The Rangers ran into the centre of Savannah Coty to see Berserker, Techno-Wizard and King Card smashing up the city at giant size. "More of Mantack's giant clones?", Tora asked.

"I can't think of any other explanation.", Trunks answered her. "But where did he get them from? He hasn't read our minds today."

"Maybe he has some kind of memory storage in that hand of his.", Lenny suggested.

"Regardless, we still need to put a stop to these three.", Marina interjected. "Johnny, Luke, if you'd give the words."

Johnny nodded, as everyone took their Morphers out. "Given. It's Morphin Time!"

In a flash, everyone was morphed and pulled out their Zords. "Cubezords, enlarge!"

"Cyber Cubezords, roll out!"

In a few seconds the 9 had combined into three Megazords. "Beast Force Megazord, ready!"

"Jungle Megazord, ready!"

"Hunter Megazord, ready!"

The three monsters beheld the newcomers. "It seems our guests of honour have arrived at last.", Techno-Wizard stated.

The 3 Megazords' controllers - Johnny, Trunks and Luke - then summoned smaller Cubezords and equipped them. "Giraffezooka!"

"Mole Drill Blaster! Bear Axe!"

"Bat Blade!"

"Talk about armed to the teeth.", Berserker commented as the three revived monsters each chose a Megazord to begin battling.

"Let's get this over with quickly.", Johnny suggested. "With three monsters out, who knows how much damage the city could incur."

"Good idea.", Luke nodded.

The Beast Force Megazord swung the Giraffezooka at King Card, failing to hit him. "I say.", the evil monarch said with dismay, before he took a punch to the chest.

"Giraffe Barrage!" At the command of Johnny, Marina and Lenny, the Beast Force fired the Giraffezooka, knocking King Card back into a skyscraper.

Nearby, the Jungle Megazord was fighting Berserker. "If Marina and Lenny can take this guy together, then so can we.", Tora pointed out."

"Right.", Trunks said as he hit Berserker straight in the chest to knock him back. "Double Strike!" The Jungle Megazord then unleashed both its weapons to knock Berserker into King Card.

Finally, the Hunter was swinging the Bat Blade into Techno-Wizard, before punching him. "Time for the Bat Splitter.", Luke declared as he set his wheel spinning, with the projectile attack sending Techno-Wizard into the dogpile. Luke then took out his Hunter Morpher and pressed it three times, before revolving the faces. "Predator Megazord, Super Formation!"

"Zords, combine!" At the command of all the Rangers, the three Megazords united as one. "Predator Megazord, ready!"

"Oh dear.", the three monsters commented as Techno-Wizard set off running towards the Predator as it readied its blade.

"Predator/Prey Extinction!" As Johnny and Luke assembled the control weapon appropriately before firing, the Predator Megazord unleashed its stab attack to finish off King Card, Berserker and Techno-Wizard, all of whom disintegrated into clone matter. "Top of the food chain."

From the sidelines, Mantack had observed all of this. "Now they know I'm back in town.", he commented. "That's phase one of the Whale recovery plan." He then turned around and left.

Up on the Arrowhead, Archris and Ignoblia were observing footage of the battle. "The fact that these monsters have returned indicates only one thing.", the former noted. "Mantack is back."

"And that they appeared at all without a battle indicates something else.", Ignoblia added. "He obviously had help. And from one of us Hunters."

"Yes.", Archris nodded. "But from whom?"

Keldor rendered the security guard at the door of a television centre unconscious by placing his hand against the man's mouth. Metal Alice then caught the guard mid-fall and laid him down. "I'm not sure why we're following your plan on this.", Keldor whispered.

"Because it was the deal we made for allowing you to use any technology of ours you wanted.", Metal Alice answered him. "And my keen tactical mind will ensure that there are few telltale signs that we were here once we depart."

"If you say so.", Keldor sighed, as he took out a teleport relay. "We just need to dispose of the studio crew and then use this to let Mantack in. Then we can prepare phase 2." The pair of villains then entered the building.

Meanwhile, the Rangers returned to the zoo house, finding Jeremy exhausted. "Thank god you're back.", he wheezed.

"What is it?", Tora asked. "Did something happen?"

"It's the Whale Zord.", Jeremy explained. "It's been going crazy since that monster attack. I've no idea why."

"Maybe I can figure it out." Marina spoke up as she ran into the room, where the Whale was banging against the glass of its tank. She ran over to and touched her hand against the glass. "I'm feeling… some kind of rage." The Whale then stopped, allowing Marina to more accurately convey its thoughts. "It senses Mantack has returned… and that he will try to take it for himself."

