They had managed to block Bege's Beast God slash with their combined strength, but before they could even feel a moment of relief, another scorching, sharp, and terrifying aura appeared. They looked up to see a massive blood-fire dragon roaring down at them.
"I'll take it! You go deal with the 'Demon Dragon'!" Nekomamushi roared, taking a deep breath. His hands shot out like lightning and clamped down on the blood-fire dragon's head. He unleashed all his strength, managing to slow the dragon's descent.
This Kui Tian Demonic Dragon slash was not as powerful as Beast God, and Nekomamushi could barely manage to hold it back.
Inuarashi had already leaped into action. He dropped to all fours, running like an animal as he charged toward Bege.
"Secret Technique—Tengu!"
With every step he took, the ground cracked, and his speed increased a notch. Soon, all that could be seen was a bolt of lightning piercing the air, leaving a trail of shockwaves in its wake.
Bege's eyes narrowed. Within that bolt of lightning, he could see the shape of a ferocious, vicious dog pouncing toward him.
This was Inuarashi's most powerful move, a technique that traded ultimate speed for the most violent impact, an attack only possible in his Sulong form.
In the blink of an eye, the bolt of lightning that was Inuarashi arrived, carrying with it an incredibly ferocious and wild aura that tore through Bege's own supreme sword intent. As he drew near, his pitch-black claws, like the sharpest of weapons, aimed to run Bege through.
"Beast God!"
Bege swung the cursed sword Hannya in an instant, slashing at the dog claws. The violent blood-red sword-breath clashed with the wild arcs of lightning. The supreme demonic sword energy and the untamed primal aura crushed against each other.
The ground around them was torn apart like cheap cloth, creating a scene of utter devastation. The shattered earth was instantly caught up by the shockwave and swept out in all directions, widening the already massive crater.
The terrifying shockwave flattened the forest, and the minks who had been watching were sent flying.
The ground beneath Bege's feet exploded three times in an instant, and his legs were driven deep into the shattered earth.
Bege was somewhat surprised that Inuarashi's ultimate technique could actually match his Beast God slash. However, in that same instant, he also sensed Inuarashi's condition. This technique had used nearly all of his strength. Once it was unleashed, his body would be left in a weakened state.
Bege kicked, sending the shattered earth flying, and his black, Haki-coated foot slammed into Inuarashi's abdomen. The dog mink shot backward like a cannonball, crashing into the wall of the crater and causing it to collapse, burying him under tons of rock and dirt.
At the same time, a massive explosion rocked the sky. Nekomamushi had managed to throw the blood-fire dragon into the air, where it detonated, once again forming a massive, blood-red, ring-shaped shockwave.
"Useless," Nekomamushi grumbled, glancing at the spot where Inuarashi was buried. He too dropped to all fours and took a deep breath. His body suddenly swelled, veins bulging all over as he pushed off the ground, transforming into a thick bolt of lightning that shot through the air toward Bege.
"Demon Cat!"
His method of attack was identical to Inuarashi's, trading speed for ultimate power. But their focus was different. Inuarashi was a swordsman, and his attack carried a sharp, cutting edge, combining extreme speed with slicing power to tear through any defense. Nekomamushi, on the other hand, was pure impact, combining extreme speed with wild, immense power to smash through anything in his path.
Bege's eyes widened. The cursed sword in his hand once again erupted with a heaven-shaking bloody aura, and he slashed at the incoming cat claws. This time, the Beast God slash sent Nekomamushi flying.
At the same time, the ground within dozens of meters of Bege instantly exploded. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, his aura weakening.
Nekomamushi crashed to the ground. His sharp claws had been shattered, and his paws were covered in gashes that cut down to the bone, his blood pooling on the ground. More importantly, he was now struggling to even stand. He had used up a portion of his strength blocking the Kui Tian Demonic Dragon slash alone, which was why he had been unable to block Bege's Beast God attack.
Suddenly, Inuarashi burst out from the collapsed crater wall. His aura was also greatly diminished, but he still staggered forward.
Nekomamushi also struggled to his feet, charging toward Bege. In their Sulong forms, they would fight until death.
Bege pulled his legs out of the broken earth. He unleashed his Devil Fruit ability, and an invisible force grabbed hold of Nekomamushi and Inuarashi.
Exhausted as they were, they found it incredibly difficult to break free. They struggled like trapped beasts and finally managed to escape the invisible grip.
Bege flickered, his spatial ability teleporting him behind them. Their faces changed, and they spun around, but in their current state, their movements were painfully slow in his eyes.
He turned both the Hannya and the Fire Cloud Sword, striking the backs of their necks with the flat of the blades and knocking them unconscious.
Their bodies rapidly shrank, reverting from their Sulong forms. Their life forces became extremely faint.
Bege coughed up another mouthful of blood.
"The Mink Tribe really can't be underestimated," he thought. "In their Sulong forms, I doubt anyone below the level of an Emperor could subdue them."
In the original story, if Nekomamushi and Inuarashi had used their Sulong forms, either one of them could have likely driven off Jack. Bege guessed that by the time Jack had attacked Zou, they no longer had a Moon Stone, making it impossible for them to transform without a full moon.
Just then, several figures rushed over. Bege looked up and saw Pedro at the head of the group. He had a strong impression of the captain of the Guardians.
An invisible force wrapped around the unconscious Nekomamushi and Inuarashi and tossed them toward Pedro.
Pedro quickly caught them and skidded to a halt.
"Take them back for treatment. I didn't come here to make an enemy of the Mink Tribe." Bege flickered, disappearing in a few leaps. He found Robin and led her quickly toward the Whale Forest.
"Captain, should we pursue?" one of the Guardians asked.
Pedro's expression was conflicted. He glanced at the unconscious rulers, then gritted his teeth. "No. Even the Master and Duke Inuarashi were no match for him. We'd just be throwing our lives away. Get them treated first. I'll take some men and see what the 'Demon Dragon's' true purpose is here."
Pedro handed Nekomamushi and Inuarashi over to the others and followed alone in the direction Bege had disappeared.
The Whale Forest was heavily guarded, but besides Nekomamushi and Inuarashi, no one in the Mink Tribe could stop Bege. He entered the forest as if it were his own backyard.
He found the Road Poneglyph hidden inside the giant Whale Tree.
The sight of the red Poneglyph made Robin incredibly excited. She rushed over and began to study it intently.
Bege sat down to the side while Mansherry healed his injuries. He lit a cigar, glanced at Robin, and asked, "What does this Road Poneglyph say?"