him to squid up the wall. Low on ink, Artie filled up at the nearest hydrant. It was then a ponytailed orange Inkling (Inkabeth) dropped down to his level, beginning to cover his blue trail with a large orange roller. Artie thought the best plan was to shoot her directly, but Inkabeth moved swiftly toward a box, breaking it to find a Mega Mushroom. She ate it and grew to giant size, smirking at the frightened Artie. The boy bolted away as her steamroller weapon inked the width of the road.

Squam came rocketing on Inkpacks, stopping just in front of Inkabeth's face and grabbing his exhaust ports to spray ink in her giant face. Artie thanked him and resumed splatting the area. He broke a few boxes as well and found a Rain Bomb. By filling and launching it sky high, it rained blue over the region. Alas, Squillie began to shoot Squirt Rockets and cover some of that ground, so Artie hurried up and threw a bomb at her. Squillie took damage from the burst of blue, running to hide in her own ink to recover strength.

"Sucky thing about humans is," Artie dodged with a gasp when Squitaba nearly shot him with twin pistols, "if you get inked, you gotta take a long shower. We just need a quick dip in our own goop!"

"At least I have the bones to be bad!" Artie shot back, to which she dodged. "N-Not that I'm bad, I mean I'm bad to the bone. It's funny 'cause you don't have bones."

"Can it, Vertebrae!" Squitaba squid-slid right up to him, both up close and personal and shooting directly over each other's shoulders. They shot from various angles, but their keen dodging caused either one to miss. It almost looked like they were dancing, for both were quite enjoying this exercise. Orange was at Artie's back and blue at Squitaba's back. It came to end when the human dropped a grenade right between them. The explosion blew them both back, completely soaking Artie in his own color. But this gave him an idea, as he ran to an empty part of road and rolled himself, leaving ink behind.

Unfortunately, another opponent named Squidella came stroking a brush on the road, marking Artie with orange just before he tripped her. He was back on his feet and shooting the painter, but she twirled her brush in defense and sloshed ink back. "Artie, switch with me!" His teammate, Inthan tossed him his Ink Parasol, to which Artie gave his Sploosher. While Inthan dealt with Squitaba, Artie opened his parasol in defense against Squidella's blows.

Squidella submerged to replenish ink, but Artie chucked a grenade behind her, then shot where she was, severely damaging her from both ends. Artie held the trigger and released his umbrella like a rocket, covering a long path in ink. "Switch back!" Artie and Inthan returned their weapons. Squitaba glared at Artie with rivaling eyes, both running in parallel fashion and shooting constant ink, missing each other, but marking more territory.

Squitaba performed a great spin jump over Artie, surrounding him with rings of orange. Then, she submerged and began to circle him, Artie shooting a trail after her, but she jumped out and shot him, his left face orange. As he wiped off, she submerged again, getting behind and shooting, but Artie dodge-rolled and shot a Squirt Rocket, Squitaba dodging in the nick of time. He rushed over and refueled his ink, but Squitaba got close again and let loose.

This time, Artie braved her ink and forced his gun against her neck—she immediately brought her foot up and kicked it aloft. Artie planted his foot in her face and leapt, reclaiming the gun, slapping a Squirt Rocket over it. Squitaba had to wipe the blue footprint off her face, but her eyes opened to the rocket directly in front. Her life flashed before her eyes as her world was washed in blue. Squitaba flew back, defeated, left to lay in a puddle of peanut-butter and blue jam. (End song.)

"TIME IS UP!" the Squid Sisters declared. "Let's see the results." Callie said.

"Orange Team covered 102.7 square feet." Marie observed. "And Blue Team covered… 103.2! Yes! My team is the winner!"

"Darn it! I guess that human was more fresh than we anticipated!"

"WOOHOO! Gooo, Artiiiie!" Haylee cheered. Harry, Aurora, and Kirie offered their praise.

"Bravo, bravo!" Monaca clapped. "Wasn't that wonderful, Skaios? Monaca wishes she could get down and dirty like an Inkling."

"Aye, it was… truly splendid!" Skaios tried to be hyped for this battle. But something in his chest was weighing him down.

"That was amazing, Artie!" Squam praised, shaking his partner's hand. "You've got the juice of a real Inkling!"

"I'll say!" Squitaba came, offering her hand with a grin. "No man ever out-squirted me like you did!"

