Sekou Mshera

762 – Born in Skypiea, Sekou Mshera is produced much the way most children are – two people loving each other very much. These two people, Fari and Yero, had been wed to each other for almost three years prior to Sekou’s birth, and at that time had only had one other child (a daughter by the name of Rozina). The birth of their son was a momentous occasion for the small family, as well as in the community at large. Most who resided in Skypiea looked at others within their community as family, so it wasn’t unexpected that the birth of a child would be a big occasion.



769 – It would be at the age of seven that Yero, Sekou’s father, would finally decide to begin training his son. While drills in combat were very far off, he would make sure to begin to instill training and conditioning into the child, making sure that when combat eventually became a topic he’d be physically capable of handling it. The reason that this was so valued to Yero is that he was a veteran of the Divine Squad himself and was now currently serving as a member of the White Berets (God’s Guards). As such, he simply thought it was natural to assume that his son would want to follow in his footsteps and serve his homeland proudly. In order to facilitate this obvious goal his seven-year-old son would have, it only made sense to begin training early on in his life.

It had always been a dream of Yero’s to one day serve as one of God’s “Priests”, however, at the level of power he possessed he would have been lucky to have even served as a member of the Divine Soldiers. Despite his shortcomings, his drive to be all that he could be was an infectious one – and it was partly the reason he’d been able to attract such as strong-willed woman such as Fari. It would be these very same qualities that Yero and Fari would work to pass onto their son, hoping that one day he’d be capable of achieving anything that he wanted out of life. Even though they didn’t have the means of bringing Sekou into the world with a silver spoon in his mouth, hopefully one day he’d be able to accomplish these things on his own with the tools they instilled him with.


As mentioned before, Sekou would begin arduous physical training at a very young age – setting him apart from many other children within his age group. The only other child that seemed to be on Sekou’s level was one known as Gaiza; and it would be this very same child that would end up being one of Sekou’s closest friends growing up in Skypiea. Funnily enough, the two children would find themselves bonding over complaints they had about the hardships of working so hard under the tutelage of their respective parents. However, these complaints soon turned into both words of encouragement as well as a friendly rivalry. They both held a fierce amount of respect in one another, and they found that it was far easier to endure their training when they had a visible goal to achieve – growing stronger than the other. They would continue to use each other as a goal post, and even go so far as to become sparring partners then and again. This sparring came even before Yero would eventually put Sekou through combat drills; placing him far ahead of the curve.



770 – Soon enough, it would be Sekou’s eighth birthday, and though there was much celebration to be had within the Mshera household, there was also the realization that their son wouldn’t be getting any younger. Even though eight is obviously a very young age, they still held the belief that they wanted to instill as much within their children as possible to make sure they could be as self-sufficient as possible; the very same training that they were putting their son through, they’d also made sure their daughter experienced as well. Because of this, the children of the Mshera household lived a very sheltered life. His days were spent increasing his abilities through physical training and running combat drills; while his nights were filled with study. It would be through these combat drills with his father that he’d figure out that he held an affinity for single-edged weapons. It would also be noted by Yero that his son relied more on his speed and dexterity to deal with a vast majority of the combat situations that he’d put him through. It would be because of this that Yero would conduct exercises that allowed his son to continue to help him further hone these talents, whilst also helping him to become more well-rounded in other areas that he lacked in. Even if someone was a complete master in one area, they’d face danger if placed into a situation that didn’t favor their area of expertise. He wanted his son to be able to face any potential scenario that he could be met with in life with complete confidence – thus, this meant helping him to master his talents in speed and dexterity while also instructing him to also focus on increasing his strength and endurance in the long run.


Sekou didn’t have access to as much free time as others within his age group, however, on the rare occasions that he did have time to himself, he spent it in the company of his best friend, Gaiza. Gaiza would be the one to fill him in on the day-to-day happenings on the island and keep him up to date on things as much as he possibly could. Even though his friend was now the “bearer” of information, this didn’t mean that their friendly rivalry with one another had ended – on the contrary, it had intensified even more as they continued to get older. Out of every other child that Sekou had ever met on the island, Gaiza was the only one, in his opinion, that showed any true promise. While Sekou’s father spoke highly Skypiea’s “illustrious” military, he couldn’t believe in the strength of it when he couldn’t see any of the other children as future recruits. None of them had the drive that both himself and Gaiza held when it came to bettering themselves, so how could their military truly match up to those that could be found in other places? Was it simply because Skypieans were truly that much more advanced than other races? Were Skypieans naturally so much superior that they could simply coast through life with no real effort put forward? Though these were the sorts of thoughts idiots could get caught up and begin to truly accept, it was something that Sekou refused to believe. Accepting it also meant that all of the hard work that he was putting in to better himself had been all for naught. Even though these dreams that Sekou now held for himself had been instilled in him by his father, they were now something that he himself aspired for. He’d work his hands to the bone to accomplish anything he set out to accomplish, and this was an ideal that would stick with him for the entirety of his life.



771 - During the ninth year of his life, Sekou’s family would welcome a new addition – a baby boy by the name of Tuari. As is usually the case, Sekou’s parents found themselves extremely busy caring for a new baby, and as also usually the case, this meant less time spent with the other children in the household. While this equated to less time that Yero had to personally participate in Sekou’s training, this didn’t mean that Sekou rested on his laurels. His ambitions hadn’t changed, and this meant that his drive to continue to train – with or without the participation of his father – hadn’t changed either. Sekou would continue to work hard on his conditioning; growing stronger every day while also further training himself in the use of bladed weapons. While still considered an amateur in their use, his proficiency in wielding them was objectively becoming better. The weapon that he seemed to truly gravitate towards were smaller weapons akin to knives and daggers, however, he did have fun making use of Dao-like swords – as the utility of this sword afforded the user with the options to both slash and chop easily. It would also be during this period that his father would finally introduce to weapons that were truly a staple of the Skypiean military – dials. Sekou would learn how to utilize these gadgets and incorporate them into his fighting style; allowing him to learn to handle various potential situations that he could encounter in combat. There are many different types of dials that can be used in a vast array of different scenarios – the utility that these dials provide allowing anyone with a firm understanding of their use and potential an upper-hand in any situation. Sekou would make sure to continue to increase his capabilities in not only his use of bladed weapons, but also in the use of dials.


While Sekou continued his training and studies, the amount of free time that he had saw an increase as well. This was partly because there was a new baby that needed attention, but also because his father seemed to be more preoccupied with work than he’d been in the years prior. From what Gaiza informed him of at the time, there appeared to be talks of a “newcomer”. While politics were never something that nine-year olds dabbled in, or could ever truly understand, what could be understood is that this newcomer seemed to be causing waves in Skypiea. These very same waves appeared to be the reason that the White Berets were far busier now than they’d ever been before. Something was brewing in Skypiea, and it was beginning to pique the interest of many in the land.


Gaiza was never really the type of person who ever seemed to become too excitable, but there Sekou could tell that there was something different about his friend as he relayed the information to him. It didn’t seem to Sekou that Gaiza was afraid in any way, but perhaps that he too held a bit of curiosity about the person that was starting what appeared to be some sort of movement within their homeland. While the details about what exactly this movement stood for weren’t too accessible, it didn’t stop people from throwing out their own theories and assumptions. Gaiza, while curious, seemed to also be cautious about what was happening – almost as if he could sense where this would all eventually lead.


Unfortunately, Sekou’s inexperience with these sorts of things meant he couldn’t quite understand Gaiza’s perspective on all of it, so his views fell upon deaf ears. In Sekou’s mind, all he saw was that something exciting seemed to finally be happening. Outside of studies, training, and spending time with his best friend, there really hadn’t been much to experience in his young life. Perhaps this “Kaisa” person would finally shake things up on Skypiea and bring a bit of excitement into their lives. Sadly, Sekou had no idea just how right he was.



