The minks gathered on and below the city wall continued their hushed conversations, curious eyes fixed on the unusual human visitors. Jerry could feel their wariness mixed with fascination—it wasn't often that humans made it to Zou, after all.
After several minutes of waiting, heavy footsteps echoed from behind the massive gates. A imposing figure appeared atop the city wall: a huge cat-like mink with golden fur covering his rotund body, a thick mane framing his neck, and a long pipe clenched between his teeth. His fierce expression and hefty build commanded immediate attention from everyone present.
This was Nekomamushi, the Guardian of the Whale Forest and one of Zou's two rulers who governed during the night hours. The Cat Viper, as he was also known, surveyed the group below with calculating eyes before taking a long draw from his pipe and exhaling a cloud of aromatic smoke.
"So you're the humans who want entry to our kingdom," he rumbled, his deep voice carrying easily over the walls. "State your business here."
Seeing Jerry crouched down and gently scratching behind Kotatsu's ears, Deuce quickly stepped forward to serve as their spokesman. The doctor-author had learned to recognize when diplomatic situations required a more measured approach than Jerry's typically casual demeanor.
"Yes, honorable ruler. We're travelers seeking temporary shelter and supplies," Deuce replied respectfully, offering a polite bow. "We have no hostile intentions and promise to cause no trouble during our stay. You have our word as pirates."
Nekomamushi's eyes narrowed as he leaned forward, studying the scene more carefully. When Jerry stood up from where he'd been playing with Kotatsu, his expression suddenly darkened with rage. The lynx had been lying contentedly on the ground, clearly relaxed and happy, but to Nekomamushi's eyes, the scene looked entirely different.
"Human!" he roared, golden fur bristling with indignation. "What have you done to one of my kin?!"
The accusation hung in the air like a thunderclap. Before anyone could respond or clarify the misunderstanding, Nekomamushi's legendary temper took over. With a powerful leap that defied his hefty appearance, he launched himself from the wall directly at Jerry, razor-sharp claws extended for a devastating strike.
Jerry sensed the attack coming through his Observation Haki before he heard the whoosh of displaced air. Without even turning around, he raised his arm and drove his elbow backward in a perfectly timed counter.
CLANG!
The sound of metal striking metal rang out as Nekomamushi's electrified claws met Jerry's Armament Haki-coated elbow. Sparks flew from the collision, and Nekomamushi found himself with no leverage in mid-air, his massive frame knocked backward by the force of Jerry's defense.
Nekomamushi rolled gracefully through several aerial somersaults before landing in a crouch, his eyes blazing with fury. "Damn you, human! Who gave you the right to enslave one of the mink tribe?!"
"Enslave?" Jerry turned around slowly, genuinely confused by the accusation. "What the hell are you talking about?"
But Nekomamushi had already made up his mind. The hot-tempered ruler had always been prone to acting first and asking questions later, and this situation seemed clear-cut to his eyes. No one would admit to such crimes when confronted directly—better to beat the truth out of them first.
"Enough talk!" Nekomamushi snarled, electricity crackling around his claws as he prepared for another assault. "I'll make you pay for what you've done!"
He pounced again with feline grace, his movements swift and predatory despite his bulk. "Garu nya~! Time to die, human!"
Jerry sighed as he watched the enraged mink approach. "You're one unreasonable cat, you know that?"
It seemed like everywhere they went in this world, people were ready to fight at the drop of a hat. Jerry had to wonder if this was just a pirate thing, or if merchants and other civilians had to deal with the same "punch first, ask questions later" mentality. It would certainly make business negotiations interesting.
Even as these idle thoughts crossed his mind, Jerry's body moved with practiced efficiency. Seeing that his crewmates had wisely stepped back to give them room, he abandoned his defensive stance and rushed forward to meet Nekomamushi head-on.
Nekomamushi was far more dangerous than his rotund appearance suggested. As one of Zou's two supreme rulers alongside Inuarashi, Nekomamushi possessed incredible strength and agility. His movements flowed like liquid lightning, every gesture carrying the predatory grace of his feline nature.
More importantly, he was a master of both Observation and Armament Haki. Jerry could sense the familiar energy signature of advanced Busoshoku Haki—the flowing, concentrated technique known in Wano as "Ryuo." This allowed Nekomamushi to gather and redirect his dormant Haki from other parts of his body to strengthen specific points during attack and defense, creating an invisible armor that could strike at range.
The technique was remarkably similar to Jerry's own Armament Haki application, though Nekomamushi's bore the distinctive characteristics of Wano's martial traditions.
Nekomamushi bounded around the courtyard with explosive speed, his figure appearing and disappearing in blur of golden fur and crackling electricity. His razor-sharp claws moved like lightning as he attacked from multiple angles, each strike carrying enough force to shred steel.
But Jerry had grown far beyond what he'd been even months ago. His Observation Haki spread out in a constant awareness field, tracking every movement and predicting each attack vector. More than that, he seemed to have grasped some deeper understanding of evasive combat.
