Operation: REVERT, Part 1: The Diary of King Kroctus

Crocodile Isle, Mushroom World; 53 years ago

There was a wretched disease that plagued many worlds of the universe. That disease was called diversity. And in a world where there was so much diversity, so many races living together, some races were bound to be better than others, not just in strength, but in power. And my race was near the bottom of the food chain.

Crocodile Isle was a murky, unpleasant island that was away from any trade routes. The villages were half-submerged in the swamps that were our natural habitats. We were the Kremling Klan: humanoid crocodiles that walked and talked like any other species on this planet. We were more intelligent than Piranha Plants, stronger than Goombas… and stronger than Toads.

If Earth had Caucasian humans, then Mushroom had Toads. …And Caucasian humans. The most prosperous towns are run by Toads, and you would be lucky to find one with Goombas or Koopas living amongst them. Why were our races oppressed? I don't really remember. What I do remember is my first interaction with a Toad. He was some nobleman, rather tall for a Toad, with a white robe and blue spots, yet he was barely a few inches taller than my brothers and I.

We were 10 years old when I fought him. Our neighborhood gang was cheering for me, and it drew the attention of other townsfolk. I ran at the Toad with a headbutt, but one swing from his golden hammer was enough to send me back. "Ya almost had him, Kroctus!" cheered Krusha, a blue, muscular Kremling boy.

"Do a belly bump!" yelled Klump, an obese purple Kremling. Taking his advice, I ran for the nobleman and leapt forth with my golden belly first, and the Toad fell on his back. The krowd cheered me, but the Toad only grew angry.

"That's it! You've tried my patience, brat!" He grabbed a Fire Flower from his pocket and ate it, using his temporary bending to throw fireballs at me. I bounced them back with my gold stomach, but they came too quickly, and they scorched the left side of my face.

As my friends cried my name, we felt the ground shake. The Khief of our island was coming, a very massive Kremling that dwarfed most trees, wearing a horned skull crown and his expression most grim. He was the kind who would make snacks out of Toads like him. Or at least… I wish he was. "Oh, please forgive them, Minister Hay D.!" pled Krumdy Lumsy, his eyes close to tearing. And yes, they were honest tears. "They're only children. They don't know anything. Th-That's why we needed the extra funding for our school."

"It's clear to me that these mindless reptiles won't learn a thing no matter how much funding you have! There's no reason to waste it in this island. Now, would your offspring please clear a path for me to leave?"

"Y-Yes, Minister. OUT OF THE WAY!" His cowardice tone quickly turned to that of a king, and the Kremlings moved away in fear. No one tried to stop Hay D. on his way off the island.

"I told you not to pick a fight with that man." said my youngest brother, Klammy Rool as he placed a warm bag over my burning eye. Normally an ice bag was preferred, but as we are a cold-blooded race, it would only make things worse. "Honestly, Kroctus, being the strongest is not all that matters."

"Better than being a pushover like that fat coward. You hear me, dumbass?! YOU'RE A PUSS!"

"Now, son," Krumdy began gently, "I know that man was a bit rude, but that was no reason to get rough with him. Otherwise, you prove to be the very thing you despise-"

"Just go back to your kruddy house, Krumdy!" retorted my middle-age brother, Kruckers, who shot rocks at the giant's snout with his slingshot. "Or better yet, get yer arse out of there and let us take over, aye?!"

"Ho ho hokay. I'll let you kids go back to your playtime." Krumdy chuckled before leaving.

It made me sick whenever he talked. Referring to me as "son" when we weren't related—he calls all the boys "son" for your information—not even bothering to scold us, he was a disgrace to this island.

I won't get into the details of my childhood. I was a troublemaker, as you can guess, and leader of all the crocs in my klass. We pulled pranks on townspeople and scared away tourists, regardless of their regal status or reason for visiting. Our father was Kold Rool, and he was an abusive arse that was practically glued to his chair. But if I was thankful of him for something, it was toughening us up.

