The massive purple gourd was like a raging storm, smashing down toward Jack and battering him head-on, pressing him so hard that he even found it difficult to counterattack.
But as one of the three Calamities of the Beasts Pirates, "Drought" Jack strength was not limited to what he had shown so far.
The reason he was being suppressed was mainly because he was unfamiliar with Suika Meow Devil Fruit abilities and techniques, and he was also slightly inferior in speed.
On top of that, he had been ambushed at the very beginning by Suika Meow "Sake Fire ," which threw him straight into a berserk state, leaving him unable to properly readjust himself ever since.
As the alcohol clinging to Jack body finally burned away, his emotions calmed somewhat.
More importantly, after being smashed around by Suika Meow in that relentless barrage, his useless rage could only last so long before he was forced to make himself calm down.
Suika Meow did not possess Observation Haki, but when hunting monsters in the Monster Hunter world, there were already techniques specifically meant to provoke and enrage monsters.
Moreover, among the hammer hunting arts, there was a taunting move known as "Great Provocation."
Although the taunting effect of this move had been greatly weakened after entering the pirate world—or rather, when used against intelligent beings—and nowadays Sherwin and the others mostly treated it as a supportive skill to boost their own attacks…
Still—
The long-nosed guy in front of her really did not look very smart.
So Suika Meow decisively leaped back a large step, swung the "Ibuki Gourd" upward in a rising uppercut toward the air, and took the opportunity to tilt it back and pour a mouthful of sake into her own mouth.
Jack, who had only just managed to calm down a little, saw her actions and, for reasons he could not explain, felt a fresh surge of nameless fury rise in his chest.
His pupils, which had only recently returned to white, once again turned blood-red.
"AAAAAAAH—! I'll kill you!!!"
Four enormous elephant legs stomped furiously against the ground. Jack, once again plunging into a berserk state, charged straight at Suika Meow without a shred of restraint.
"Hehe~"
Suika Meow calmly sidestepped, then held the sake she had just poured into her mouth, seized the opening, and delivered another "Sake Fire " to Jack.
Jack madness flared even more violently, and the situation instantly returned to how it had been at the very beginning.
Seeing their Calamities being toyed with like this by Suika Meow, the rest of the Beasts Pirates naturally would not just stand by and watch.
Just as they were about to rush in to help, arms sprouted one after another from their bodies and from the ground around them, locking them in joint holds.
"Blooming Flowers · Flytrap."
Unfortunately, Robin strength was still a bit lacking. Although her arms managed to seize those pirates, she could only restrain them for a short while at best, let alone deal with them outright.
After all, those who could make it onto the island were all officers and their deputies from two Yonko crews. None of them were weak.
It was perfectly normal that Robin, who was not a frontline combatant to begin with, could not keep them suppressed indefinitely.
Besides, restraining them for a brief moment was already enough…
"Fine Rain · Falling Plum Blossoms."
Huamei darted swiftly through the gaps between Robin arms. Before the pirates could break free, he had already cut down more than half of them, and he intercepted the remaining few members of the Beasts Pirates.
Among them, the Beasts Pirate second strongest combatant, Who-Who of the Flying Six, activated his Devil Fruit ability the instant Robin arms appeared, breaking free from them at once.
And then…
(=`ω=)┫
The little leopard cat pinned his ears back and stared fixedly at Who-Who in front of him.
Unlike the other Beasts Pirates members who were single-mindedly rushing toward Jack, Who-Who had been aiming for Robin from the very beginning.
"Heh heh heh, a Mink?"
Who-Who expression was dark. He had just narrowly avoided being cut by Link Meow.
If it weren't for that idiot Jack launching an attack without a word, how could their Beasts Pirates have been entangled by this bunch of cat Minks first?
Intent on ending the fight quickly, he unfastened the tachi at his waist, whose pink scabbard looked no shorter than the Longsword, and drew from it a—
A dagger whose blade was even shorter than its hilt.
∑(=OДO=)
(=＞ω＜)
(=ω=)?
Stunned, Link Meow rubbed his eyes hard with his little paw. After confirming that he really wasn't seeing things, he tilted his head and slowly produced a question mark.
