"Damn you..."
Watching Luo Xia break free from the Brachiosnake Dragon, Queen's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets in shock once more.
The next instant, Luo Xia leaped up lightly, swinging his right arm in a wide arc before releasing it with a whip-like motion.
Whoosh!
The air tore with a sharp sound.
Slap!
Luo Xia's lightning-fast slap landed squarely on the face of the Brachiosnake Dragon Queen.
Whoosh!
Queen's 'snake body' shot out like an arrow, passing through the Brachio Dragon Torso before reassembling.
Even the thick-skinned brachiosaurus wasn't spared—its right cheek swelled visibly at alarming speed.
"You brat, you've really pissed me off now! No more games!"
The Brachio Dragon Queen bellowed as he charged wildly, intending to ram Luo Xia. Yet, his body inexplicably began moving backward instead.
Queen: "???"
"Wrong way! Wrong way!"
"Lord Queen, your head and tail are on backward!"
The pirates of the Plague Faction shouted urgent reminders.
Hearing this, Queen finally realized—he'd been launched face-first, but when he returned...
"That was just to liven things up! Now it's time to get serious!"
Queen hastily readjusted his body before transforming once more.
Ancient Zoan Brachiosaurus Cyborg Beast Form—activate!!!
Queen the Plague's Beast Form differed from standard Zoan types—he'd modified himself beyond the usual human-beast hybrid.
His unique mechanized Brachio Dragon form granted him technological firepower no other Zoan could match.
"Black Firelight!!!"
The Brachio Dragon Queen raised his Mechanical Claw and fired a Laser Beam.
Luo Xia instinctively dodged, the Laser grazing past his body and triggering a massive explosion.
"Mwahahaha! So the cocky brat can actually feel fear and dodge!"
The Brachio Dragon Queen laughed triumphantly, believing he'd finally found Luo Xia's weakness. Lasers emerged from his hands, mouth, tail, even his hair, unleashing terrifying Laser Beams that set off chain explosions.
Laser Beams.
One of the most formidable attacks in the pirate world, peerless in penetrative power.
Even Big Mom Charlotte Linlin, with her steel-like body, couldn't help but pale when targeted by lasers.
Knowing this, Luo Xia had instinctively avoided them. But once he calmed down, a bold idea struck him.
He wanted to test whether his Armored Dragon Body could withstand a direct laser hit.
No sooner thought than done.
Facing the barrage of Laser Dots from the Brachio Dragon Queen, Luo Xia stopped dodging. Instead, he stretched out a hand and grabbed one.
Boom!
The Laser Dot detonated in his palm. For anyone else, this would've shattered every bone in their hand.
But Luo Xia's right hand remained intact, with only the slightest scratch on his palm.
Lasers—not entirely unblockable!!!
With this confirmed, Luo Xia returned to his fearless state, striding forward through Queen's laser storm.
"Wha—?! Why won't my lasers pierce your damn body?!" The Brachio Dragon Queen's eyes nearly popped again, tongue lolling in shock.
"Because your lasers are too weak!" Luo Xia grinned.
Queen's face instantly flushed red, as if struck where it hurt most.
The laser technology wasn't his original creation. He had learned it during his time as Vegapunk's assistant in the MADs organization, with Admiral Kizaru of the Marine Headquarters serving as the reference prototype for the laser beams.
Since leaving MADs and parting ways with Vegapunk, Queen had continuously refined the technology in his own way, finally succeeding in creating laser weaponry. He was confident that his research was second to none.
Yet... Luo Xia's dismissive "too weak" comment negated all his years of painstaking research, as if saying he could never surpass Vegapunk, that knockoff lasers could never compare to the genuine article.
In truth, Queen was overthinking it. Luo Xia's remark was just casual bravado, meant to convey that even laser beams couldn't penetrate his body, with no intention to mock Queen.
"Arrogant brat, I'll show you that my scientific prowess reigns supreme!" The Brachiosaurus-man Queen extended his mechanical claw, clamping down on Luo Xia's body.
Wedding Banquet Heat Fist!!!
Whoosh~
Flames erupted from the mechanical claw, engulfing Luo Xia.
"This move is useless, try another!" Luo Xia remained completely unfazed, shattering the scorching mechanical claw with a single punch before delivering another resounding slap that sent the Brachiosaurus-man Queen spinning 720 degrees midair.
As a Fire Dragon Slayer Wizard, it would be laughable if he could be harmed by flames or high temperatures.
"It's not over yet."
Queen's mechanical claw suddenly elongated, grabbing Luo Xia again and swinging him in a massive windmill motion.
Winding Power - Queen!!!
Queen began showcasing his Germa technology.
Spark - Queen!!!
Crimson laser beams shot from Queen's eyes.
Finally, Electrifying Queen!!!
Queen opened his massive jaws and clamped down on Luo Xia's body, releasing a powerful electric current.
This attack... actually worked.
Even the supreme defense of Armor Dragon Slayer Magic couldn't fully neutralize elemental lightning attacks.
Luo Xia felt his body stiffen momentarily. Seizing this brief opening, Queen launched a storm of relentless assaults.
"Wind Coming Fist—Ora ora ora!"
Queen swung his mechanical claws from all directions, delivering a barrage of punches until the ground cratered in a hundred-meter radius.
"Whew~"
Queen wiped the sweat from his brow.
"I have to admit, kid, your resilience is unlike anything I've ever seen. But you're still too green..." Queen's victory declaration cut short as a horrified expression crossed his face.
"Is that all? If you're done, it's my turn now."
Luo Xia leaped from the crater without any flashy techniques—just another full-powered slap that sent Queen flying over a dozen meters, crashing into the ground and kicking up a dust cloud.
Whoosh~
The elongated mechanical claw shot from the dust, grabbing Luo Xia and swinging him in another windmill.
Bystanders: "???"
This scene felt eerily familiar.
For the next three hours, similar scenarios repeated endlessly.
Queen exhausted every trick in his arsenal, attacking Luo Xia with varied techniques to bring him down.
Yet Luo Xia remained unyielding, never retreating no matter how many hits he took, always rising again to deliver another brutally simple slap to Queen.
After three hours of intense combat, Queen had endured no fewer than two hundred slaps, his entire Brachiosaurus head swollen into a pig-like mess.
The battle had reached this point, and even if Queen was foolish, he should have realized the severity of the situation.
"Luo Xia, was it? Your skills aren't bad—barely enough to fight me to a standstill," Queen said, his swollen pig-like face slurring his words.
The Beasts Pirates Crowd: "..." Are you sure it's a standstill?
"Hmm." Luo Xia neither confirmed nor denied it.
"I just remembered I have something important to attend to. Let's call it a day and continue another time. How about it?"