The battle at the Underground Trade Port was a storm of violence, but the intensity within the Corrida Colosseum was not a single notch lower.
With the addition of over a hundred Mink warriors led by Duke Inuarashi and Master Nekomamushi, the ferocity of the combat had reached an entirely new level. Originally, the joint forces of the Donquixote Family and the Chris Pirates had managed to suppress Sabo and his allies, but the arrival of the Minks had flipped the scales of power completely.
Though Aeridar had single-handedly swept through Zou, it didn't mean Inuarashi and Nekomamushi were weak. In truth, the combat prowess of either one was no less than that of Jack the Drought, one of the Three Disasters. In the original timeline, neither the Duke nor the Master had ever truly lost a head-to-head clash against Jack. While Jack might have eventually won a 1v1, it would have required a battle of attrition lasting several days and nights to wear down their stamina.
Driven by a burning desire for vengeance against the Chris Pirates, the Minks' first targets were Quiniel Vito and Cavendish. Vito was forced to switch opponents, engaging in a fierce struggle with Duke Inuarashi. Meanwhile, his previous opponent, Sabo, was intercepted by Burgess.
Cavendish, now in his Hakuba persona, relied on sheer speed to barely stall Master Nekomamushi, though he looked to be in a precarious position. Myles Dimitri wanted to reinforce Cavendish, but his opponent, Max, was incredibly strong. The two fought to a standstill; although Dimitri held a slight upper hand, it meant little, as he couldn't finish off an Ancient Zoan user in a short amount of time.
The Diamond Army, led by Diamante, focused their cruelty on the injured contestants. Gergiel Haunger the Flash Blade, Calotte the "Moonlight's Smile," and the Dwarf Bara, a series of powerful fighters who would have made short work of the Diamond Army had they not been severely depleted and wounded from the previous rounds.
Fortunately for the Donquixote side, the powerful Mink warriors were held back by the reinforcements brought by Caribou and Coribou: ten humanoid biological weapons known as "Dragonians," twenty members of the Elite Strike Team with Doriki exceeding 500, and five hundred elite Chris Pirate soldiers, none of whom possessed a Doriki below 100. Against a hundred Minks from the Musketeer Squad and the Guardians, this force held its ground without flinching.
The Corrida Colosseum, with its thousand-year history, was being reduced to rubble by these powerhouses. The battlefield bled out into the surrounding streets, leaving houses and roads in utter ruin.
"Shockwave Elbow!"
"Dragon's Claw!"
Sabo and Burgess collided, each unleashing their signature moves.
BOOM!
A massive explosion erupted, followed by a shockwave that sent shattered masonry flying and whipped up a blinding cloud of dust.
"Get back!" Sabo roared, putting his full weight into a surge of invisible force that physically repelled Burgess.
Under Sabo's immense strength, Burgess was knocked back over a dozen meters, slamming into a stone wall with a thundering crash. The half-meter-thick masonry shattered instantly.
"Dammit!" Burgess rose, livid, and charged Sabo once more with his fists swinging.
Mere seconds later, a dull thud like muffled thunder echoed as a visible ripple of air distorted. Burgess was sent flying again like a ragdoll, skidding dozens of meters before crashing into a pile of debris.
"Sabo!" a voice cried out.
Sabo turned to see Hack the Fishman running toward him in a frantic hurry. Hack's face was etched with anxiety. Even before reaching Sabo, he shouted, "The Underground Trade Port is the exit! Get out of Dressrosa quickly, 'Golden Ring' Aeridar will be arriving soon!"
Ever since the battle at the Kingdom of Bivins, the Revolutionary Army had suffered catastrophic losses at the hands of the Chris Pirates. Even Sabo, the Chief of Staff, had been captured once. The name "Golden Ring Aeridar" now made Revolutionaries pale just hearing it. The Chris Pirates were now ranked alongside the World Government as one of the Revolutionary Army's greatest enemies.
"Golden Ring Aeridar!" Sabo's breath hitched in alarm. He grabbed Hack by the shoulders. "Is the source reliable?"
"It... it came from Trafalgar Law. Apparently, Doflamingo told him himself during their fight!"
Sabo's grip was so tight that Hack felt a sharp pain in his shoulders, cold sweat beading on his forehead. Still, he pressed on: "Straw Hat is stalling Doflamingo on the other side of Dressrosa to buy time to open the way through the port, but several Donquixote Officers are guarding it. We haven't been able to break through!"
Knowing the info came from Law and that his brother was currently fighting Doflamingo, Sabo didn't doubt the news for a second. "Dammit... that monster..." He still vividly remembered that overwhelming, terrifying strength from the Bivins battle.
"What?!" a hateful roar erupted nearby.
Sabo and Hack turned to see an unnaturally large cat with a ferocious face, sharp fangs, and a pipe in his mouth. It was Master Nekomamushi.
"Oi, Fishman!" Nekomamushi ignored the Hakuba-form Cavendish darting around him and lunged toward Sabo and Hack. Exuding a murderous aura, he gritted his teeth and asked, "Did you just say that bastard Aeridar is coming here? Nya~"
Hack didn't know Nekomamushi and was startled by the massive cat-man, nearly dropping into a combat stance. Sabo calmed him down, and Hack relayed the details.
Before long, the news spread through the Colosseum. The participants were filled with dread and a desperate urge to flee, but the Birdcage had them trapped. With the only exit blocked, they could only continue to struggle against the Donquixote Officers while waiting for a miracle.
Conversely, the Donquixote and Chris Pirate forces were ecstatic, their morale soaring at the prospect of their strongest ally's arrival.
"Nya~ Inuarashi! This is our chance!" Nekomamushi called out.
Fwoosh!
A strong gust of wind scattered the dust as Inuarashi repelled Vito. He turned and asked, "Old Monster Cat, are you sure you want to stay here for a decisive battle?"
"Nya! Last time I was afraid of destroying the Whale Forest and hurting Zunesha. This time, I'm going to wash away that disgrace!" Nekomamushi's eyes were firm. "The Chris Pirates don't have many officers here. There's no better chance!"
"Fine. We'll kill Golden Ring Aeridar right here!" Inuarashi nodded heavily. He looked back at Vito and said grimly, "But before that, we need to find a way to finish off or lure away these Chris Pirate officers!"
At that moment, Sabo walked over with a determined expression. "If you're planning an ambush to take down Aeridar, count me in. We need a plan to recover everyone's combat strength first."
As they discussed their plan in plain sight, Vito cracked his fang-filled mouth open, letting out a low, raspy laugh.
"Hey, Revolutionaries... and you Mink beasts... aren't you being a bit too whimsical?"