"Thanks, Squitaba!" Artie took her hand—it turned out to be a buzz-zapper hidden beneath her ink, but instead of a zap, Artie was drenched in orange.

"Nya ha-a-a-a-a!"

"Oh, very funny."

"Awesome job, Artie!" Harry said as his friends crossed the ink to join him.

"Guys, I've decided." Artie balled his fist and spoke with passion. "I'm going to become a splatter!"

"Not in those clothes. Clean up, Artie." Aurora ordered.

After Artie took a quick shower and changed clothes, the operatives met with the Hope Pirates in the Inkopolis Square, with Skaios in Monaca's lap. "Well, maties, ye sure know how to get down and dirty like real pirates." Skaios sported a grin. "Ay reckon you're fit to work with us!"

"Ufufu. That's nice, Skaios, but that decision is up to Captain Nagisa." Monaca replied.

The boy was silent for a moment, hesitating. "About that… we've been discussing with the Commanders about this matter—about a potential war with the other Yonko. And we're having difficulty trying to decide the best course, including whether or not to…ahem, trust you."

"But we have nothing against you guys." Aurora replied. "Er, except one of your crewmen did kidnap Vanellope, soooo… we'd appreciate if you could ask him to return her." She smiled awkwardly.

"C'mon, Nagisa, they just wanna rescue their friends." Yuta said. "Let's help them out! I'd save you all if you were caught by the Yonko."

"I would like to, but it's not as easy as saying 'Yes.' As the captain, I want to ensure we arrive at a wise decision."

"Nagisa, can I be captain when you're done?" Kotoko asked.

"No way!" Masaru stated. "Last time you were captain, you made everyone collect 100 chestnuts and perform in a play."

"No one ever picks me to be captain." Jataro said. "Probably because I would shame the kingdom with my hideous figure."

"Ay say we can trust 'em, totally!" Skaios beamed.

"That isn't your decision, Skaios, it's the captain's. Well, Nagisa?" Monaca asked.

"Please, be quiet!" Nagisa shouted. "I…I have a lot to think about and it's been a long day. Perhaps we should all get some rest. Sector V, we'll talk with you tomorrow."

"Okay, I guess. We better look for Sheila and the others before they get in trouble again." Aurora figured.

"Yeah, you go on ahead." Harry said. "…I actually wanna talk with that band."

Inkopolis News Studio; Squid Sisters' room

On top of being star performers, the Squid Sisters also served as news reporters for their city and the Free Kingdom. They had returned to their own private room in the studio, enjoying Prism Juice to heal their throats.

"Boy, Marie, your team sure kicked butt today." Callie praised. "That human was more impressive than I expected."

"I guess he was pretty cool. Y'know, that Kokichi guy called me earlier. He said Sector V came here to crush the pirates and claim the kingdom for themselves."

"Really? You think they would return us to Prism Island?"

"I dunno. He's probably lying, anyway. Still, why else would they be here?"

"Who knows? Oh?" They heard a knock at the door. "I'll get that." Callie walked up and answered. Harry was there. "Hi! Have we met?"

"Uh, no. My name's Harry; I'm with Sector V."

"Oh, I could've sworn you were an Inkling! Those dreads look like tentacles."

"R-Really?" Harry blushed, touching his dreads. "Heh, I guess they do. Anyway, I was watching the battle a moment ago and… I gotta tell ya, I really dig your music." He smiled sheepishly.

"So we've heard." Marie replied nonchalantly. "You seem to have good taste, for a human."

"Yeah, we don't know too many outsiders who are fans of us!" Callie beamed.

"The thing is, I'm kind of a singer myself, so… Well, I mostly do rap, but still, I was wondering if you would teach me how to sing like you sometime."

"I'm not sure if I feel up to teaching Inkling to a human." Marie replied. "But if you're more into rap, we know another band we could hook you up with: Off the Hook. Pearl and Marina are the freshest rappers around."

"Wow, cool! Do they live nearby?"

"They should be down the hall. Marie, take him to introduce him! I have to use the little squid's room." Callie ran into the bathroom.

"Sigh, why me? Whatever." Marie got up and escorted Harry outside. "Come on."

Callie peeked outside to check that they were gone. She held one of her hair-tentacles up by her ear. It became an old-school telephone. "Calling Ineptune." The other end rung for a second before someone picked up.

"Callie, dear, is that you?"

