As the words fell, the sailor knife was raised high. To the disbelief of many Beast Pirates members, they were suddenly attacked by their own comrades, falling into pools of blood. The last thing they saw before collapsing, besides their comrades' fearful expressions, were the gleaming strings hanging over their heads in the firelight.
"Fufufu, you truly are dangerous," came the distinctive laugh, as Doflamingo emerged from the shadows of the ship. The Doflamingo that had been on the mast unraveled into strands of string falling to the ground. This scene, combined with the chaotic battlefield, shattered the last sliver of hope for many Beast Pirates, replacing it with spreading despair.
Could they really defeat such monsters?
Feeling the despair from all around, Brachiosaurus Queen began gathering energy again, knowing they couldn't show signs of defeat. Otherwise, the morale of the Beast Pirates would plummet, making them easy prey.
"Oh, still resisting? It seems you haven't recognized reality," said Crocodile as he turned into a massive sandstorm, enveloping Queen. Despite Queen's massive size, the Brachiosaurus couldn't break free. Bright lasers shot out of the sandstorm, vanishing into the sky amidst Queen's curses.
"Crocodile, you bastard!"
Seeing the surrounding sand, Queen's face darkened. Over time, he realized Crocodile's plan: to erode him with sand. Though modified, his Brachiosaurus body was still part machine, with gaps that the sand was filling. Even his laser-firing mouth was clogged with sand.
Queen could feel his body's water being drawn out. If not for his thick skin, he would've been a dried-out husk by now. Seeing Kaido's fierce battle with Sengoku in the distance, Queen made a decision.
"Damn it, I can't drag this out any longer. If I do, I'm done for."
Beep beep beep—
With a fierce look, Queen opened the mouth of the massive Brachiosaurus to its limit, revealing a hidden laser device. The device began emitting rapid charging sounds, and a brilliant light, as bright as the stars, appeared in Queen's mouth.
The immense energy reaction caused even Doflamingo outside the sandstorm to frown, clearly sensing that such an attack could be life-threatening.
Almost instantly, sensing the danger, Doflamingo extended threads from his hands, attaching them to the mast of a nearby ship. Inside the sandstorm, seeing Queen's charged attack, Crocodile heightened his alertness.
However, contrary to Crocodile's expectations, Queen didn't aim his attack at the surrounding sandstorm but directly at his own feet. With the laser's release, the deck below was instantly pierced. Under Queen's mocking gaze, flames surged up from beneath, causing the deck to distort violently as if a prehistoric beast was emerging.
Boom!
Accompanied by terrifying flames, the entire ship exploded, scattering the sandstorm with the force of the blast.
"Fufufufu, that was some terrifying power! Did that crocodile really kick the bucket?" Doflamingo remarked with wicked amusement, watching the massive mushroom cloud on the sea from a nearby ship. Clearly, if he hadn't moved in time, he wouldn't have fared well in such an explosion.
"Oh, do you want me to kill you first?" A cold voice sounded, and a golden hook appeared on Doflamingo's shoulder.
"Fufufu, it seems you're not too badly injured," Doflamingo replied, retracting the threads wrapped around the golden hook. As Doflamingo and Crocodile spoke, a stout, sunglasses-wearing figure continued to sink into the deep sea.
Clack clack!~
With mechanical sounds, a propeller extended from Queen's rear, while shark fin-like devices emerged from his arm joints and back. The propeller activated, propelling Queen rapidly in a specific direction.
Even though Devil Fruit abilities are limited in the sea, mechanical power is unaffected. This was why Queen chose to attack the ship beneath him.
Boss Kaido, hang in there, I'm out of here!
…
"Is Queen done for?" King glanced at the distant explosion, retracting his sight. Sensing no sign of Queen in his observation, King knew their chances of victory were diminishing as their forces dwindled.
As part of the disadvantaged side, King was well aware of this fact. He refused to imagine Kaido's defeat, instead focusing all his thoughts on the upcoming battle with Mihawk. At this moment, his only aim was to fight with all his might to better aid Kaido.
…
Borsalino and Issho hovered in the air, emitting an aura that could suffocate most pirates.
"Hmm~~" Kizaru looked at the Germa 66 troops and the figure standing on the high wall before them, speaking with a headache, "What a troublesome task..."
"Marines…!" Judge, the Supreme Commander of Germa 66, looked at Borsalino and Issho with a solemn expression. The mere presence of Admiral Issho, with his notorious reputation in the North Blue, was enough to make Judge highly vigilant, not to mention the presence of Admiral Borsalino.
For Judge, one thing was clear: both Borsalino and Issho had the power to annihilate Germa 66.
"Admirals, Germa 66 is a legitimate member nation of the World Government. May I ask what brings you here?"
While being a member of the World Government meant little to pirates, it still held some significance to the Marines. However, Borsalino and Issho's presence indicated that this affiliation wouldn't provide much protection.