"Apologize to you? A mere tin can? I'll tear you apart first!"
Queen scoffed at the robot's threat. Blitzcrank's bulky frame, in overdrive, moved comically, seeming far from threatening.
As the robot charged, Queen crouched, sprang into the air, gripped his knife with both hands, and aimed for Blitzcrank's neck.
"Such an obvious design flaw—leaving the neck so exposed!"
Compared to Blitzcrank's sturdy body, its neck appeared slender. But Blitzcrank's response was simple: a puff of steam, and its neck retracted, shielded by a metal collar.
Clang!
The blade struck, chipping only paint. Blitzcrank's body was unscathed, while Queen's hands went numb from the impact.
In the original timeline, grown-up Judge and Queen were formidable, not top-tier in the New World but high-end. Now, they were novices, barely starting in skill and combat.
Blitzcrank's construction owed much to Kuma. Without stamping presses, his Paw-Paw Fruit was the perfect tool for compression and purification.
Blitzcrank's frame was a special alloy, balancing hardness, strength, ductility, and toughness, with high corrosion resistance.
Even a swordsman skilled in cutting iron would struggle against Blitzcrank's metal body. Without that skill, they were helpless.
"Metal, harder than flesh."
Boom!
Blitzcrank's charged fist slammed into Queen's stomach, launching him skyward. He arced gracefully before splashing into a nearby stream.
Blitzcrank's goal was to teach a lesson and demand an apology, so the punch was restrained. Soon, a drenched Queen crawled out, doubled over.
"Hahaha, Queen, you look pathetic! Is this the 'mighty body' you brag about? Weak!"
"What are you laughing at? Help me!"
"Your mess, not mine."
Judge feigned disinterest, forgetting he'd echoed Queen's earlier self-praise.
Humans might see Judge's detachment, but Blitzcrank didn't. Still growing, it lumped Judge and Queen together.
Whoosh!
As Judge mocked Queen's defeat, Blitzcrank's claw shot toward him.
"Hey! How do you pick enemies? This has nothing to do with me!"
His protests were futile. Blitzcrank spun, flinging Judge toward Queen, sending the freshly emerged Queen back into the stream.
Without a Devil Fruit, Queen would've sunk otherwise.
"Damn it, I'm not that loser Queen! Taste my power!"
Judge pulled a spear-like tip, attached it to his rifle, aimed, and fired at Blitzcrank.
The claw, still extended, caught the projectile mid-air. Judge smirked as the tip exploded, sending a surge of electricity through Blitzcrank's arm.
"Stay down, you dumb tin can!"
Judge's prototype stun gun aimed to short-circuit Blitzcrank. As electric sparks flared, its movements slowed.
"See, Queen? This is how it's done. You idiot, brawling with a robot? What were you thinking?
Sorry, kitten, we broke your toy. We'll fix it later, how's that?"
Judge wasn't taking responsibility—he was curious about Blitzcrank's internals. But Kate's pitying glance unnerved him.
"Meow thinks you'd better run."
Kate had witnessed Blitzcrank's creation and knew its brief rigidity post-overdrive wasn't a malfunction. The electricity wasn't Judge's attack—it came from Blitzcrank's core.
Judge's stun gun didn't stop it; it triggered its combat mode.
In an instant, Blitzcrank went berserk, swinging electrified fists at breakneck speed.
"Judge, you idiot! Look what you did!"
"You started this, moron! Don't blame me!"
Zzzap!
Electricity arced from Blitzcrank as it closed in. Realizing its threat, they abandoned fighting back, dodging its claws and shocks, cursing all the while.
"Queen, apologize! Make this thing stop!"
"No way! Where's my pride?"
"Forget pride—think about our lives!"
Under the noon sun, Blitzcrank chased the duo, relentlessly teaching them a lesson.
Queen eventually caved, but it was too late. Blitzcrank's goal shifted from apologies to punishment.
"Oran, Blitzcrank's got a problem. It's thrashing two guys from a ship called MADS because—
Should we stop it?"
Kate called Oran via Den Den Mushi, recounting the situation and asking for guidance.
She didn't see the pair as true villains, so killing wasn't warranted. Their dismissive attitude toward Oran irked her, so she let Blitzcrank loose.
After all, Blitzcrank wasn't in extermination mode—no lives were at stake.
"MADS? Looks like they're your people. Anything to say?"
Oran didn't answer Kate immediately, instead turning to a towering figure with a head as large as his body.
(End of Chapter)