772 – With yet another year passing by, the drama in Skypiea was beginning to heat up. The name “Kaisa” became infamously known in every household as the man that now aspired for the top position within Skypiea – God. However, the way in which he did so differed from those that made the same attempts throughout history. Where others would simply demand competitions of strength to prove that they deserved to hold the title, Kaisa instead made use of politics and intrigue to shape the hearts and minds of the people in Skypiea; his ultimate goal seeming to be that the people would understand that they “needed” him to lead. The propaganda that he began to spread would reach far and wide; explaining that in order for Skypiea to continue to exist then it was necessary for bonds between Skypiea and the “World Government” that existed somewhere below on the Blue Sea to be established.


While at first Kaisa’s words seemed to cause waves of unrest and disapproval amongst those in Skypiea, it wouldn’t take long before the presence of various “outsiders” making their way to Skypiea from the Blue Sea would begin to change the minds of many. Prior to this, visits from races that originated from the Blue Sea were few and far between – to the point that there were multiple generations that could attest to never meeting anyone outside of the Skypiean race – however, nowadays, races from the Blue sea were showing up monthly, some even bypassing legal entry through Heaven’s Gate. It was because of this that God’s guards found themselves busier than ever dealing with both the unrest that was beginning to build through Kaisa’s propaganda, as well as dealing with the threats that these “pirates” were bringing to their once peaceful island.

The appearance of these “outsiders” boded well for Kaisa’s campaign. Being that hindsight is 20/20, it’s fairly obvious now that the timing in which these “pirates” would continually appear to harass and attack the public was likely planned by Kaisa himself, but during this period of time there weren’t many that were capable of seeing such a connection. One of the biggest issues that Kaisa spoke on was the danger that those from the Blue sea would eventually pose to all of those in Skypiea. The solution to this rising threat, that Kaisa posed, was finally forging a bond with an organization known as the “World Government”. As stated by Kaisa: The World Government was hell-bent on reigning in the savages of the Blue seas and were helping to bring order and peace to all those that allied with them. If Skypiea was willing to openly pledge allegiance to Skypiea they would retain their sovereignty while also gaining an ally when it came to protection from pirates and other threats that could emanate from the Blue Seas.


While Skypieans had always staunchly supported isolationism, they couldn’t deny that their communities had truly been rattled by the threat that these pirates seemed to pose to their way of life. Could the pirate threat truly become so much worse than it currently was? Fear has always been one of the best motivators, and many of those that were now supporting Kaisa’s rise to power did so out of the fear of what the future could hold without his leadership. It would be this very same fear that would also begin to sway even Sekou. He’d already been dealing with being disillusioned by the idea that those within his age group could continue things on in the future with things as they currently were. Even he could tell that Skypiea’s military was lacking and when the interests of those that would be relied upon as the future of Skypiea, it wasn’t likely that they’d add anything to it. If they were currently struggling with the threat of pirates, wouldn’t these issues just increase the further along things went?


Sekou couldn’t hold back the mounting fears that he had for the safety of his family and the other citizens of Skypiea. Could they truly hold back the tide of foreigners forcing their way into their lands? How long would it take before they were completely overtaken by the “violent savages” of the Blue Seas? With Sekou finally becoming a big brother the year prior, he could understand feelings of responsibility and guardianship that he hadn’t before. Every morning he’d wake up, he’d see the face of his little brother and hope that no ill force would ever lay its hand upon him.


This is exactly how propaganda works – by tugging at the heartstrings and emotions of its victims, vile manipulators can work their powers of persuasion upon the populace. Sekou’s naivete, combined with his young age, made him a perfect victim. As mentioned before, fear has always been one of the best motivators, and it would be this fear for the safety of his family and homeland that would push him down a path of shame, deceit, betrayal, violence, and bloodshed.



773 – As time continued to flow on, the civil unrest in Skypiea began to reach a new level of intensity. Kaisa had begun to gain more ground politically as a result of his campaigns of propaganda and subterfuge. The number of citizens that now supported him had greatly increased since the year prior, and even those within esteemed positions of power were beginning to realize that it would finally be necessary to acknowledge simply how powerful Kaisa had become. Earlier in the year, Skypiea gained word that Birkan scientists under Kaisa’s employ had made their way down to the Blue Seas to survey the planet that existed below them. It would be through these scouting attempts that these scientists would come across an illness that afflicted a vast majority of the Blue Seas known as the “Rain Plague”. It seemed that this was a plague that afflicted multiple races that existed below, and without the genius of these winged scientists, it’s likely those below would have continued to be afflicted by this blight for the foreseeable future. It would be through these scientific endeavors that Kaisa’s political ambitions would be further emboldened, as the World Government were more than happy to see the Winged Races as ones to be respected after such a feat. The World Government was now willing to approach the bargaining table and discuss politics and other negotiations that could potentially benefit both parties. It was obvious to all in Skypiea that Kaisa had begun to make his true first steps towards obtaining his goal, and the anxiousness of those who opposed him was palpable.


Attempts to placate Kaisa continued for a long time as they continually offered him monetary incentives to scale back his ambitions, to even offering him political positions to represent his interests; however, Kaisa would continually refuse every attempt to be “bribed” and even report to his followers about these would-be attempts at “silencing the voice of the people”.


As tensions continue to rise in Skypiea, they also began to tear apart the Mshera family. The Mshera family had allied themselves with the loyalists in the recent years – those who were still staunchly loyal to the current God of Skypiea. However, as time had gone on, they found that Sekou was beginning to rebel against these beliefs; even going into rants and arguments with other members of the family about how times were changing and that Kaisa’s ascension was “necessary”. Sekou’s mother and father attempted to be as patient and understanding with their son as possible, figuring that this was simply a symptom of Sekou growing older and attempting to figure out his own beliefs and views. They attempted to help him – ease the fears that he spoke of regarding the dangers that Kaisa continually outlined – but to no avail. Sadly, they simply weren’t aware of how far-gone their son truly was. He’d been completely immersed in the lies being spread by Kaisa and his lackeys, and he’d come to accept them as absolute truths. In Sekou’s mind, it was only a matter of time before destruction rained down upon the land and allying with the World Government was the only way to stem the tide and allow Skypiea the time necessary to once again restore its true eminence.


Sekou had even attempted to speak these “truths” to his best friend, Gaiza, but it was a discussion that would lead to a screaming match, that would then lead to the dissolution of their friendship. Gaiza’s family had always staunchly opposed the views that Kaisa outlined, and it seemed that Gaiza was more than capable to see through the lies being spouted. The fact that he had a little brother to protect also made him more sensitive to opposing the rhetoric being spread by Kaisa’s regime.


“Why can’t they understand?”, was the question that Sekou continually asked himself as he argued and debated with those that continued to stand in opposition to Kaisa’s ambitions. To Sekou, they were merely sheep that couldn’t think for themselves, however, the opposite was the truth. He had been so immersed in lies that he couldn’t see reality for what it truly was, and the only thing that motivated him now was fear and paranoia. He was no longer the carefree boy that merely wanted to fulfill his dreams and make his family proud; he was now a boy filled with anger and fear, burdened with the idea that the fate of his loved ones was truly up to him alone – and he’d protect them whether they agreed with his ideologies or not.


It was with these misguided emotions that he found a new resolve to train. He put his entire being into becoming stronger, realizing that if those he cared about weren’t going to take the necessary steps to maintain their own safety, then he’d need to be strong enough for all of them. He’d carry the burden of being the “bad guy” to them, he’d do whatever was necessary to keep them safe, no matter what the cost. He felt that the repercussions of this would lead to their ire, but he cared very little about how they felt regarding the matter. His love for his family trumped any hate or anger they could throw in his direction. It didn’t matter how much they hated him, as long as they continued to live to feel those emotions – that’s all that mattered to him.


During his training, his expertise with the use of both bladed weapons and dials would increase. However, what he truly worked on improving the most was his conditioning in all facets: strength, endurance, speed, agility – and even working on increasing his capabilities in perception and willpower. He worked diligently to increase these attributes, because he realized quickly that it didn’t matter exactly how skilled he was in the use of his weapons if he didn’t wield the key attributes necessary to truly draw out the strength of any techniques he could learn. He needed to get back to basics, and by focusing on these key things he was able to improve his physical qualities of his exponentially. He’d do everything in his power to be able to meet the demands of anything he’d come to face in the future.