Like a boxer who had mastered the art of the slip and weave, Jerry moved his whole body in continuous, rhythmic motion. His head swayed from side to side while his torso twisted and flowed, creating a pattern of movement that made him nearly impossible to pin down.
While maintaining this hypnotic swaying motion, Jerry occasionally threw return punches, his counterattacks perfectly timed to exploit the brief openings in Nekomamushi's assault. The rhythm of his movement was almost musical—a deadly dance that completely nullified Nekomamushi's lightning-fast claw strikes.
It was only now that Jerry realized the source of the misunderstanding. Seeing him crouched down and petting Kotatsu must have given Nekomamushi the impression that the lynx was some kind of captive or slave. The idea was almost laughable—anyone who knew Kotatsu understood that the proud feline was far too independent to be controlled by anyone.
Unlike ordinary house cats that treated humans as convenient food providers, Kotatsu was highly intelligent and had chosen to travel with the crew of his own free will. The lynx's mysterious attachment to Jerry stemmed from genuine affection, not captivity.
With this understanding, Jerry deliberately held back his counterattacks, throwing punches at maybe fifty percent of his full strength. After all, he and Nekomamushi had no real quarrel—this was just a big misunderstanding that needed to be cleared up.
However, Jerry's restraint didn't extend to his mouth. As he continued his evasive weaving, he couldn't resist adding a bit of verbal provocation to the mix.
"Sway, sway, sway," Jerry chanted in rhythm with his movements, grinning widely. "Can't hit me, can't hit me, don't get angry!"
"Don't mock me, you insolent brat!" Nekomamushi roared, steam literally rising from his head as his frustration mounted.
The taunting had the desired effect. Nekomamushi's attack speed and power increased dramatically as electricity coursed across his entire body. He abandoned all restraint with his Haki, pouring every ounce of his considerable strength into his assault.
Even with this dramatic escalation, he still couldn't land a clean hit on Jerry. The human's Observation Haki had reached such a high level that he could maintain it almost effortlessly during combat, reading Nekomamushi's intentions before they fully formed into actions.
While continuing his increasingly vigorous swaying to avoid the enhanced attacks, Jerry called out, "I'm not being cocky here! Don't you think you might have misunderstood something?"
"There's no misunderstanding!" Nekomamushi snarled back, his pride now fully engaged. "I'm going to claw you to pieces!"
Nekomamushi was completely consumed by rage at this point, no longer caring about the original reason for their conflict. He would beat this arrogant human senseless first, then sort out the details afterward.
Jerry felt a familiar sense of helplessness dealing with the unreasonable feline in front of him. It seemed like any attempt at explanation would have to wait until after their fight concluded. Though he certainly wouldn't admit that his constant taunting during the battle might have contributed to escalating Nekomamushi's fury.
"In that case," Jerry said with a shrug, his entire demeanor shifting as he prepared to get serious, "looks like I'll have to knock you down before we can have a proper conversation."
"Fine by me! Let's see what you're really made of!"
"Come on then!" Nekomamushi roared in response. "I'm not afraid of some cocky human!"
Hearing Jerry's arrogant declaration, Nekomamushi assumed that his previous inability to land hits was simply because his opponent had been focusing entirely on evasion. If Jerry tried to maintain both offense and defense simultaneously, he would surely create openings that could be exploited.
Jerry's aura changed completely as he abandoned his purely defensive approach. The flowing Armament Haki in his hands darkened to an almost black sheen, and he began incorporating water manipulation to neutralize Nekomamushi's electrical attacks. Instead of staying back and countering, he rushed forward for close-quarters combat.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The two fighters engaged in a devastating exchange of strikes, Jerry's fists and elbows meeting Nekomamushi's electrified claws in rapid succession. Each collision sent shockwaves rippling through the air, and the continuous roar of combat echoed off Zou's walls.
Nekomamushi felt a dull ache spreading through his paws as the exchange continued. How was this possible? The human's Armament Haki seemed somehow darker and more solid than his own, creating an almost impenetrable defense.
More puzzling still was Jerry's incorporation of water techniques. Streams of liquid seemed to flow around his movements, completely neutralizing the electrical current that should have been conducting through any physical contact. It was like fighting someone who had a natural counter to his every technique.
Despite these concerns, Nekomamushi refused to back down. Drawing upon the full fury of his feline nature, he unleashed what he mentally dubbed his "Invincible Cat Fist"—a flurry of claw strikes delivered with thunderous speed and devastating precision.
Jerry responded by abandoning his swaying technique entirely, instead matching Nekomamushi's pace with a rapid-fire combination of punches and elbow strikes. His hands moved in a blur as he met each claw attack with a perfectly timed counter, the sound of their battle filling the courtyard with an almost musical rhythm of destruction.
From his position on the sidelines, Kotatsu watched the flying tufts of golden fur and the lightning-fast exchange of "cat punches" with growing interest. The intelligent lynx seemed to be considering whether he should intervene on Jerry's behalf, his tail twitching with anticipation.