BOOM——!
A deafening explosion echoed across the ice plain. The violent energy shockwave blasted a crater dozens of meters wide into the hard ice surface. Countless sharp ice crystal fragments flew in all directions like a rainstorm, refracting a blinding glare in the sunlight.
Within the swirling ice fog, two figures faced each other from a distance.
Queen was breathing slightly heavily, all ten eyes on his five heads locked onto Sack in the distance. He noticed the unnatural crimson flush now coloring the other man's previously healthy complexion and couldn't help but let out his signature cackle. "Mmmhahaha! Not bad for a great pirate with a bounty over six hundred million! That strength of yours does live up to your name."
Sack was also panting hard, his chest heaving violently, sweat dripping down his cheeks. "Hah... You're not so bad either. Not many guys within the Golden Lion Pirates can fight me to this extent." He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles white from the strain.
A glint flashed in Queen's eyes as he abruptly changed tack. "Mmmhahaha, what a shame!"
"Hmm?" Sack frowned, eyeing him warily.
"If you didn't bear the mark of the Golden Lion Pirates, I'd seriously consider recruiting you for the Beasts Pirates," Queen said, swaying his five heads, a note of genuine regret in his tone. "What a pity. If 'Golden Lion' Shiki found out his right-hand man had defected to us, that madman would pursue us to the ends of the earth. So—" his voice turned icy cold, "we'll just have to ask you to die."
"Bullshit!" Sack roared in fury, his body erupting with scorching heat that instantly melted the surrounding ice. "I've had the upper hand this whole fight! If it weren't for your damn Mythical Zoan regeneration and that weird revival ability, your heads would have been cut off long ago!"
Just as he was about to activate his power again, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over him. Sack staggered back a few steps before hurriedly steadying himself, but the world before his eyes had already begun to warp and twist.
"Finally taking effect, is it?" Queen burst into triumphant laughter upon seeing this, all five heads wearing ferocious grins.
"You... what did you do?!" Sack roared, forcing his body to stand, but his voice was noticeably weaker. He felt like his limbs were filled with lead.
"Mmmhahaha! Did you think the title 'Plague' was just for show?" Queen slowly advanced with the steps of a victor, his five heads swaying constantly. "From the very moment this fight began, I've been seeding over a dozen different viruses in the air around you."
Sack's eyes widened in disbelief. Only now did he notice the faint, almost imperceptible wisps of multicolored mist floating in the air.
His breathing grew ragged; every inhalation felt like drawing in a mouthful of flame.
"Your high-temperature ability is certainly a pain. It nullified most of my plague bombs," Queen said smugly, his five heads bobbing. "But I was prepared. I specially developed toxins that can survive in extreme environments. And luckily for me, your close-quarters combat skills aren't that strong, so you couldn't sense them. Now—" his five heads all revealed savage smiles, "game over."
Gritting his teeth, Sack tried to muster a counterattack, but his legs gave way uncontrollably. His vision blurred, a buzzing filled his ears, as if the entire world were distorting. The toxins had infiltrated his entire body; the flush on his skin was gradually turning an ominous bluish-purple.
"Damn... you... treacherous... bastard—" He fell to one knee, using his weapon to prop himself up, but the toxins were already causing his muscles to convulse. Every breath was accompanied by acute pain, as if countless tiny needles were piercing his lungs.
Queen sneered, raising his mechanical arm. The black muzzle aimed squarely at Sack. "Mmmhahaha! There's no such thing as 'treachery' in a pirate's world—only the victor reigns supreme!"
Before his words had faded, a beam of destructive laser shot forth, aiming straight for Sack's head! The air along its path twisted and warped from the searing heat. Sack mustered the last of his strength to dodge, but his body no longer obeyed. In the final moment before consciousness vanished, what he saw were the cruel smiles simultaneously appearing on all five of Queen's heads.
The laser pierced Sack's skull, leaving a charred trail across the ice plain.
"Captain Sack!" the pirates under Sack's command cried out in unison.
"Quick, run!" Some pirates, seeing their captain dead, immediately dropped their weapons and fled.
Elsewhere, the fierce battle continued.
"What? Sack!" Albert, locked in combat with Katakuri and the others, suddenly sensed through his Kenbunshoku Haki that Sack had been killed by Queen. This abrupt development caused a noticeable pause in his movements, nearly allowing Katakuri, a master of Kenbunshoku Haki, to land a sneak attack.
He quickly surveyed the entire battlefield. Sack's death had severely impacted his side's morale. The once-ferocious pirates were now in full retreat, their formation collapsing. Many had already abandoned their weapons and were fleeing in panic.
"Damn it! Fall back!" Albert made a decisive call. After repelling the latest assault from Katakuri and the others, he immediately began directing his remaining forces to retreat toward Caister Kingdom. With Kuzan having frozen the surrounding seas, this was their only viable escape route.
"Don't think you're getting away!" Oven, seeing this, immediately prepared to give chase, his body radiating intense heat that began melting the ice beneath his feet.
"Pero pero~, Oven, stop." Perospero's voice cut in, timely and firm. He stood atop a protruding ice pillar, observing the battlefield situation from his elevated position.
"Brother Perospero, why not pursue?" Daifuku also came over, his face etched with confusion.
Perospero licked his candy cane, analyzing calmly. "Victory is already ours. Continuing the pursuit won't yield greater gains. Look, even the Beasts Pirates show no intention of chasing." He pointed at the distant figures of Queen and the others, who were holding their position.
Oven was still unwilling. "But why don't we take this chance to drive the Golden Lion Pirates completely out of Caister Kingdom?!" He clenched his fists, knuckles cracking.
"Oven, you need to understand," Perospero's tone turned serious, his candy cane tapping lightly on the ice. "We only faced one of the Golden Lion Pirates' four fleets. More importantly, their captain, the Golden Lion Shiki himself, hasn't even appeared yet. The wisest course of action now is to watch and wait from the nearby waters."
"Watch and wait?" Oven frowned, the high temperature around him warping the air.
"That's right," Perospero said, looking toward the distant horizon where dark clouds gathered and lightning flickered faintly. "The final outcome of this war depends on the confrontation between three giants: Mama, Kaido of the Beasts, and the Golden Lion Shiki. Until then, we only need to preserve our strength and wait for the right moment." His eyes shone with shrewd calculation; he had clearly seen through the essence of this conflict.
A sea breeze carrying the smell of gunpowder swept across the battlefield. Surviving crewmen began clearing the area. Perospero turned and issued orders to his subordinates. "Immediately take stock of casualties and repair the damaged ships. Also, dispatch scout ships to monitor the Golden Lion Pirates' movements."