"Has Lord Black Crow not returned yet?"
Arriving at the castle, Hancock asked Warwick curiously.
"No," Warwick replied, scratching his head with his sharp claws as he gnawed on a chunk of roasted meat. Not many on Crow Island knew that Mio had left, but Hancock wasn't just any ordinary member—her status was slightly higher than the peripheral forces of the Black Crow Pirates. And given her unique identity and special relationship with Mio, she had been informed of his departure.
Ever since Mio left, Hancock had been asking about him daily—specifically, whether he had returned.
She wanted to show him the results of her training.
It was almost like a student wanting praise from her teacher.
"Oh…"
With visible disappointment, Hancock turned and walked away—toward the island's training grounds. In the world of pirates, entertainment options were limited: training, drinking, boasting, or pursuits of a more adult nature.
But Hancock, still young, found only training suitable.
There weren't many girls on the island, and aside from her two sisters, she had no one else to talk to.
…
At the same time, in the New World…
In a foggy and dark sea area, heavy clouds blanketed the sky as mist rolled in. Visibility was poor, yet the silhouette of an enormous being was unmistakable—Zou, the giant ancient elephant that carried an entire land on its back.
On Zou's back…
The Furry Principality bustled in tension. In one area, a group of pirates gathered around a bonfire, eating, drinking, and talking, their presence disturbing the peace of the fur tribe's territory.
Seated at the center was a massive figure whose very presence exerted pressure—Talos, a giant of a man. Even seated, his sheer size and aura gave off a terrifying momentum.
Gulp, gulp, gulp—
Talos downed a barrel of wine in one go, wiping his mouth without regard for manners. He grinned. "Is that enough?"
As he spoke, the atmosphere shifted.
Figures emerged from all sides—fur tribe warriors, humanoid in form with animal heads and features. Thousands of them, all armed, all furious.
"Finally, they've come."
"There are too many of them, boss."
"Hahaha! With so many enemies, maybe I'll die if I fight… can I use that as an excuse?"
"Well, we've only got a few hundred people. This might get messy."
"Better eat and drink your fill now. If you die, no time for regrets later."
Despite the overwhelming odds, the pirates near Talos were fired up, their eyes burning with the thrill of battle.
"You bastard, Talos! Why have you targeted Zou?!" a lion-faced fur warrior roared. His powerful aura marked him as a leader.
"Cat Viper," Talos said calmly, finishing his meal and raising his eyes to the speaker. Then, glancing at another figure, he added, "And Inuarashi."
The other fur warrior, shaped like a dog and dressed like a knight, stood alert with a sword at his waist, his expression grim.
Boom—
Talos slowly rose, each step echoing across the ground. With a step forward, an explosive pressure burst from his body, like the roar of countless beasts.
His eyes gleamed with madness. "I gave you half a month to gather all your fighters. Have you brought everything you've got?"
"Hmph. Even if you're one of the top monsters in the sea, we'll end you here!" a fur warrior growled.
Talos' grin widened. "Fine! But remember our agreement: If you win, I leave forever. But if I win, I become King of Zou!"
Half a month earlier, Talos had made the deal—one Zou couldn't afford to reject. If they had refused, the entire island would've faced his wrath.
"Come."
"Fight!"
Talos roared. His aura erupted once more, causing the surrounding forest to shake.
"Kill!!" shouted Godot, one of Talos's officers, drawing his sword and vanishing in a blur. He reappeared behind a fur warrior and struck cleanly—one enemy down.
"Kill!"
"Hahaha! Been waiting half a month for this!"
"Don't die too quickly!"
The pirates laughed wildly.
Their courage had been honed by following Talos. Fear was no longer in their vocabulary.
Talos clenched his fist and smashed it into the ground—crack! A deep fissure split the earth and swallowed a cluster of fur warriors.
"Kill!" Cat Viper roared, charging at Talos.
"Be careful," warned Inuarashi, his long-standing rivalry with Cat Viper set aside for the sake of Zou.
Drawing his sword, Inuarashi slashed—whoosh! A wave of energy flew at Talos.
"Weak." Talos snorted. Armament Haki coated his fist as he shattered the incoming slash and countered.
His punch landed on Cat Viper's abdomen, launching him through several trees.
Then, another fur warrior tried to ambush him from the side.
Boom! A casual swing from Talos sent him flying, blood spraying midair.
"Is this all?" Talos growled. "You're called a warrior race? I waited half a month for this fight—don't disappoint me!"
RUMBLE—
His power surged again. The pressure was suffocating.