"Yes, it's me. Listen, Sector V of the KND showed up in the Free Kingdom, and I heard they're planning to crush the Sky God Pirates."

"Fascinating. Our spies say the other crews had run-ins with KND as well. This can't be a coincidence. Is there anything else? Is the Mobian Chancellor still in your kingdom?"

"I'm pretty sure, but I'll look into it. Oh, and… there was one other thing. I overheard from the Mushroom Princess that the Sky Gods were planning to ambush the Kremling Krew. I'm not exactly sure when."

"Yes, Kroctus anticipated that the attack on Mobius would draw their attention. But thanks, anyway. Keep tabs on the chancellor, Kroctus plans to have her captured when all the chaos starts. And same for Princess Louise. Bowser still wants both of Peach's little brats. Report tomorrow."

"Aye-aye." She hung up. She said to herself, "'Course, the declaration of war hasn't happened, yet~" She winked.

By eating the Call-Call Fruit, Callie is able to call people like a telephone, regardless of distance. All she must do is first touch her receivers. If she so chose, she could deafen her receivers with loud ringing. …HAH! Her name's Callie and she has a phone power! I love accidental humor.

Towa City; the Light of Hope

The Hope Pirates returned to their ship, after which Monaca carried Skaios to her private corridor. When her friends were out of earshot, Monaca recapped what the commanders discussed. Or rather, her own version of what they discussed.

"The other Yonko declared war on us?"

"It's true." Monaca nodded with a smile. "The Yonko have agreed to ban together to take our liberated islands and divide them. But that isn't the worst part. Sector V is working for them also, with the promise they'll return their captured friends."

"S…Sector V? Does that include… all of them?"

"Well, yes, I would think so. Unless the Will of Rebellion awakens inside them and they abandon care for their friends, they'll likely betray us. Commander Sasuke's plan is to just destroy them entirely. But you don't need to worry; Captain Nagisa is forming the perfect solution. He's highly dependable. Still, he's just a teeny bit overwhelmed, so I wouldn't bring this up with him."

"Um… Okay."

"That's all I wanted to tell you. Don't let it dampen your spirits! But please excuse me; Monaca needs to use the crippled ladies' room. Ufufu! Monaca gets so embarrassed when she tries to use that complicated toilet." She set Skaios down and continued before entering a bathroom.

Indeed, the toilet in Monaca's bathroom had twin crutches to help her prop herself onto it, hoops with which to situate her legs, and other hoops for her hands. Her father had specially installed it after he "accidentally" crippled her… but Monaca had no intention of using such a degrading setup.

Instead, she pushed herself off her wheelchair and used psychic to open a ceiling hatch and unravel a ladder. With her own hands and perfectly functional feet, she climbed the ladder.

Once up in her secret room, she took her place at a desk and began writing with a feather pen. "Dear Lord Mandy, I have just attended a meeting with the Sky God Commanders. They are planning to invade your kingdom of Hyrule on the date of February 16. In fact, you should be receiving a declaration of war sometime beforehand. And it seems Nagisa, their fiercely intelligent current captain, is developing the battle plan. I hope you'll be able to make them despair, my queen. –Li'l Despair."

Monaca folded the letter, put it in an envelope, and slipped it into a Vanishing Box. Somewhere on Hyrule, a Miniblin opened the box and found the letter. They gave it to a Kargarok, who cawed eerily and flew to wherever Lord Mandy was.

"Ufufu. The Four Emperors are so fixed on building up their empire, they fail to look for faulty building blocks. They'll be torn up from the outside and inside, and that'll be super-duper despair-inducing. But Monaca can't wait!" She raised her arms and twirled like a gleeful little girl. "Monaca will use this war to open up the gates of Hell! So many souls will fall to the darkness!"

She ceased and gazed at a massive painting on her wall. "Isn't that right… Lord Ganon?" It was as if the Dark Lord's beaming visage were gazing at her from beyond the grave. "Well… time to forge that declaration of war."

Downstairs

Just as Skaios turned to head back, he gasped when Midna rose out of his shadow. "Ah! So, that's where you were. …Hey, you said you're with Sector V. Is what Monaca said-"

"No, she's lying." Midna said firmly. "Sector V never made contact with the other Emperors and they had no intention to sabotage your crew. For whatever reason, that girl's trying to trick you."

"Argh… but how do I know YOU aren't trying to trick me?! Monaca's been me mate for two years, and ye only just showed up this morning!"

