Jack's brain was likely short-circuiting at this point.
His attention was completely captivated by the bizarre giant dog looming before him.
"Young Master Yamato... has your Devil Fruit development become this incredible?"
Jack had never seen a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user who could alter their size so drastically after transformation.
If such manipulation were truly possible, it would likely require Awakening.
However, the giant dog before him not only failed to respond to Jack's words but also kept drooling incessantly.
DRIP. DRIP.
Clearly, it had been made hungry by the sight of Jack's juicy elephant flesh.
As for Jack, who normally dared to confront anything without fear, he now felt a strong urge to retreat!
As if driven by biological instinct, fear emerged within him.
It felt like prey being stared down by a natural predator.
"This isn't Yamato-sama."
At that moment, the two colossal beasts slowly circled each other while locking eyes.
Jack was contemplating whether to engage or run.
Meanwhile, the berserk Chouchou was assessing which part of the elephant would taste better.
The leg? Or the trunk?
...
Yamato remained in a state of self-deception, believing that burying her head in a tree trunk would make her invisible.
She had intended to hide in the tree hollow a while longer to recover from her embarrassment!
But the beast's roar moments ago instantly stirred the bloodline within her.
'What is this?'
Yamato immediately pulled her head out of the tree hollow and turned toward the source of the roar.
"Wow~ such a huge dog!"
That exclamation didn't come from Yamato, who was still in shock.
Naturally, it was Cavendish setting the mood.
He had once asked Ray about the little white dog's story, but Ray hadn't elaborated.
Only today did Cavendish witness the true form of that little white dog for the first time.
Ferocious and menacing.
Shrouded in strange energy.
Boiling with killing intent.
Its drool corroded the ground where it fell with a hissing sound.
In four words: Absolutely badass!
Meanwhile, Yamato was stunned by the bloodline resonance Chouchou evoked in her.
As a user of the Inu Inu Fruit, Mythical Zoan: Okuchi no Makami, Yamato's transformed state closely resembled Chouchou's, albeit not as large as him.
In mythology, she was revered as a Dog God, while Chouchou's Dog Demon form held the equivalent of divine blood in the Demon Realm.
For some reason, the deep-seated loneliness in Yamato's soul abruptly faded, replaced by a sense of belonging.
She now wondered whether Ray, the white dog's owner, also possessed a similar bloodline.
Because the fluffy white "scarf" Ray had used to catch her earlier felt remarkably like a 'dog's tail.'
Hmm... her own tail in transformed form had the same texture too!
...
Ray ignored the two easily impressed individuals beside him, silently observing the commotion around Chouchou.
He had tossed Chouchou out of his tail because the dog had recently undergone changes.
Since Chouchou often slept inside Ray's tail, their Demonic Power had been in constant contact.
Moreover, Chouchou's Demonic Power originated from Ray's blood.
Thus, an intermingling of their power was inevitable.
Last night, Ray had actually heard Chouchou's voice in his head.
Though the conversation lasted only about ten seconds, it was enough for Ray to deduce Chouchou's condition.
Chouchou had become a Dog Demon due to Ray's blood.
It made sense that, nourished by Ray's Demonic Power, Chouchou could briefly regain consciousness.
As for the cause of his lost consciousness? It was likely the berserk serum used by Golden Lion's subordinates, which suppressed Chouchou's logic, leaving only killing intent amplified.
Ray's current approach was to let Chouchou vent that killing intent.
Once the rage burned out, his true consciousness should return for a longer duration.
That would buy time for Chouchou to eat the Fruit and acquire slaves to bolster their forces.
As for whether Chouchou could defeat Jack?
'Hmph. Since I've already reached Emperor-level, how could my follower not have improved too?'
Especially after receiving enhancement injections from Dr. Indigo's lab.
...
Jack's heart was currently in turmoil.
Logically speaking, the opponent was just a dog, while he was the legendary Mammoth.
Yet here he was hesitating like this—truly embarrassing for an elephant.
Looking around the world, where would you find an elephant afraid of a dog?
But the dog opposite him was just too big!
Comparing Jack and Chouchou could be illustrated with examples from the animal kingdom.
It was like an African elephant with a shoulder height of 5 meters encountering a giant dog the size of an Asian elephant.
Or more specifically... like a zebra encountering a lion.