Some people think our attitude is a result of our island's poor lifestyle, which in itself is a result of the prejudice views of the wealthier races. All I knew is that my characteristics were shared amongst even the adults of my Klan, minus the Khief. I began to think that our violent nature was a part of our biology. And only one year later, our island received another visitor. Another one of very royal status.

"I can't believe you made us come here, Kamek." complained a young Koopa with developing horns and a spiked shell. "This place smells like rotten toothpaste!"

"Mind your manners, Prince Bowser." The blue-robed Magikoopa replied. "We are looking to make 'friends' for you, not enemies."

"Sorry, lady, you missed that chance the second you set foot here!" The Koopas stopped and looked up when I dropped down from the treetops, shaking the ground. "We don't take too kindly to outsiders. You wanna walk any farther, you have to get through us!"

My Krew jumped out of the swamp and ambushed the Koopa guards. Kamek shot a magic spell at me, but it was blocked by a large rock thrown by Kruckers. I ran and threw a punch at the prince's jaw, but Bowser endured and threw an uppercut. Our fists flew, we locked arms and wrestled, and his skull was harder than mine, so my headbutts were useless. This Prince of the Koopas was another visitor who I cared little about, and another I planned to force to leave.

That same visitor… would become my lifelong friend.

As you no doubt know, Lord Bowser made a fool out of me. I lie on the ground, beaten and bruised. And his guards had my brothers and friends fallen. "Gwah hah hah! Boy, these lizards were total wimps!"

"Grrr… I'm not a wimp." I helped himself to my feet. "Let's go at it again, you dumb turtle!"

"I've changed my mind, Prince Bowser." Kamek stated. "This town is not worth our time. And for the record, I'M A MAN!"

"Hang on a second, Kamek! You said you wanted me to make friends, right? Well, I think I just found one."

"What do you mean?" I asked with a glare.

"You may-a heard o' me, but the name's Bowser, Prince of the Koopa Kingdom. We came here to make this island part of our territory. We'd give you money and food and junk, and in return, you give us soldiers to serve in the Koopa Army."

"Well, you won't have a problem doin' that. Our Khief is such a puss, he'll let you build factories here if you wanted."

"Even more of a puss than you?"

"Not even close, dumbass!"

"Gwah hah heh heh…" Bowser smirked and narrowed his red eyes at me. "Ever thought about changing schools, Croc Boy?"

"The name's Kroctus, Turtledumb. Kroctus Rool. These two are my brothers, Kruckers and Kolamitous."

"Actually, it's Klammy." The latter corrected.

"Hey, I'm trying to scare him!"

"Gwah hah! You still ain't scaring me with a name like 'Kroctus Turtledumb.'"

"You bastard!" I threw a punch, but Bowser socked me in the gold belly and knocked me down. "Urgh… what the heck, no one can hit my belly! Your fists should be throbbing by now."

"Then I guess you aren't as strong as you thought you were. Heh… I think I'll like having you in my class."

What Bowser said was no joke. As soon as Crocodile Isle was marked as part of the Koopa Kingdom, my brothers and I were taken by Bowser to Koopa Kore. We shared in his special private royal class, learning to govern kingdoms, manage trades and operations… most of which I did not care about at the time. In fact, I think Bowser didn't either. Naturally, Klammy excelled in the studies. What the rest of us enjoyed were the kombat classes—okay, I'll stop the K's. Kruckers was a great marksman, Klammy was great at building machines and weapons, and naturally, Bowser and I fought each other every chance we had.

On vacations, I would sail with Bowser around the world, seeing all the diverse countries and races. Prism Island, for example, was a colorful paradise where artistry is honored. All kinds of races lived here, most remarkably the Inkling Tribe. Yet, the dominant race, as you guessed, are Toads. They populated the capital and owned the nicest houses around the island, but when Koopas or Goombas marched on their streets, they would receive scornful looks, and the shops would close.

"Yeah, some of this… may be kinda our fault." Bowser told me sheepishly. "My kingdom's kind of infamous for trying to spread our empire to other countries. Kinda like yours, grah har." Oh, so that was why people hated Koopas. "Still, the only reason these Koopas and Goombas live here is because they didn't wanna live under our rule. Heheh, I bet they're regretting that, aren't they? As far as these Toads care, all of us are the same kinda bad."

