After leaving the Alabasta Kingdom, Bege and Robin set out for their next objective. With the Poneglyph from the desert kingdom secured, only one Road Poneglyph remained: the one located in Zou.
The nation of Zou is founded on the back of a thousand-year-old elephant, Zunesha, which is constantly moving. As such, it is impossible to find using a Log Pose, and Bege didn't have one for Zou anyway.
Fortunately, Zunesha's colossal size made it impossible to truly hide. If one was determined to find it, it was only a matter of time.
He dispatched his aerial patrol teams, fleets of miniature airships that scoured the skies of the New World. After a month of searching, they finally found a trace of the giant elephant.
From a distance, it was just an impossibly massive shadow moving beneath the clouds.
As they drew closer, Bege finally laid eyes on the tallest and largest beast in the world of One Piece. Its four legs, like pillars holding up the heavens, plunged into the sea thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of meters below. Even the upper half of its body, the only part visible above the water, soared into the clouds, making it impossible to see its full form or the nation of Zou on its back.
Only by seeing Zunesha with your own eyes could you truly feel its majesty and the sheer shock of its scale. Any words used to describe it would be utterly inadequate.
On Fish-Man Island, he had seen the colossal Sea Kings, which he estimated to be over five thousand meters tall.
Yet, in front of Zunesha, those giant Sea Kings were like infants, not even in the same league. By his estimation, Zunesha's height had to be somewhere between ten and twenty thousand meters.
"To think a creature this massive actually exists," Robin whispered, a cold sweat beading on her forehead. It was her first time seeing Zunesha, and she was at a loss for words.
"The legend says Zunesha committed some crime and was sentenced to walk the seas for eternity, never stopping and never attacking anyone. Who could have possibly punished Zunesha, and why would it be so obedient as to accept the punishment?" Bege's expression was unreadable. In the original story, when Jack the Drought attacked Zunesha, it had cried out in agony but dared not fight back. It had to seek permission from a human to even defend itself. It was only when Momonosuke heard its plea and gave the order that Zunesha annihilated Jack with a single swing of its trunk.
If no one on the island had heard its plea that day, would Jack have actually killed it?
And what kind of person could punish such a magnificent, world-shaking creature? Was it Zunesha's master? Zunesha was so powerful it could obliterate Jack in an instant; its trunk could surely shatter islands. What kind of being would be worthy of being its master?
And why could Momonosuke command it? What was the connection between Zunesha and the Kozuki Clan?
Bege had a gut feeling that Zunesha, its mysterious punisher, and the great, enigmatic event of 800 years ago were all connected.
"Let's go. We'll see if we can find any clues in Zou." The airship flew up along Zunesha's body and finally reached its back, where the nation of Zou came into view.
As the ship entered Zou's airspace, it was spotted by the watchtowers. It was daytime, so the country was currently ruled by the Duke of the Day, Inuarashi.
The Musketeers, Duke Inuarashi's elite guard, immediately rushed toward the airship. But Bege was more direct. His Observation Haki instantly blanketed the entire country.
On the island, Duke Inuarashi and Master Nekomamushi sensed it at the same moment. The two of them shot into action almost simultaneously, racing toward Bege's location.
A short while later, two figures leaped in from different directions and landed swiftly on the ground.
One was a giant cat-like mink with a ferocious face, a mouth full of sharp teeth, and a pipe clenched between them. He wore clothes covered in a ring pattern, had a thick mane around his neck, and a long, black-and-white striped tail. A deep scar ran across his left eye. This was the Ruler of the Night, Master Nekomamushi.
The other was a tall, dog-headed mink dressed in the attire of a European duke, with a longsword at his waist and sunglasses over his eyes. This was the Ruler of the Day, Duke Inuarashi.
They both saw Bege at the same time, and their eyes widened.
"Capone Bege."
"Well, if it isn't Bege! It's been a long time," Duke Inuarashi said, both of them looking genuinely happy to see him. After all, they had received his warm hospitality back on Skypiea.
"I saw the news! You took down the Fear Pirates and became a new emperor of the sea! Gahahahaha, that's incredible!" Nekomamushi boomed with a laugh.
"Yo, Nekomamushi. That's a nice look. Who'd you get that eye scar from?" Bege asked with a grin.
Nekomamushi touched the scar near his eye and said nonchalantly, "Happened over a decade ago. Ran into a tough pirate and got slashed. But the guy who cut me? I tore him to shreds! Hahaha..."
"Bege, it's been over twenty years, hasn't it? Come, let me treat you to Zou's finest liquor," Duke Inuarashi said with a smile.
"Bege, don't go with him. Come with me! My booze is way better," Nekomamushi grunted.
"Weren't you two good friends before? What happened? Did one of you steal the other's wife?" Bege teased.
"Bullshit! As if he could compete with me for a woman," Nekomamushi cursed.
Duke Inuarashi shot Nekomamushi a look and retorted with a cold smirk, "Heh heh, you really think any woman would be interested in you when you're dressed like that?"
The two glared at each other, on the verge of coming to blows.
"Alright, alright. You two can stop fighting," Bege said, waving his hand to cut off their argument. "I'm here on business. We can put the drinking on hold for now. Besides, I have a feeling that after I tell you why I'm here, you won't be so eager to offer me a drink."
The expressions of both rulers sobered, turning serious.
"Then, Bege, what business brings you to Zou?"
Bege narrowed his eyes and pointed toward a giant, whale-shaped tree in the distance. "I'm here," he said calmly, "for the Road Poneglyph inside the Whale Forest."
The moment they saw where Bege was pointing, their faces fell. When they heard him say he was there for the Road Poneglyph, their expressions turned ashen.
"How did you know the Poneglyph was in the Whale Forest?" Inuarashi asked, his voice low and dangerous.
"Is how I know really that important? What's important is that I'm going to have it," Bege replied coolly.
"That's not going to happen," Nekomamushi said, his eyes glinting menacingly. All traces of their earlier friendly reunion had vanished. "The very purpose of our nation of Zou is to protect that Road Poneglyph. No one but the Kozuki Clan may take it. Bege, you should leave."
Bege shook his head, his gaze firm. "The Poneglyph is extremely important to me," he said flatly. "I must have that stone. You are no match for me, and I have no desire to fight you. Let me take the Poneglyph, and I can leave you a rubbing."
"That is a Road Poneglyph, a key to the final island! What good is a rubbing?" Duke Inuarashi countered grimly.
"If you want to take the stone, you'll have to step over our dead bodies." Nekomamushi's expression was resolute. He aimed his twin-pronged trident at Bege, ready to fight.
Inuarashi also gripped the hilt of his sword, his eyes fixed on Bege with grim determination.