774 – By this point in time, the tension in the air was palpable in Skypiea. Lines had finally been drawn in the sand between those that stood loyal to the current God of Skypiea and its ways, and those that now supported the man known as Kaisa and his ambitions to revolutionize Skypiea and bring it “into the future”. While many dreaded the idea of what was to come, there had never been any illusions that this was a time that would eventually show itself – ever since Kaisa appeared on the scene. It had never been likely that the title of God would peacefully be handed over, no matter how much Kaisa would have preferred that have been the case. This wasn’t because he would have detested the idea of needlessly throwing away the lives of Skypieans, but rather, that he’d always worried about appearances more than anything. He wanted a peaceful transition of power in order to illustrate that his ascension into “Godhood” had been something that every Skypiean supported. However, he’d never envisioned that this many people would still have continued to pushback against his ambitions.


To the loyalists of Skypiea, it was clear that Kaisa had already moved forward on his plans of allying with the World Government. Strangers from an organization known as the “Marines” had begun to appear quite frequently within Skypiea and were now stationing themselves within areas that were firmly under Kaisa’s control. These forces would bolster Kaisa’s strength while simultaneously intimidating loyalist forces that may have been planning to take initiative in terms of finally starting this conflict. The people of Skypiea had never been introduced to the might of the World Government prior to the arrival of these forces, and it quickly became clear why exactly Kaisa was so eager to ally with them. What Skypieans usually saw of those that originated from the Blue sea were the savages known as Pirates, however, these Marines appeared to be cut from a different cloth entirely. They were well trained and extremely disciplined. They mirrored the White Berets in many ways, yet, they differed greatly in the sheer numbers they appeared to possess as well as the foreign weapons they made use of.


Sekou couldn’t help but marvel at the appearance of these men and women as they made their way through the streets and flexed the military might that they held. In Sekou’s mind, with allies like these, there’d be no need for conflict. Surely the loyalists would see it would be folly to combat the might of both Kaisa’s and the Marine’s combined military might. A combination such as this would be unstoppable and illustrated why Kaisa desired allies such as these. It would be through these bonds that Skypiea would continue to thrive well into the future. What Sekou failed to see though, was what such an ally would cost. Unbeknownst to him, many of the freedoms that Sekou loved would be some of the first things to go in order to attain the “security” he wished for through Kaisa’s rule. Of course, these weren’t things that a man like Kaisa would explain to the population of Skypiea that supported him, but then again, what use did peasants need with information such as this? What he deemed relevant enough for them to know is what they’d know, and if wasn’t convenient for them to know the truth about something, then he simply wouldn’t tell them; Gods had no reason to explain themselves to lower lifeforms, and he’d live up to his title once it was finally granted to him.


It would also be during this period in time that Sekou would find himself distancing himself further and further from his family, not because he wanted to, but because their differences in ideologies meant that the friction between himself and his family was nearly too much to bear. While he still felt that they were too stuck in their ways to see the truth, he also cared about them enough to realize that this constant arguing wasn’t beneficial for their personal relationships. While it was hard to physically remove himself from their presence, he felt it was the best thing. He’d always been willing to make what he felt were the “tough decisions” where others would shy away from action. Doing what was necessary, even when others weren’t willing to do so, was a frame of mind that influenced him daily. He’d carry everything on his shoulders if he had to – he had no reservations about what he could endure; he’d carry it all.


Sekou found himself living in a home with other children and young teens that also seemed to have parted ways with their family over these very same ideological differences. Kaisa had rightfully assumed that his propaganda and lies would easily influence the youth to agree with his line of thinking, and because of this, these very same youths would come flocking to him at some point or another. Having started the year prior, Kaisa had developed many houses for these wayward children to find shelter. It would also be within these shelters that these children would continue to be indoctrinated further by Kaisa’s “Priests”. These Priests would preach Kaisa’s words, his views, and give reverence to those that had finally seen the light and were now supporting the soon-to-be “God” Kaisa. These words were like milk and honey to impressionable youth, and they continued to ask for enlightenment from those that they felt held a true connection to the man who would deliver their lands into prosperity.


Eventually, these very same Priests would begin to teach these children in ways that many would have said contradicted the viewpoints that Kaisa outlined. Combat and violence was something that Kaisa had appeared to vehemently detest when spoken about in sermons, however, it seemed that in “certain circumstances” it was fine to make use of these things as long as they were in defense of the interests of God. It was the duty of those who followed God Kaisa to make sure that his word was upheld definitively, and using violence as a means to cause those who worked counter to Kaisa’s interests to reconsider their stance whilst deterring others from making the same mistakes were simply a necessary evil. Sekou had no qualms with this, and personally, he understood it. As mentioned before, he’d lived for a while now thinking that there would be times when deplorable actions needed to be taken for the “greater good” to prosper. He didn’t hold the naivete that others had and realized how harsh the world could be at times. It would be because of this mindset that Sekou would flourish under the tutelage of Kaisa’s agents.


These Priests, as they were called, were far more capable than any others that Sekou had ever sparred against. He was no match for them in any stretch of the imagination. The capabilities that they held far outstripped anything that Sekou thought possible, and they appeared to be capable of “predicting” his movements, actions, thoughts, and attacks before he’d ever make use of them. Even though he couldn’t land anything on them, the fact that they held the ability to evade him in such ways forced him to focus on the speed of his movements. Even though this was a fruitless endeavor, since the chance of landing any sort of hits against them was nearly impossible, he was still able to ascend to different heights concerning his speed that he didn’t think possible for himself. These feats would continue to push him forward as he trained with these men and women.


Outside of training with them, Sekou never actually had a chance to get to know any of the Priests on a personal level. They always let it be known that there was a vast disconnect between themselves and the average citizen, and they were to be treated with nearly the same amount of reverence as Kaisa. Even though there weren’t many opportunities to speak actively with them outside the time in which they trained Kaisa’s forces, Sekou did manage to learn of what exactly these Priests were doing when able to dodge so efficiently. They mentioned that the technique was known as “Mantra”, however, they didn’t go into detail about how to actively use it. From what Sekou had been able to gather, this “mantra” gave them near supernatural abilities that neared on precognition. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever be capable of this, and the fact that the Priests didn’t bother to broach the subject of teaching it to them likely meant that it was something far outside the realm of possibilities for a commoner such as himself.


Knowing that it existed was enough though, and this was something that made Sekou even more impressed with the forces that Kaisa held. How powerful could a man like him be to keep these sorts of people in check? He couldn’t wait to meet the man that he’d admired for so many years now, but deep down, there was a fear there that he couldn’t quite shake. The idea of meeting this man terrified him, even though he knew it shouldn’t.


This pit of doubt stuck with him from then on, but he busied himself with more training and socializing with the other children to distract himself from the questions he began to have about the people he’d allied himself with. For so long he’d only imagined what these people were like and viewed them the way many others envision their heroes from afar. Now that he’d been given the chance to meet the people closest to Kaisa, he began to wonder how similar his “hero” was to the Priests that served him. They were cold individuals, and it seemed that the only thing that concerned them were informing the Kaisa’s followers of his new demands and expectations, as well as pushing them through rigorous work and training. These Priests didn’t speak to the others in a manner that gave the impression that they cared about any of them – which is something that completely contradicted the ideals that Kaisa put forward about caring about every Skypiean.


Sekou tried his hardest to push these thoughts to the back of his psyche, making sure to berate himself for his lack of faith in the man that had been giving his all for the people of Skypiea. It would be this specific point in his life that Sekou would look back on in regret; wishing that he’d listened to himself and the doubts that he held. Maybe then what came to pass could have been altered, or maybe that’s just wishful thinking. Regardless, what would soon occur would scar Sekou for the rest of his life – far more than he could have ever imagined.



775 – To this day, nobody can truly remember how it all started, only that it was one of the most horrific times that Skypiea has ever experienced. After years of tension, the event that both sides could see would become the inevitable outcome finally came to fruition – civil war. No one is sure exactly what action took place to finally set off the powder keg within Skypiea, but many believe that it was simply a matter of time.