It was the same in Decalburg, on Isle Delfino, and other towns. Whether they were filled with Toads or not, there was scorn for the Koopas and our similar-looking Kremlings. Yet, the more I learned about it, the less I began to care. I only accepted it as part of our biology to think ourselves superior to others. What I really enjoyed was the seafaring.

It was education I never could have attained at my old school, and it costed nary a coin. On some occasions, we sailed home to Crocodile Isle and learned that our old friends were studying combat at our old school. They were much stronger, but not enough to keep up with us. We studied alongside Bowser until we were 19 years old. He wanted us to serve as generals in his Koopa Army. However… I had plans of my own.

During our studies, we read about pirates, a subject which I became deeply fascinated with. One particular legend was that of a pirate named Kaido, who was called a Pirate Emperor and ruled over legions of animal pirates. I wondered… if I could do something like that. There are all manner of animals who possess no sentience and are treated as little more than prey or pets. True, I have a few Klaptraps and enjoy a good meaty meal, but that only proves my point. Even some crocodiles in the universe are of low intelligence, so I cannot help but sympathize. Even so, it was only Mother Nature at work. But perhaps I could take it a step further. Instead of eating the weaker prey, why not bring them to my side? That became my new goal, and my friends decided to join me.

It was no surprise to Bowser when we began our maiden voyage, on one of his prized airships. "HEEEEEY!" bellowed Kamek, who still sounded like an old lady. "Get back here, you rotten kids!"

"Let 'em go, Kamek." Bowser told him. "This is just a part of graduation."

Our first ship, the Gangplank Galleon, was redecorated with a golden figurehead of my likeness and flew the colors of a crocodile's skull and crossbones. This was the beginning of our journey as the Kremling Krew!

And what goes with a pirate crew than a jovial trumpet song played by Kutlass, one of our squat members? (Play "Gangplank Galleon" from Donkey Kong Country!)

There once was a crocodile

Of the sea

OOOOOHHH!

Old K. Kroctus really gonna pound ya

Kruckers will bury you into the ground-da

Klammy will skin ya inside-out-ta

You ain't never learn ta live like me!

Ooooohhh!

O'er oceans, creepin' up on trade ships

Kannon, Kutlass, we're all gonna skewer them

Off with their heads, it won't take many hits

Sink their souls to the bottom of the ocean

Oh, here comes a happy-go-lucky town

Playing all gaily without a care or a frown

Snotty little Toads playing here all around

AND THEN IT ALL TUMBLES DOWN DOWN DOWN

It sounded like a fun song from far away, but the second that ships would hear it, fear would cloud their hearts. We sunk tons of ships and ravaged towns like Decalburg, Port Prisma, Bubblaine, and Delfino. As we scoured island after island, we amassed more and more unintelligent animals. Surprisingly, I possessed a unique kinship with animals, and teaching them to man ships was a cakewalk for me. We acquired rats, squirrels, fish and frogs, and as we added more ships to our numbers, more Kremlings joined our cause as well.

Oh, and that also included Khief Lumsy's son, Kullin Lumsy. …I didn't care for him. I don't even care that Big Mom's brat made off with him.

Well, I suppose we didn't quite have a cause. At this point, I didn't care about much of anything. I didn't care about prejudice or oppression or even leading my race to greatness. Well, it was obvious that I was leaving a worse impression for my species. I just had fun being a pirate.

I would relish when Klump, our explosives expert, chucked Orange Grenades and blew our victims to pieces. The Zingers would impale them with their stingers as their bodies swelled, the Kutlass twins would cut them to pieces, and our muscular Krunchas and Krushas and Krumples would beat every feeble Toad to a pulp! Whether my Kremlings used fists or guns or bombs, we were an unbeatable force.

I was astonished at how my Krew was steadily growing. I wanted to see how far I could go. Slowly, the world was fearing us almost as much as Bowser. But then, as I was reaching my 30s, and I had made a sort of kingdom out of my Krew, I encountered my worst enemy. (End song.)

