The Greatest Disgrace in Marine History-Chapter 196 - 98: The Final Life-or-Death Sprint

BOOM BOOM BOOM—

Thick limbs like stone pillars pounded the earth, hurling up dust and gravel. Queen, in his enormous Brachiosaurus form, charged forward with bloodshot eyes, cigar clenched in his jaws. Twin streams of smoke jetted from his nostrils.

The heavy armor on his arms reflected the searing sunlight. From the shoulders of his mechanical limbs, rows of mounted machine guns extended, locking their sights on the darting figure weaving through the earth below.

Queen was furious.

More furious than he had ever been in his entire life.

That damned rat had dared to blow up the armory furnace, sneak into his lab, and steal the Seastone Cuffs key!

Which meant—he had seen Queen's glorious body in its full, exposed glory!!

"You're dead!! No one can save you!! Queen said so!!"

The enraged Brachiosaurus roared. The machine guns on his shoulders blazed with fire.

BANG BANG BANG BANG!!

Bullets stormed out like a monsoon, chasing Senor's form as they ripped craters in the dirt, sand flying.

Feeling the murderous aura behind him, Senor's back went cold. He dove headfirst into the ground.

RAT-TAT-TAT!!

Sand erupted in sprays.

"Where do you think you're going, little rat!?"

Queen sneered and expanded his Observation Haki. In an instant, he locked onto Senor's position beneath the earth.

CLACK—

His cybernetic components shifted. From a shadowy opening emerged a missile launcher, gleaming red under the sun.

"DIE!!"

Brachio Launcher!

The miniature missile roared into the air, breaking the sound barrier as it plunged into the ground.

BOOOOM!!

A massive explosion erupted. A towering mushroom cloud bloomed skyward.

Scorching shockwaves blasted waves of sand. Fire rolled out in surges.

In an instant, every pirate within a hundred-meter radius went deaf, staring slack-jawed at the blast site.

"Did we get him?"

"Of course! Queen-sama's missile could sink a warship!!"

"He's toast!!"

"...Wait—WHAT!?"

Queen's eyes bulged.

SHWOOO!!

From the heart of the inferno, a smoke-blackened figure burst out like a tiger leaping from a ravine, like a swordfish breaking ocean waves.

Dirt and steam trailed him as he flew.

His expensive suit was gone, destroyed in the blast. His back was a mess of burns and gore.

But his expression remained composed, as if pain meant nothing. He moved with the grace of a whale leaping into the sunlight.

His shattered sunglasses flashed with reflected fire.

Against Queen's massive frame, he looked pitifully small—but carried a fearless resolve.

Senor stretched his arms out like a professional diver. He arced midair, using the explosion's momentum to dive again into the earth.

"He deep-dived at the last second!? But your aura is flickering now. How long can you last!?"

Queen regained his focus, snarling.

He glanced toward the prison—he could clearly see Darren and Bullet breaking through, moving toward the rat.

He couldn't let that damn thief pass the key to them!

"You won't succeed!!"

The Brachiosaurus let out another roar. He raised his long neck, jaws stretching wide.

A golden light surged in his throat.

"This..."

Beneath his broken glasses, Senor's pupils shrank.

The pressure of death crashed down on him. He clenched his teeth and dove deeper into the earth.

Then—

"Black Fire Beam!!"

ROAR!!

A dark golden laser shot from Queen's throat, slamming into the ground where Senor vanished.

The earth melted like waves under hellish heat, rising in liquid folds.

Fire exploded upward, distorting the air.

A furious shockwave burst outward, flinging dozens of Beasts Pirates into the air.

When the dust cleared, a scorched crater yawned at the center.

Senor floated up from it like a lifeless corpse, blood streaming from countless wounds.

He hovered there, blood-drenched.

Beneath his broken glasses, he barely lifted his heavy eyelids.

Through blood-blurred vision, he saw Darren's form buried in a horde of pirates.

"Just... a little more..."

His trembling hand lifted, clutching the key ring.

A hundred meters... no... even less...

"Lord Darren... I'm... sorry..."

Queen burst into laughter:

"Muhahaha!!"

"Let the dashing Queen finish you off!!"

The Brachiosaurus stomped down.

BOOM!!

The ground cratered as his legs launched him into the sky.

Ten meters.

Twenty.

Thirty.

Fifty meters high!

"Bullet!! NOW!!"

Surrounded by pirates, Darren let out a blood-red roar.

He roundhouse-kicked a group aside and leapt.

Bullet grinned wildly.

"Kahahaha!! Don't die on me!!"

He grabbed Darren's leg, inhaled deep, and shifted into a throwing stance.

Queen's pupils shrank in mid-air. A dreadful realization dawned.

But it was too late.

"Stop them!! You morons!!"

The pirates froze. Too slow.

"GO!!"

Bullet stepped forward. His arm swelled like molten rock.

He hurled Darren like a cannonball.

BOOM!!

The air split as white shockwaves rippled.

Darren shot through the crowd, bulldozing pirates aside, straight toward Senor.

"DAMN IT!!!"

Queen screamed, eyes bloodshot.

"I'll kill you all!!"

The mountain-sized Brachiosaurus plummeted from the sky, headfirst.

Like a meteor.

His target—

Senor.

Everything paused.

All eyes locked on the scene.

Brachiosaurus diving like a comet.

Marine flying like a bullet.

Time slowed.

Closer!

Senor reached out, clutching the key.

Closer!!

Darren stretched his hand forward.

Even closer!

Electric gold danced around Queen as he fell.

Their faces twisted in the rushing wind.

Closer...

A fingertip away.

CLACK!

Darren caught the key.

Senor smiled and closed his eyes.

"DIE!!"

Queen roared as he crashed down—

BOOOOOOMMMMM!!

The world exploded.

The earth split. Mountains shook.

---

To be continued...