Introducing Cat Viper
Cat Viper, also known as Nekomamushi, is one of the mink leaders of the Whale Forest on Zou and a member of the Nine Red Scabbards allied with the Kozuki Family of Wano Country. Along with his friend Inuarashi, he was once a ruler of Wano Country. According to Inuarashi, the two of them were on par with Kozuki Oden himself when it came to combat abilities. After Oden’s death, Cat Viper sailed with Oden’s son Momonosuke as well as the retainers Kin’emon, Kanjuro, and Raizo in search of allies to take back Wano Country (https://onepiece.fandom.com/wiki/Nekomamushi).
Cat Viper ate the Neko Neko no Mi, Model: Leopard Devil Fruit which allows him to transform into a leopard-human hybrid and a full leopard at will. Along with his massive size and strength, this makes him a powerful fighter and leader. He shows great loyalty to his friends, demonstrated by his unwavering quest to fulfill Oden’s dream of opening Wano’s borders (https://fairy-one-piece-tail.fandom.com/wiki/Cat_Viper).
Cat Viper’s Goal to Return to Wano
Cat Viper, originally known as Nekomamushi, hails from Wano Country originally. As detailed on the One Piece Wiki, Cat Viper was born and raised in Wano alongside his sworn brother Inuarashi before leaving to travel with Oden decades ago.
After being away from Wano for so long, Cat Viper made it his goal to eventually return to his homeland. As mentioned in this Reddit thread, Cat Viper missed the first two acts of the Wano arc because he was busy traveling and attempting to recruit allies like Marco. However, he remained determined to make it back to Wano in time to help liberate his country from Kaido and Orochi’s control.
Despite the long and arduous journey, and after being away for so many years, Cat Viper never lost sight of his dream to come back home to Wano. Helping to free Wano from its oppressive rule was Cat Viper’s main purpose and motivation driving him forward on his quest.
Cat Viper’s Journey with the Mink Tribe
Cat Viper is one of the two rulers of the Mokomo Dukedom on Zou, alongside his co-ruler Dogstorm. As the ‘Ruler of Night’, Cat Viper leads the mink tribe at night while Dogstorm leads them during the day (One Piece Wiki). Despite their differences, Cat Viper and Dogstorm worked together to protect the minks from threats like Jack and the Beasts Pirates.
When the Straw Hats arrived at Zou, Cat Viper quickly formed an alliance with them after hearing how they helped his friend Bepo (Fairy One Piece Tail Wiki). With a common enemy in Kaido and the Beasts Pirates, who attacked and poisoned the minks, Cat Viper joined forces with the Straw Hats and Law’s group to take down Kaido in Wano.
Arrival at Zou
After being separated from the Mink Tribe for an extended period, Cat Viper finally returned to his homeland of Zou with the rest of the minks he had been traveling with. Zou is the home of the Mink Tribe and serves as the base of operations for both Cat Viper and Inuarashi, the two rulers of the Mink Tribe [1].
Cat Viper was overjoyed to be back on Zou and reunited with the rest of his people, having not seen his homeland in quite some time. His return allowed him to reconnect with the rest of the minks living in the Whale Forest that he rules over as their guardian [2]. After such a long and arduous journey, Cat Viper was relieved to finally make it back to the place he calls home.
Reuniting with Old Friends
When Cat Viper arrived back on Zou with the rest of the Mink Tribe, there was an emotional reunion with his fellow minks that he had been separated from for so long. As shown in Episode 767, Cat Viper and Dogstorm, two mink leaders who had been estranged from each other, saw each other again for the first time in years. There was initially some tension between them, but they moved past it and came together, hugging it out emotionally. The minks under their leadership were also overjoyed to be reunited with each other after so much time apart. For Cat Viper, returning to Zou meant coming back home and being surrounded by his people once more.
Forming an Alliance
After reuniting with the Straw Hats, Cat Viper realized that they shared a common goal of taking down Kaido and freeing Wano from his control. Though initially distrustful of pirates, Cat Viper came to see Luffy and his crew as honorable people wanting to help the oppressed people of Wano.
During their time hiding out in Zou, Cat Viper discussed the idea of forming an alliance with Luffy to take down Kaido. As mentioned on the One Piece wiki, “He is an ally of the Straw Hat Pirates during the Whole Cake Island Saga and Wano Country Saga” (https://onepiece.fandom.com/wiki/Nekomamushi). Luffy readily agreed to the idea, as facing a Yonko like Kaido would require a combined effort. The minks’ strong fighting capabilities, especially in their Sulong form, would give their alliance a considerable boost in power.