DK Isles: home of the richest Golden Bananas ever grown anywhere on the planet. I wanted them in my treasure hordes, and what was meant to be a simple invasion turned into a war with the island's inhabitants, led by the Kong Family. I remember my first grand battle with Donkey Kong, and Kruckers' battle with Diddy Kong, and Klammy's battle with Dixie Kong. These Kongs were fewer in number, yet they rivaled our Krew to no end, and their animal friends would not submit to my demand. Well, we did manage to win over one of their relatives, Manky Kong.

I was desperate to steal those Golden Bananas and win over their loyalty. Yet, I was not prepared for what happened: the Kongs were tired of fighting with me… so, they gathered ancient relics called Crystal Stars, which possessed the powers of space travel of the highest caliber. They made a wish to those stars to transport their very islands to a whole different planet! They took their main island and their Tiki Island to a place where I could never reach them. Or… so they thought.

Bowser had another friend, and his name was Dr. Ivo Robotnik. He was making a name as a criminal on Mobius, and due to his phenomenal wealth, he ruled his own mechanical kingdom. He told us of a planet called Earth, where his grandfather worked for the worldwide military as a scientist. And through his grandfather, he learned of the two strange islands that had miraculously appeared. With Ivo's help, I transported my entire Krew to Earth.

With my army of animals against their tiny islands once again, I was determined to end them once and for all: by using my Blast-O-Matic to destroy DK Isles. Unfortunately, the Kongs were aided by the Earth's military, G.U.N.. An officer of GUN, known as Kameron Drilovsky, seemed to have befriended the Kongs, and led the charge in foiling my operations. He destroyed my Blast-O-Matic and confronted me in my throne room.

He was muscular, but compared to my unbendable physique, I thought I would have the upper hand. But Kameron possessed a martial art known as Haki, which was strong enough to punch through my golden belly. When it first made contact, my stomach compressed and I hacked, giving him the chance to punch me in the jaw. I would not fall that easy, and so our fists exchanged! Even when his iron knuckles made contact with my unenhanced knuckles, and I felt pain course through them, it seemed that he was being weakened by my persistence, his durability falling. Eventually, our hands locked, and I bit him in the neck. As he yelled in pain, I headbutted him, and he was on his back.

I pinned the weakened man down with my foot. "I must confess, Kameron… you are a rare breed of a man. Very rarely do I fight a man of your caliber. Until now, only Bowser could provide such a challenge. A man like you… would be great at my side."

"Heff… it's freaks like you that GUN hates more than anything. The kind of inhuman monsters that ruin our world. I would hate for my family… to grow up in a world controlled by you!"

"Mweh heh har… monsters like me? I wonder if you have a right to say that? My acquaintance told me a little about this planet's history. Not only do you humans slaughter animals for sustenance, but you once segregated your own kind. You fight wars with each other, destroy each other, for one petty reason or another!"

"And who the hell are YOU to say that?!" Kameron shouted as he struggled to escape from me. "Are you some twisted idealist trying to destroy a whole island just to get his backwards message across?!"

"No, that's not what I am at all. I'm not trying to say who is right or wrong. I am simply saying that our will to hate and kill are simply part of our biology! Racism, predator and prey, it's something we all have, in some way, shape, or form. That is a curse we must live with in this diverse universe! To accuse one person of being a monster… is mere HYPOCRISY!" And with one last punch full of rage, his neck cracked, and blood spurted from his mouth. "…Well, that's a shame."

I would have eaten him… but I held respect for this man. So, I tossed him out of my mobile fortress and let his soldiers and family hold a proper funeral for him. Alas, the military would not let me be in peace, and so I had to flee, returning to Planet Mushroom. I had not seen the Kong Family for about 10 years. It was my greatest failure, humiliating to have been chased away. But at least I was still feared on my homeworld.

In the meantime, Bowser had been trying to marry the Princess of Mushroom Kingdom, only to be utterly beaten by a surprisingly strong Mustachio plumber. It was humorous to me. "I know what the problem is, Bowser: it's because you have red eyes!" I laughed. "You remember that old legend, don't you? People with red eyes are cursed with bad luck."

