A visible shockwave erupted, transforming into a massive gale that swept outward, kicking up a wall of dust that reached toward the heavens.
"What incredible power!"
Amidst the swirling dust, Duke Inuarashi crossed his arms in a defensive guard as he was sent flying off his crocodile mount. He crashed violently into the ground behind him.
BOOM!
A crater several meters wide appeared in the earth. Inuarashi lay half-buried in the hollow, his expression one of utter bewilderment.
"Duke Inuarashi!" the Minks cried out in horror.
Aeridar retracted his leg, hovering a meter above the ground. His face was a mask of disdain as he mocked, "A crew member of the King of the Pirates... and this is all the strength you have? How disappointing."
"You bastard! How dare you!"
Shishilian and the other remaining Musketeers drew their weapons in a rage, preparing to charge Aeridar.
"Stop!"
A loud shout cut through the air, halting Shishilian and the warriors in their tracks.
"Duke-sama!"
The Musketeers turned back to see Inuarashi climbing out of the crater.
"I can allow you to search Kurau City, but please, do not destroy it. This is a country with ancient history!" Inuarashi stood up and drew his longsword, only to drop it with a heavy clatter to the ground, signaling he had no further intent to fight.
"Duke-sama!" The warriors watched him, shocked.
"Well, well, well... honestly, aren't you supposed to be a warrior race? You've got quite the temperance," Aeridar said, somewhat surprised. What happened to the fierce fighting spirit? I've slapped his face this hard and he doesn't lead a total counterattack?
"This is a meaningless, worthless battle!" Inuarashi barked in a low voice.
"Meaningless? Worthless?" Aeridar's brow arched, and a crazed smile crept onto his lips. An intense bloodlust swept out like a tidal wave. "Heh, heh, heh... the meaning and value of battle is the battle itself!"
Inuarashi's breath hitched as he stared at Aeridar in disbelief. The value of battle is the battle itself? Is this man a total combat maniac? Even Golden Lion Shiki wasn't this insane back in the day!
Then again, it was Golden Lion Shiki who had supposedly died at this man's hands.
"For Rayleigh's sake, if you hand over the Poneglyph now, I'll let bygones be bygones and even offer compensation. But…" Aeridar's tone turned predatory. "If I find that Poneglyph on this island myself... do you want to guess if I'll slaughter every single Mink here? Heh, heh, heh..."
"You lunatic!" Inuarashi's face paled.
"Of course! You could also choose to call out that 'Master Nekomamushi' and try to defeat me together!" Aeridar tilted his head, a wicked glint in his eyes.
Inuarashi's brow furrowed. The Minks only possessed one Poneglyph, the Road Poneglyph hidden within the Whale Tree of the Whale Forest. It was meant only for those recognized by the Mink Tribe. The last person was Pirate King Roger; since then, no one had earned that right.
As Inuarashi hesitated, Aeridar's gaze shifted toward the Whale Forest, specifically toward the gargantuan, whale-shaped tree.
Aeridar wasn't looking blindly. He had a hunch. The Tree of Knowledge on Ohara had been hollowed out to house the world's largest library and a secret basement for Poneglyph research. It made him highly suspicious that this giant tree held a similar hidden space.
Seeing where Aeridar was looking, Inuarashi's heart skipped a beat.
Inuarashi gritted his teeth. "I apologize. I lied. However, that Poneglyph has a significance far beyond your understanding. We absolutely cannot hand it over!"
"Tsk. Finally. It would have been much simpler if you'd just said 'no' from the start. Why waste so much breath?" Aeridar spat in disdain, looking like he had known the truth all along.
"In that case, I'll just go take it myself!"
With a cold laugh, Aeridar looked at the Whale Tree and accelerated instantly.
BOOM!
A sonic boom exploded, kicking up a cloud of dust. Before Inuarashi could even react, Aeridar was already a small black speck flying toward the Whale Forest.
"Not good!"
"To the Whale Tree, now!"
Inuarashi's face paled with alarm. He quickly rallied the remaining Musketeers and raced toward the forest. They left the unconscious warriors scattered across the streets of Kurau, leaving them to the care of the civilians.
…
Aeridar moved with the speed of a gale, his supersonic flight bringing him to the massive tree in an instant.
"What a giant tree... Huh, is that a path?"
Scanning the Whale Tree, Aeridar's sharp eyes spotted a natural path formed by vines along the trunk, as well as man-made stone steps.
As he landed on the stairs to search for an entrance, he recalled the dog's reaction. The Poneglyph had to be inside, but the tree was so massive that finding the exact spot would be a hassle.
" Nya "
A massive cat's cry echoed, followed by a sudden, vicious wind. Aeridar twisted his body mid-air to dodge.
THUD!
The section of the trunk where he had stood shook violently as wood splinters sprayed everywhere.
"What the... wait, that's one big cat!"
Aeridar was about to bark a curse when he turned to see a giant, feline creature. It was covered in thick golden fur, wore a robe adorned with ring patterns, and had a thick mane around its neck. A massive, black-and-white striped tail trailed behind it. The beast held a double-headed spear, one end of which was currently embedded deep in the tree.
"Nya~ So you're the intruder! That dog is getting more useless by the day, let a mere youngster scare him!" The giant cat pulled the spear out and turned around. It had a mouthful of sharp fangs, a pipe clamped in its teeth, and a deep scar over its left eye. It radiated an aura of pure ferocity.
Master Nekomamushi, One of the Two Kings of the Mokomo Dukedom, the Ruler of Night, and Guardian of the Whale Forest!
Despite his mocking words, Nekomamushi knew his old rival well. He knew that unless there was a crisis capable of toppling the kingdom, Inuarashi would never have sent someone to wake him during the day. He didn't underestimate the man before him for a second.
"You giant freak of a cat…"
Aeridar smiled at Nekomamushi, but in the next heartbeat, he roared, "Who gave you permission to attack me, you bastard?!"
SWISH!
He whipped out a kick. The sheer force compressed the air instantly, forming a massive, crescent-shaped vacuum blade that shrieked toward the cat.
Rokushiki: Rankyaku—Gale Severing Strike!!!
"Nyaaa!"
Nekomamushi's face contorted into a fierce grin as he quickly raised his double-headed spear to block.
CLANG—!
The massive vacuum blade slammed into the spear. A thunderous boom followed, sending violent currents of air tumbling in every direction.