"It's true that we don't condone what you've been doing, but our priority right now has been establishing an alliance. And you yourself stated that you approve of us."

"Yeah, but me mates haven't decided, yet."

Midna folded her arms in quizzical fashion. "I wonder, Skaios, just how much power do you HAVE over your own crew? You are the Emperor, right?"

"That's just an honorific… or something. But I am equal to all mortals, in existence and rank!"

"No you are not! The gods designed mortals to learn things that even they could not, but a god's responsibility is to guide mortals when they seek help. There are also some gods that rule their own kingdom of mortals, like Darkrai or Kyogre, but while they don't try to interfere with their activities, they protect them. Since you created this kingdom, and this pirate crew, it's your duty to lead them. You should've taken part in that commander meeting."

"But meetings are boring!"

"It doesn't matter! Running a kingdom and an organization is hard work that takes strong leadership, and it doesn't help that your crewmen constantly throw the hat around. Even if your crewmen have more leadership experience, you're still a major member of this crew and you have to show interest."

"Augh, just SHUT UP!" Skaios grabbed and tugged his bandanna downward. "Ever since you've been here, I haven't been meself! All you do is make me feel bad about the things I do every day, and make me feel bad about my freedom. And why should I feel bad for thinking I'm equal to the mortals?!"

"Because not everyone is born equal. Everyone is born with different elements and different talents. Some Haki users are better at using the art than other users. It's their job to lead the people who are weaker. Even if you are a mortal and not a god, you have a duty to lead these pirates, because you're the one who brought them together."

"Urgh. Why… can't you just leave me alone? Making me feel so… weak. Why do you even care about me?"

"Because we're brethren. We were both created from Arceus's harvested chi and bread by the trolls."

"The who?"

"But if you'd rather I leave you alone, then I… huh?!" An unseen force took hold of Midna. "'The hell is… AAAAH!" The princess went flying down the hall.

"Midna?! MIDNA!" Skaios blasted after her.

Evermore; a few minutes ago

"Nee hee hee hee! Oh, I can't wait to start playing with my new kingdom!" Kokichi beamed, sitting at an outdoor café from where he observed a scaled model of the city. "I'm gonna turn this mining camp into a massage parlor, this weapons guild into a beauty salon, and these muscly men are gonna work there! Oh, especially Fitch. I bet a back massage from him will feel like Miami and Heaven mixed into one."

"Hey! Kokichi!" The devious liar frowned and turned to face Dillon and Chris. "I want Vanellope back!"

"Oh, come to get your favorite toy back, huh?"

"Don't test me! You tricked Vanel into betting herself 'cause you knew she was brainwashed! Tani's dad told us how your Devil Fruit works, so tell Vanel she can come back to us."

"But you know I can take her back any time, right? I can't just give her away. You have to beat me in a bet first."

"Fine, but it better be an easy one." Chris stated. "I'm really not in the mood for any more crap, especially with how twisted this kingdom is."

"The bet will be a guessing game. Specifically, 'I bet you guys can't guess what my element is.'"

"Your element?" Dillon asked. "Like, 'bending' element? Like my Shadow?"

"Yes, exactly."

"That's simple enough, they told us you were a-"

"AP-BUP-BUP." Kokichi silenced him. "First, you have to bet something of your own, or Penelope won't officially be yours again."

"Fine, I bet my shoes."

"Seriously, you're weighing your own friend against cheap footwear? That won't work, you need something of almost equal value."

"Fine, then I bet Midna!"

"WHOA whoa whoa!" Chris halted him. "You can't be serious, Dillon!"

"C'mon, I'm Midna's chosen Guardian, there's no way she'll listen to anyone else, even in a bet." Dillon whispered through grit teeth.

"Nnh… I hope you're right."

"So, have you decided your bet?" Kokichi asked, smiling wryly.

"Yes, I bet Midna against Vanellope, whoever wins takes both, right?"

"Very well, then the bet is sealed! I bet you can't guess my element!"

"I bet I CAN guess it! You're a darknessbender!"

"ANCK! I'm a timebender!"

"WHAT?! You're a darknessbender, we saw your aura at the stadium!"

"Yeah, and it didn't look anything like Time Chi." Chris replied.

"Well, you're wrong! I AM a timebender and I'll show you." Kokichi walked up to Dillon and took his hand.

