In the heat-distorted air, the coating on the mechanical armor could be seen peeling at a visible rate, while precise gear assemblies emitted piercing metallic deformation sounds.
"Hot, hot, hot! I'm getting cooked, cooked!"
Queen's thick layers of fat glistened with oil under the intense heat, and blue-purple electric sparks burst from the joints of his Mechanical Prosthetic Limb.
He frantically slapped at the solidified magma crust on his body, only to see more crimson liquid seep through the armor seams, climbing along his spine like venomous snakes. Suddenly, an eerie blue laser tore through the sky, precisely piercing the heat dissipation device at the back of his neck.
"Blue Enchantress: Hundred Focus!"
Abruptly, a laser beam trailed a brilliant streak across the sky, tearing through the air and evaporating moisture in its path.
Bang!
It instantly struck Queen's back!
Queen's invisible force field burst like a balloon pricked by a needle, mechanical joints erupting in a chain of sparks. The hidden backup thrusters beneath his armor began hissing uncontrollably, leaking air.
"Who the hell... ambushed me!"
His roar cut short as Queen whirled around, only to be met with Jozu's earnest smile.
The Diamond-Diamond Fruit user hovered above the magma heat waves, surrounded by sharp, glittering particles.
The Armament Haki concentrated on his right fist had materialized, his punch carrying spiraling debris like a drill.
"Ambush? No, no, this is called two against one!" Jozu's thick arm muscles bulged.
Before the words faded, he transformed into a diamond meteor streaking across the sky.
The shriek of his fist tearing through the sound barrier intertwined with the roar of churning magma into a symphony of death.
Queen's pupils contracted sharply, his mechanical compound eyes reflecting the overwhelming lethal radiance.
"Damn it! How is this possible!" Queen's pupils constricted abruptly, cold sweat instantly soaking his back.
At this critical moment, he hastily raised his arms, attempting to block the thunderous strike.
Simultaneously, the mechanical device on his left arm instantly deployed triple composite armor.
Layer upon layer of metal plates rapidly closed under the drive of mechanical gears, emitting "clack-clack" sounds as they tried to form an impregnable defense.
At the same time, Armament Haki coverage!
Yet, this hasty defense appeared as fragile as paper against Jozu's full-force strike.
Jozu's fist carried overwhelming force and unstoppable momentum, crashing mercilessly toward Queen's arms.
"BOOM!!!"
A deafening impact shattered the battlefield's silence, making the entire world tremble.
The tremendous shockwave, like raging tides, instantly swept through everything in the vicinity. Under the impact of this force, the ground turned into soft clay.
Queen was punched so hard that his feet sank deep into the earth, the friction between his soles and the ground producing a piercing screech and kicking up a cloud of dust.
His mechanical arm groaned under the terrifying force, emitting a strained creaking sound.
Cracks rapidly spread across the armor plating like a dense spiderweb—a clear sign that the force had exceeded its limits.
But the deadlier strike was yet to come!
Just as Queen was fully resisting Jozu's attack, Marco's figure appeared behind him like a ghost.
Marco moved with such incredible speed that Queen didn't even sense the approaching danger.
His eyes gleamed with a cold light, as if he were looking at an enemy already dead.
"What?!!"
A sudden, intense sense of danger from behind seized Queen.
He frantically tried to turn around, but his body had grown sluggish from withstanding Jozu's assault.
Marco's right fist became a fusion of azure Phoenix Flames and searing red magma. The two powerful forces intertwined and collided, erupting in a dazzling radiance.
At the same time, an eerie purplish-black aura slowly enveloped his fist—this was the pinnacle of Armament Haki, the "Ryuo" level.
This level of power could penetrate any defense and strike directly at the opponent's body from within.
"It's over, Calamity Pig." Marco's voice was bone-chillingly cold.
His fist seemed to lightly touch the back of Queen's head, but the terrifying force contained within surged forth like a bursting dam.
The flowing Armament Haki pierced straight through the skull and erupted violently inside Queen's brain!
Queen felt an icy chill pierce the back of his head, as if countless frozen needles had simultaneously stabbed into his brain.
Then came a long, resonating "Bzzz—" as the force rampaged through his mind, throwing everything into chaos.
His vision began to spin wildly.
His mechanical eye flickered with erratic sparks of electricity, and the last image reflected on his retina was Marco's cold, azure-flame-burning eyes.
The killing intent and contempt in that gaze filled Queen with overwhelming fear and despair.
"I'm done for…" Queen's consciousness gradually faded.
His mechanically enhanced body emitted intermittent alarm signals, various indicator lights flashing frantically in a final plea for help.
He tried to lift his arm for one last struggle but found he couldn't even move a finger.
The technological body he had once been so proud of had now become a heavy shackle, binding him tightly in place.
His bloated body slumped to the ground like mud, unable to rise again.
Just before he was completely swallowed by darkness, he faintly heard Marco's scornful words.
"Though he's troublesome, I'll finish him off soon."
The words stabbed into Queen's nerves with painful clarity.
Jozu struggled to hold back his laughter, his diamond-hard face flushed red.
He deliberately put on a stern expression and nodded seriously.
"Yes, yes, you're right."
As he spoke, he deliberately glanced at Queen, who was foaming at the mouth on the ground, a trace of barely concealed mockery flashing in his eyes.
"After all, you're the genius who even created your own techniques with the Magma Fruit."
Marco shot him an annoyed glare, his Azure Flames wings gently unfurling. "Enough with the nonsense, we need to help Pops end this fight..." Before he could finish, Jozu suddenly reached out and stopped him.
"Better not go," Jozu's expression turned serious, his diamond-like eyes focusing as the distant battle scene grew clearer.
Whitebeard's figure was locked in fierce combat with Kaido, each strike causing spatial tremors and twisting the surrounding air into chaos.
"Pops specifically ordered that no one interfere in this battle. You know how it is—this is his... fight for the era."
Marco followed his gaze to the sky above Onigashima, where Father Whitebeard stood like an unshakable mountain peak.
Every swing of his Cloud-Cutting Blade carried world-shattering power, tearing through space itself.
Marco fell silent for a moment before sighing softly and retracting his wings.
He knew Pop's decisions weren't to be questioned—this battle held special meaning for him.
"Let's go," Marco turned toward other battlefields. "Time to clean up the remaining small fry."