"Oh, really? Well, no wonder you didn't beat those apes! Your eye is still red from when it was burned by that Toad."

"I still have much more luck than you!"

Still, I could not get the Kongs out of my mind. I began to wonder… why did they take that second island with them? So, I did research… and learned something amazing: that "Tiki Island" contained an ancient power that could unify all Animalia. It was the Leptys. I suddenly had an urge to go back there. I sought to know if such a powerful entity could truly control that which dominated the universe.

Yet, I could not casually return without a plan, but I had no reason to ask Bowser or Robotnik to help with my quest. But as fate would have it… my Krew and my resources were desired by a being of terrific power: Negatar Gnaa.

What a terrific time that was: the Firstborn Quest. The Negatar promised to deliver me the daughter of Kameron Drilovsky as a welcoming gift, but the agents that were sent to retrieve her, Nolan York and Danika Anderson, utterly failed. Still, I joined Team Gnaa, simply to have the chance to fight with this Kami Drilovsky, and to be able to harness the powers of the Leptys. It was fun, working alongside Bowser, Robotnik, and even the great Ganondorf, and making fools out of those Kids Next Door! It… didn't end well.

Ava kept her swords in the ground and held on as the powerful gust from Kruckers' blunderbuss was pulling her away, but she saved herself by tossing her left sword back, getting stuck in the vacuum. The sucking stopped as a result, and Kruckers flicked the switch on-and-off to get it to work. The sword shot out, but to his dismay, the rocket activated and went out of control, zooming the Kaptain all around the stadium until he finally flew straight out of the airship. He zoomed around the Flying King Krock until crashing on the roof, dropping his gun and rolling over the side of the ship. He ended up caught in the ship's side propeller, desperately trying to crawl away for dear life as the massive fan was quickly sucking him in. He glanced back and watched in total horror as his jacket was already caught up in the blades, screaming, "ARRRRR!!" before he himself was sucked in.

Tiki Tong absorbed the hearts' energies and transferred it into the Animal King that I had become. "Yes! Now, the added powers of TWO aliens!" Kami nervously waited for what transformation I would go through next. "W-What? What's happening?" We both noticed my chest was beginning to pump larger and larger. "NOOOOOO!" To Kami's utter shock, my chest exploded like a pimple, and a humongous beating heart popped out and landed merely inches from her, looking totally grossed at the severed organ. She then looked up at me, my shocked expression totally frozen, yet lifeless. Without anything to give me breath, my body fell dead to the ground.

Now an only child, Baron Kolamitous Rool returned to Hideout Helm, bowing his head to the empty throne. "Kroctus… Kruckers… oh, what am I to do now?" He wept. "I know I've always been the most intelligent brother, but I can't manage this Krew all by myself. What is an old Krock to do?"

"Don't get your false tears on my throne." Klammy flinched at this authoritive voice and whipped around.

"K-K-K…Kroctus!" Indeed, his elder brother was in the flesh. "You're alive! B-But that's impossible!"

"I was banished to the Sanzu River… but Ganondorf used his newfound power to revive me. Eggman also. It seems, in spite of his arrogance, he has a soft spot for us. Mweh heh… hoff."

"What about Bowser? Or Kruckers?"

"Bowser was never truly dead. He was simply lost between dimensions. As expected of him. And Kruckers… it seems he remains in the Underworld."

Klammy sighed. "Kroctus, perhaps this is a sign that our days of pirating should come to an end. Kruckers, Army Dillo, Dogadon, they've all sunken to Davy Jones' Locker. Perhaps we should return to our homeland and… try to put this all behind us."

"Yes, that would be the easiest route. Unfortunately… I have no intention of falling to the bottom of the food chain again. My instincts tell me that the Kids Next Door will only grow stronger from here on. The universe will not be the same after an event like that. In time, this will be a race to see who conquers all. And I refuse to slow down."

"But what can we possibly do now?"