"We've been able to fend off Mantack's clones easily enough.", Johnny pointed out. "But the few times I've faced him, he's been a lot tougher. It might need something stronger than the Predator Megazord to defeat him."

"I've been experimenting with that.", Jeremy assured him, before walking over to a workbench where he had crafted a scale replica of the Whale Zord. "I've been using models to try and simulate it, but most of the smaller ones end up breaking."

"The Whale's thought about combining with the others as well.", Marina relayed. "But the energy of 'the knockoff'"…" the Rhino Zord leapt out and angrily revved. "His words, not mine. The energy is something he's not familiar with. He needs to intake a sample of that energy so he can figure out a full combination."

Before the conversation could continue, the nearby TV turned itself on, with Mantack's face filling the screen. "Power Rangers. It's time we settle our feud over the Whale Cubezord once and for all. Bring it to the plaza in one hour, and I'll leave this planet peacefully. But if you try anything, then I'll destroy the planet myself. I hope you're listening." The broadcast then resumed news coverage.

The Rangers spent a grand total of 5 seconds before coming to a decision. "We can't just give that guy the Whale Zord.", Johnny pointed out. "We made a promise with it not to do that, for one."

"Agreed.", Trunks nodded as he walked to the whale replica on the bench. "Which is why we"re going to take this into battle, while the real Whale Zord stays safe here."

"But it won't last long as a diversion.", Lenny pointed out. "Mantack'll just read our minds, learn the whole thing is a fake and then use his Anima Arm to summon a particularly tough monster we've already beat."

"But he can only do that if he can touch our brains.", Tora pointed out. "And wasn't there some funny hat club going on in… Brazil?"

"That would be Carnaval.", Luke pointed out, before having a realisation. "And I think we know someone who could loan us a few."

And soon enough, the 6 Rangers went to Stevie's house, borrowing Carnaval costume hats that matched their animal themes. "Can you tell me what the plan that requires borrowing these 600 dollar costume pieces is?", she asked as the Rangers tried on the hats for size.

"It's simple.", Johnny answered her. "The main 5 go into battle with Mantack, wearing these hats and using the model of the Whale Zord and some ventriloquism to lead him on a wild goose game of keep away. And then, when it gets into the hands of everyone at some point, the last person grabs it and leads the others in running to the outskirts of town…"

"Where I'll be waiting.", Luke took over. "Once Mantack's far enough out of town, then I'll be there to ambush him. And while he's disoriented from the surprise attack, we'll destroy him for good."

"And without Archris's backing, Ignoblia won't show up to make him grow.", Trunks pointed out. "All in all, we're in for an easy one today."

And so, while Luke moved to get into position, the original 5 Rangers moved to meet Mantack in the plaza. Johnny took note of the fact the latter now had a prominent scar down his chest from their last encounter, but didn't say anything. A riled up enemy was much worse than a regular one to defeat. "Oh, so you actually showed up.", Mantack commented. "With the Whale. Though without one of your little friends."

"We aren't joined at the hip.", Johnny assured him. "But one thing we didn't forget was to dress for the occasion."

Everyone took out their Wild Morphers and dialled their numbers. "Primal Spirits, Awaken!" After completing the Morph, they then proceeded to place the animal hats on their head.

Mantack couldn't help but burst out laughing at the sight. "What are you trying to do? Make me laugh to death?"

"Oh these aren't just stylishly laughable.", Johnny assured him. "But why tell you when we can show you?"

And so, a fight ensued. Johnny swung his Chain Saber at Mantack, but the latter merely knocked him aside before using his own sword to knock Lenny down, before engaging with the other Animen. "Look, just give me the Whale and I'll leave you guys alone.", Mantack suggested. "That seems fair, doesn't it?"

But then Johnny came in and used his own Primal Saber to resume the fight. "We've already told you, we're not giving you the Whale, no matter what." He then tried kicking Mantack head on, but the alien used his hook to deflect the king, throwing Johnny back a few feet.

Johnny then recovered and ran over to the dummy Whale Zord, picking it up. "Oh no!", he announced. "I forgot we'd brought you along."

The other Rangers hen stopped fighting to join in the overacting. "This was not our most strategically sound move.", Tora declared.

"You need to get to safety!", Trunks said with nothing resembling conviction.

