Fowl Play

 is the 98th chapter of the manga and the fourth chapter of the Mousse Returns Arc.

Ranma takes Duck-Akane back home to get some warm water and apologize, but he runs right past the real Akane who had only gotten hit with normal water. Mousse explains that he would not gain anything from turning her into a duck, and then loses the last of his spring water. Akane heads home while Soun is holding a wedding ceremony for Ranma and the duck.

Continuing from the Previous Chapter
Ranma stares at the duck which he believes to be Akane. He quickly decides that this is all his fault, so takes the duck and rushes back to the Tendo Dojo with the duck. As Ranma runs out of the circus tent, he kicks some objects, but doesn't think anything of it and continues his return home. However, after Ranma leaves, Akane emerges from underneath the object Ranma kicked.

Shampoo and Mousse then arrive, and Shampoo asks if Akane was just hit with normal water. Mousse confirms Shampoo's suspicions and explains that turning Akane into a duck would be unprofitable. He continues by exclaiming that Ranma is his target, and with the last of his Yazunīchuan... But before Mousse can finish, Akane kicks the bucket containing the Yazunīchuan out of his hand and it spills over Mousse. As Mousse quacks furiously at Akane, Shampoo notes that Mousse is now out of Yazunīchuan.

Meanwhile, Ranma has returned to the Tendo Dojo and is about to put Akane in a bath of hot water. Ranma then tells "Akane" that he'll make sure nobody ever finds out about this, he then closes his eyes and prepares to place "Akane" into the bath. However, Soun suddenly emerges from the water, wearing a snorkel, and asks Ranma what he was saying about Akane. Ranma tries to bluff his way out of an explanation, but Soun isn't having it.

Just then Kasumi and Nabiki enter and look at the duck as it swims in the bath. Ranma notices that "Akane" isn't turning back and attempts to pour more hot water over her, but she remains a duck. Ranma the accidentally shouts out "Akane!" to the duck, resulting him having to explain what happened to the Tendos. While Ranma is preoccupied with the concern of "Akane" not turning back, Soun tells Ranma not to worry as he'll just have to do the honourable thing... get married!

Akane Returns Home
Back at the fairground, Mousse and turned back into his human form and declares that even without his Yazunīchuan water he can still defeat Ranma. As Mousse begins to prepare a trap for Ranma, Shampoo notes how Mousse has resorted to using dirty tricks again. Mousse hears this and tells Shampoo he does no such thing, but Shampoo sabotages Mousse's trap, which leaves him trapped underneath a boulder. Shampoo then tells Mousse to put his tail between his legs and return to China.

As Shampoo bids Mousse farewell, Mousse decides that that's fine and asks who'd want a woman of ice like her anyway. At that moment, Shampoo kicks Mousse, causing Mousse to plea that he was only making a joke. Akane then looks on as Mousse sobs. She eventually pipes up and calls him pathetic, a statement which Mousse is against. Akane then tells Mousse she'll help him because she feels sorry for him, she then tells Mousse to fight Ranma again and this time he might be able to win!...

Meanwhile, at the Tendo Dojo again, Ranma is about to get married to the duck which he believes to be Akane. As Soun tells Ranma to take good care of his daughter, Nabiki asks Kasumi if it's really just a normal duck which Ranma's marrying. Soun then tries to get "Akane" to drink the wedding toast, but she refuses and as Soun attempts to force the duck to drink the toast, Nabiki informs her father that ducks don't drink.

Ranma then grabs "Akane" and, as the duck furious pecks at Ranma, tells her that she should be grateful as a homely chick like her should grab any chance she gets! At that moment, the real Akane returns and hits Ranma with a table for his comment. She then turns to her sisters and asks what all this is about. As Kasumi welcomes her home, Nabiki adds that if Akane had arrived a little later things would've gotten really interesting...

Some time later, Ranma and Akane head to the Cat Café, where Akane explains about her getting a challenge letter from Mousse for a rematch against Ranma. Shampoo immediately decides that Ranma will win, but Akane asks her what she'd do if Mousse won, to which Shampoo says she would date Mousse. At that moment, Mousse appears on a bicycle and tells Shampoo her heard what she just said. As Mousse cycles away, he tells Shampoo to wait as he'll defeat Ranma in front of her eyes for sure.

After Mousse departs, Ranma (angered since Mousse made him ruin his Ramen) calls Mousse an idiot. Before Ranma can continue his rant, however, Akane whispers into his ear to lose on purpose. She continues by telling Ranma that if he loses he'll be rid of Shampoo, but Ranma isn't convinced as he'd rather be stuck with Shampoo that lose a fight on purpose. Akane then proceeds to throw some cold water over Shampoo and asks Ranma if he's sure about that as Ranma runs in panicked circles while Shampoo (in her cat form) clings onto him.

The Fight Begins
The next day, the group meet up and Akane reminds Ranma to lose the fight on purpose, but make it look convincing. Shampoo, meanwhile, suspects Akane is up to something and won't let Ranma lose. She then passes Mousse a pole with a duck on the end. When Mousse asks what it is, Shampoo explains that it's a special weapon just for him. With this weapon made especially made for him by Shampoo, Mousse declares that he's invincible.

Shampoo wishes Mousse good luck and Mousse begins to charge towards Ranma. Ranma does the same to Mousse, with Akane reminding him to make it look good, although Ranma doesn't think anything could make this look good. Shampoo, meanwhile, darkly thinks to herself that Ranma will win for sure now...

Cast in Order of Appearance

 * Ranma Saotome (male)
 * Akane Tendo
 * Shampoo (human)
 * Mousse (human)
 * Mousse (duck)
 * Soun Tendo
 * Kasumi Tendo
 * Nabiki Tendo
 * Genma Saotome (panda)
 * Shampoo (cat)

Trivia

 * The English title for this chapter is a fairly obvious pun on the term "Foul play".