"Simple. We continue to grow as well. We will try to keep our distance from the KND as we amass more members into our Krew. And one day, we will make our return. …Still, I can't believe you survived getting electrocuted and falling out of a crashing ship! You're stronger than I thought, Klammy!" I punched him in the shoulder in my usual brotherly fashion.

After that, we scoured the worlds in search of more strong animals to join us. We visited Mushroom's North Pole and encountered the Snowmad Tribe, a band of sentient Arctic animals led by Lord Fredrik the Waldough. The walrus was as large as me, and as I fought him for his loyalty, I grew to realize his terrific strength. My arms hurt as our fists made contact, and I feared I would fall before the Snowmad spectators. But then, something strange happened: as our battle neared its end, the Snowmads were beginning to bow, one by one, overcome by an invisible aura. Fredrik felt this aura, too, and it caused him to dwindle in battle. Against all possibilities… Lord Fredrik was defeated.

"Huff… I concede." The Snowmad King bowed. "I acknowledge you as our Conqueror. Even in this frozen tundra, where your reptilian blood was against you, you have prevailed. The Snowmad Tribe is now yours to Kommand."

Later, I sailed to Dinosaur Planet Sauria to recruit the dreaded Sharpclaw Pirates. I fought with their mighty leader, General Scales, and the fight ended with several cuts in my scales. The pain was unbearable to me, but not enough to make me grovel. When my doctors healed my wounds, my brother told me something unfortunate.

"Kroctus, according to what Dr. Eggman has told me, any mortal that gets revived from death in any way will suffer not only a shorter lifespan, but they will suffer double pain. This is what he has been experiencing himself. At the moment, he is trying to negate this factor by converting his body into that of a robot's. I suppose we could do the same with you."

"I plan to prevail with my own strength. This negative side-effect may hinder my progress… but it will not stop me!"

I remembered the art Kameron used to fight me: Haki. I spent a year training and was able to master Armament Haki. Then, I faced Scales again, and I defeated him. The Kremling Krew now had dinosaurs among its ranks.

"Rah… with your guidance, the Sharpclaw Tribe will conquer all." Scales bowed, speaking in his native tongue, his legions mimicking him. "We follow you to the end… Your Excellency."

In my research into Haki, I learned that some were born with a special form called Conqueror's Haki, where one's aura was so strong that it could make others fall before you. I realized… that this power was what commanded the animals to follow me, and listen to me. I was the Konqueror of Animalia, Leptys or no Leptys.

Mweh heh har! Even Kami ended up joining my Krew, due to an unfortunate incident regarding her daughter! How nice that we could still remain good friends. Sadly, Kami no longer made for a strong opponent, so sparring was pretty one-sided. As years passed, my Krew grew and my strength grew. Ten years after the Firstborn Quest, the pirate culture labeled me as an Emperor.

In the ever-growing threat of the Four Emperors, today we would like to shed light on one in particular: King Kroctus Rool. Aside from owning 2,054 known territories across various planets, K. Rool is reported to be a close friend of the notorious King Bowser Koopa of Mushroom, the diabolical Dr. Eggman of Mobius, on top of being allies with the Brotherhood of Evil and the Dark Lord, Negatar Gnaa! With the number of resources at his disposal, could K. Rool be the worst of the current Four Emperors?! He may only be rivaled by Lord Mandy, who has shown to be close allies with Earth's Kids Next Door, which may speak volumes of her power and forces in and of itself. More on that later.

What a shame that I took so much longer than Mandy to achieve that title. I'm sure her fearbending played a part in the media's decision.

Still, my handicap of a shorter lifespan proved to be a pain. I wished for a way to negate that weakness. I did not wish to become a machine like Eggman, however. And it seems my wish… was granted.

Planet Mobius; two years ago

A small region was ruled by a tribe of short, orange, round creatures with eyes and stubs. These were the Waddle Dees. They carried huge tarps of food, marching in lines up to the stone fortress modeled after His Majesty, the Penguin King.

