Chapter 557 - 397

Chapter 398: Adventure on Zou (Part 10)On the battlefield, it had long since become the center of a storm of wreckage."drought" Jack's mountain-sized Mammoth body caused the earth to shake and mountains to sway with every movement.With a casual swing of his thick elephant trunk, he could easily plow a deep trench through the forest, snapping trees that would take several people to embrace as if they were toothpicks.Violent, arrogant, and unreasonable.This is the power of the Zoan type, Ancient Species!!!However, within this destructive storm that could make an ordinary person wet themselves, a golden figure was as elegant and sharp as a spear piercing through the storm!"Zzzzt—!"Accompanied by a clear ring, azure electric light coiled around his blade, making a crisp "crackling" sound.This is the innate talent of the Mink Tribe—"Electro"!"You old dog who only knows how to dodge!"Jack let out a muffled roar, his voice filled with irritation."If you have the guts, face me head-on!""As you wish."Duke Inuarashi's voice showed no ripples, but his eyes instantly became as sharp as an eagle's!Instead of retreating, he charged forward, his longsword covered in a layer of Armament Haki as black as ink!On that bottomless blackness, there was even visible black lightning leaping and flowing!"Inu-Omon!!!"With a low shout, the longsword in his hand turned into a destructive light of intertwined black and blue, accurately meeting the sweeping giant trunk from below!"Clang—!!!"A loud bang rang out, nearly deafening everyone!Where the sword and trunk collided, a circle of white shockwaves exploded, scraping a layer off the surrounding ground!Violent electric currents surged through the sword blade into Jack's trunk, making his massive body jerk violently as he let out a painful grunt!The clash of Armament Haki even triggered several streaks of black lightning that danced wildly in the air!This strike was actually evenly matched!"Oh?"A hint of surprise flashed in Jack's massive single eye, which was then replaced by a more tyrannical rage."You've got some skill! But it's not enough!"He suddenly increased his strength, and Duke Inuarashi was knocked back over ten meters by the massive force, plowing two deep trenches in the ground before he could barely stand firm."Garchu~! Eleclaw!"In that moment of deadlock, a small white figure, like an arrow leaving a bow, moved so fast the eye couldn't keep up, weaving through the battlefield.Carrot of the Rabbit Mink Tribe leapt high, her cute rabbit ears whistling in the wind. Her hands were covered in a layer of blue electric light even more intense than before as she clawed fiercely at Jack's hind leg!"Zzzzt—!"Intense electricity coursed through half of Jack's body again, making his massive body stiffen once more, causing a fatal stagnation in his movements."Now! Wanda!""Understood!"The canine Mink swordswoman, Wanda, appeared quietly by Jack's side like a beam of Moonlight in the dark night.Her twin swords crossed, also covered in a thin layer of electricity, as she slashed at Jack's relatively soft abdomen from a tricky angle!And the one who seized the biggest opening was Duke Inuarashi!"Inuzan Wi-Ya!"Seizing the moment of Jack's stiffness, his figure moved like lightning, merging man and sword. The longsword coiled with Armament Haki and electricity drew a dazzling golden arc in the air, stabbing fiercely into Jack's front leg joint!"Pshhh—!"The hard Armament Haki broke through Jack's prideful defense!With a muffled sound of flesh being torn, a wound deep enough to see the bone appeared instantly, and dark red blood sprayed out!"Awooo—!!!!"The intense pain made Jack let out his first true howl of agony since the battle began!He swung his body frantically, his terrifying power sending Wanda and Carrot flying like rubber balls!But the look he gave Duke Inuarashi was no longer just simple contempt; it carried a hint of true solemnity and killing intent!The battle was intense, tragic, and filled with the determination to protect their home.However~~~On the terrace of Duke Inuarashi's palace, only a few hundred meters away from this Shura Field, the style formed an absurdly sharp contrast with the battlefield.This place was practically a VIP open-air cinema."Crunch... crunch..."Luffy sat cross-legged in the center, holding a large bucket of "SUPER Popcorn" sponsored by Franky's friendship, watching the battle below with great interest, his mouth never stopping."Ohhh! They're pretty strong!! They can even use electricity!""Crunch... Hmm, Franky, this popcorn is a bit bland, remember to add more salt next time.""Hey! Is there any more cola?!"Trafalgar Law sat on a lounge chair next to him with a dark expression, holding a glass of iced lemonade, feeling his temples start to throb again.He calmly watched the battle below, providing a live commentary for Luffy with the precision of a surgeon performing an operation:"Straw Hat-ya, look closely. This old dog's strength is indeed decent; he's combined the Mink Tribe's talent with Armament Haki very well, and is already able to deal effective damage to Jack.""Oh?"Luffy responded indistinctly, stuffing