Run!
Nekomamushi and Inuarashi came to the same conclusion in an instant.
Without a shred of hesitation or flair, they turned and bolted at full speed.
In that moment, it felt like they'd broken through their limits again.
Lightning burst from their bodies as they streaked across the sky like twin bolts of thunder.
Wanda, Pedro, and the other Minks were left utterly speechless.
They had imagined the kings might make any decision in the name of honor.
But they hadn't expected them to flee so… decisively.
Yet before they could even finish that thought, the next scene wiped all sarcasm from their minds.
Buzz!
With a single slash, the world seemed to freeze.
The sky turned crimson.
One slash.
The heavens trembled.
Wherever it passed, space itself cracked and shattered like glass, spiderweb fractures spreading outward.
A thousand-meter-long slash tore through the sky before everyone's eyes.
Gale-force winds reversed direction.
The overwhelming pressure felt like the end of the world, striking straight at the soul.
Caught in the path of the attack, Nekomamushi and Inuarashi felt a suffocating sense of death looming over them.
"Get down!"
Nekomamushi roared.
His beastly instincts kicked in.
He and Inuarashi simultaneously shoved each other's heads down and dove for the ground.
BANG!
Their heads slammed into the earth.
At full speed, they skidded face-first into a plaza statue.
The searing pain snapped them back to their senses.
They looked up—
The crimson slash had just grazed their scalps.
Everything in its path—trees, buildings—was sliced clean in two like paper.
But their expressions changed again.
The slash was heading straight for the final obstacle: the back of Zunesha's head.
For centuries, Zunesha had remained in the same position, its body and the Mokomo Dukedom practically one.
Now, faced with Luo Yu's apocalyptic strike, the kings were terrified.
Could Zunesha withstand it?
Everyone—Nekomamushi, Inuarashi, Wanda, Pedro—realized the same horrifying possibility.
As the slash closed in, hearts leapt into throats.
And then—
BOOM!
A thunderous rumble shook the heavens.
The colossal Zunesha moved.
Its mountain-sized head dipped just in time.
Before everyone's eyes, the thousand-meter crimson slash skimmed across its scalp and shot into the distance.
BOOM!
A shockwave like a category-12 hurricane tore through the land.
Everyone on Zou felt the earth quake beneath them.
Dust and debris filled the air.
It was a long while before anyone could steady themselves and look up.
The mist that always surrounded Zunesha had been blown away.
The thick clouds above had been blasted apart.
Zunesha, having ducked the blow, slowly raised its head again.
Were they seeing things?
If they hadn't witnessed it themselves, no one would have believed it.
That slash had been so terrifying, even Zunesha had to duck.
Thinking back to how the two kings had turned and fled—
Wanda, Pedro, and the others suddenly felt their kings had made a wise decision.
If even Zunesha had to dodge…
What chance did the kings have?
Feeling the relieved gazes around them, Nekomamushi and Inuarashi finally relaxed their tensed muscles.
They had been wondering how to explain their retreat to their people.
But now, with an enemy this powerful, even running away seemed reasonable.
Thinking back to Luo Yu's terrifying slash, the two kings exchanged a look.
That moment of near-death… it was more terrifying than their battle with Kaido decades ago.
If what Luo Yu said was true—that the Navy had declared war on two Yonko—
Then maybe, just maybe, this was their chance.
A chance to strike back at Kaido.
A chance to avenge Kozuki Oden.
A chance to open Wano's borders.
If that was the case…
Why wait for some "chosen one"?
Why wait for a prophecy?
With that, Nekomamushi and Inuarashi reached a rare moment of perfect agreement.
They dashed to Luo Yu and dropped to their knees in unison.
"I, Inuarashi, Duke of Day of the Mokomo Dukedom, am willing to accept recruitment by Marine Headquarters as a special combatant. I ask Admiral Luo Yu to grant this!"
"I, Nekomamushi, Duke of Night of the Mokomo Dukedom, am willing to accept recruitment by Marine Headquarters as a special combatant. I ask Admiral Luo Yu to grant this!"
"To help the Navy crush the Beasts Pirates, we are willing to stake the entire Mokomo Dukedom and fight for Admiral Luo Yu!"
Their thunderous voices echoed across the land, refusing to fade.
Wanda, Pedro, and the other Minks knew—this was the kings' lifelong resolve.
Faced with such a reckless, all-in decision—
None of the Minks hesitated.
They dropped to their knees in unison.
No—
From all directions, more and more Minks flooded into the plaza.
In an instant, thousands—tens of thousands—joined the chorus.
"Fight!"
"Fight! Fight!!"
The roar surged like a tidal wave.
Luo Yu was genuinely surprised.
He hadn't expected this recruitment to come with so many bonuses.
Even Doll was stunned.
"Admiral Luo Yu… you didn't plan all this from the start, did you?"
"The Minks are a formidable force. If we bring them along, they'll be a power to reckon with."
"Bring them along?" Luo Yu took a sip of his earthy liquor and glanced at her.
"Of course I'm bringing them. Have you ever seen me turn down money?"
"But Sengoku's gonna have to pay extra."