King Dedede was beaming as he gobbled up a watermelon and grapes, merely a tiny fraction of his grand pile. "Mmm mmm, this is dededelicious! After floatin' through space for 21 years, there's never enough to fill yo' belly. Ain't that right, Escargoon? …Escargoon?" He looked at an empty snail shell. "Oh, right. You got cooked entering the atmosphere and I ate ya. Well, ya sure won't be forgotten, eh heh heh heh!" He patted his pudgy belly.

"Aaaahhh!" Dedede frowned when his Waddle Dees began screaming and fleeing. The room shook as a large figure stomped into the cave fort: it was an even more obese, green penguin with a red cape and gold crown.

"Huh? Who the hell are you interruptin' mah eatin' time? Puff up and fly away, you wannabe penguin."

"…" Before his eyes, the penguin's beak grew longer and flatter, and he increased in size as his feathers became scales. "Perhaps this form is less offensive."

"Wait a second, you just some sorta croc thang. You think you can steal MY throne, impostor? Well, you don't know who you're messing with. Have a helpin' of this!" Dedede slapped on his iron mask and drew out a giant metal hammer. "MASKED DEDEDE HAMMER!" He charged at King K. Rool with full, mighty power!

Kroctus pulled his fist back, and its scales turned to solid gold before hitting Dedede's stomach at the speed of a bullet.

It was a very brief second for old Dedede. His insides were compressed, his spleen and kidneys popped, his bones shattered, and… truthfully, no one could confirm what had happened because Dedede went rocketing to the sky. But he was dead before he could reach the clouds.

K. Rool's fist reverted to normal green color. "As if… a waste of space like you had a throne worth stealing." He marched outside and observed the lush landscape. "Ah…peace and seclusion. Now, let's set up shop here."

Current time; Bowser's Castle

The Kremling King lifted a giant bottle of hot water and tipped it against his mouth, which was much smaller in comparison. He put the bottle down and sighed. "Reminiscing about the past really takes my breath away."

"Tell me about it." Bowser remarked, picking up a same-sized bottle with just his hand and drinking it. The Koopa King was three times K. Rool's size. "Hell, there's a real problem with people getting resurrected lately. Well, I guess it helped you out, but still."

"Speaking of which… that old hag is going to have a birthday party. No doubt she will eat her infamous cake. But as luck would have it, a few Brotherhood agents happen to be related to her. With their assistance, we can possibly steal the cake."

"You know, if the two of us break into her castle together, we can make a pound cake outta her."

"A kind sentiment, but there's no need for you to get involved in our silly pirate games. At least… not yet." K. Rool pushed himself off the carpet. "But you know, Bowser, whenever I think about the ancient laws from my childhood, I start to miss the old days. When you look at groups such as the Kids Next Door or the Big Mom Pirates nowadays, it's almost as if discrimination never existed."

"What's it to you, anyway?"

K. Rool about-faced, crossing the carpet out of the massive throne room. "I've been born again, Bowser. Perhaps the same fate should befall these worlds. I sought the Universe Book so I could carry out such a plan, but that quest ended in failure. But it seems I have found another solution."

Zordoom Prison

Alarms blared throughout the space prison as alien guards, one by one, were falling in the burning corridors. Their strength was nothing to that of the white-garbed invaders in black hoods and skull masks. "STOP THEM!" bellowed one of the guards. "They're escaping with Rattlesnake Ja-" He was shot before he could finish.

A squadron of these masked criminals were racing up the plank of a floating pirate ship, flying the colors of a red tiger's profile with three scratch marks cutting through it. A large snake, clothed in black and white stripes, slithered up the plank, onto the desk after the pirates. "Raise the anchor, make ready to set sail! They'll be after us any moment!" ordered a crewman.

The snake slithered into the captain's cabin, beginning to tear off his stripes with his fangs. "So, you're the legendary Rattlesnake Jake." He looked up at his client: a man in black clothing, fiery red hair, and bull horns, his eyes shrouded by another skull mask.

Jake hissed and raised his head over the humanoid imposingly. "And who might YOU be to disturb my five years of ssssolitude?"