"Surprised?" Who-Who displayed the peculiar dagger in his hand and patiently explained, "Because to me, the length of a weapon has never been a problem! Finger Pistol: Blade Gun!"
A large swath of arrow-shaped air blades shot toward Link Meow. Not to be outdone, the little leopard cat swung the Master Sword in his hand, sending out several spinning sword waves that intercepted them all.
"Then how about this? Tempest Kick!"
Who-Who kicked out a crescent-shaped air blade far larger than before, and then—
(=`ω=)┫く
Without the slightest surprise, it was reflected straight back by Link Meow with a shield parry.
"What going on?!"
Who-Who twisted aside to dodge the rebounding Tempest Kick, staring at Link Meow in shock and uncertainty.
"What kind of Devil Fruit ability is this?"
Like most people seeing this move for the first time, Who-Who also mistook the shield parry for some kind of Devil Fruit ability.
(=`=)┫
However, Link Meow did not answer his question. He simply tapped the Hylian Shield with the Master Sword, making a blatantly provocative gesture.
"What kind of freak ability is this supposed to be?!"
At this moment, Who-Who finally realized something. To his shock, he discovered that he had actually read a whole stream of meaning from the other party simple expression.
"Just what kind of Devil Fruit user are you?!"
╮(=ω=)╭
Link Meow spread his hands, indicating that he had not eaten a Devil Fruit at all.
But Who-Who did not believe him.
"Hmph! Even if you won't say it, I can test it out myself!"
Who-Who stomped hard on the ground and charged straight toward Link Meow.
If long-range attacks were just going to be reflected, then close combat it was!
"Blade Spear!"
This time, instead of hurling out a flying blade, he gripped the dagger and stabbed directly at Link Meow.
What he did not understand was that Link Meow shield parry did not care whether the attack was melee or ranged.
As long as it did not exceed his tolerance limit, even a Logia-type attack would be sent right back at you.
(=`ω=)┫く
The tremendous rebound force nearly made Who-Who lose his grip on the dagger, but from that clash he also noticed something—before reflecting his attack, Link Meow had made a rapid yet clearly discernible preparatory motion.
In that case, all he needed to do was speed up his attack frequency!
Who-Who tossed aside the dagger in his hand, and his already towering frame began to swell once more.
Before long, he transformed into the hybrid form of a saber-toothed tiger.
"You're a cat mink, and I'm a Cat-Cat Fruit, Ancient Type, Saber-Toothed Tiger Form user," Who-Who licked his furry paw and sneered.
"Then let see whether your kind of cat is stronger, or mine… stronger!"
Before he even finished speaking, he suddenly used Soru to flash to Link Meow side, launching a surprise attack on the little leopard cat.
"Finger Pistol: Spot!"
=(=(ω=(ω=)┫
Link Meow, who had never let his guard down, swayed his body to evade Who-Who rapid series of attacks, then swung his sword backhandedly, slashing straight at his opponent fingers.
レ(=`ω=)┫
However, protected by Armament Haki, the strike failed to sever his fingers. It merely knocked them off course, leaving only a shallow wound.
Immediately after that, Link Meow sprang upward, lifting the shield in his hand and smashing it toward Who-Who chin.
(=`ω=)┳
Annihilation · Rising Dragon Strike!
"Fangs Gun!"
Seeing that there was no time to dodge, Who Who advanced instead of retreating.
He lowered his head and fired a fangs-version Finger Pistol straight at Link Meow, then opened his mouth wide, driving those two long fangs toward the shield in Link Meow hands.
"Bang!"
After exchanging a direct clash with the enemy, Link Meow fell back to the ground and slid a long distance backward, while Who Who merely arched his body sharply backward.
Maintaining that leaned-back posture for a moment, he slowly straightened up again.
From the surface, it seemed that Link Meow had temporarily fallen into a disadvantage.
"Not bad Armament Haki, kid…" Who Who revealed a ferocious grin. "It just that your strength is a bit lacking."
However, feeling the faint soreness in his teeth, Who Who mood was not nearly as relaxed as he appeared.