Chapter 400: Adventure in Zou (Part 12)The night was as thick as ink.On the battlefield, Jack was preparing to raise his foot and completely crush those overconfident Sharpshooters into mincemeat.His massive eyes were filled with cruelty and a disregard for the lives of the weak.However, his descending giant foot suddenly halted mid-air.A violent, primal aura, thick with wildness and the scent of slaughter, swept out from the depths of the forest like a black tsunami!This aura was so pure and furious that even Jackfelt a tremor of trepidation, instinctively turning his head toward its source."Garchu~!!!!"Accompanied by a roar that shook the heavens, a dark shadow shot out from the forest like a cannonball!While still in mid-air, the Cross-spear in his hand was already coated in a layer of Armament Haki as black as the night, with wisps of black lightning crackling wildly upon it!"Cat-Laughing Clash!!!"Without the slightest probe or a single word of nonsense, Master Nekomamushi unleashed a violent killing move the moment he appeared!His entire body spun at high speed in the air, driving the Cross-spear to become a black tornado of death. Carrying a terrifying force capable of tearing everything apart, it slammed heavily into Jack's massive mammoth head!**BOOM—!!!**A terrifying explosion, loud enough to rupture eardrums, erupted!Jack's mountain-like body was actually sent staggering back dozens of steps by the terrifying impact of the strike!On the mammoth head he took such pride in, a deep, bone-chilling wound was carved by the tip of the Cross-spear, and dark red blood sprayed out instantly!"Awooo—!!!"The sudden, heavy blow caused Jack to let out an earth-shattering roar of pain!"Another one coming to die?!"He steadied himself, his furious gaze locking onto the figure slowly descending.Nekomamushi landed lightly, planting his Cross-spear heavily into the ground. His cat-like pupils, frighteningly bright in the dark night, burned with pure rage.But he didn't even spare Jack a glance, instead walking straight to Duke Inuarashi, who was lying on the ground, fast asleep.He reached out a foot and kicked Inuarashi's backside unceremoniously, his tone filled with extreme mockery and disdain."Hey! Stupid dog! Garchu~!""Sleeping soundly, are we? I thought you'd been beaten into mincemeat! With such pathetic skills, you dare call yourself the King of the Day? You're truly disgracing Lord Oden!"These words were so poisonous that the heavily injured Wanda nearby couldn't help but want to crawl up and argue with him.Perhaps the mockery worked, or perhaps the violent tremors disturbed his dream, but Duke Inuarashi, who had been dead to the world, twitched his eyelids and opened his eyes in a daze."Hmm...? What's that noise... so loud..."The first thing he saw was that cat face he had hated for twenty years.Duke Inuarashi's sleepiness vanished instantly, replaced by a similarly burning rage!"You stinking stray cat!!!"He struggled to get up, pointing at Nekomamushi's nose and cursing loudly,"If you bastard hadn't arrived so late, how could my subordinates have been so badly injured?! You have the nerve to stand there making sarcastic remarks?!""Ha?!"Nekomamushi's voice was even louder than his,"Garchu~! Why the hell should I come save an inflexible, stupid dog like you?! If Pekoms hadn't mentioned Lord Oden, I'd still be having a banquet right now!""You~~~!""What about me?!"Seeing that this rescue was about to turn into a king-level street brawl, the atmosphere among the God's Spectator Group on the distant terrace grew lively again."Wow! The cat is here too! Are they going to start fighting?"Luffy excitedly stuffed the last handful of popcorn into his mouth,"So interesting!""Shut up, straw hat-ya."Law looked utterly weary of life, feeling his stomach starting to ache as well,"If they start infighting now, my entire plan will go down the drain.""Honestly, even though it's such a touching reunion..."Uta muttered from the side, already composing a new song in her head titled 'Awkward Best Friends'.Just as the two old friends were about to turn the battlefield into a wet market, a roar laced with endless fury forced their attention back."You two bastards~~~!!!"Jack, who had been ignored, felt that the insult he suffered was even more severe than the blow he had just taken!"How dare you... argue right in front of me?!""All of you, go to hell!!!"He went completely berserk, his trunk and tusks striking out together to become a shadow of death, attacking both kings while they were still bickering!"Tch!""Hmph!"Inuarashi and Nekomamushi snorted in disdain almost simultaneously, and then performed an action that brought tears to the eyes of all the Mink Tribe warriors.Without even glancing at each other, as if they had