The bright moon hung high, and the night was as dark as water.
Under the cover of night, a place that should have been silent echoed with the chaotic sounds of battle.
A cat and a dog, two members of the Fur Race, constantly evaded and repositioned under the onslaught of the Beast Pirates.
A golden cat wielding a double-headed trident swung it casually, sweeping several to the ground, then quickly leaped into the air, flipping and landing behind many pirates.
The other, a dog, charged swiftly, brandishing a knight's rapier like a living fang, slicing through pirates with ease, leaving a mist of blood in its wake, before retreating to the big cat's side, standing back-to-back against the enemy.
"Not old yet, meow!"
"Better watch yourself, woof!"
The cat and dog both revealed grins.
These two were none other than Nekomamushi and Inuarashi.
After Zou was occupied by Sage, and the Fur Race surrendered, they too set out to sea, and it was by chance that they encountered Lord Momonosuke, who was preparing to go to Wano Country, and decided it was the right time to follow him, aiming to recreate the legendary Nine Red Scabbards of the past.
As the Straw Hats invaded Wano Country, the battle commenced, and they voluntarily took on the duty of eliminating these pirates.
Inuarashi chuckled, "How many years has it been since we've fought side by side like this?"
"Indeed, it's been many years!" Nekomamushi laughed loudly as well, "Let's make a good ruckus!"
The two charged again, one swinging the trident, the other making the knight's rapier glint like a cold light, felling another batch with a single charge.
"Roar!!"
At that moment, a giant roar sounded from not far away, revealing a giant clad in only beast-skin shorts, covered in fur, with two small horns sprouting from his head, charging at them with a club.
This giant stood at an estimated sixty to seventy meters tall, with a build as sturdy as a pillar, each step causing the ground to tremble.
"Great! It's Lord Seven Demons! We're saved!" the pirates of the Beast Pirates cried out excitedly.
Hiss!
As soon as he finished speaking, Inuarashi slashed his chest with the sword, causing blood to spurt out as he fell.
The giant appeared slow in his movements but, due to his massive size, each stride covered a distance unknown to ordinary people. Within a few steps, he was upon them, swinging the massive wolf fang club down ferociously.
Bang!!
The iron club delivered a heavy blow to the pirates below, flattening some and sending others flying under its impact.
Inuarashi swung up into the air, dodging the attack, then landing steadily with a deep voice saying, "Barbarian Tyrant, huh..."
They were still gathering intelligence on Wano Country, aware that Kaido had recently acquired a group of Ancient Giants.
"Lord Seven Demons! You hit the wrong people, we're on the same side!" the surviving pirates shouted.
Nekomamushi approached Inuarashi, saying, "Seems like his head's not quite right..."
Seven Demons glanced at the cat and dog on the ground, then looked at the humanoid figures gradually moving away, tilting his head, gripping the wolf fang club tightly, and swung it down again.
"Roar!"
"Different form, so considered as enemies?!"
Inuarashi and Nekomamushi dodged to the sides, then bounded high, both the trident and rapier imbued with Haki, like two toothpicks piercing Seven Demons' chest.
"Hmm?"
Seven Demons blinked, then reflexively slapped his chest with his gigantic hand, causing himself to take a step back.
Inuarashi, mid-air, shouted, "The attack's too weak!"
"No helping it then!"
Nekomamushi glanced at the moon in the sky, "Let's go all out then!"
In the moonlight, the cat and dog sprouted white fur, resembling raging lions, glowing white under the moonlight, with sparks of electricity spawning.
"Moon Lion!"
The duo shouted in unison, landing rapidly, then launching themselves like arrows from the bow, their weapons sparking electricity, slashing fiercely at the giant.
"Inu Kaze!"
"Cat Smile Shock!"
Boom!
The stabbing from the rapier and trident summoned a tremendous thunderbolt that struck Seven Demons, turning his body charred black, eyes flipping white as he toppled like a mountain.
Nekomamushi and Inuarashi descended from the sky, their fur sparking with lightning again, revealing sharp teeth.
"That settles it!" Nekomamushi laughed.
Inuarashi was about to speak when his gaze suddenly froze, looking toward a leg stepping onto the prone giant, revealing a mammoth in their sight.
The elephant was not as tall as the giant, but the sense of pressure it brought was not something the giant could compare to.
Inuarashi tensed, "It's the Drought!"
"Two members of the Fur Race..."
Jack looked down at them, speaking in a muffled voice, "Didn't you surrender to the Disasters? Why are you here, have the Disasters come too?"
After being knocked to the seabed by Lily, as a member of the Fishman Race, having the Sundried Grouper gene, he survived and was eventually hauled out by pirates who found him here.
"Not all of the Fur Race surrendered to the Disasters!"
Nekomamushi shouted, "We are Kozuki's Vassals, we submit to no one!"
"Kozuki..."
At age eight, he followed Kaido on campaigns across the seas and saw firsthand the scene of Oden's death.
Twenty years later, people are still talking about Kozuki...
Jack's eyes reflected furious wildness, as he moved forward with a massive elephantine leg, "Let me send you down to join Kozuki!"
"The Drought, huh! Beating him would relieve some pressure on Luffy and the others!"
Inuarashi and Nekomamushi swiftly dodged again, one to the left and one to the right, skirting around the mammoth like streaks of white light.
As one of the 'Lead Performers', Jack's strength was assuredly above the rest of the Tobiroppo. After all, there were those who had been brought up by Kaido from a young age, but the only one to stand out was Jack himself.