"It's so sad we are about to lose.", Lenny enunciated for the whole world to hear.

"What are you… doing?", Mantack asked, confused at the site.

"Right, we have a bad guy to fight over this.", Marina pointed out with her Primal Saber. Compared to her compatriots, she was going for the Oscars.

"Okay then.", Johnny nodded as he brought the Whale model closer to him as everyone pointed their Primal Sabers outward. "Let us flee!" The 5 then turned and ran.

Mantack merely laughed. "It's funny those fools acted their hearts out with a wooden fake.", he commented. "But still, that doesn't mean I shouldn't indulge them." He then fired lasers from his chest at the nearby ceiling, causing it to collapse inward.

Johnny narrowly rolled out of the way with the Whale model. "That was close.", he noted before he resumed sword-fighting wih Mantack, eventually flipping onto his back to counter. "Trunks, if you'd please."

"Right.", Trunks nodded as he grabbed onto the Whale, continuing to dodge. "Marina, go long."

Marina caught the Whale model next, rolling out of the way of Mantack's blast. "Take it, Lenny."

She then threw it to her leonine acquaintance. "Can't let Mantack get this." He blocked the bounty hunter with his leg.

"I'll take this.", Tora called out as she grabbed onto the model, punching Mantack on his side, before throwing the model back to Johnny. She and Lenny then elbowed Mantack back, before everyone ran off.

"You can't escape.", Mantack declared as he gave chase.

Out in the wilderness, Luke had assumed his Super Primal Mode and donned the rhino hat. "They're taking a long time.", he noted. "I hope nothing happened to them." He then reassumed his battle stance.

Meanwhile, the Rangers had led Mantack to under the same bridge where he had first fought Johnny. The bounty hunter knocked the two girls aside, before swinging his hook at Trunks, who held him off while Johnny passed the Whale to Lenny.

"Enough fooling around!", Mantack growled before he raised his sword, sending lightning everywhere to hit all of the Rangers at once. The Whale model was likewise thrown out of Lenny's hand, landing nearby. "Now I'll prepare to claim the Whale."

"No ya don't!", Trunks stated as he shot at Mantack with his Primal Blaster, a shot the alien deflected with his hook. Lenny was then knocked down after one ineffectual hit, before Marina and Tora moved to hold Mantack in place.

With this confusion, Johnny reclaimed the model. "We're not gonna let you take this.", he stated to Mantack, before running off.

"Why that-!" Mantack then knocked Trunks and Marina aside, before continuing to fight the others. "Guess I'll have to face you freaks for now." After a brief skirmish, he knocked all 4 Animen back before bombarding them with his blast attack. "Now then, no more distractions." He turned and followed the path Johnny had set off along.

"We can't let him end the ruse.", Marina wheezed as she led the 4 in following him.

Back with Luke, he saw Johnny running towards him. "Bro!", he called out.

But then he ran past Luke. "What happened back there?", he asked. "Where are Mantack, the others and the fake Whale?"

"I don't know.", "Johnny" said as he stood behind Luke with his Chain Saber extended. "And frankly, I don't care." He prodded Luke in the shoulder with the blunt end of the sword.

"What was that about?", Luke asked as he checked his injured shoulder.

"Johnny", then began swinging his Chain Saber at Luke. "I'm not the real Johnny.", he hissed. "Merely a superior copy."

"So Mantack made you, right?", Luke realised. "But how'd he get access to our memories?"

The clone continued to swing his sword. "Who said anything about my coming from your memories?" He soon delivered a series of slashes that knocked Luke down.

Nearby, Marina's party leapt through the rocks, eventually coming face to face with Luke. "Weren't you supposed to be further out?", Tora asked.

"Oh no.", "Luke" laughed. "I'm exactly where I need to be."

"No, you were positioned further out.", Lenny admonished him, stepping forward. "And where's your hat?"

"Fool!", the Luke clone then scratched him down, before turning his Alligator Arm on Tora and Marina. "I said I was in the right position to destroy you." He then knocked Trunks down with both arms.

"He's a clone.", Trunks realised as "Luke" stood menacingly over them.

"Well done.", the clone stated as he began thrashing wildly. "Final Hunt!"

But Lenny and Tora soon stopped him. "He's acting like he did when we first met him.", Tora pointed out.

"You think they brainwashed him again?", Lenny asked.

"I prefer the clone theory.", Marina answered him. "They probably didn't have time for brainwashing him again."

The clone then broke free and used his Final Hunt to knock everyone down again.