"…?!" Everything began to move in slow motion. Kokichi took Dillon for a short stroll around Evermore. The citizens were almost frozen; he estimated two minutes to finish a single step. Butterflies hung in the air. The breeze was thin. Time had slowed down.

Kokichi returned Dillon to Chris and let go, restoring time's flow. "Huh, what happened?" Chris asked.

"He just slowed time!"

"What?!"

"The bet is won! I am a timebender, and Kokichi gets Midna!"

Before he knew it, the Spirit Ball flew right out of Dillon's pocket! It headed for Kokichi—but it curved around him and into the hand of… the real Kokichi! "AH HAHAHAHAHA!" His face shone with malice. "You fell for it! You actually fell for it, hook line and sinker! I already told you my crewmen could make bets on my behalf."

"A fake?! But then who…"

The fake took off his wig and revealed to be a gray-skinned alien. "What's up, bitches?!"

"ROGER THE ALIEN?!" the boys screamed.

"AAAH HA HA HA HA! You didn't recognize him at all! He didn't paint his skin or nothin'! Ha ha! Ha hahaha! You had no idea he was one of my crewmates!" Kokichi was practically dying from laughter. https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/danganronpa/images/f/fd/Danganronpa_V3_Kokichi_Oma_Halfbody_Sprite_%2831%29.png/revision/latest?cb=20180506071406

"Very funny, you bastard. Midna won't listen to you, anyway!"

"Midna, I command you to return to me!" Kokichi raised the Spirit Ball.

"You're really trying my patience, buddy!" Chris grabbed him by the scruff. "You better make a new bet and let us win, or I'll roast you alive!"

"Aaaaahhh—uuh!" Midna crashed and bounced on the ground by Kokichi.

"Good timing. Midna, throw this guy away."

"Huh?!" Midna gasped, obeying her order and snatching Chris in a Hair Hand, throwing him elsewhere. "Dillon, what the hell is happening?!"

"Dillon wagered you in a bet and he lost! I'M your new Guardian now!" Kokichi's expression was one of nightmares. In this moment, he felt like he had all the power in the world. https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/danganronpa/images/e/e9/Danganronpa_V3_Kokichi_Oma_Halfbody_Sprite_%2832%29.png/revision/latest?cb=20180506071407

"Dillon, is that true?!"

"I-I didn't think it would work! His Devil Fruit couldn't be that powerful!"

"Well, it is! Say good-bye, because Midna is a member of my crew, and of the Sky God Pirates!"

"She is?…" A new voice spoke from above. Skaios had pursued Midna and was surprised by this revelation.

"Ahh, Skaios, good timing. Guess what, two of Sector V's members are in our crew now. Why don't the rest of you just give up and join us?"

"He tricked me!" Dillon yelled at Skaios. "Tell him to give back our friends!"

"He's not the current captain!" Kokichi refuted. "Besides, when I was captain, I decreed that I could take whatever I want with my powers and do whatever. It's a Free Kingdom, right Skaios?"

Skaios found all eyes on him: the operatives, the pirates, nearby townsfolk, but especially Midna. Hers was the kind of glare only a big sister would make. It was the sign of that final exam where he was expected to do the right thing. It made him anxious. Skaios would always just rule Kokichi's actions as having fun, but with Midna watching him… he did the one thing he'd never do. "Kokichi… g-give Midna back."

Now, this was a curious sight. It was interesting enough for the Evermore citizens to record the scene on their Leafbooks. Everyone could only stare at Skaios before Kokichi spoke. "What?"

"Um… M-Midna should be free to pick her own team. You shouldn't force her to be in yours."

"Well, technically it's not her choice, it's Dillon's choice. That's why he was able to bet her. Now it's my choice, but the point is it isn't hers."

"Well, I still choose to be with Dillon." Midna said firmly. "And it was also my choice to get to know you, Skaios. Dillon didn't order me to."

"Oh, so you were seeing Skaios behind our backs? Obviously, she was trying to manipulate him." Kokichi replied while casually checking his nails. https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/danganronpa/images/4/49/Danganronpa_V3_Kokichi_Oma_Halfbody_Sprite_%2825%29.png/revision/latest?cb=20180506071403

"I was not, I was offering him advice. Now, give me back to Dillon!"

"Never! I'm the boss of you now, so you follow MY orders! Heck, I can even make you my girlfriend! Now kiss me, mmmwwww…" Against her better judgment, Midna and Kokichi had locked lips.

Blood swelled to Skaios' head, so he kicked Kokichi with such speed that he crashed into and collapsed the wall of a shop. The Ultimate Liar felt not pain, but shock as he climbed out. The sight of Skaios' fuming face was truly astonishing. "…All I did was kiss her. I should have the freedom to kiss whoever I want. That's the law of this kingdom, right? There are only moral laws."

". . . . Grrrrrhhhhh!" It seemed Skaios was trying to squeeze his own head. "Nyaaah-haa-haaaa! What the hell is happening to me?!" No matter how much he squeezed, answers would not pop into his brain. "I'm the God of Freedom! I listen to no one and order no one! I've always been free, so why do I feel so cramped?! Why do I feel so… heavyyyy?" Skaios plopped onto the ground. "Wah ha haaaaaah! Wwwaaaaaahhhh!" A stream flowed from his eye, and everyone feared to get close.

Midna gently scooped him up in her Hair Hands. "I'm taking him to his room. Excuse me, 'Captain.'" And off she flew.

"Sigh… Hormones are such a pain." Kokichi said.

"Midna…" Dillon could hardly believe such a development occurred, or that it was thanks to Midna. "Hm… Chris, let's go back to the Sunny. We'll settle this tomorrow, Kokichi." His recovered friend provided no comment on the situation, and they left the town quietly.

Sunny Day

"That should about do it." Haruka said after repairing Tani's last wound. "I recommend getting rest, but you should be ready to fight again in the morning."

"That's good. But I recommend having Sheila's head examined." Tani glared at the Faunus, who was seated on a chair with her head bowed.

"C'mon, don't blame Sheila." Mason said. "We didn't know what Skaios' power was. And besides, I think it's wearing off."

"Aye. Me head feels woozy." Sheila said. "I got carried away. I'm sorry, Tani. Because of me, you all got kicked out of your kingdom."

"Well, it's gonna take more than that. You lot are here to make an alliance with Skaios, but I'd sooner skewer the brat. We're on opposite sides."

"Tani, we want to help you, too." Haruka said. "We'd like to persuade Skaios to return all these islands. …And beat the ever-living snot out of Kokichi."

"Sigh… If nothing else, I just want to see Evan's face again. I just want to save him. But he's trapped in that bloody flagship."

"Oi, Tani!" Batu barged in. "Check your Leafbook!"

"My what? Oh." Tani pulled out a phone designed like a leaf. "What's… this?"

"The townspeople were all recording it. Skaios had a breakdown in the middle of Evermore. Kicked Kokichi like the soccer ball he is!"

The operatives eagerly ran to see this on the Leafbook. Many people were making comments on the dramatic conflict. There was also a post from Roger that said, You think this Kokichi costume looks kinky?

"…Haha, he really does look like a soccer ball!" Mason laughed.

"And that isn't the only thing." Batu said. "Take a look at what the crewmen are posting."

Other posts revealed pictures and videos from other islands. In Towa City, all the children were either tired or crying. "My big brother got hurt because of me!" a boy cried.

"M-My mom was in the race earlier. Is she okay?" a girl asked.

"My daddy, too. I know he was mean, but…but I'm worried about him."

"The Will of Rebellion." Haruka instantly realized what was wrong. "It's disappearing."

"Is this because of Skaios?" Mason asked. "Did he… lose his will to rebel, too?"

Orchid Island; hospital

"RAY-RAY!" Juniper charged up the stairs and halls ceaselessly.

"So, you're FINALLY worried about him!" Monroe said reprovingly, panting as he chased her. "When your parents hear about this, you won't be resting for a year!"

"Ray-Ray…" She finally arrived at her brother's room. "Ray-Ray, I'm sorry. I never should've let you fight."

"Nnnh… Hey, June. Does this mean I'll get my own pyramid?" Indeed, no part of him was visible under his bandages. "Get it? 'Cause I'm a mummy."

"Huhe… Ray-Ray." June let out a chuckle, smiling in relief that he had enough energy to crack jokes.

Light of Hope; deck

"Hey, does anyone else feel weird?" Jataro asked his friends. "It's true that no one can get weirder than me, but the weirdness I feel is just a tiny bit different from my usual level…"

Masaru and Kotoko's glum expressions gave him an answer. "Is what we're doing… right?" Kotoko asked.

"How could it not be?" Nagisa replied. "Our parents were monsters. Even if we felt a tinge of regret in killing them, it was far better than suffering."

"Yeah, of course it was." Masaru nodded. "Right, Yuta?"

"Huh? Uhm…" The swimmer meekly rubbed his arm. Of course, he had only lied about killing his own parents… He couldn't imagine doing something so awful, whether they were bad people or not. "Maybe, but… I feel like things have gotten out of hand."

"Out of hand, Yuta?" His heart lightly skipped a beat when he heard Monaca's voice. Her wide eyes were peering into his heart. "What are you saying? Have you forsaken our ideals?"

"N-No, of course not. We were just talking, and…"

"Just talking?" There was a mild rise of anger. "You should be talking about our next plan. What island shall we take next? What oppressed peoples need saving?"

"Monaca, I've been thinking a lot about our next plan." Nagisa said with a calm composure. "I care about the welfare of our kingdom, but… a war is another story. We are unprepared. We do not have the resources. And our kingdom feels… unstable."

"I'm disappointed with you all. You, Nagisa, for showing weakness when you're supposed to be leading us." Sweat began to trickle down him like a waterfall. "And the rest of you, for forgetting all the great work we did. We can make the universe a better place by liberating all the evil adults. And the Yonko are our highest priority. If we win this war, we will change the universe."

"But for the sake of our kingdom, we should try to avoid war."

"And do the Yonko sympathize with your opinion, Nagisa? Nooo… they will strike us when we're helpless. And we'll be most helpless… if our leader fails."

"No…No, I will not fail. I'm sorry, Monaca. I will do my absolute best for our crew. I'll stay up all night and develop 20 strategies."

"Good, Nagisa!" Monaca smiled. "Monaca is proud of your diligence. The rest of you should show diligence, too. Train your hearts out for the upcoming battle. Monaca will depend on each of you." And she returned to the cabin. The five remaining warriors shared nods and marched to their rooms. Yuta mentally cursed himself for not speaking up. Even if he could resist Skaios' will, it was harder to resist Monaca's.

Saint Rosalina

"Are you two feeling better?" Cheadle asked Romeo and Kiki.

"My head's a bit achy, but I'm alright." Kiki replied.

"Yeah, thanks Ms. Yorkshire." Romeo said. "What did we miss out on?"

"Nothing much." Maria answered. "But we need to take Dogmom to Queen Peach."

"Don't call me 'Dogmom'! Peach is Dogmom! I mean, she's Mommom! …Ugh!"

"Chill out." Louise said. "I'll have Squam and Squitaba sneak you onboard a Hat Ship first thing in the morning. I won't be going myself, of course."

"What about June?" Oliver asked. "Or the other cruise ship passengers? Shouldn't we help them?"

"Not without backup." Wendy replied regretfully. "This is too big a job for our little team. Let's find somewhere to sleep and be ready to leave early."

"Yeah, anywhere that isn't this ship." Phil said. "This place smells like seal doo."

They disembarked and climbed back down to Inkopolis. From the Rosalina's roof, a red-eyed ninja watched them.

Strong Island

The Cloudcoil Pirates all met a few yards away from the docking bay, reviewing the Leafbooks once more. "I've never seen Skaios look this weak." Khunbish said.

"How long you reckon he'll be upset?" Munokhoi asked.

"I don't know." Tani replied, a spark of passion in her eyes. "But I'm tired of waiting. First thing tomorrow, I think we should do it."

"Do what, lass?" Batu asked.

"Rescue Evan, of course!"

"D-Don't get ahead of yourself! His ship is still heavily guarded, and he'll skewer us the second he catches wind. A little sadness ain't gonna stop a Pirate Emperor."

"He attacked Kokichi for taking one of Sector V's friends! That means he would have to let us take Evan back, too. But I'm sick of waiting, so let's fight! We'll message all the fighters in Evermore and ask them to join us. We'll get Evan, and then we'll flee this kingdom! Then we'll round up our allied armies, and find other allies, and we'll come back for Evermore!"

"And what of Sunny Fist?" Khunbish asked. "Shall we ask their help?"

"They just want to ally with Skaios. Helping us will put them on his bad side. We're Evan's subordinates. It should be us."

"Ugh… You're too reckless, lass. But that's all my fault." Batu said. "Orright. Send word and rest up, lads. We're getting our king back. Bringing him back to the sun."