APJ CHAPTER 181 MOMENT OF BATTLE

On the next day, Nekomamushi disappeared and didn’t show up in front of others at all. Due to the severe injuries on his face from the beating, he would definitely be discovered if he went outside.

Therefore, as soon as dawn broke, Nekomamushi left Oden Castle. On the other hand, Inuarashi stayed behind in Oden Castle. Only when night arrived, he quietly left, carrying his own and Nekomamushi’s sword.

At the same time, Setsuna silently pushed open the door of her room, revealing her two wolf ears as she began eavesdropping on the sounds coming from the neighboring room.

There was no sound of a generator running or crackling sounds of electric currents, indicating that Zeraora was already resting. Setsuna then stealthily left the room and, after putting some distance, she rushed towards Kuri’s beach.

Along the way, she startled awake a few Miltank, but upon seeing that it was someone from their own side, they simply went back to sleep.

However, she did not notice that Zeraora had been following her not far behind. He had already sensed something was amiss. Setsuna seemed to have something on her mind yesterday and went to bed early today, which was completely out of character.

Thus, he didn’t carry out any physical training today and instead kept a close eye on Setsuna’s movements.

Zeraora, as an Electric-type Pokémon without an electric organ, was a unique member of his kind.

But with sacrifice comes gain. Although he gave up his electric organ, he could generate a magnetic field through his own electrical currents.

This field was his domain, within which he could skillfully manipulate electromagnetic forces. With more training and combined with Observation Haki, he could even reach a level similar to Enel’s Observation Haki.

Although not yet as proficient, it is possible to perform more precise tracking.

However, such actions were somewhat invasive of privacy, so he normally refrains from doing it. He only made this choice when he sensed something unusual.

On Kuri’s beach, Nekomamushi and Inuarashi arrived earlier than Setsuna. Due to Wano Country’s isolationist policy, most of its citizens spend their time within the island’s canals, and very few people venture into the inland sea.

Fishing in the inland sea of Wano Country required a fishing permit, a privilege mostly held by the retainers and relatives of the daimyos.

During the daytime, one could still spot people picking up their fishing harvest or engaging in sea fishing along the coastline. However, as night falls, the beach becomes extremely quiet. Inuarashi and Nekomamushi, each holding a sword, awaited in this environment.

“She’s not playing a trick on us, is she?”

“She won’t. She’s not that kind of person,” Nekomamushi replied. Just then, Setsuna emerged from the nearby woods, and Zeraora, who was trailing behind her, also noticed them.

However, Zeraora didn’t intervene. Instead, he found a tree to lie down on and took out a few Poffins from his pocket. Poffins were pastries made using Berries, most of which were specifically made for Pokémon.

The cooking technique wasn’t from the Beasts Pirates but rather developed by the Big Mom Pirates based on the ideas provided by the Beasts Pirates. When it comes to dessert chefs, no pirate crew could be compared to Big Mom Pirates.

Although some types of Poffins could be consumed by humans, most of them had strange flavors that only Pokémon’s taste buds could tolerate.

Furthermore, each Pokémon had different preferences, and these Poffins were Zeraora’s little snacks, similar to popcorn during a movie. He wanted to see what Setsuna was up to.

Meanwhile, on the beach, Setsuna didn’t look happy as she looked at the two swords in their hands.

“Inuarashi, you’re just like Nekomamushi. Seems like both of you have the same nature.”

Although she had said that, she thought only Nekomamushi would participate. She didn’t expect Inuarashi to actually join as well.

“Apologies, but I have my reasons for doing this.”

“Fine, is there anyone else? Call them out too.” Setsuna had anticipated this situation; otherwise, she wouldn’t have specifically chosen today.

Whether it is Setsuna, Inuarashi, or Nekomamushi, they all share one common point: none of them looked up at the sky because a full moon was floating in the sky.

Years ago, with Arceus’s help, Setsuna had mastered the power of Sulong, which was the greatest confidence of the Minks.

As for Inuarashi and Nekomamushi, although they were both Minks, Setsuna was certain that they couldn’t use Sulong when they left Zou Island.

Learning Sulong was a dangerous process, and without other adult Minks present, ordinary young Minks wouldn’t be able to learn it on their own.

With Sulong, Setsuna didn’t think she would have any trouble dealing with them, even if they brought anyone else with them.

“There’s no one else. This matter doesn’t need to involve more people, but you remember what you said, right?”

“You don’t have to worry about that. If you manage to defeat me, I’ll even pay out of my own pocket to provide you with everything you need. As for you, you stinking cat, you better start thinking about how to apologize and admit defeat.”

“Enough with the big talk, meow. Although I don’t know what you’ve been through all these years, we also learned a lot from Oden-sama!” Nekomamushi said, drawing his own sword, while Inuarashi did not.

If Nekomamushi could handle the situation on his own, it would be best for him not to interfere. Although Nekomamushi had some doubts earlier, he had to give it a try.

“What about your weapon?”

“Mine? No need. A bow and arrow are not suitable at a time like this. You use your sword, as for me, my claws will be enough.” As she spoke, Haki enveloped her hands, and sparks of electricity began to flicker in her fur.

While her mastery of Haki may not be exceptional, as one of the individuals trained by Kaido, she has become proficient in the basic usage over the past few years.

“Haki. Then I won’t hold back either.”

In any case, he had sailed the seas with two legendary pirates. He couldn’t possibly have no experience at all.

“Don’t act like you’re being polite. I don’t know why, but just seeing you infuriates me. You better be able to take more of the beatings today!”

With that, she launched the first attack. She thought her anger had subsided, but there was a saying that goes, the more you think, the angrier you get. Last night, she felt like she had held back.

In Nekomamushi’s eyes, Setsuna turned into a blur of white shadow. When he saw her figure again, Setsuna’s claws were already swiping at him.

Although he blocked it with his sword, Setsuna’s claws didn’t hesitate. With Haki as her defense, she directly grabbed onto Nekomamushi’s blade, and a surge of electricity traveled through the blade into his hand.

Minks generate static electricity through the friction between their fur, and they have a certain resistance to electric currents. The current conducted through the blade only made his palm feel slightly numb, not enough to make him lose his grip on his sword.

At that moment, electricity also flickered in his other hand, and he aimed for Setsuna’s waist.