Despite being only thirteen years old at the time, this war is something that Sekou experienced firsthand as he fought for his life in the streets of Angel Island. Deep down, he knew he’d been preparing for this moment ever since he first decided to dedicate all that he could into seeing Kaisa ascend into Godhood, but nothing can ever truly prepare someone for the horrors they experience in war. With a Dao gifted to him by one of Kaisa’s priests, Sekou followed many other young teens loyal to the cause into battle. At this point, the battle for Angel Island was already in full swing. Somehow a simple protest turned into a riot, which then evolved into what many were calling a battle that had been years in the making. The Loyalist army was on the move, and Kaisa’s “troops”, as well as Marine reinforcements, made way to intercept them. Sekou held no reservations about the idea that that day may very well be his last as he marched with his allies towards the enemy. All he could remember about that brief moment in time was the regret that he held in his heart; if today was truly his last day, he would have given anything to have seen his family at least one more time.


Almost in an instant, Sekou would find himself pulled out of his somber ruminations by the sound of gunfire and the clashing of steel. His ears rung from the sounds of the weapons the Marines made use of, and he found himself taken aback from the sheer devastation these “firearms” had upon the enemies before them. He’d never seen weapons that were capable of such mass destruction from just the pull of a trigger. It appeared that every time one of their weapons barked out, yet another Skypiean fell. The smell of blood filled Sekou’s nostrils and the horrific screams of those he once considered to be neighbors and friends flooded his ears. He felt as though he were stuck in place; a prisoner in his own body as he continued to watch these atrocities unfold before him. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t think, he couldn’t react; all he could do was stand there and bear witness to a massacre.


As Sekou’s mind continued to be bombarded by these traumatic images, he could only remember saying to himself: “This isn’t what I wanted”. It felt as if, for years, he had been living under some sort of spell and simply sleepwalking through life – believing everything the people he admired told him without any hesitation. It was as if now, in this very moment, the façade had finally been peeled back and Sekou was able to see the reality of the situation for what it truly was. Sekou had supported these people because he thought that continued peace and prosperity would be handed to Skypiea and all its citizens. Never in a million years could he have imagined death on a scale as harrowing as this: men, women, and children that he’d grown to see as family all butchered in the streets while he stood in opposition to them.


This realization was just enough for Sekou to feel his body jerk violently as he’d begin to retch. With his left hand shooting up to cover his mouth, the young boy would make a dash for a nearby alley in order to empty his stomach of its contents. Tears and vomit would flow behind a nearby dumpster while Sekou attempted to regain control of himself, his right hand pressed against a brick wall to help stabilize himself as he gave himself away to his bodily functions. Though he was able to see what was happening for what it truly was, he still couldn’t make sense out of how things could have turned out this way. How could he have been this blind to the truth for so long? How could he have ever supported the genocide of his own people? Had he truly been this brainwashed? No, there had to be some sort of misunderstanding – maybe all of this was just a terrible mistake. Yes, that had to be it.


As Sekou continued to try lull himself back under the comfortable embrace of a life, he’d almost failed to recognize the sound of approaching footsteps. Sekou would have initially assumed that it was an ally of his simply coming to check up on him, however, these steps were approaching far too quickly for Sekou to feel safe simply assuming they belonged to a friend. Glancing upward in the direction of the steps, Sekou would have his fears confirmed as a large man was now running in his direction with long blade raised above his head. Fear and uncertainty immediately coursed through every fiber of his being as he watched the man lunge in direction, yet, it would be the training that had been beaten into him for years that would cause him to react instinctively – forgoing any other emotion that he could have impeded his actions at that moment. Within an instant, Sekou’s Dao had been released from its scabbard and his body blitzed forward to meet his attacker head on. With the blade raised above his head, his enemy had made an easy target of himself. It wouldn’t be until the tip of Sekou’s blade connected with the flesh of his foe, easily impaling him, that he would truly understand why his attacker had made such an amateur mistake in the midst of combat.


Warm blood rushed over the handle of Sekou’s dao, causing his grip to slip even more as he looked up to examine the face of his assailant; only to be met by the glossy stare of a man that would soon be meeting his maker. The look given to him by those eyes are something that Sekou has never forgotten. He could see almost every emotion that could possibly be felt by man flutter through them within an instant: astonishment, disgust, indignation, despair, fear, and, surprisingly enough, even pity for the young child that had now taken his life. The pair’s eyes remained locked on each other’s for what felt like an eternity until the eyes of the man finally fluttered and closed as his body fell backward into the street of the alleyway.


While blood pooled beneath the lifeless body before him, Sekou could feel the entirety of his body begin to tremble as if he’d been caught in a blizzard. For so long he’d trained his body rigorously, worked himself to his absolute limits to master new weapons and techniques, and did virtually everything in his power to steel himself to handle what would come mentally from employing these skills in the way they were one day intended to be used. Despite everything he’d put himself through during these years, nothing could have ever prepared himself for the mental and physical rigors he was now experiencing. In all honesty, he couldn’t imagine that anything could truly prepare someone for how they’d feel the moment after they took the life of another. More than anything, shame as the emotion that he felt most of in the moments immediately after the deed. This emotion would soon give way an outpouring of grief and sadness for the individual before him, before soon giving way to fear of what he had become. The involuntary shaking of his body had begun to increase at this point, and all he could do was wrap his arms about his body in an attempt to console himself. He could tell that in the moment that his eyes met with the eyes of his victim, he could feel a part of himself die along with him – a part of him that he would never get back.


The sound of gunfire and steel would begin to die down almost as quickly as it had started, rousing Sekou from his near catatonic state. He’d take one final glance at the man before him and make a quick turn towards the street, leaving as quickly as possible. His dao was still firmly sheathed within the gullet of the man, but Sekou cared very little for the weapon at this point in time. Once out on the street, Sekou would be greeted by the gruesome sight of bodies littering almost every square inch of Angel Island’s street. The shaking of his body intensified once more, and he wasn’t quite sure how much longer he could take this. These thoughts would soon be cut short, and one of Kaisa’s Priests would soon make an appearance to congratulate the troops on their victory. Loud cheers would spread throughout the ranks of Kaisa’s Divine Army, with soldiers patting each other’s back and celebrating their achievement here, yet, Sekou would remain aloof to it all – the only thing still on his mind being the overwhelming loss of life.


The following day, it would then be handed down by Kaisa that the Divine Army’s new orders would be to clean up the streets of Angle Island and prepare it for occupation. This meant clearing out the dead bodies littered all over and removing them to mass graves to be disposed of. Sekou would find himself apart of this detail, and it would be during his time reluctantly moving bodies that he’d witness something that would completely shake him to his core. He could feel his knees begin to buckle immediately, the weight of what he was currently seeing almost taking on a physical quality and weighing him down. As his knees his the cobblestone street, he could feel the same waves of grief and despair that he’d felt the day prior would wash over him once again as tears flowed down his cheeks as his hands beat themselves bloody against the stones. Sekou would be able to hear heartbreaking wails of an almost inhuman quality, before realizing that they were emanating from himself. He’d never felt such an immediate reaction to anything before, almost as if his body was reacting before his brain had a chance to make sense of anything he’d witness. He’d only be able to utter a single name as he looked at the body that laid peacefully before him: “Gaiza”.



776 – A year had passed since the end of the Skypiean Civil War. Kaisa was now known to all of those within Skypiea as the newly ascended God, and his Priests now occupied positions of power second to only himself. With his new title, Kaisa wasted no time implementing his agenda. As he promised years ago, he met with the World Government and their alliance had finally been cemented. Along with this alliance, the doors to Skypiea had been completely opened to those recognized and allied with the World Government to come and go as they pleased. Skypieans also now held the “luxury” of traveling to the West Blue and safely making a life for themselves, as they were considered by the World Government as a “recognized race” due to the exploits of the Birkan scientists after curing the Rain Plague.