rehearsed it countless times, they both retreated a step and stood back-to-back!"Don't hold me back, stray cat!""Mind your own business, stupid dog!"As soon as they spoke, two distinct yet equally powerful auras soared into the sky!On Duke Inuarashi, azure lightning lit up once more—the thunder of the day, swift and precise!On Nekomamushi, eerie crimson electric light coiled—the angry thunder of the night, violent and overbearing!"Garchu~! Watch closely! This is true lightning!"Nekomamushi roared and was the first to strike!The Cross-spear in his hand, entwined with crimson lightning and pitch-black Haki, was like a venomous snake emerging from its hole. At a speed the naked eye couldn't follow, it instantly pierced Jack's flailing trunk!"Pfft!"Blood sprayed wildly!"Not bad, stray cat!"Duke Inuarashi's praise rang out, but it turned into mockery the next second,"But your strength is too weak, like a cat scratching an itch! Watch me!"Seizing the moment Jack froze from the intense pain, his figure appeared on Jack's other side like a ghost. The rapier in his hand, covered in blue lightning and Armament Haki, traced an elegant yet lethal arc!"Inu-Zan Wi-Ya!"Another deep wound, reaching the bone, appeared on Jack's flank!"Awooo—!!!"Jack fell into a complete frenzy, violently thrashing his body to shake off these two annoying fleas.But the cooperation between these two old friends was outrageously synchronized.Inuarashi focused on technique, his sword never straying from vital points, like a calm executioner constantly inflicting new wounds on Jack.Nekomamushi focused on power, his moves wide and sweeping. Every attack carried a world-shattering momentum, drawing Jack's main fire head-on.One was a sharp spear, the other a solid shield.While their mouths attacked each other with the most vicious words, their bodies instinctively covered for one another, compensating for each other's flaws in the most familiar way."Hey! Stupid dog! Your right side is open!""Shut up! Mind your own business! Your attacks on that side are too soft! Garchu~!""You're the one! Your attack wind-up is so long, are you afraid the enemy won't see it coming?!"This bone-deep coordination, this love-hate joint battle, made all the Mink Tribe warriors cry and laugh at the same time, their emotions complex to the extreme.They, the Twin Kings of Zou, were finally fighting side-by-side once again after twenty years.However, their enemy was the 'drought', a man with a bounty as high as one billion Berries, world-renowned for his endurance and recovery!"Hahahaha! Good! Good! Now this is getting interesting!"Jack's wounds were multiplying, and the blood flowing out had almost turned him into a man of gore, but the murderous glint in his eyes only increased, and his violent aura was even stronger than before!"But! You think you can defeat me with just this much?!""You're being far too naive!!!"He let out a thunderous roar, ceasing all defense and choosing the most savage, unreasonable fighting style—trading injury for injury!"BOOM!!!"He tanked a lightning-infused slash from Inuarashi, letting the sharp blade leave a terrifying wound on his back. Simultaneously, his massive elephant foot, carrying ten thousand tons of force, stomped down hard toward Nekomamushi!"Master! Watch out!"Nekomamushi's heart tightened, and he immediately blocked, but that power was simply too terrifying!"Bang!"He was stomped directly into the ground, which instantly cracked apart beneath him, and a mouthful of blood sprayed from his mouth!"Stray cat!"Seeing this, Inuarashi's eyes turned red. He wanted to turn back and help immediately, but Jack's iron-whip-like trunk swept across, forcing him into full defense!The balanced scale began to tilt again in the face of Jack's near-cheating, terrifying endurance.The Twin Kings' breathing began to grow heavy. Each of their full-strength attacks was drastically consuming their already limited stamina and Haki.Meanwhile, Jack was like a war machine that never tired, growing more ferocious as the battle progressed."It's over!"Jack seized a moment when the two were catching their breath. His massive body suddenly reared up, his two front legs coated in pitch-black Armament Haki. Like two black meteors falling from the sky, they smashed down violently toward the two kings below!This strike covered all their space to evade!Despair once again enveloped the scene.Inuarashi and Nekomamushi glanced at each other, seeing a trace of bitterness and resolve in each other's eyes.They roared simultaneously, pouring all their remaining Haki and power into their weapons, preparing to meet this final, and perhaps most tragic, blow.The two kings of Zou, even after joining forces, had actually been pushed into a desperate corner once again.