another handful of popcorn into his mouth.Law directly ignored his gluttonous behavior and continued:"But the problem is, 'drought' Jack's recovery and endurance are notoriously monster-level. His Ancient Species ability gives him almost infinite stamina.""Every time Inuarashi attacks with full power, he consumes a large amount of Haki and stamina, but Jack only needs to endure it. If this continues, Inuarashi is bound to lose.""But for us, this is a good thing. Only when Inuarashi is pushed to a dead end will he set aside that ridiculous pride. When night falls and Nekomamushi sees his compatriots being treated this way, he won't be able to sit still either. Strong external pressure is the only catalyst to make these two idiots reconcile."Hearing this, Luffy finally showed some interest and scratched his head:"So troublesome... So you mean we should wait until they're both tired before going down to help?""No,"A smirk of a successful plan curled on Law's lips,"It's to wait until they are both beaten half to death, then they'll shake hands and reconcile, and come to us together to beg for help.""Oh..."Luffy nodded half-comprehendingly, and then his eyes lit up,"Then... does that mean when the fight is over, we can have an even bigger victory banquet than last night?"Law: "...You could say that.""Great—!!!"Law silently covered his face, feeling exhausted, as if he were about to have a heart attack.Among this group of "divine spectators," everyone's focus was different."Dammit! That guy is one of my old man's subordinates! I really want to go down right now and blow him away with 'Thunder Bagua'!"Yamato was stomping her feet in frustration. Carrying her Spiked Club, she had already started warming up, radiating a strong signal of "I want to fight."In those beautiful eyes, a blazing fighting spirit burned."Hehe, calm down, Miss Yamato."In stark contrast to her was Nico Robin, who sat on the other side, elegantly holding a cup of black tea.Today, she was still wearing that figure-hugging purple dress, her posture dignified and her aura composed.She took a gentle sip of her tea and, with her magnetic voice, smiled as she added some "background knowledge" about Jack for everyone:"This Mr. Jack's resume is actually quite impressive.""He once, without Lord Kaido or the other two 'Great Signs' accompanying him, alone attacked a warship carrying four Marine Vice Admirals and the former Marine Admiral Akainu!!!""Oh? And the result?" Usopp asked from the side, listening with trepidation."The result,"Robin's smile became increasingly playful,"Supposedly his fleet was annihilated, and he himself was reported 'dead.' But that was clearly a battle report with a lot of padding."She paused and then added:"Truly... a very energetic gentleman who possesses great passion for 'challenging the impossible.'"These words made a cold sweat break out on Usopp.A tough guy who dares to challenge a former Marine Admiral and current Fleet Admiral... Is that energy? That's a total lunatic!And as Luffy's exclusive songstress, Uta's focus was on Luffy from beginning to end.Seeing Luffy's enthusiastic look, she also felt relieved. She picked up a hand fan from the small table nearby and, while humming a song, gently fanned Luffy."Luffy, is the popcorn good? Do you want some juice?"In her eyes, there was only Luffy; it was as if the battle below was just background music to enhance their date.The battlefield and the spectator seats, tragic and leisurely—two completely different styles were clearly divided within this small area, filled with an absurd sense of comedy.Time passed, second by second, in this eerie atmosphere.The battle, just as Law predicted, began to tilt.Jack's endurance was practically a bottomless pit. Although the wounds on his body were increasing, his violent aura didn't diminish at all.But Duke Inuarashi was, after all, only flesh and blood."Huff... huff..."His breathing began to grow heavy, fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead, and the black lightning leaping on his blade began to flicker, no longer as solid as at the beginning.Every slash carrying Haki and electricity was a massive drain."What's wrong? Old dog! Are you out of juice already?!"Jack seized an opening when he stopped to catch his breath, ignoring another wound being slashed onto him. That massive elephant trunk, like a black iron whip, came sweeping over with a fierce wind that tore through the air!Duke Inuarashi's pupils shrank, and he immediately blocked with his sword!"Clang—!!!"With a loud bang, he was sent flying by the massive force, rolling clumsily on the ground a dozen times before he could barely stand firm."Pfft!"A mouthful of blood overflowed from the corner of his mouth.It looked like he was going to lose.On the terrace, Law glanced at the western sky, where the sun had already taken on an orange-red glow.He picked up his lemonade, took a sip, and said calmly:"Soon, it's not far from six o'clock."As if stating a foregone conclusion.In the battlefield below, Duke Inuarashi also noticed the change in the sky.A hint of deep exhaustion and unwillingness flashed in his eyes.He knew that his time was running out.