Generally, if a herbivore encountered a carnivore three-fifths its size, it would likely be doomed.
But Jack refused to accept this.
For the sake of his pride, he had to test the depth of the opponent's bite today.
However, before he could approach, the berserk Chouchou couldn't hold back any longer.
"ROAR~ MEAT!" Chouchou leaped straight at Jack.
His speed was so fast that Jack found it difficult to react in time.
By the time Jack thought to strike with his trunk, an excruciating pain shot through his elephant leg.
CRUNCH!
Chouchou's massive jaws had already clamped onto Jack's upper thigh.
"GRAAAH!"
The powerful tearing force made Jack feel as though his steel-hard thigh were about to snap.
He could only frantically whip Chouchou's back with his trunk.
WHACK! WHACK!
He also coated the area bitten by the mad dog with Armament Haki.
But Chouchou showed no reaction.
He was like a zombie without any sense of pain, his eyes fixed solely on the piece of meat before him.
After being hungry for nearly two weeks, he had to eat meat today!
After a minute of tugging...
RIP!
With the sickening sound of tearing muscle, a painful elephant cry echoed throughout the forest.
The onlookers couldn't help but feel a mix of horror and amusement.
From their perspective, the large white dog and Jack had once again separated.
Chouchou's mouth was full of a large chunk of muscle fibers with skin attached.
On Jack's right foreleg, a massive, bone-deep flesh crater remained, blood pouring out.
Jack was trembling on his leg, while Chouchou was happily chewing.
MUNCH. MUNCH.
Cavendish, watching Jack's miserable state, felt immense satisfaction!
"Haha! I never would have thought I'd live to see the day a dog eats a mammoth!"
Tama hid behind Ray, frightened by Chouchou.
"So cruel... but... yet it looks so delicious?"
Yamato, watching Chouchou eat, unconsciously moistened her mouth.
"It looks so chewy... I wonder what it tastes like... slurp~"
Even Ray felt a slight stir from the smacking sounds Chouchou made while eating.
'Should I control it... or eat it?'
Both Ray and Yamato had canine bloodlines, and neither had eaten this morning.
Seeing their kin enjoying meat made them both a bit hungry.
However, Ray remained as steady as an old dog, showing no outward reaction.
Meanwhile, Yamato was already swallowing repeatedly, wanting to transform and rush over for a couple of bites herself.
...
In the distance, Jack could barely stand steadily as he immediately fell into a disadvantage.
But after all, he was one of the Three Disasters, and his defense was top-notch.
So the situation developed into a rather strange cycle.
Jack slowed down due to his injury.
Chouchou managed to rush forward and bite his thigh again.
However, even Chouchou found it difficult to tear off his steel-like flesh immediately.
So he would get injured by Jack's trunk and tusks while trying.
But Chouchou felt no pain.
He refused to let go until he ripped the flesh off.
RIP!
Then, Chouchou tore off another chunk of the elephant's leg meat, causing Jack to scream in agony.
As Chouchou devoured the meat, the onlookers in the distance grew hungrier.
Then, Chouchou charged forward again, shaking his head wildly at Jack waist and legs.
Jack dared not revert to his human form!
He knew all too well that doing so would only lead to a quicker death.
His speed was no match for this dog's.
If he canceled his transformation, not only would his defense drop, but he would inevitably be bitten again, ensuring a faster demise.
At this moment, Jack regretted ever approaching the mad dog!
...
Ten minutes later.
Jack's four elephant legs were already mangled and incomplete.
Chouchou too was coughing up blood from being struck repeatedly by the tusks and trunk.
But Ray saw clearly that Chouchou's frenzied state was about to dissipate under the relentless attacks and beatings.
...
Another three minutes passed.
Jack lost three more large chunks of flesh before collapsing with a thunderous crash.
He reverted to his battered human form, unconscious.
POOF.
Chouchou, meanwhile, shrank back into a small dog.
He lay on the ground, panting, motionless but alive.
That's right.
Chouchou had awakened!
"Master... give me that fruit."
Hearing Chouchou's weak mental voice in his head, Ray lightly waved a hand.
He tossed the Pet Pet Fruit beside the little dog.
"Having fruit for dessert after a meal? What a fortunate dog's life." Yamato remarked with a hint of envy while wiping drool from her mouth!