His powerful physique and strength, along with decent mastery of Haki, meant he feared no one. However, these Moon Lions, transformed by moonlight and leaders of the Fur Race, seemed to exceed his expectations in strength—especially since there were two of them.
The mammoth had a large size and ample strength, but if he couldn't catch anyone, there was nothing he could do.
One cat and one dog turned into white streaks, darting around him chaotically, each movement bringing an attack. Under the enhancement of Thunderbolt, Jack couldn't keep up. After being hit squarely on the forehead, he stumbled backward, reverting to his human form, clutching his head and gasping loudly.
"It's over!"
Nekomamushi flashed above Jack, swinging his double-headed trident in a circle, viciously striking towards Jack's heart.
"Nekomamushi! Watch out!!"
At that moment, Inuarashi shouted from behind.
Bang!
Three white streaks of light came rushing from a distance, transforming into three white streaks beside Nekomamushi, launching an attack.
Nekomamushi's thrusting trident suddenly recoiled, producing three crisp sounds, sparking from friction, and he himself leaped into the air, landing on the ground in a half-kneeling stance, looking ahead incredulously.
In front of Jack, three Fur Race members, also transformed into Moon Lion form but with distinct features of leopards, bulls, and gorillas, appeared with red eyes and white fur, looking ferocious.
"Boss Nekomamushi, long time no see."
The leading leopard grinned, revealing sharp fangs, "Didn't think you'd actually come to Wano Country."
"Pedro! Roddy! Black Buck!"
Nekomamushi called out, "You guys..."
Dong!
Meanwhile, behind them, Inuarashi was also attacked by three white streaks. After clashing with a rapier for a while, he quickly retreated.
The three streaks were also in Moon Lion form, red eyes and white fur, looking fierce, vaguely resembling a lion, zebra, and fox.
The lion Fur Tribe member wielded a sharp blade, grinning as well.
"Shishilian..."
Inuarashi's fierce expression turned bitter, "Giovanni, and Concelot... you all came."
On Nekomamushi's side were representatives of his former 'Knight's Order', while on Inuarashi's side were representatives of his former 'Firearms Team'.
Neither of them had submitted to the Calamity, yet now all the leaders had pledged their allegiance to it!
"You must have a reason for coming here, not just by chance..."
Inuarashi questioned, then shifted his gaze to a distance where a figure with glowing red eyes stirred up a gale, charging forward like a cannonball into the battlefield.
Whoosh!
The gale surged like a shockwave.
"Who's going to fight me!"
Within the shockwave, a terrifying man with a crescent-shaped white beard, scars on his face and neck, held a halberd with both hands, raising it high and shouting, "I want to crush their heads!!"
The Three Phases of Disaster...
Weevil!
The calamity had truly arrived!
"What do you intend to do!" Inuarashi shouted.
"Duke Inuarashi, how has Carrot been lately?"
Pedro looked over, first asking a question, then said, "We heard that the Governor wanted to conquer Wano Country, so we volunteered to come. After all, we have a grudge with Kaido, and it's not only you who remembers the hatred... We also observe the friendship of Kozuki."
They originally weren't part of the conquest, but Zou was too close to Wano Country, and upon hearing the news, they decided to come and help, also to settle scores with Kaido. They just happened to meet Weevil on the way.
"Then we're not enemies," Nekomamushi said.
"Not exactly, Nekomamushi shopkeeper..."
Shishilian said, "Lord Weevil said the Governor came with the demand that if they die, all must submit to Kaido. Although the friendship with Kozuki is to be obeyed, that was in the past. We have surrendered to the Governor; we are the new household servants of the Governor, and everything is according to the Governor's orders."
As he spoke, he glanced at Jack, who was now standing up, and said, "So, Drought, based on your estimation, would your Governor, upon our Governor's demands, agree that if they die, you'd surrender?"
"Big Brother Kaido will never die!"
Jack glared at Shishilian but paused and said, "But Big Brother Kaido would agree to the Calamity; he holds the Calamity in high regard."
"Then we're not really enemies, though a battle is possible..."
Shishilian gripped his knight's sword and said to the Inuarashi before him, "But now, it is necessary to stop you first."
"Who will be my ene... Huh? Not fighting?"
Weevil was about to continue shouting when he heard this, and he released his grip on the halberd's hilt with one hand, scratching his head, and said to Jack, "I thought we were going to fight."
"If you want to fight, I'll be up for it too! Who do you think I am!"
Jack glared at him and said, "Don't think that just because you're Whitebeard's son, you think you're so great!"
Weevil was once one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and later became one of the Three Phases of Disaster, so he was naturally aware of his reputation.
"Oh, so you're a good person!"
Weevil puffed out his chest, "That's right, I am Whitebeard's son. You've got a good eye, just like the boss. We can become good partners in the future! You look a lot like Kaido too; both of you have horns..."
"Who is anything like... huh? Really?"
Jack touched the curved horns extending from the sides of his helmet near his ears and laughed, "I think so too. Big Brother Kaido is my most admired figure! You, fellow, have a good eye! Deserving to be Whitebeard's son!"
"I'm so happy, you're surely Kaido's little brother!" Weevil beamed.
The iron mask on Jack's chin obscured his smile, but the way his eyes curved told no lies.
"Alright, let's leave it at that. Since the Calamity has come, let Big Brother Kaido and the Calamity decide the victor. Although I don't believe Big Brother would lose, having a partner like you wouldn't be bad. By then, we'd be family!"