The bright moon rose higher, shortening the shadows of the combatants.
However, its comforting light was constantly strangled by roiling dark clouds, leaving Panther Cat City plunged into a chaotic gloom.
Most people would have been gripped by terror in such an environment, surrounded by thousands of glowing green eyes.
Luffy and the others had no time for fear.
"Tch, they're endless! Absolutely endless!" Zoro grunted, slicing through three cat demons with a single stroke.
"Damn it! Exploding Star! Fire Dragon Star! White Tiger Star!" Usopp fired rapidly, explosions illuminating the darkness in brief, violent flashes.
"Guard Point: Fur Enhancement! Blade Frenzy!" Chopper spun like a top, sending spines flying.
For the first time in his life, Zoro felt a deep, abiding hatred for cats.
Glancing at the small cracks on Yubashiri's blade, caused by the relentless gnawing of the demons, his fury spiked.
"From now on," he growled, "I'll kill every cat I see!"
Sanji elegantly kicked a green-furred cat demon into the distance and glared at Zoro.
"Moss Head, if you keep spouting nonsense, I'll kill you myself."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I won't allow you to harm a beautiful and adorable cat like Nami-swan," Sanji stated with absolute seriousness.
"Tch. you're picking a fight for no reason you damn cook. Once I finish off these cats, I'll cut you down next."
"Hmph. Stop yapping and focus on fighting. Diable Jambe: Pressure Cooker Spectrum Kick!"
Sanji became a blur of fire and motion, the brightness of his attacks giving Zoro a moment of clarity to unleash a devastating series of slashes.
But the enemies were too numerous.
More cat demons poured into the battlefield like a tide.
Slowly, the Straw Hat Pirates were forced into a tight circle, standing back-to-back to guard against ambushes.
"Once Ray and the others engage the enemy commanders," Robin warned, snapping a demon's neck with a conjured arm, "there may be no more moonlight. Our visibility will drop to zero."
"Keep your Observation Haki active!" Sanji shouted, deflecting a claw with his shin. "Usopp, conserve those light-emitting attacks of yours!"
Luffy, however, was grinning from ear to ear, his eyes shining in the dark.
"This feeling of fighting back-to-back is so cool! Guys, we must hold out until Ray and the others defeat the enemy! No one can fall!"
"YEEAHHH!!!"
...
Meanwhile, in the Inner City.
Ray had already slain hundreds of cat demons, carving a path of destruction straight to the heart of the fortress.
Blocking his path was the flame-wielding Panther Cat, Karan (Summer Tempest).
"Well, well, Sesshomaru! Long time no see!"
Ray offered no response.
He simply drew Tokijin and launched his attack.
"Tch, how arrogant! Don't look down on us cats, you arrogant mutt! I'll burn you to ashes!"
Karan's attacks were straightforward—flames filled the sky, taking the forms of panthers, snakes, dragons, and tigers.
The darkness turned crimson as the firestorm surged toward Ray, the intense heat igniting nearby buildings before contact was even made.
"Prepare to become roasted dog meat, Sesshomaru!"
"Hmph. Compared to fifty years ago, you haven't improved at all."
Ray snorted coldly.
Tokijin released a pulse of demonic power.
A sword pressure strike, moving at near-teleportation speed, slammed into Karan's chest.
Instantly sent flying hundreds of meters, Karan crashed through the inner city wall, collapsing to the ground, convulsing.
The sky-full of flames dissipated into harmless sparks before even reaching Ray.
This demonstrated the insurmountable gap between Sesshomaru and an ordinary Great Demon.
The Four Heavenly Kings of the Panther Cat Tribe were strong—roughly equivalent to Vice Admirals in the One Piece World—but against Sesshomaru's perfect power, they were nothing.
Ray raised his sword to deliver the final blow.
Suddenly, an ice spear shot toward him from the shadows.
Ray knew who this was.
Tōran (Winter Tempest), coming to rescue her sister.
Even he couldn't simply tank her attacks.
Dodging sideways, the ice spear pierced the ground where he had stood a microsecond before.
Instantly, everything within five hundred meters froze solid.
This was Tōran holding back.
If she went all out, she could plunge the entire region into an ice age.
It remained uncertain who was stronger between her and Aokiji.
Without unnecessary words, the demonic energy of two true Great Demons collided.
The resulting pressure blotted out what little moonlight remained.
"Azure Dragon Break!"
"Ice Dragon Dance!"
Thunder dragon versus ice dragon.
The clash blasted the inner city apart, the terrifying impact once again dispersing the dark clouds above.
The moon seemed to complain: You two just covered me with a blanket, and now you tear it off again? How rude.
After the dust settled, Tōran had seized the opportunity to carry the injured Karan away.
Her voice echoed through the ruins:
"Sesshomaru... come deeper inside. Our leader is ready to meet you."
Ray didn't sheathe his sword.
He gripped Tokijin and advanced slowly.
He had intended to kill Karan to hinder the resurrection of the Panther Cat leader, Panther King, but with Tōran interfering, he couldn't succeed.
There wasn't much to be done.
Although Tōran was weaker than Sesshomaru, the gap wasn't massive.
Sesshomaru was the apex of the dog demons; Tōran was the apex of the panther cats.
The clash of titans was inevitable.
...
Elsewhere in the City.
Inuyasha swung Tessaiga, the massive blade colliding with the abdomen of the lightning-wielding muscular cat, Shuran.
Instead of cutting, the blade bounced off Shuran's lightning-enhanced fat with a dull thud.
"Hahahaha! A half-demon is just a half-demon! Even wielding Inu Taisho's fang, you can't harm me in the slightest! How pathetic!"
Inuyasha scoffed, but his eyes were serious.
His opponent's defense was formidable.
"Then try this move! Wind Scar!"
Golden light erupted from the blade, rushing toward Shuran like a tsunami of claws.
Shuran felt the tremendous power and knew he couldn't tank it.
He enveloped himself in lightning and moved at high speed to evade.
The Wind Scar struck the city wall behind him, obliterating it and sending a shockwave into the sky that once again dispersed the clouds.
"Hmph! Inuyasha, I'll be waiting for you deep in the inner city!" Shuran shouted as he fled.
As he ran, Shuran couldn't help but complain to himself. 'These two brothers are truly dogs. If not for the special design of our inner city, they would have torn everything down by now.'
On the other side of the battlefield, the young leader of the Wolf Demon tribe, Koga, barely managed to break through Shunran's floral scent whirlwind.
Battered but unbowed, he too was "invited" to the final battle inside the castle.
Above, the sky had given up.
The dark clouds, tired of being summoned and dispersed every five minutes by dramatic entrances, simply vanished.
The moon hung clear and bright in the blue-black sky, as if saying, I'm done. Fight in the light.
Down below, Luffy and his crew, still fighting the endless waves of cat demons, expressed that the moonlight was much more comforting.
Fighting in absolute darkness was great training for Observation Haki, but it was also terrifying.
"Keep pushing!" Luffy shouted, punching a cat demon into the stratosphere. "We're almost there!"