While many would have assumed that this was a generous offer from a benevolent leader, the truth was simply that this was a way for Kaisa to get rid of any that he deemed to be “non-believers” or future threats. If they weren’t going to follow him, then it was better to give them an option to leave peacefully under the guise of generosity. There also wasn’t a truly regulated way to return for Skypieans after leaving, thus, the decision to leave was virtually a permanent one – meaning those with ill intentions would likely never shape up to be a true threat. Kaisa was also far more concerned with his agenda than anything else; the acquisition of vearth to add to his kingdom was more important than a few unimportant peasants. Kaisa had plans of turning Skypiea into something far outside of the realm of imagination that a 14-year-old had at the time, but Sekou knew whatever he had planned wasn’t what he promised.


In all actuality, nothing that Kaisa seemingly promised came true. Well, that’s not completely true; he followed through on his promises of allying with the World Government – however, the reasons behind this alliance didn’t seem to hinge around “protecting” the people of Skypiea from outsiders as he spoke of. The irony in all of this is that after all the lies that Kaisa spouted about the dangers of outsiders, who would have thought that the most dangerous ones to Skypiea were Skypieans themselves.


Sekou could only think about his motivations prior to all of this, and how he had been so willing to sacrifice everything to protect his family, only to be notified a week after the civil war had finally ended that his parents had been killed. Sekou never asked for the details, but it’s something that he still hasn’t forgiven himself for. It even seemed that his surviving family members couldn’t forgive him for his role in all of this as well. Immediately after getting the news, Sekou made his way to their family home only to be turned away by his elder sister, Rozina. Throughout the entire conversation, she made it a point to never look at him. Sekou wasn’t sure if this was because she was too upset to face him, or that she was simply disgusted by him – but he soon decided that both were likely the case. It would be after informing him of what happened that she would demand that he leave and never return. After the loss of their parents, Rozina and Tuari were all he had left, and it seemed he’d even loss them now as well.


Throughout the entire year after the civil war, Sekou would live mired in a deep depression. It was as if every day he was walking through life in a daze, feeling as if he were completely numb to the world. Despite this, he’d been promoted within Kaisa’s forces and was now a member of Kaisa’s White Berets. Though he was only fourteen years old at the time, his level of expertise and ability was obvious to all at the time. It would be during Sekou’s time with the White Berets that he’d be introduced to the use of firearms. After the Skypiean Civil War, one thing gifted to Skypiea was weaponry of all kinds. In return for both weapons and vearth, Kaisa provided the World Government with the use of dial technology. While these guns were completely foreign to many Skypieans prior to the war, they soon became a staple of Skypiean military might. Sekou would quickly become adept in the use of these firearms, finding that marksmanship was a useful ability to have and worth the time invested in bettering his proficiency in it now, as well as in the future.



777 - 779 – Two years after the civil war would come yet another tragic event within the life of Sekou, however, he wouldn’t be aware that it ever occurred. For some reason, as the details still haven’t been explained to him completely, his little brother Tauri had been abducted by pirates. He tends to attempt to paint these pirates in a positive light whenever this story is ever relayed to him by his younger brother, yet, Sekou simply considers his brother lucky to be alive. At this point in time, Tuari would have been six years old when these pirates decided to take him. While Tuari explains that this was because they recruited him as a “Swabbie”, Sekou still believes they had more nefarious plans in store for him. To take a child of that age and expect he’d shape up to be of any benefit was a random risk for no real reward. If anything, with the reputation that Pirates have, Sekou’s still understand the assumption that they abducted him with a plan to get a ransom for him – it just didn’t pan out for them. Pirates aren’t exactly known for thinking things through, and they just weren’t aware there wasn’t much they could get in return for him.


Sekou wouldn’t find about this abduction until many years after the fact, though. Rozina was, and still is, firmly against speaking to or interacting with Sekou in any capacity. Even when Tuari went missing, though she felt a hopelessness that she hadn’t felt since the loss of their parents, she absolutely refused to involve or inform Sekou of what had happened. In her eyes, someone who isn’t part of the family doesn’t deserve updates concerning the well-being of the family. Fortunately, Tuari wouldn’t hold this same viewpoint…at least to the degree that Rozina does. Though he doesn’t speak it aloud, Sekou has long felt that Tuari also holds a grudge against him concerning what happened to their family, and there’s no way Sekou could ever blame him for feeling this way. Hell, he still blamed himself for what happened. Though there was more involved with the rebellion than his participation in it, the fact that he stood against his family is what really matters in all of this. He let his family down when it really mattered, and he wasn’t there for them when they needed him. That’s something that he’ll continue to live with for the rest of his life, and it’s something that would continue to drive him as he attempts to make things right.



780 – At this point, Sekou had been in the employ of Kaisa’s White Berets for nearly five years. It had been five years since the civil war, and Skypiea was now a kingdom built up in his image. A vast majority of those that continued to live in Skypiea were completely and utterly brainwashed by his rhetoric, and remained steadfastly loyal to their God – while the minority that weren’t as convinced as the others simply held their tongue, as they feared they’d lose it along with their head. While there’d always been the “if you don’t like it, just leave” option, for many, Skypiea was the only home that they knew – just leaving was never an option for them, as they’d live and die as Skypieans.


Sekou belonged to this latter category. He held no illusions that Kaisa was nothing other than a tyrant, and he was also more than aware that he’d supported this man with every ounce of his being at one point. Where he differed from many others, though, is that for years he’d also been plotting to free his people from Kaisa’s clutches. Well, to be honest, it was more of a desire than an actual plot. There was no feasible way to truly accomplish this goal – at least at his current level of power. As mentioned before, it had been five years since the end of the civil war, and in that time Kaisa hadn’t simply been twiddling his thumbs together. The decisions and actions that Kaisa had taken since that time had bolstered and solidified his power within Skypiea – his personal and military might being nearly unmatched. Even if Sekou held the ability to find a way to evade Kaisa’s military and cut down his four Priests that always stood ready to defend him, there’s no way feasible he’d still have energy left in him to follow through on killing someone as powerful as Kaisa himself. No matter how he looked at it, he’d need help, and that was a commodity he was sure many weren’t willing to offer. Even if he did find those that wanted to fight back against the regime, why would they ever trust a traitor to lead them?


All in all, the truth of the matter was that there wasn’t much at all that Sekou could do to fight back. It was because of this that Sekou would simply keep these feelings inside and continue to serve Kaisa’s will as diligently as he could. He hoped that by doing so, one day, he’d garner enough trust to be given information, or a position, that he could use to finally take them down. He would also make sure to continue training himself during this period. As luck is merely the time in which preparation meets opportunity, Sekou wanted to make sure that he was as prepared as possible to take advantage of any opportunity to finally put Kaisa down. He couldn’t accomplish this if he stayed at his current level, so he needed to break through his current limits. He’d push himself to the edge and beyond to right his wrongs.



781 – One year later, Sekou’s efforts would be rewarded as he was informed that he was currently being considered for a new position. He was directed that he was to be considered for membership of a “new” group of warriors that would report directly to Kaisa’s Priests. They would be tasked with overseeing the White Berets and would function as a “Secret Police Force”, making sure that Kaisa’s will was always enforced and that dissidents were dealt with in the most discrete manner possible. It would be because of the rigorous and demanding nature of this job that even those that weren’t of Skypiean birth would be considered. Given that in the years that Kaisa had opened both immigration and emigration to and from the West Blue, there’d been many different races that now called Skypiea home. Those being considered for a spot within the new police force ranged from humans all the way to those from the long-arm and long-leg tribes. Throughout the years, Sekou had grown accustomed to being the in presence of many of those that differed in race from him, and bigotry wasn’t something that ever influenced him. He did his best to get along with all of those that he’d enter this training program with, but one human woman stood out from the rest.