After swearing their allegiance over cups of sake, the alliance between the Straw Hats, Law’s Heart Pirates, and the minks under Cat Viper and Dogstorm was forged. Their “Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance” was now dedicated to taking down Kaido and freeing the Wano Country from his control.
Heading to Wano
After reuniting with the Straw Hat Pirates on Zou, Cat Viper joined Luffy on his journey to Wano country. As a native of Wano, Cat Viper was determined to return and help liberate his homeland from the control of Kaido and Orochi. Though he had been away from Wano for many years, he still felt a strong connection to the country and wanted to fulfill his promise to return one day.
Cat Viper recognized that aligning with Luffy and the Straw Hats was his best chance of making it back to Wano and succeeding in taking down Kaido. Luffy had already declared his intention to defeat Kaido, so teaming up with the Straw Hats meant Cat Viper would have strong allies for the looming battle. Together with the mink tribe, Cat Viper boarded the Thousand Sunny and embarked on the voyage to Wano.
The journey to Wano took some time, but Cat Viper remained resolute in his goal. He used the travel time to prepare himself mentally and physically for the fight ahead. Cat Viper was also eager to see his homeland again and hoped to find old friends who remained in Wano. With Luffy’s crew and his mink comrades by his side, Cat Viper was confident he would finally achieve his long-held dream of returning to Wano and freeing its people.
Arriving at Wano
After departing Zou, Cat Viper traveled with the Straw Hat-Heart Pirate alliance towards Wano Country. Their journey was long and perilous, sailing through the treacherous New World seas. According to the One Piece Wiki, Cat Viper’s top priority was reaching Wano to assist his fellow minks and samurai in taking down Kaido (source).
However, Cat Viper did not immediately arrive in Wano with the rest of the alliance. Along the way, he made a stop at Whitebeard’s homeland to try and recruit Marco the Phoenix to their cause. Unfortunately, Marco refused to join them at that time, wanting to protect Whitebeard’s hometown in the interim (source). Though disappointed, Cat Viper continued on alone towards Wano.
Cat Viper eventually reached Wano Country, but the exact details and circumstances of his arrival are still unknown. Despite missing the beginning of the Onigashima raid, fans are confident the mink leader will appear at a critical moment to support his allies in their long-awaited battle against Kaido and his forces.
Reactions to Returning Home
After being away from Wano for so long, Cat Viper was filled with a mix of emotions upon returning to his homeland. Though he was overjoyed to be back, he also felt great sadness seeing the state Wano had fallen into under Kaido’s oppressive rule.
Having grown up in Wano before it was taken over, Cat Viper had many fond memories of the vibrant, thriving country it once was. Now seeing it in ruins, with the people living in poverty and fear, was heartbreaking for him. As one Reddit user discussed, Cat Viper was said to have “teared up a little” when he saw what had become of his home (source).
Despite the hardships, Cat Viper was filled with hope and determination to free Wano from Kaido’s grasp. He knew that with the allied forces they had gathered, there was a real chance to defeat Kaido and restore Wano to its former glory. More than anything, Cat Viper wanted to fight for the people of Wano so they could live freely and happily again.
Impact on Wano Arc
Cat Viper’s return to Wano has a significant impact on the ongoing Wano arc. As one of the Nine Red Scabbards and a ruler of the Mink tribe, Cat Viper brings formidable forces to join the alliance against Kaido (One Piece Wiki, 2022). With his “Ruler of Night” epithet, Cat Viper is a powerful mink who can enter the deadly Sulong form during a full moon, boosting his abilities even further (One Piece Wiki, 2022).
Additionally, Cat Viper has a strong emotional impact, as his return inspires the downtrodden forces in Wano who had lost hope after Oden’s death twenty years ago. Seeing one of Oden’s retainers finally return reignites their fighting spirit (Reddit, 2020). Cat Viper also provides key strategic advice to the alliance, having insider knowledge of Wano’s layout and defenses from his youth there.
Overall, Cat Viper’s presence reinvigorates the alliance and brings his elite mink forces to bear, playing a crucial role in shifting the tide of battle against Kaido and opening the borders of Wano.
