Chapter 359: Zou – Don't Move, Karuchuu Warning

Enel's words made Carrot puff her cheeks in dissatisfaction.

"Hey! Didn't you promise to take me as your apprentice if I brought the apple?" Carrot grumbled.

Enel took a big bite out of the oversized apple Carrot had given him, speaking between bites, "I never said I wouldn't. But accepting an apprentice isn't entirely up to me—it's up to our captain's approval."

"You're really something else." Kaku chuckled, shaking his head.

Takumi heard everything Enel said.

He dared to use him as an excuse?

Oh, bold move.

Takumi abruptly stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Enel.

The moment Takumi's gaze landed on him, Enel immediately transformed into lightning and disappeared with the giant apple.

"Huh? Master Thunder God?" Carrot blinked in confusion, scanning her surroundings for the missing Enel.

"He ran off," Kaku chuckled.

"Huh? Why?" Carrot asked in bewilderment.

"Because if he stayed, he'd get beaten up," Kaku explained with a smirk.

Carrot scratched her head in confusion but quickly regained her usual energy. Turning her attention to Kaku, she asked, "Long-nose big brother, is the captain the one Master Thunder God was talking about?"

"Uh…" Kaku paused for a moment before pointing at Takumi with a smile. "Nope, I'm not the captain. He is. And by the way, my name is Kaku, not long-nose."

"Thank you, Kaku big brother!" Carrot beamed and immediately rushed toward Takumi. "Captain big brother, Karuchuu~ Please let Master Thunder God take me as his apprentice!"

The moment Carrot lunged toward him, Takumi used Soru to flash away.

Carrot landed on the ground with a puzzled look but remained undeterred. She cheerfully sprang toward Takumi again, shouting, "Captain big brother, I won't give up! Karuchuu~ Please let Master Thunder God take me as his apprentice!"

Takumi frowned, wasting no time in slapping her away with a single palm strike. Without even looking back, he followed Enel's trail.

Carrot tumbled mid-air but landed gracefully, flipping once before touching down softly. She looked around, confused. "Hmm? Where did Captain big brother go?"

Kaku crossed his arms and replied calmly, "He went to find your Master Thunder God."

"Huh? Then I'll go find them too!" Carrot prepared to dash off.

"Don't."

"Why not?"

"Because those two won't hold back, even if you're just a kid. If you don't want to get caught in their fight, now isn't the best time to go after them."

Carrot tilted her head, her face full of question marks. She didn't fully understand what Kaku meant.

At that moment, several mink residents cautiously approached.

One of them, a horse-shaped mink woman, asked worriedly, "Carrot, are you okay?"

Carrot quickly shook her head and smiled. "I'm fine! Don't worry, everyone. Those three hairless mink people are good guys!"

"But… that hairless mink just hit you…"

"Yeah, if they're good people, why did that guy attack you?"

"Carrot, if they threatened you, we won't let them get away with it!"

Faced with their doubts, Carrot laughed heartily and said, "You're all mistaken! Captain big brother was just playing with me. He didn't hit me hard at all. See? I'm perfectly fine! Back in Whale Forest, Master Thunder God even saved my life. If it weren't for them, I would've been drained dry by the Flying Sky Bugs. I swear it's true! Please believe me!"

Hearing her explanation, the surrounding minks exchanged surprised glances.

Kaku was curious whether the minks would believe her or not.

To his surprise, they instantly burst into cheers.

"So that's what happened! These three hairless minks are truly good people!"

"Such kindness! I'm so touched!"

"I want to Karuchuu them!"

Kaku stood speechless, completely dumbfounded by their sudden change in attitude.

After a brief pause, he turned to Carrot and asked, "What does 'Karuchuu' mean?"

"It means 'I like you,'" Carrot replied with a grin.

No sooner had she spoken than she grabbed Kaku's arm, rubbing her fluffy face against it. "Kaku big brother, Karuchuu~"

"Karuchuu~"

"Your name's Kaku? Kaku, Karuchuu~"

"Karuchuu~"

Suddenly, a swarm of mink residents pounced on Kaku, repeating the phrase.

Beads of sweat formed on Kaku's forehead as he tried to escape, but he barely made it a few steps before the crowd overwhelmed him, pinning him to the ground.

"Wait! Hold on! What are you doing? Let go of me! Hey, wait—"

Before Kaku could finish, the minks began nuzzling him with their furry faces.

Meanwhile…

Takumi was still chasing Enel.

Enel, fully aware that Takumi was hot on his heels, maintained his lightning form, fleeing at full speed.

Given the distance between them and Enel's high-speed flight, Takumi couldn't catch up with him using only Level Six Soru.

After chasing for a while, Takumi realized that the distance between them hadn't decreased at all. He stopped in his tracks, coldly sneering, "You think you can escape?"

Determined to change tactics, Takumi turned back toward Kurau City.

He hadn't walked far when he happened upon a group of mink warriors led by a lion-like mink wearing a western-style hat and wielding a long rifle.

The lion mink and his team instantly noticed Takumi.

They exchanged a glance of surprise before raising their guard and surrounding him.

"It's you!" The lion mink pointed his rifle at Takumi. "You're the intruder who broke into Whale Forest and injured Black Bark and the others! Tell me—where are your two companions? What's your purpose here?"

Takumi stared at him indifferently and said flatly, "Put the gun down."

"Hmph. Don't forget—you're the one surrounded," the lion mink sneered. "You're in no position to negotiate."

"Foolish." Takumi smirked. In a flash, he disappeared from sight.

Before the minks could react, Takumi reappeared right in front of the lion mink. With a swift motion, he grabbed the rifle's barrel and crushed it effortlessly.

"Wha—?! That's impossible!" The lion mink's eyes widened in shock. Before he could finish his sentence, Takumi struck him with a powerful punch, sending him flying backward.