Seven Lucky Gods

The Seven Lucky Gods are a group of seven martial artists who are masters of the Seven Lucky Gods School of Martial Arts. They rule a small kingdom deep in China named Nekonron. Very little is known about these people, save that they are each in some way representative of one of the, figures from Chinese and Japanese mythology revered as gods of protection and good luck. For generations they have eaten nothing but rice and pickled vegetables to the point that they can no longer eat any other types of food.

The Seven Lucky Gods consist of:

Kirin - Prince of Nekonron and leader of the Seven Lucky Gods. Always carrying a long pair of chopsticks and a bowl of rice and pickled vegetables, he is able to use his chopsticks as a shield and his rice as deadly projectiles.

Bishamonten - A fierce, massively beared armor-clad warrior and an expert with the trident.

Wu - A huge man with nearly impenetrable skin and very little brainpower.

Monlon - The only woman in the group, a scantily clad musician who wields her lute as a weapon.

Daikokusei and Daihakusei - Identical twin youths obsessed with the board game, who can be distinguished only by the color they prefer to play.

Ebiten - A large-eared dwarf who wields a fishing pole as his weapon.

Overview
Decades before the series began, Happosai invaded their kingdom and made off with half a precious relic, the Scroll of Luck. Eventually, he gave it to the owners of a restaurant in lieu of paying his bill there, claiming it would bring them good luck. In the present era, the descendant of that restaurant's owners, a young girl named Lychee, tracks Happosai to Nerima and angrily confronts him over the fact it has brought her nothing but bad luck. By sheer coincidence, it ends up in the hands of Akane Tendo, whereupon the Seven Lucky Gods appear to take it back - the Scoll of Luck is used in the wedding ceremonies of the kings and queens of Nekonron, and Kirin declares that as its holder, that means Akane must now marry him.

Between their abduction of Akane, and Happosai's claims that the Scroll of Luck actually contains a technique that could be used to conquer the world, a team of Happosai, Ranma Saotome, Mousse, Ryoga Hibiki, Genma Saotome, Soun Tendo and Shampoo set off to defeat them. After a series of grueling battles in which their castle atop Seven Luck Mountain is levelled, the Seven Lucky Gods concede defeat. To the disgust of the rescuers however, they reveal that the Scroll of Luck Happosai stole is actually contains the ceremonial steps and recipe that the rulers of Nekonron use to make Seven Lucky Gods Pickled Vegetables as part of the royal wedding ceremony.