In a world built on the "idealistic" systems of Devil Fruits and Haki, there is a clear ceiling to the power of science and technology.
At least, that's what Daren had come to understand.
Even the most powerful laser cannons were essentially a byproduct of Devil Fruit research—specifically modeled after Borsalino's Pika Pika no Mi.
That was the extent of physical weaponry.
On the biological side, the pirate world focused more on lineage factor research, gene replication, and synthetic viruses.
Queen might look like a bumbling fat man, but in truth, he was one of the top weapon scientists in the world.
"If all else fails... I might have to go find Vegapunk."
The thought flashed through Daren's mind.
But meeting Vegapunk wasn't exactly a casual affair.
For one, the World Government had him under tight control, almost certainly surrounded by elite defenses.
On top of that, Stussy had repeatedly warned him to tread carefully when asking about Vegapunk—which only confirmed how dangerous the situation around the scientist still was.
"You're trying to get stronger through tech?"
Queen had overheard Daren's muttering and looked genuinely surprised.
Daren pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I'm not interested in external tech like weapons. I just want to use science to push the limits of my body."
"—And your method is... injecting viruses into yourself?"
Queen's eyes bulged. He looked at Daren like he'd just witnessed a ghost.
What the hell was this lunatic even thinking?
"Past experience proves it works, doesn't it?"
Daren spoke flatly.
Queen: "..."
He really wanted to scream that it didn't work at all.
He'd done the experiments himself—
Over a thousand human test subjects, virus concentrations from low to high—
And not a single one had survived the effects of the Ice Oni Virus.
The damage it inflicted on the immune system was far beyond what any human body could handle.
Combine that with its terrifying replication speed, and it could reach lethal concentration in no time.
But then again... looking at the man in front of him, who had guzzled down boxes of the stuff without so much as a twitch—
Queen opened his mouth but couldn't form a single word in response.
"I said, aren't you leaving yet?"
The suspenders-clad fat man suddenly let out a sigh, pulled out a cigar from his pocket, lit it, and spoke with a deflated tone.
As one of the Beasts Pirates' top officers, an All-Star known as "The Plague," Queen's infamy shook the seas.
Even against a Marine Admiral or a major New World pirate, Queen had never felt fear.
With his Ancient Zoan Brachiosaurus form, his strength and recovery were top-notch. Even if he was outmatched, he could still put up a decent fight.
And if push came to shove, he had biotech weapons and bizarre viruses as trump cards—always enough to claw back some advantage.
But against Daren?
He had nothing.
Physique? Ancient Zoans meant nothing compared to the "Indestructible Body."
Strength? Daren could tear dinosaurs in half and flatten giants.
Laser weapons? He had a whole North Blue fleet full of them.
And as for viruses...
Queen sulked, his round face full of defeat.
"It's time to go."
Daren smiled, pulled a business card from his pocket, and placed it on the lab table.
"This is my personal Den Den Mushi number. If you make any breakthroughs in biotech, give me a call anytime."
...Contact information?
Queen was speechless.
What was this guy thinking...?
He's actually keeping tabs on me!?
"Enough!"
The fat man in suspenders suddenly slammed the lab table in a fit of rage. His face flushed red, teeth clenched.
"If you want to kill me, just do it already! There's no need to humiliate me like this!"
Before the words even finished leaving his mouth, his body swelled rapidly, growing into a massive Brachiosaurus in the blink of an eye, towering like a small mountain.
"I still have my dignity!"
"Brachio Bomber!"
The Brachiosaurus reared its head back—then, with an explosive burst from its thick neck, the entire head, wreathed in Armament Haki, came crashing down like a mountain!
"You're pretty fired up. Alright, let's warm up a little."
Daren grinned, and in that instant, his eyes locked in, and he charged forward without the slightest hesitation!
BOOM!!
It was like two meteors colliding.
A monstrous shockwave erupted outward, ripping through the air and flattening everything in its path.
Dozens of pirates who couldn't escape in time were blown away like rag dolls. The lab—spanning over two thousand square meters—collapsed in an instant!
Clouds of dust surged into the sky.
Walls crumbled into rubble, and shattered debris whirled violently within the storm.
"Ahh—owww!"
The Brachiosaurus shrieked in pain, stumbling backward, its huge limbs thudding against the floor. A massive, steaming lump had already formed on its forehead.
"I don't believe this!"
Queen's eyes were bloodshot with fury.
He stared at the black-haired figure, still standing there as calm as a rock, pulling out a cigar like nothing had happened.
"Die!!"
The Brachiosaurus suddenly flung open its jaws.
At the same time, its thick tail extended and unfolded into a mechanical cannon.
Orange-red light gathered wildly in both its mouth and tail, and in just a single breath, it fired toward Daren!
"Black Coffee Beam!"
A scorching laser cannon pierced into the ground, engulfing Daren in an instant.
For one moment—
The world held its breath.
And then—
BOOM!!
A monstrous explosion lit up the sky. A massive pillar of fire roared into the heavens.
Blazing flames devoured everything in a hundred-meter radius.
Orange-red bursts of energy rippled outward, black smoke billowing in thick waves.
"D-Did we get him?"
"Queen went all out!"
"That was terrifying…"
"Even with an Indestructible Body, there's no way he could take something like that head-on, right?"
The pirates, blown far away by the blast, lay sprawled on the ground, hearts pounding, eyes wide in awe and fear.
But then—
They witnessed something that would forever be burned into their memories.
At the very heart of the explosion, right where the fire had been the fiercest—
The flames… snuffed out.
Through the warping black smoke, a towering figure began to emerge.
A pair of gleaming, black military boots stepped out from the haze. The surrounding flames retreated as if parting for him.
The arrogant black-haired youth was cloaked in deep-black Haki, his entire body radiating a crushing, oppressive force—
Like a wrathful god descending upon the earth.
The cigarette in his mouth?
Ignited by the explosion itself.
"Huff..."
He slowly exhaled a long stream of smoke like a dragon's breath.
Then his gaze fell on the fat man in suspenders, now deathly pale.
He grinned.
"So... are you ready?"
BOOM!!
A horrifying aura exploded from his body, blanketing the area like a tidal wave.
Countless streaks of black and red lightning crackled in the air, distorting space itself, blinding everyone's vision.
Queen's breath hitched in his throat.
Under the crushing weight of that man's Haki, he felt a suffocating pressure slam into his chest—like death itself was reaching for him.
It's over...
This guy...
He's really going to kill me.
I have to do something!
Anything!!
Queen gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with desperate resolve. His fists clenched tight.
And then—
Under the stunned gazes of his near-unconscious subordinates—
His voice suddenly rose into a shrill, ear-splitting scream that echoed through the heavens:
"Kaidou-sama! Save me!!"
...
For more chapters, feel free to follow me on P@treon.
(100 Chapters Ahead)
[email protected]/PinkSnake