To clear up any confusion, she didn’t stand out simply because she was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen – even though this was also the case. She stood out to Sekou merely because of how much they didn’t get along. While most people wouldn’t think twice about someone that they held a mutual aversion towards; the fact that they disliked each other so much is what garnered his attention. Sekou had always considered himself a “people person”, and he seemed to hold a charm and charisma that could win over most anyone. This wasn’t something that was intentional on his part, just simply a part of his character. He loved to make friends with as many people as possible, so he simply found it curious that there was someone out there that he truly couldn’t befriend. It would be this same curiosity that would fuel his desire to go out of his way to be in her presence. He wanted to get to understand her a bit more, as he’d begun to feel as though maybe he just didn’t know about her. He’d find reasons to have run-ins with her, or just to have simple conversations. He’d even ask her if she wanted to partner up when it came to training.


When training with one another, Sekou always held a suspicion that things weren’t quite as they appeared to be. On the surface, if someone were to spectate upon their training sessions, they’d usually walk away with the assumption that they were evenly matched, and their technique was around the same level. However, whenever Sekou would spar or simply work on conditioning with Ella, he felt as though he saw glimpses of her “true ability”. This doesn’t mean that Sekou felt she had some sort of potential that she just wasn’t able to reach yet, to Sekou, it felt as if she was actively holding herself back. Now, this wasn’t a feeling he would have often, as it felt as though every now and then she’d slip up and hit and little “harder” than usual during a spar, or even move a little faster than she’d ever had before, but then, immediately after, she’d readjust and go back to “normal. If she’d be capable of such feats, why didn’t she ever go all out? How would she ever break through her limits if she continued to give less than one hundred percent of her effort? Maybe she was growing stronger much the same way he was, and he was just witnessing her potential slipping through; but Sekou also began to wonder if she was holding herself back for his benefit. Maybe she pitied him? Regardless, Sekou would never bring up his suspicions and they’d continue to work on all aspects of their training together.


Months of this would pass, and eventually, she would finally decide that he at least deserved to know her name, given the amount of time that they were now spending together. While it would have seemed weird to anyone else that they’d been spending time together at all and he’d yet to learn her name, information such as this was something she held sacred. Letting others know information about her that wasn’t required wasn’t something she normally did, so the voluntary offering of even her name meant that Sekou was at least making some sort of impact.


She’d reveal that her name was Ella Gillespie, but immediately after offering this information, she continued the conversation on with a question of her own: what had he been attempting to gain with all of this? At first, Sekou was confused about her question, until he realized she’d been talking about his attempts to “befriend” her. In Ella’s mind there had to be more motivating him than his ego being bruised by the idea that someone out there didn’t like him. This quip embarrassed Sekou initially, as that had been his motivation, but this embarrassment faded as he realized she was absolutely correct. In the time that he’d spent with her, he couldn’t deny that more feelings than simple friendship had begun to spring up for him regarding her. While his first impressions of her hadn’t been the best, time had allowed him to see how much of a dedicated, hard-working, and extremely smart woman she was. She had been one of a very small few that he’d been around that he could truly say continually pushed him to be better in all facets of life – something that happily reminded him of his family. She was stubborn, hard-headed, and didn’t accept second-place – much like himself.


It was only in that moment of self-reflection that he registered he’d fallen for her even before realizing it. However, never being one to mince words when speaking on his feelings, he had no problem relaying this to her. While how forward he was being with all of this was something that took her aback, it seemed that she was also flattered by his honesty. She couldn’t deny that she felt something for him as well, but she termed this attraction as a distraction. They were both there to become a part of something bigger than themselves, and a relationship was something that would only get in the way. Despite wearing his heart on his sleeve and displaying his affection for her, she turned him down. Though it stung, Sekou had never been one to give up. As they say, all’s fair in love and war, and Sekou viewed their potential relationship as something to fight over. He wouldn’t give up that easily, and he’d show that what they could have together was more than a mere dalliance.


With time spanning many more months, Sekou’s persistence would finally pay off. Ella had never attempted to pretend that she didn’t have feelings for Sekou, but she was always hesitant to become more than just friends with him. This would soon change as those who had finally been accepted into the ranks of the Skypiean Secret Police were finally announced – two of those members being both Ella and Sekou. It was with this announcement that their hard work had finally paid off that a weight was finally lifted off her shoulders. She wasn’t willing to entertain a relationship before when their minds needed to be completely focused on the task at hand, but now that their goal had been accomplished, she couldn’t deny that she wanted far more with Sekou than a simple friendship.



782 – The relationship between Sekou and Ella would blossom into something that both had never truly expected – a connection filled with love and understanding on an emotional level that neither had ever experienced before. Sekou was completely smitten by Ella, and for the first time in a long time, he was happy. Though he could never forget the sorrow he’d once felt, and the rage that he still felt towards Kaisa, he never imagined that he’d be able to find a happiness like this one again. During this time, it seemed as though their days were filled with either work, making love, or spending time with each other in another capacity. With his family pushing him out of their lives, in many ways, Sekou felt that Ella was truly all he had – and the feeling appeared to be mutual.


With how close they had become, Sekou also felt comfortable with sharing everything with Ella: from his ups, downs, fears, doubts, regrets, and even how he felt about the man that they both served. Though Ella would often caution him about speaking these feelings “too loudly”, she never once attempted to deter or convince him to shed this grudge he held. Sekou was never exactly sure if she felt the same way about Kaisa, but he appreciated the fact that she allowed him to vent to her, regardless of her feelings on the matter. She held his trust completely, but in many ways, Sekou began to wonder if he held hers. Even though she was willing to listen to anything that Sekou had to get off his chest, he’d noted for a while that she wasn’t as forthcoming when it came to speaking about herself or her feelings. This was something he had grown to know about her very early on in their relationship when she waited months to finally reveal her name to him, but he’d long assumed that after so long together she would eventually open herself up.


Sure, she shared information with him here and there, or spoke on things that occurred in her past, but many of these things that were shared were very surface level. In all actuality, he began to realize that he truly didn’t know much about her at all. However, he didn’t take this as some sort of affront against him or a sign that he shouldn’t trust her, but rather, that maybe he wasn’t showing himself to be as dependable. Did she not feel safe enough around him to truly reveal herself to him? Instead, just like most things in his life, he took this as motivation to prove to her that she could truly confide in him. He’d continue to be open with her, and work harder so that she could feel safe enough to do the same. This “work” translated into doing more of what he’d always done in these situations – training. Increasing physical strength and mental fortitude seemed to always be a solution in these sorts of circumstances, and if he could prove to her that he could protect her in this capacity, maybe whatever she was harboring inside would come out.



783 – Fantastic news would reach Sekou’s ears in the following year. It seemed that he was finally being recognized for his work with the Skypiean Secret Police and would be personally congratulated by Kaisa himself. Being greeted by God himself was a huge acknowledgement of one’s achievements, yet, Sekou saw this as another opportunity. This was a chance he’d been waiting on for years; the only problem now was how Ella would feel about the course of action he was considering taking. While one half of wanted to tell her, another half wanted to give her as much deniability as possible should the worst outcome come to pass. During this meeting with Kaisa, he was hoping that they’d be alone – as was usually the norm when Kaisa deemed someone worthy enough to have an audience with. If this was the case, then this would be an opportunity to kill him that he’d never have again. Kaisa was almost always within the protection of his Priests at every point of the day – it wasn’t likely that a blind spot like this one would be given to him again in the future. Up to this point, Sekou had trained his body and mind to what he perceived as their absolute limits. He’d done everything he could possibly have done to prepare himself for a chance like this one, and if he wasn’t capable of killing Kaisa now, while he was alone, then he didn’t see it being possible any other time.


There were many other situations that Sekou would have to think of even after Kaisa was finally dead – like what his next move immediately after that would be – but nothing else outside of Kaisa’s demise mattered much. Sekou didn’t care what personally happened to himself after all of this potentially transpired, just that the man who had caused so much pain and misery in his life had finally been taken down. If he managed to take Kaisa down, he knew the Priests would be notified sooner or later and react. He doubted he’d be able to deal with all four of them so quickly after dealing with their leader. Was there a way to escape the compound and evade the Priests for the moment? With Kaisa dealt with, the Skypiean military would be in disarray. If he could separate himself from the area, maybe he’d be able to deal with the Priests individually.