"The name's Adam. Adam Taurus. Vice-captain of the White Fang Pirates. My captain sent me to free you for a special assignment. So, congratulations… you work for the Kremling Krew now." Adam smiled.

"The Kremlingssss? Hah hah hah!" Jake began to circle the young man. "Tell yer captain thisss, buddy: I'm no one's pet snake. I'm a hunter. Sniiiiiff." He got directly in Adam's face with a big whiff, almost completely enveloping him in his tail. "You smell like one of them Mobian-human hybrids."

"I think you mean Faunus."

"Right… So, boy, if you don't wanna end up on my fangs, I'd suggest you steer this ship to Sargasso and let me take it from there. Oh, I wonder what Wolf has been up to these days? Ah wonder if he's still alive." He looked up in a daydreaming fashion. "And speakin' of old friends, I wouldn't mind seein'…?" When he looked down, he realized Adam had vanished from his tail. Jake gasped and looked behind him, seeing Adam holding a red sword.

Adam sheathed the sword and said, "Don't touch me."

"AAAH!" Jake's machinegun tail had been sliced off! "You little demon! I'll eat you and everyone on this ship!"

"A 'thank you' would have been nice. That tail was old and starting to rust. Not to mention, it seems the guards placed a bomb inside it in case you got too far from the station. We can easily fix you a new tail. But you have to promise to work for us. Our king only had a small job in mind, but depending on what happens, we may require your assistance for other matters."

"Ssssss… Now that I recall, the Kremlings work for one of them big name pirates. K. Rool, weren't it? He's got a bounty of 103 billion on his body. What makes ya think I won't try to claim that?"

"Heh. Well, carve this in your mind: King K. Rool possesses Golden Haki. The highest known form of Armament Haki. Still thinking of claiming him?"

"Gold Haki? Sounds like a load of nonsense. But it also sounds… quite interestin'."

"Help us with our job, and we'll allow you to meet the king." Adam said with a smirk. "Sound good?"

"Hisssss… Who do you want me to hunt?"

Adam reached in his jacket and pulled out a picture. "We're told her name is Eri." Jake examined her: she was a frightened young girl with white hair, red eyes, and a small forehead horn. "She's from Superbia."

"This one don't look nearly as strong as the last little brat I kidnapped. What's she hidin' under that sweet little face of hers?"

"It's not her we're worried about, it's her protectors. The planet is filled with justice-obsessed superheroes."

"No matter. Just fix me with the goods and I'll have her wrangled on a silver platter."

The White Fang threw his old tail off the High Fang before the ship took flight to the stars. Police ships tried to shoot them down, but the Mogeko Kremlin fired mortars and destroyed them. "Those stupid idiots fell for the old 'pretend to get captured' trick." said Moge-ko Leijon. "Don't they realize that good villains never get defeated that easy? Oooo, my Kitty Rool is gonna be so proud of me for helping free the Jakey!" She hugged herself tightly. "Maybe he'll let me sleep on his belly and pet me, instead of that stupid smelly Klaptrap. …Or that blonde lady. Wasn't she on a mission with Fredrik? How did that even go?"

Somewhere on Secco; about a week beforehand

"Hrrrrrguh! Hrrrrrguh!" The sun was pounding Kami Heartly, her clothes becoming one with her sweaty body as she hauled the oversized lug across the sand.

"Huff…huff… Kamiiiiiii." Lord Fredrik moaned horridly, his body practically melting. "It's so hoooooot. Are we there, yeeeeeet?"

"Grrrrrr… didn't you just freeze an entire desert?!"

"I used it before we entered the desert… if I went in first, I would've started melting… like I am right now. Ohhhhh… I can't moooove…"

The way he was acting was just like a Devil Fruit user in water. This was natural, given his arctic origins, Kami figured. Still, why did Kami let that nun go free if she was just going to drop them on a desert planet?! "Ugh… I swear, Noah, you better not have gotten lost again."

Now loading…

Kids Next Door mission…

Operation:

R.E.V.E.R.T.

Reversing

Evolution's

Very

Evil

Reptile's

Tenet

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