"Too strong…" A fur warrior trembled, watching Talos like a monster.
"Everyone, concentrate your attacks!" Inuarashi roared.
Though Talos had only a few hundred men, the fur tribe still held the advantage in numbers. At Inuarashi's command, thousands of fur warriors swarmed in.
The ground shook with every charge. Dust clouds rose. Screams echoed.
…
Hiss…
"You damned furball… you actually wounded me."
Godot touched the gash on his chest and narrowed his eyes at the fur warrior who cut him.
Whoosh—
He blinked to the warrior's side and decapitated him in a flash.
Then, he turned to look at Talos—surrounded by over ten thousand fur tribe fighters.
"Damn… is the boss gonna fall?"
"Those fur tribes really are strong…"
"No," Godot sneered, slashing down another opponent. "You newbies haven't seen the boss's real strength. These guys may be strong, but to him, they're just trash. Watch—soon, you'll understand what 'fear' really means."
…
Slash!
Slash!
Wounds began to cover Talos's body.
In seconds, he was drenched in blood.
But then—he laughed.
"HAHAHAHA! Yes! That's it!"
A terrifying burst of aura exploded from him, pushing back nearby fur warriors.
Grabbing one fur fighter in his hands, Talos laughed wildly. "You're all still ants—but at least you've made me a little excited. Still not enough. Show me your true strength!"
Crack…
The fur warrior shriveled in Talos's grasp, as though his life had been sucked away.
In just one breath, Talos's injuries vanished.
The power of absorption.
Talos didn't rely on flashy attacks or tricks. His true strength lay in his body and the Momo Fruit's enhancement—making him nearly unkillable.
Even Kaido could be wounded.
Talos could heal instantly as long as there were enemies nearby.
"Let's go again!"
He tossed the dried husk aside, laughing as a fearsome transformation overtook him.
His body expanded. Bronze muscles bulged. Strange animal-like tattoos—dragons and tigers—emerged on his skin.
Two horns jutted from his forehead. His face twisted into a monstrous expression.
This was Talos's strongest form.
His strength, speed, defense, endurance, and recovery had reached their peak.
A beast unleashed.
BOOM!
Talos stomped down, cracking the ground.
"FIGHT!"
His roar sounded like a hellish beast, making even veteran warriors tremble.
In a flash, Talos disappeared.
"Watch out!" Inuarashi shouted.
A heartbeat later, Talos appeared before a fur warrior. His right fist, coated in Armament Haki, smashed downward.
The warrior braced for impact, but—
BOOM!
He was crushed into the ground, his condition unknown.
"Come on, Kingdom of Zou!"
Talos stood tall, grinning wildly. "Defeat me, or I'll become your king!"
"The King of the Fur Tribe!"
"The King of Zou!"
"The King of the Elephant Lord!"
"Hahahahahaha!"
His wild laughter pierced the stormy sky as thunder cracked above them.
The hearts of the fur tribe grew heavy—like the clouds now pouring rain.
"Kill!" Cat Viper growled.
Whoosh—
He vanished and reappeared before Talos, his claw slashing out with Armament Haki and a hint of thunder.
Clang!
Talos caught it bare-handed and flung him away.
The battle resumed.
The back of the ancient elephant echoed with the sounds of war—so loud that even ships sailing nearby could hear it.
…
"Report! This is the 126th warship! I'm Sergeant Gray of the New World Branch. A battle has broken out between the Mad Beast Talos and the fur tribe of Zou!"
The call ended. Sergeant Gray, standing on a Marine warship not far from Zou, looked grim as he heard the distant clash of battle.
"Maintain watch. Report any signs of movement," he ordered.
"Sir, should we go up there?"
"No. We'd only die. Wait for the admirals."
He knew the difference in power all too well.
Suddenly—
BOOM!
Lightning streaked across the dark clouds as rain poured down.
A Marine soldier rushed over, panicked. "Bad news! A pirate ship is approaching! The flag… it's the Black Crow Pirates!"
"What?!"
Gray grabbed a telescope and looked. Through the rain, a ship was approaching, its flag waving.
A black crow.
"Damn it… why is the Black Crow coming here now?"
He immediately picked up the Den Den Mushi to inform Marine Headquarters.
The Navy had long eyed the Elephant Lord.
Zou's mobile nature made it a perfect base for a Marine branch in the New World—secure and unreachable by most pirates.
They'd hoped to intervene after Talos wore down the fur tribe, establish a branch, and recruit from the fur tribe themselves.
Talos alone wasn't their concern.
But now—with the Black Crow approaching—things were no longer under control.