Reno had no intention of helping in the ongoing fight; he simply glanced at the two combatants before turning and drifting toward the prison cells. His task was to rescue people, not to clash head-on with enemies.
Halfway there, he suddenly seemed to remember something and swiftly changed direction, floating into the darkness.
In the pitch-black night, Reno floated eerily mid-air. Anyone encountering him in this state would probably be scared half to death.
"Damn it, you idiots! Stop that brat! Contact Boss Kaido immediately and report the situation! Request reinforcements!"
"If those hostages get rescued, no one here will make it out alive! And if anyone wants to die now, I'll gladly help you along!"
Queen's furious outburst jolted his subordinates into action. Remembering Kaido's infamous temper, they exchanged anxious glances.
"This is bad! We need to stop that brat!"
"If we fail, Kaido will kill us all even if we survive this!"
"Move, move, move! We have a slim chance if we try to stop him, but certain death if we don't!"
Gunfire erupted as a group of guards chased after Reno, while others pulled out transponder snails to make calls.
However, by the time they decided to act, Reno was already out of sight, zipping through the darkness like a streak of light. He was well ahead of them, leaving the guards far behind.
Meanwhile, Marco wasn't bothered by the pursuing guards or those making calls. He continued trading blows with Queen, maintaining the upper hand.
Crash! Boom! Bang!
Queen, unable to gain an inch against Marco, snarled in frustration. "Aren't you worried about that brat at all?!"
"Our ship is stationed near Udon, not far from Onigashima. Kaido will be here soon! If you leave now, you might still have a chance to escape. Otherwise, you're all dead!"
Marco saw through Queen's attempt to gather information immediately. No way am I giving that kid more material to mock me with later, Marco thought.
With his trademark lazy drawl, Marco shot Queen a contemptuous look, saying, "Trying to fish for intel with these cheap tricks? The rumors about the Beasts Pirates being all brawn and no brains must be true. Looks like your brain is packed with muscle, too."
The remark sent Queen into a fit of rage. As a self-proclaimed brilliant scientist, being called a muscle-brain struck a nerve.
"You're dead, you damn pineapple!" Queen roared, his face twisting with fury.
The enraged pirate bit down on his cigar so hard it snapped in two. His body began to transform, growing larger and more imposing until he became a towering brachiosaurus.
Marco merely raised a brow, unimpressed. His expression returned to its usual lazy demeanor. As a Mythical Zoan user himself, he wasn't fazed by Queen's flashy transformation.
"I'm the wielder of the Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Ancient Type, Model: Brachiosaurus!" Queen bellowed. "Prepare to die, bird-brain!"
Queen charged toward Marco, his long neck extending upward before diving down in a massive headbutt aimed squarely at his opponent.
Marco lazily raised a clawed foot, effortlessly swiping at Queen's head.
Crash!
The ground beneath Marco cracked like a spiderweb, but he didn't budge an inch. Queen, on the other hand, stood dazed, his head spinning. His eyes swirled comically, as if he were seeing stars.
Marco stared at him in disbelief, silently thinking, Not only is this guy a muscle-brain, but he's also got a screw loose.
Deciding he'd had enough, Marco stomped the ground and launched himself skyward. Grabbing Queen by the neck, he spun him around before flinging him into the distance.
Whoosh! Crash! Boom!
Queen flew dozens of meters before slamming into a stone wall, creating a massive crater and kicking up a cloud of dust that obscured everything inside.
Marco remained where he was, waiting patiently. His mission was to hold off Queen and buy Reno enough time to rescue the hostages. He had no interest in pursuing the fight further.
Meanwhile, Reno didn't head straight to the prison cells. Instead, he took a detour, searching every corner of Udon for seastone. When he came up empty-handed, he sighed in disappointment and continued toward the cells.
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