Daren was well-acquainted with the technology of Germa 66.
Back in the North Blue, he had used his own body to test the power of their military weapons.
Electric shocks, flames, heavy blows, rocket bombardments…
To ordinary people, these were devastating and deadly weapons—but for Daren, they were just a normal part of training.
Though Queen claimed to have mastered Germa 66's military tech as well, his real specialty wasn't weapons development.
He excelled in mechanical body modification and the artificial synthesis of lethal infectious viruses.
"Damn it... why aren't my attacks doing anything to you..."
Queen's head was buried in a deep crater in the ground as he gasped for breath, bloodshot eyes locked on Daren in disbelief.
"I'm the one with a Zoan-type!!"
Boom!!
As soon as the words left his mouth, Queen's brachiosaurus-like neck suddenly snapped back, pulling his massive body into a high-speed spiral charge straight at Daren and Bullet.
His enormous body whipped up a violent gust of wind.
Bullet let out a wicked grin.
"Let me handle this!!"
A fierce battle hunger lit up in his eyes as he immediately activated the power of the Gasha Gasha no Mi.
Dirt, gravel, and scraps of steel surged up from the ground like living creatures, wrapping around him and forming a massive three-meter-long arm at the stump of his missing limb.
Swish!!
Armament Haki, dark purple and cold as steel, coated the giant arm.
His golden hair thrashed in the wind as Bullet bared his teeth and roared,
"You fat bastard... I've had it with you!!"
He launched his punch.
"Fusion: Ultimate Faust!!"
Boom!!
The heavy punch, like a mortar round, landed squarely on Queen's belly.
Haki and brute force exploded together, and the round stomach under his black-and-white suspenders rippled like waves.
Bang!!
Queen's body bent like a cooked shrimp under the impact, a burst of white air erupting from his back.
His face turned pale in an instant. Blood poured from his mouth and nose as he let out a howl of agony, his body rolling wildly across the ground, kicking up thick clouds of dust.
But he couldn't be bothered with that—his pupils suddenly contracted to tiny points.
In their reflection—
A military boot wrapped in Armament Haki was already raised, crashing down toward his head!
"Damn it!! There's no way I'm losing to the two of you!!"
Queen roared, a strange red glow quickly building in his eyes.
Biubiubiu!!
Beams of red light burst forth like a downpour, exploding on impact.
Rumble rumble rumble...
Scarlet flames blazed and roared as thick black smoke surged out.
In the next instant—Daren and Bullet shot out of the smoke, landing steadily on the ground.
They blew out the lingering flames on their bodies, gently laid the heavily injured Senor behind them, and narrowed their eyes toward Queen, who was rising again within the smoke.
"What a stubborn bastard... Even with me injured and nowhere near my full strength, that little reptile still managed to get back up after taking my strongest punch."
Bullet clicked his tongue in grudging admiration. As he spoke, cracks began forming in his rock arm until large chunks peeled off, shrinking it to the size of a normal arm.
The rough, stone fingers flexed and moved—a prosthetic limb forged with the Gasha Gasha no Mi, perfectly filling the void left by his severed arm.
Daren gave him a look and said with a teasing smile,
"Can you use it? If not, I could whip up a metal arm for you."
Bullet's mouth twitched. Remembering the bitter lesson he'd learned when they first met, he snapped,
"Keep that junk for yourself. I hate metal."
He clenched the newly formed "arm," feeling the strength flowing through it, and said slowly,
"It's a bit awkward to use, but once I coat it in Haki, it should do the job."
Daren chuckled, then turned his gaze back toward Queen, who was still swaying in the smoke. His expression gradually turned cold and focused.
"That guy's a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user. His physique, defense, and regeneration are insane. He's not going down that easily."
"Finish him off and get ready to retreat, Bullet."
Bullet was silent for a moment, reluctantly tightening his fists.
"Alright."
He was a man who always settled scores. Sure, that fat guy in suspenders had given him a serious power boost, but the pain of being imprisoned and injected with viruses wasn't something Bullet could just forgive.
Still, this was the Beasts Pirates' main base. Kaidou and King could return at any moment. If they stalled too long, their escape plan would fall apart.
"Retreat!?"
Just then, Queen's hoarse voice came out from the thick smoke.
Bang!
He took a step forward, and the ground trembled beneath his massive frame.
His enormous body blasted the smoke away with a gust of air.
There stood the upright Brachiosaurus, panting, eyes bloodshot and locked on his test subjects. With rage boiling over, he let out a furious roar—
"You think you can just escape!?"
His voice boomed like a shockwave, shaking the whole island.
"You destroyed an arsenal, killed so many of our crew, turned our base into a mess… No matter what, I'm going to grind you into paste and slaughter you all!"
Queen, now in his hybrid form, suddenly dropped to all fours, crouching low like a predator ready to pounce.
Click… click...
His blood-covered mouth full of razor-sharp teeth slowly opened wide.
His metal mechanical arm unfolded abruptly, a cannon barrel emerging from the steel clamp.
The segmented metal tail swayed, then snapped into position—its tip also transforming into a cannon muzzle.
Mouth, arm, tail… all began to glow with an oppressive dark yellow light.
Dazzling light particles swirled around, and the crushing sense of destruction spreading through the air made everyone's spine go cold.
"It's that move!!"
"He's using his mechanical arms and tail too!!"
"Those three are done for!!"
"Other than Kaidou-sama, no one can stop this attack from Queen-sama!!"
"..."
From a distance, the Beasts Pirates who were lying low and watching the fight erupted in shocked cries and cheers.
But none of them noticed the strange look on the Marine's face as he stared at Queen's display.
Bullet's mouth twitched. He glanced at Daren and took two silent steps back.
"Wahahahaha!!"
"Be vaporized under the firepower of genius Queen, you fools!!"
"Escape?"
Queen burst into wild laughter, completely unhinged.
"Don't be ridiculous!!!"
"I am—"
The three streams of dark yellow energy converged to their peak.
"'The Plague' Que—eh!?"
A faint arc of blue electricity flashed through the air, and suddenly, the cannon barrels on his modified arms and tail twitched and clamped shut erratically.
Queen: ???
His face froze. The triumphant grin stiffened into a stunned expression.
BOOM!!!
In the next instant, fire engulfed him and everything within a hundred meters.
A massive explosion erupted on the spot, transforming into a towering fireball that roared into the sky!
Daren slowly lowered his finger, scratched his head a little sheepishly, and said,
"Maybe I should've let him finish?"
Bullet: "..."
The stunned pirates watching from afar: "..."
...
(70 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake