Queen had been reduced to a cyborg barely held up by his steel frame.
His face was stripped of all its flesh, leaving only scary white bones and burned skin, making him look like a demon clawing its way out of hell.
Just as everyone thought the fight was over, a miracle happened.
The burned skin began to peel away like a snake shedding its skin.
Newly formed muscle tissue visibly wiggled and healed at an amazing speed.
The flesh seemed to have a mind of its own, quickly filling in the previous wounds.
"The healing power of the Ancient Zoan: Brachiosaurus form..." Queen stumbled to his feet.
His voice was weak but full of stubborn willpower.
Broken mechanical parts fell off on their own as fresh flesh grew from under his skin.
"How could a rushed ability user like you ever compare to me?"
Who's-Who landed heavily on the ground, breathing hard.
His light form had become very unstable, flickering on and off.
He tried to jump up for another attack, but his legs suddenly gave out, almost making him fall over again.
"Got you!" Queen's mechanical claw broke the sound barrier with a sharp whistle.
It clamped tightly around Who's-Who's throat before slamming him violently into the ground.
"Boom!"
A loud crash echoed as spiderweb cracks spread out from under Who's-Who's body, quickly covering the whole training ground.
The blood Who's-Who coughed up shined with a sad but beautiful glow in the sunlight.
King turned away quietly, whispering under his breath.
"It is over."
Jack's tusks lifted a little bit, a look of disrespect flashing across his face.
"Boring."
Kaido threw his head back, drinking a large mouthful of alcohol before letting out a loud laugh.
"Worororo... Not bad!"
In the middle of the ruined training ground, Queen lay on his back inside the burned crater.
The edges of the crater were made of dirt baked hard and curled up by the extreme heat, silently showing just how brutal the battle had been.
His mechanical flesh kept letting off thin lines of smoke that drifted up in the breeze, carrying the strong smell of burned metal and flesh.
Each heavy breath sounded like the wheezing of a broken machine, paired with the sizzling noise of his lungs struggling to heal.
His once chubby and round body had shrunk down to look like dried wood.
His skin was stretched tight over his bones, totally missing its old stretch and shine.
To fix his body, which had been almost completely burned black by the terrifying power of "Amaterasu," his energy had been pushed to its absolute limit.
Every inch of muscle and every nerve screamed with tiredness.
"Hah... Hah... This bastard..." He struggled to move his eyes.
They were filled with anger as he looked toward Who's-Who, who had also passed out not far away.
His throat felt like it was blocked with fire, and every word he spoke took a huge amount of effort.
"Almost... roasted me alive..."
The training grounds exploded with noise like a boiling pot, bursting with deafening roars.
The pirates, their faces red with excitement and their eyes as wide as saucers, shouted as loud as they could:
"Lord Queen is unbeatable! He is a powerhouse even a beam of light could not defeat!"
"Long live the power of science! It is this amazing technology that let Lord Queen survive that deadly blow!"
"Did you see that? Even that beam could not kill Lord Queen! He is the pillar of our Beasts Pirates!"
"..."
Who's-Who's fingers dug deep into the ground.
His knuckles turned white from the strain, as if he were trying to crush the hard dirt itself.
His body felt totally empty of strength, and every small movement was a huge struggle.
Using up so much energy from the Glint-Glimmer Fruit made his arms and legs feel as heavy as lead, making him barely able to move an inch.
Flickering golden light particles danced across his skin like a candle in the wind, looking like they could go out at any second.
The determination in his eyes was now mixed with weakness and confusion.
But more than anything, his eyes burned with stubborn willpower and a refusal to give up.
"I... can still..." He ground his teeth together loudly, veins popping out on his forehead like wiggling earthworms.
As he struggled to push his upper body off the ground, a giant shadow fell over him like a storm cloud.
Kaido's body had appeared right in the center of the battlefield without anyone noticing.
His spiked club slammed into the ground with a heavy thud that made all of Onigashima shake.
Silence instantly fell over the island, leaving only the sound of the howling sea wind.
The salty breeze blew across the sea, brushing against everyone's faces, but it failed to blow away the tense feeling in the air.
"Listen up, you fools!"
Kaido's roar split the clouds like thunder, showing the pitch-black night sky behind them.
"Who's-Who may have lost, but his strength is undeniable! Pushing Queen this far proves his worth!"
His stare swept across the crowd.
Every pirate he looked at quickly lowered their heads, unable to look him in the eye.
"I declare—from today onward, the Beasts Pirates will have a fourth Calamity!"
Kaido's voice echoed through the night, hanging in the air.
"His title shall be—Light Calamity!"
Who's-Who's eyes went wide in shock, like a quiet lake hit by a heavy rock, sending out ripples in all directions.
The title exploded in his mind like thunder, leaving him feeling dazed for a moment.
The pain hurting his body seemed to fade away under this news, replaced by a rush of burning excitement.
The name "Calamity" meant he had officially joined the ranks of the Beasts Pirates' strongest fighters!
This was a reward for his strength, the honor he had dreamed of all along.
"Worororo!" Kaido lifted the weak Who's-Who with ease, as if picking up a baby chick.
He then threw Queen over his shoulder and walked with a purpose toward the banquet area.
...
Night fell over Onigashima like a huge black silk curtain.
Yet, the island stayed as bright as day.
Thousands of barrels of fine alcohol were carried out by groups of pirates, lined up in neat rows like soldiers waiting to be checked.
Grilling racks stretched out in long lines.
Flames danced over skewers of meat, filling the air with mouth-watering smells.
The pirates danced wildly around the bonfire.
They twisted their bodies, swung their arms, and sometimes let out rough shouts.
From time to time, drunk men copied the fight from earlier in the day, striking overly dramatic poses while shouting.
"Behold my 'Amaterasu'! Such massive power, as if it could burn everything to ashes!"
"Take this 'Brachiosaurus Bomb'! Feel the force of destruction!"
Neither pirate would give up to the other, and the tension between them grew thick once more.
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