Meanwhile, Johnny had made it all the way out to a field. "I'm sure Luke was supposed to be here.", he commented to no-one in particular. "Where is he?"

"I took care of him.", Mantack answered as he caught up. "As I'll are care of you and that fake Whale of yours."

Johnny took his Primal Saber out. "When did you know?"

"Since the start.", Mantack answered. "I guessed that you'd create some kind of decoy rather than sacrifice the real Whale Zord. Your bad acting simply sealed it for us."

As if on cue, the other 4 Rangers emerged from behind a corner, catching Johnny off guard. "Where are your hats?"

All 4 then took out their Primal Blasters and fired. "Primal Blast!" The shots whizzed towards their target - Johnny, knocking him into his knees. The 4 then converted their weapons into Sabers and ran forward to attack again. Johnny was quickly overwhelmed into dropping the model, which had the cannons break off from the force.

"How'd you turn them against me, Mantack?", Johnny asked as he used his Saber to defend against theirs. But the stalemate was broken, with "Lenny" grasping him by the throat.

"You seem to have forgotten about my unique ability.", Mantack mocked him, before crushing the model Whale into small pieces. "These aren't your friends. They're just as indisposed as you and your brother are. And for the same reason."

"Clones.", Johnny realised. He quickly knocked Clone!Lenny and Clone!Marina aside, only to be captured by Clone!Trunks and Clone!Tora. "But how? You never read our minds." The two clowns then knocked him down.

Meanwhile, Clone!Johnny was continuing to beat up Luke, who was struggling to fight back. "What's the matter? Don't want to hurt your brother?", the clone asked.

"No!", Luke declared before knocking the clone down long enough to gain a stalemate. "I was just letting your guard lower so I could fight back." But the stalemate didn't last, with Clone!Johnny kicking him back.

Clone!Luke was similarly dominating the 4 Animen. "Why'd he have to be cloned in Super Primal Mode?", Tora asked as she and Lenny were knocked back.

"Presumably to make him more annoying to beat.", Marina answered as she grabbed onto the clone's Alligator Arm. "Which gives me an idea of who these were created from."

"You should know, I had some help with making these guys so authentic.", Mantack said as the Clone!Animen continued to beat down Johnny.

"Namely, me.", Keldor said as he revealed himself.

"You're working with Archris again?", Johnny asked, confused.

"Nothing so crude.", Keldor answered him. "You refused to take up my offer of an alliance to defeat Archris, so I made another one with him." Mantack then touched his helmet with his Anima Arm, creating an exact duplicate of Johnny, who was dressed in a black suit with a red tie. "And the best news is, all I need to provide is the weapons." He then took out a Wild Morpher, which he handed to the clone.

The second Clone!Johnny then opened the Morpher, dialled "6" and then completed the animal face. "Primal Spirits, Awaken!" In a puff of smoke, he was transformed into the Gorilla Ranger.

The first Clone!Johnny had meanwhile succeeded in knocking the rhino hat off Luke's head. "Time to finish things, 'Bro'." He hen initiated a slash attack.

The 4 Animen had likewise been relieved of their additional headwear by Clone!Luke. "I guess Keldor also explains where those revived monsters came from.", Trunks concluded.

"You should've taken his offer.", Clone!Luke mocked them. "While you were alive to consider it, of course." He then charged in to continue fighting, knocking the two boys down, before grappling briefly with Tora and Marina.

Back with Johnny, the Clone!Rangers proceeded to do a warped parody of the usual intros. "Dark Fury Red Ranger!"

"Dark Fury Blue Ranger!"

"Dark Fury Yellow Ranger!"

"Dark Fury Green Ranger!"

"Dark Fury White Ranger!"

"Power Rangers Dark Fury!"

Johnny was confused. "Wait a minute. I thought that the Morphin' Grid couldn't sustain a copy of powers that someone else had. That it would cause both wielders to weaken until they died."

"That's true.", Keldor nodded. "Which is why these guys draw their powers from the Anti-Grid.", Johnny was shocked by this. "After your little talk with the Primal Force revealed it existed, I looked into the Anti-Grid, managing to discover how to tap into its energies. And then using both the data we made on your Morphers and the early prototypes for the Chimera Morpher, I was able to create these beauties."

"And by mixing some energy from Lord Zedd's Revilifier with the Anima particles in my arm, I can make these clones turn out evil.", Mantack added. "Et voila. The perfect Evil Ranger Army."

