"So many humanoid animals! What a magnificent city! I never expected such a massive metropolis capable of housing hundreds of thousands of Minks to exist on the back of an elephant. It's like the beastfolk from a fantasy novel!" Aeridar looked down from above, his voice laced with wonder. This was the first time he had seen so many members of the Mink Tribe in one place.
On the black market's human trafficking price list, a Mink slave had a starting price of 700,000 Berries, a high price reflecting their extreme rarity. Within the Chris Pirates, at least, there were no Mink members yet.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
The warning bells of Kurau City suddenly began to toll as Mink warriors sounded the alarm. Regardless of who the intruder was, the fact remained: they had "trespassed into the Mokomo Dukedom."
"All residents, fall back!"
"Stay alert!"
"The enemy can fly! Maintain defensive positions!"
One by one, Mink warriors clad in blue capes and top hats, armed with various weapons, rushed onto the streets.
"The Musketeers are here!"
The Mink citizens on the streets cheered at the sight of the warriors, quickly clearing the area to give them room.
"Interesting. Though, you guys are a bit numerous, aren't you?" Aeridar blinked, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.
Through his perception, he could feel that the "rhythm" within these Mink warriors was exceptionally strong. Even the ordinary Mink citizens possessed an internal vitality far exceeding that of a normal human. They were truly a fierce warrior race.
Vroom—!
Suddenly, an invisible and terrifying pressure erupted, causing the very air to tremble with an eerie vibration.
Every Mink warrior on the street felt as if their heart had been seized by an iron grip. A colossal weight pressed down on their souls, and many were knocked unconscious instantly by the sheer shock of it.
Thud, thud, thud, thud...
Groups of Mink warriors rolled their eyes back and collapsed onto the ground. In just a few breaths, out of the thousand-strong Musketeer squad, fewer than a hundred remained conscious.
Among those survivors, everyone was either down on one knee or swaying unsteadily. Even the strongest among them were drenched in cold sweat, their faces twisted in horror.
"Con... Conqueror's... Haki—"
A lion Mink, dressed in ornate, vintage attire, stared up at Aeridar in sheer terror, sweat pouring down his face.
It was Shishilian, Captain of the Inuarashi Musketeer Squad and one of the three Musketeers!
"Oho~ Quite a few of you are still awake. Truly a legendary warrior race indeed."
Aeridar slowly descended from the sky, hovering ten meters above the ground as he looked down mockingly at the Mink warriors. He was genuinely surprised that nearly a hundred out of a thousand had maintained consciousness.
"What's happening?"
"The Musketeers... what happened to them?"
"Did that man use some kind of sorcery?"
Seeing the fallen warriors, the nearby Mink residents were pale with shock.
"Who... who are you?" Shishilian asked heavily.
As a Musketeer Captain, his strength was second only to the two Kings of the Mokomo Dukedom. He had never encountered someone who could exert such immense pressure through spirit alone.
Just as Aeridar was about to speak, a commotion broke out in the distance as the crowd parted.
A massive, strangely-shaped yellow crocodile lumbered forward. More importantly, riding atop the crocodile was a tall canine Mink dressed in ducal finery, a longsword at his hip and sunglasses over his eyes.
"Respected Lord of the World Neutral Zone, Golden Ring Aeridar-dono. I am the King of this country, Duke Inuarashi," the Duke said respectfully as he approached on his mount. "May I ask what business brings a man of your stature here?"
"Duke Inuarashi? How interesting! You actually recognize me. I thought you Minks were cut off from the world," Aeridar raised an eyebrow, eyeing the large dog with interest.
"You flatter us, Lord. The name of the Master of the Neutral Zone rings out like thunder," Inuarashi replied, keeping his posture humble. He knew exactly who he was dealing with.
Though Zou had little contact with the outside world, News Coos occasionally passed by. Major events like the 'Neutral Zone Incident,' the 'Death of Golden Lion Shiki,' and the 'Paramount War' were well known to him. The protagonists and key figures of those events had graced the front pages many times.
"I know you too. One of the Two Kings of Zou, the Ruler of Day. Equal in fame to the Ruler of Night, Master Nekomamushi!" Aeridar narrowed his eyes. "A retainer of the Wano Country Daimyo of Kuri, Kozuki Oden. You even served on the ships of both the Pirate King and Whitebeard. What a terrifyingly impressive resume."
Aeridar watched Inuarashi's reaction closely. If he hadn't gone out of his way to collect intelligence on the world's power players, and heard a few stories from Rayleigh, he wouldn't have known this dog possessed such deep history.
Inuarashi's pupils contracted slightly. He was stunned. Looking at the young face before him, how could he possibly know such classified information?
"So, why hasn't Master Nekomamushi, the Ruler of Night, come out?" Aeridar glanced around. "Is it true that the King of Night only appears after the sun sets?"
"It is. He and I rule this country during the night and day respectively," Inuarashi stated bluntly.
"A fascinating country. Well then, for the sake of Rayleigh-san, hand over all your Poneglyphs!" Aeridar grinned, his tone turning chilling.
Instantly, Inuarashi's pupils shrank violently. Horror and suspicion raced through his mind: How does he know we have a Road Poneglyph? Could there be a traitor?!
Of course, Inuarashi could never have guessed that this was merely Aeridar's own speculation and deduction. Though the Duke tried to hide it, that split-second fluctuation in his expression confirmed Aeridar's suspicions.
"Aeridar-dono must be joking. we have no such things as Poneglyphs. Those are items strictly forbidden by the World Government," Inuarashi said, shaking his head with a forced look of solemnity.
"Are you kidding me?"
Aeridar's face turned icy. "Since when are you people afraid of the World Government?"
"I swear by the gods, we truly have no Poneglyphs! Truly!" Inuarashi insisted.
"Tsk. So you want to do this the hard way."
"Fine then. I'll just tear this whole city apart to find them!"
Aeridar's expression took on a bloodthirsty edge. If I hadn't seen your face twitch just now, I might have actually believed you!
The moment his words fell, Aeridar dropped from the air. He whipped out a lightning-fast leg strike, his silhouette becoming a black blur that let out a piercing shriek as it tore through the atmosphere.