This was all wishful thinking of course, because Sekou had no real hope that he’d make it out of the throne room alive after dealing a killing blow to Kaisa – if he even accomplished that. No, whatever happened, this would likely be his last act. However, there was a silver lining in all of this. Even if he died taking Kaisa down, maybe that would be enough to spark those who were still in opposition to his regime to continue the fight. He was still all too aware of his involvement in restricting the freedom of the people of Skypiea, but maybe this would be enough to atone somewhat.


Eventually, Sekou decided that he couldn’t act on something like this without at least informing Ella of his decision; there was far too much love between the both of him to do something like this without being truthful with her. As he spoke his mind about Kaisa, his plans, what he’d hope he’d accomplish by doing all of this, Ella sat there across from him with his hand in hers as she listened intently. She didn’t interrupt him once as she allowed him to get everything off his chest before responding. Her first obvious response was one of imploring him to reconsider, to think of the consequences, and reiterating that it was likely he would never survive an encounter such as this one. Sekou answered by acknowledging he’d thought about everything she spoke on, yet, was only given pause when he was able to see the emotional toll this conversation was having on her. He was naïve to think that something like this wouldn’t have this sort of emotional impact when someone you cared for is openly mentioning that they’re “fine” with the prospect of dying. It was at this moment that he reached out and held Ella, knowing that there wasn’t much more that needed to be discussed now. He still had time before the scheduled audience with Kaisa, and he’d use this time to think further about his actions. He needed to be sure that this was the course of action he’d take.


Two weeks would pass and Sekou had fully committed himself to going through with his plan, despite Ella’s best efforts to persuade him otherwise. Having realized that he wouldn’t budge, she instead decided to fully support him. Sekou wanted her to keep as much deniability as possible, so he didn’t want her to participate in the assassination with him. However, he would ask that she inform his family of his plans and help them to leave Skypiea prior to the night of the attack. Transports to the West Blue happened often, and so often enough, that Skypieans that decided to leave were never really kept track of – as they’d likely never find a way to return anyway. He felt that Ella would be best suited to speak to his family, given the fact that Rozina still refused to see or speak to him. Even though she continued to keep Sekou at a distance, he knew that even she would realize that if he went through with a plan like this that both Tuari and herself would be in danger. Even though she likely wouldn’t have left if she only had herself to think about, he knew that Rozina would do everything in her power to protect their little brother.


With all of this off his mind, he could now fully commit to the plan. He would continue to work on drills to simulate his actions during his audience with Kaisa. His plan was to kill the tyrant as quickly and efficiently as possible – he didn’t want a prolonged battle with the man, because it would increase the chances that backup would arrive to aid him. No, he needed to kill this man as swiftly as possible if he even wanted a sliver of a chance to survive this encounter and continue to fight another day. Ella would continue to help him train, yet, she would continue to give quips here and there about if he should follow through with his plans. Sekou simply interpreted this as her way of letting him know how much she cared for him; of course, nobody wanted someone they cared for to go into a situation in which their life could potentially end. Each time she made one of these comments, he would continually ensure her that he’d do everything he could to come back to her in one piece.


The day of Sekou’s audience with Kaisa was finally upon them, and Sekou made sure to ready himself as best as he could for this moment. He’d done all the training and preparation to steel himself for what would be necessary. He hadn’t taken the life of another since the age of thirteen; luckily, his time as a White Beret and even as a member of the Secret Police Force hadn’t required him to kill another. While the first life taken by his hands was something that still haunted him, at least with this death, he could finally avenge that man and many others in some way.


The act of finally meeting the God known as Kaisa went without much fanfare. Sekou had expected a small ceremony of some sort, but it seemed that God wasn’t in the mood for such “trivialities”. It seemed that the only one worthy of such decorum was God himself – wasting such effort on anyone else, regardless of their station, made little sense. Despite the expectation, Sekou didn’t mind this development at all. If anything, this made his intended goal much easier - as he didn’t need to contend with extra eyes make an appearance. The entirety of their audience with one another would take place in a vast dining room. Though it was fit to serve what he could only assume would be in the hundreds, a small, lavish, table had been set out for the two of them to share dinner. It seemed that the reward given to those who showed exemplary service was merely to be in God’s presence for a meal.


Sekou could only roll his eyes in spirit, as doing so physically would have likely been a sin worthy of death. Regardless of his feelings towards the false God that stood in front of him, he put on his best poker face and proceeded to put on a show that would have fooled anyone. He was there to be honored for his exemplary service, thus, it only made sense that he’d been starstruck in the presence of such a beloved deity. Sekou would put on this show, and it seemed that Kaisa lavished the compliments and attention. The goal was to make him as relaxed as possible, hoping that by doing so he’d see a prime opportunity to go in for the kill.


An hour of eating delectable food, sipping exquisite wine, eye-rolling conversation, and feigning laughter would pass before a question would reach Sekou’s ears; one that would completely throw him off of his game: “So, when exactly were you planning to kill me?”. At first, Sekou wasn’t certain he’d heard Kaisa correctly, to which Kaisa asked the question yet again – this time with a smirk creeping across his lips. It was within that moment that Kaisa could feel the entire jovial mood that existed prior disappear completely, but he did what he could to try and continue to keep the natural roll of conversation flowing. He decided to interpret Kaisa’s words as a joke, laughing off the question as if it was simply preposterous. He then attempted to divert conversation to another topic, but Kaisa would raise a singe a hand to stop him.


“I’ll ask again: When exactly were you planning to kill me? Throughout our conversation I’ve counted at least fifteen different opportunities, and you’ve passed up on each of them. I even tried my hardest to make myself appear as vulnerable as possible, and you’ve yet to take the bait…You’re more conniving than I gave you credit for, you know?”


Sekou could feel himself trembling lightly as he listened to the words of the man he had learned to fear over the years. While it was obvious from Kaisa’s words that this wasn’t a joke, and he seemed to know Sekou’s plot before he’d even had a chance to act upon it – what chilled Sekou the most was the tone in which Kaisa spoke. Usually, you’d expect someone to be mad or upset that someone had betrayed their trust and attempted to kill them; but no, there was something else there in his tone. He spoke as if this were all a game – as if he were a tiger teasing a mouse that had happened into his enclosure. He could feel the trembling from before growing worse, but he did all that he could to push the fear welling up inside of him back down. He needed to act now; this was the only chance he had. Sure, Kaisa may have figured out what he was up to, but he was still here alone and less than two meters from his position.


Acting quickly and taking the only action he could think of in the moment, Sekou would attempt to dart around the table and reach God before he had a chance to react. Sekou was employing every ounce of speed that he could muster in this attempt, all while drawing a dagger that he’d hidden inside of his uniform. It would take less than a second or two to accomplish all these things, and in his mind, he’d soon be feeling the blade of his dagger sink into the flesh of Kaisa’s neck. In his mind he could envision a pathetic yelp from the man that called himself God, the tension of his blade severing one of his carotid arteries, the spurt of warm blood, and the triumph he’d feel as he watched Kaisa’s lifeless body hit the floor.


Sadly, none of daydreams would ever be realized as just as Sekou’s blade would have reached its target, he could hear four loud bangs before he was sent sprawling to the marble floor. Well, one of those daydreams would come true: the spurt of warm blood. However, as you probably would have guessed, this blood belonged to Sekou himself. As he lie there, blood pooling underneath him, he finally came to the realization that he’d been shot multiple times in the back. He could feel his strength quickly leaving him as the pain began to overtake him. He cried out pitifully in agony, only to met by the laughter of the man he’d been wanting to kill for eight years now and the footsteps of others approaching their position.


Without realizing how quickly it happened, Sekou found himself now propped up against a nearby wall after a hard impact. Someone had forcibly thrown Sekou across the room and into the wall, and the pain that shoot through him was raised exponentially by the bullet wounds he still suffered from. A scream would try to escape from his lips, but his body was far too tired to produce one. Using what was left of his energy, he began to scan the room to examine those that had just entered. Five more guests were now present in the dining hall, and as his eyes fell upon the last one, he could feel his heart drop into the pit of his stomach. Almost as if Kaisa could recognize the look on his face, yet another smirk would creep upon his lips followed by a cackle.