"Is that so?", Johnny asked as he placed his fist against his neck. "Well then, bring it on." He removed his hat, setting it on the floor.

"You think you can take on my whole team?", Mantack asked. "Whatever. Rangers, attack!"

The copies ran in, with Johnny locking swords with Clone!Marina and Clone!Lenny, before ducking to launch a kick towards Clone!Trunks and Clone!Tora, before being knocked back into a fight with the latter by a punch from his own doppelgänger. "You forget, I know all their moves.", Johnny pointed out as he continued the fight.

Nearby, Luke was still fighting the other Clone!Johnny, managing to trap his Chain Saber beneath his arms. "Now I've got you where I want you." He then knocked the clone back.

Elsewhere, the 4 Animen were grappling with Clone!Luke, who kicked Lenny against a rock face, with Lenny running up to him. "Do we go back to Plan A from when we first fought Chimera?", she asked.

"You know it.", Lenny nodded.

"And this time, there's no holding back.", Marina added. "Primal Mode, Unleash!"

Everyone assumed their powered up forms, before going all out against Clone!Luke with their attacks. "Too much power… to counter.", he hissed.

"And the bad news keeps on coming.", Trunks informed him.

Meanwhile, Johnny continued facing the Dark Fury Rangers, avoiding all of heir blows and managing to catch his Primal Saber in Clone!Tora's body, as Clone!Marina came running. "Right on cue." He knocked her back, before delivering a slash that finished Clone!Tora.

"I am a loser… and you're gonna hear me roar!", Clone!Tora stated as she disintegrated into clone matter.

"Hey!", Clone!Lenny growled as he tackled Johnny to the ground. "How dare you do that to her!"

"Oh, like you have a high ground.", Johnny retorted. He then kicked Clone!Marina away again, before delivering a slash that finished off the evil Lion Ranger.

And meanwhile, the real Lenny and Tora led the others in unleashing their Primal Mode attacks on Clone!Luke. "Lion-tning Slash!"

"Freezing Slicer!"

Clone!Luke barely had time tor cover from these attacks, before Marina and Trunks came in for the kill. "Tidal Impact!"

"Rock Quaker!"

Clone!Luke was weakened by Trunks' attack, before Marina's came in to finish him off. "It's a jungle out here.", he commented in a daze before disintegrating.

"Top of the food chain.", all 4 commented as they stood triumphant.

And back with Luke, he unleashed his own attack against Clone!Johnny. "Darkness Charge!"

The collision sent Clone!Johnny flying into the air. "Looks like there's a little of us left in you.", he commented before exploding.

Johnny on the other hand was caught between Clone!Marina and Clone!Trunks in a sword fight. "Let's see how your friends will like it when we terminate you like you did to ours.", the latter stated sadistically.

"Thanks but no thanks.", Johnny said as he used Clone!Marina as a shield to finish off Clone!Trunks. "That just leaves you." He then immediately took care of Clone!Marina in a second strike.

"You forgot about me.", the other Clone!Johnny growled as he leapt forward to tackle his original to the ground. He then brutally beat down the real Johnny.

"It's true what the say.", Mantack commented. "Humans are inherently self-destructive. They just lack bodies to act upon it."

"Time for me to go all out.", Johnny stated. "Primal Mode, Unelash!" He generated his wings, before leaping into the air and striking his evil copy several times. "Spinning-!"

"Oh no you don't.", Clone!Johnny stated as he grabbed his lookalike by the foot and slammed him into the ground. He then threw his foe into a cliff, before using his Chain Saber to swing up and hit Real!Johnny when he tried flying away.

Johnny thus fell to the floor defeated, allowing Mantack to grab onto him. "It's time I got some payback for scarring me." He then unleashed a flurry of blasts right at Johnny, forcing him to de-morph. "I win this time."

Clone!Johnny then moved in to finish the prone original. "No!", Keldor insisted. "He's far more valuable to us alive than dead."

"Speak for yourself.", Clone!Johnny hissed. "I owe him for my comrades' lives."

"Perhaps.", Mantack said in response. "But perhaps, the Rangers can owe us a Whale Zord in exchange for the life of their friend. Then you can kill all of his comrades in return."

Clone!Johnny thought on this, as he returned to normal. "That is… acceptable. When do we make the trade?"

"After we've roughed him up a bit.", Keldor answered as he grabbed onto the unconscious Johnny, and the 4 villains teleported out, ready to continue their vile scheme.