Nekomamushi and Inuarashi stood poised for battle. If Bege was determined to take the Road Poneglyph, they would have to stop him.
Robin wisely retreated, wanting no part of the impending clash.
"I will have that Road Poneglyph," Bege said, his voice low and firm. "Since you are unwilling to step aside, you leave me no choice but to offend you." He had come here prepared for this. He knew that Nekomamushi and Inuarashi would never willingly hand over the Poneglyph.
In the original story, Jack the Drought had come to Zou searching for the samurai Raizo. He had used a poison gas weapon that nearly wiped out the Mink Tribe. Jack had tortured both Nekomamushi and Inuarashi, cutting off Nekomamushi's left arm and Inuarashi's left leg, yet they had refused to talk. It was a testament to their—and the entire Mink Tribe's—unwavering loyalty and sense of honor.
The Road Poneglyph was a sacred trust given to the Mink Tribe by the Kozuki Clan. With their devotion to the Kozuki, they would sooner die than surrender it.
Therefore, a battle was inevitable.
"Then let's fight," Nekomamushi growled, his eyes turning fierce. He charged first, his bulky frame moving with surprising speed as he thrust his twin-pronged trident at Bege.
Bege casually drew his Fire Cloud Sword and blocked the trident. Nekomamushi took another step forward, channeling immense power through his weapon, trying to send Bege flying.
Bege held his ground, pressing down on the trident. Sparks flew as blade and prongs scraped together.
"Master Nekomamushi, your strength hasn't improved much, has it?" Bege chuckled.
Nekomamushi's face darkened. He retracted his trident and then swung it horizontally like a massive club.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Bege parried with his sword, effortlessly blocking every one of Nekomamushi's attacks. The cat mink grew more ferocious, his strikes raining down on Bege like a torrential storm.
Bege responded with calm precision. He could easily read the trajectory of Nekomamushi's attacks, so deflecting them was not difficult.
"Hah!"
With a sudden burst of power, Nekomamushi slammed his trident down, forcing Bege back.
Bege tapped his toes on the ground, retreating three steps. His expression was relaxed; it was clear Nekomamushi's assault was putting no real pressure on him.
"If this is all you've got, then that Road Poneglyph is as good as mine." Bege took a single step, flashing in front of Nekomamushi. He raised his sword for a simple downward slash that cleaved the air. Nekomamushi's face changed drastically as he swung his trident up to block.
But the moment the weapons met, Nekomamushi's eyes went wide. A colossal force surged from the Fire Cloud Sword, down the shaft of his trident, and into his body. The ground beneath his feet shattered instantly.
Bege continued to press down. With every fraction of an inch he pushed, the ground beneath Nekomamushi fractured again. Within a second, the earth had cracked four or five times.
Inuarashi moved in an instant. He closed the distance, his sharp blade tearing through the air as he slashed at Bege's body.
Bege twisted his wrist. The Fire Cloud Sword scraped past the trident with a shower of sparks and collided with Inuarashi's sword.
The blow forced Bege back. Nekomamushi shook his numb arms, his face grim and his eyes heavy.
"Together. Neither of us can beat him alone," Inuarashi said gravely.
Nekomamushi spat out the mouthpiece of his pipe and grunted in agreement.
In truth, both of them knew that even if they teamed up, they might not be able to win. But this was a fight they could not avoid. They moved at the same time, rushing toward Bege.
"Good! Let's see if you two still have your old chemistry," Bege laughed, his aura flaring. A tide of ferocious energy surged from him. The two minks stomped on the ground, tearing through his oppressive aura as they closed in from the left and right.
They attacked with perfect synchronization, trident and sword slashing at Bege from two directions at once. Without superhuman reflexes, it would be impossible to block both attacks. Even though their relationship was now strained, their old coordination remained.
Bege swung his sword in a blur. A flurry of afterimages appeared, and with a loud clang, Nekomamushi's body was jolted back. A hundredth of a second later, another impact rang out as Bege blocked Inuarashi's slash. The two sounds were almost simultaneous.
Nekomamushi gripped his trident and thrust again. Inuarashi pressed down on Bege's sword with both hands, trying to pin it and prevent him from defending against Nekomamushi's follow-up.
Bege lifted his leg. His left foot, coated in Armament Haki, kicked the tip of the trident. Sparks flew as the blow sent Nekomamushi stumbling back. Bege then swung his sword upward, forcing Inuarashi away.
"Cat Fang!" Nekomamushi roared, gripping his trident with both hands. He stomped his right foot, cracking the ground, and then thrust forward. A fierce beam of energy shot from the tip of his weapon.
Bege raised an eyebrow and slashed the beam apart. More beams of light flashed toward him.
"Octopus Thrust!" Not to be outdone, Bege thrust with his Fire Cloud Sword, unleashing a dense barrage of flaming sword-breaths. They collided violently with the incoming spears of light, setting off a chain of thunderous explosions. The shockwaves, mixed with flames, swept through the area, ignating the surrounding forest.
Suddenly, Inuarashi appeared at Bege's right. He swung his sword, and a massive horizontal slash cut through the air toward him. Bege leaped upward. The slash passed beneath him, slicing through the forest for a hundred meters.
"Dog Claw!"
Inuarashi raised his sword again and swung at the sky. Four slashes of sword-light, shaped like a claw, flew toward Bege.
Bege instantly hardened the space beneath his feet, creating a platform in mid-air. He stomped down, shattering the incoming attack.
Just then, Bege's brow furrowed. An incredibly sharp presence descended from above. He looked up to see Nekomamushi high in the air, raising his twin-pronged trident, his eyes filled with malice.
He hurled the trident downward. It pierced the air, striking Bege like a shooting star. The hardened space beneath Bege's feet exploded, and he was sent plummeting into the earth.
With a deafening boom, the ground erupted over a radius of dozens of meters, leaving a massive crater shrouded in dust.
Nekomamushi landed, his dark eyes scanning the crater. At the bottom, he saw his trident, buried deep in the ground.
"Nekomamushi, watch out!" Inuarashi's face changed as he shouted a warning.
Nekomamushi's expression turned to horror. He spun around just as Bege appeared behind him, the Fire Cloud Sword already swinging down. Nekomamushi crossed his arms, coating them in Armament Haki to block the slash. With a screech and a flash of sparks, he was sent flying. The Haki on his arms shattered, and blood sprayed from the gash on his chest.
Bege pushed off the ground, rushing toward Inuarashi, his sword cutting a simple, direct path.
Inuarashi raised his own sword to defend. Every block sent sparks flying, and every blow forced him back. After five consecutive slashes, the overwhelming power sent Inuarashi stumbling backward until a final strike sent him flying through a massive boulder and a dozen trees.
"You should be able to feel the gap between us now," Bege said, his voice heavy. "Give up. I don't want to continue this."
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