“Oh, my apologies. I’m sure you’ve already met my four Priests, but you haven’t been properly introduced to this woman, have you? What did you tell him your name was, again? Ella, was it? I can’t quite remember…”


A grating laugh would once again fill the dining hall, the sound of it almost physically able to topple Sekou over as he put all his stamina into simply sitting upright. Seeing Ella standing amongst these five others had been enough to sap him of almost all the remaining energy he had. Initially, the mental gymnastics that he put himself through to explain away the reason she was here seemed to be the best direction to examine this from. She had to have a reason to be here. Maybe she’d figured out that their plan was compromised, and she was currently playing a role just to get close enough to Kaisa to deliver a killing blow.


It wouldn’t be until he watched the woman he loved stand in front of him and brandish a firearm in his direction that he began to accept reality. Taking a quick glance around, he’d realized that none of the Priests, and even Kaisa, made use of firearms. Yet, right here in front of him, the woman he’d spent his days and nights with now stood with a weapon trained in his direction. She’d been the one that shot him. She was the reason he was bleeding out on this floor. He wanted to look her in her eyes; for her to explain something, anything, to him. There had to be more to this. No matter how long he stared into her eyes, he realized he could recognize nothing about her from the cold, blank expression she gave him. This couldn’t be Ella. This couldn’t be the woman he loved, yet it was.


With all of this now sinking in, Kaisa finally decided that it was time to explain a few things. He would start by explaining that there never was a “Secret Police Force”. It had all been a ruse carried out to weed out potential threats from within. Those who had been deemed potential threats were given a “promotion”; this promotion being one that would make it far easier for those suspected to be monitored under the guise of keeping others in check. It was genius, after all, and Sekou had fallen for it completely. He’d interpreted the promotion as absolute trust in him, but in fact, it was the opposite.


Kaisa then went on to explain what exactly Ella’s role was in all of this. Usually, Sekou had always wondered why the villains in stories felt the need to explain every little detail of their plan to the supposed hero, but he was beginning to understand exactly why this was; Kaisa felt complete control in this moment. Someone who attempted to outwit him had met with the harsh reality of his plan backfiring in his face. Right now, he literally lorded over Sekou. He was a captive audience, and he’d learn exactly how outmatched he had been.


It seemed that Ella was an operative of the World Government – something that completely caught Sekou off guard. Kaisa mentioned that she worked directly for an outfit known as Cipher Pol, but this was a name that meant little to the Skypiean. He’d never heard of them, but he knew enough about what was currently being said to realize he’d been played since the beginning. He began to wonder about every interaction he’d ever had with Ella, wondering if anything between them had ever been real or if it had all been a fabrication. From Kaisa’s point of view, all of it had been an act, but Ella continued to remain there with the same stoic expression as before. Sekou couldn’t get a read on her at all, to the point that he still couldn’t believe that this was the same woman that he’d once been able to pour out his heart to.


The next thing Sekou knew, he could feel himself being gripped under the arm and hoisted up onto his feet. Two of Kaisa’s Priests now held onto him, keeping him standing upright as God would now hand down his judgement.


“As I am a just God, I am also a merciful God. It is with this mercy that I give you leniency. You won’t lose your life today, Sekou Mshera. Instead, you will live a life of exile. While your family remains here, in Skypiea, you will continue to live life down on the Blue sea…”


A tinge of disgust could be noted within Kaisa’s voice as he spoke this last part. It was obvious that he viewed life in the Blues as a punishment far worse than death, but what struck Sekou as odd was the fact that he’d mentioned his family still being in Skypiea. Before his audience with Kaisa, Sekou had made sure they had made it to the West Blue safely. Had he sent someone to bring them back? Was he not aware of the fact that they were gone? If he wasn’t aware that they were gone, did that mean Ella had helped him, despite her role in his betrayal? There were far too many questions to address now, and he’d need time to examine them later when he wasn’t on the verge of dying of blood loss.


Soon after Kaisa’s decree, Sekou’s consciousness failed him. He’d only awaken hours later aboard a transport headed for West Blue. While he was still gravely wounded from his earlier encounter, he found that his wounds had been bandaged and disinfected by good Samaritans that were also on their way to West Blue. The patchwork was amateurish, but he was extremely grateful for whatever they’d been able to do for him. He thanked them all, but all of them knew better than to delve into what happened – he didn’t want to relive it, and they didn’t want to get involved with anything that might leave them in the same predicament in the future.


Sekou had never left his home of Skypiea before, and the feeling of never being able to come back was something that bothered him to no end, but he knew without a shadow of a doubt he’d be back. He had to come back – there was no other way to finish what he started if he didn’t – he’d kill Kaisa just as he promised. Things would be harder this time around; he’d need to also deal with the woman he once thought he’d spend the rest of his life with. The circumstances surrounding her still left him dazed and confused, but he decided to table these feelings until he finally saw her again. There were only things that she could answer and plaguing himself with the “whys” and “what-ifs” would only distract him. She’d answer for everything.



784-789 - Upon making it to the West Blue, he’d eventually find himself settling down in a place known as Executive Island. The hustle and bustle of this place was something that the Skypiean had never been used to, and like anything new, it took some adapting. Fortunately, it wouldn’t take the extravert too long before he found himself with a multitude of acquaintances that were willing to assist him in gaining his footing in such a sprawling urban environment.


These acquaintances weren’t exactly the “respectable” type, but they were friendly enough and they knew talent when they saw it. Given the way that Sekou carried himself, and the dao that hung from his hip, they were able to piece together the fact that he wasn’t a stranger to conflict. It would be because of this that Sekou would find a way to support himself by being an enforcer, of sorts. People would call on him when they needed security for an event, an extra bodyguard, or even just somebody to “convince” someone else to hit the road. While he didn’t mind hiring himself to anyone that could afford his services, he preferred to help those that he felt were truly in need of help. It’s these people that he would often discount, or even help pro-bono.


It would be through this line of work that Sekou would also maintain his abilities, and even begin to advance them along. Most people might underestimate the situations that an enforcer such as himself could get into, but he saw more action on Executive Island than he’d ever truly saw during his time with the White Berets. Fighting and conflict seemed to be an almost daily occurrence for Sekou at this point, but as the saying goes: “steel sharpens steel”. He’d dealt with far worse in his life that he knew he could continue to push forward with any sort of issues that would arise from a job such as this one. He viewed it as killing two birds with one stone; he’d be able to train and be able to eventually raise enough capital for his future goals. Sticking a blade between Kaisa’s ribs was a thought that had never left Sekou’s mind in all the years that he continued to spend in the West Blue, and hopefully, one day, he’d raise the funds necessary to ferry himself back to Skypiea and confront him. As he continued with this line of work, his notoriety within Executive Island would increase to the point that various people from all over the Blue would seek him out for his assistance in manners that they couldn’t handle on their own.


While in the West Blue, he’d also managed to run into his younger brother, Tuari. It had been years since he’d last seen his sibling, but they were able to reconnect as if no time had passed whatsoever. At this point, his younger brother was now an adult himself – this meant that Rozina could no longer dictate his movements or control who he interacted with. While Sekou was sure that Tuari felt he was betraying his sister in some capacity by spending time with him, he had to admit to himself that he at least had part of his family back. Of course, he was never quite sure if Tuari still blamed him for what happened to their parents, but it at least seemed that his brother was trying to move forward. Rozina, however, still refused to have anything to do with younger brother.
 

Even though she was still as stubborn as ever, more than anything, he was happy to simply know that they were alive and well. Tuari filled in even more blanks about how they'd made it to West Blue - even pointing out that it was indeed Ella that helped them to evacuate before the day of the attempted assassination. This meant that Sekou's assumption from before had been true, she'd helped them despite her role as a spy. He couldn't understand what her motivation behind this would have been, unless there truly was still something between the two of them; or she simply threw him a bone knowing he'd be killed soon. It would be these conflicting thoughts that would continue to fuel his emotions towards his one-time love.