"Just who in the world are you?!"
Queen had sent Jack out first to take the lead, because in his view, dealing with former Warlords of the Sea would take some effort but was by no means impossible, and certainly did not require him to step in personally, even with that young pirate added to the mix—what was that little brat anyway, no more than a minor extra?
But he had never expected that Jack would not only fail to handle the three enemies on board, but would instead be toyed with over and over again, as if he were nothing more than a punching bag being slammed back and forth across the ground!
Had he misjudged everything?
Was this young pirate actually the strongest of the three, and were the two former Warlords standing beside him not there to protect him at all?
…
Queen had asked his question, but for a moment, no answer came from El's side.
El himself saw no need to reply—this was merely one of the Beasts Pirates' All‑Stars; he was not about to answer every question thrown at him.
Crocodile and Doflamingo, however, stared wide‑eyed in genuine shock.
They had known their captain was immensely powerful, and that he was fully confident facing two of the Beasts Pirates' top commanders, but they had never imagined he would handle Jack the Drought with such casual ease—with just two simple moves, he had hurled the man straight into the sea!
Both Doflamingo and Crocodile were Devil Fruit users, so they knew all too well how cruel and helpless it felt to be cast into the ocean, yet they also knew that Jack, the third of the Three Disasters, was also of Fish‑Man blood—so this would not kill him outright.
Though Jack ranked lowest among the Three Disasters, the gap between him and Queen was not so vast that his defeat meant nothing; if Jack could not handle this young pirate, then Queen himself would fare no better.
Click.
One of Queen's arms was a prosthetic he had modified himself, capable of firing ordnance and spraying poison, and now it was aimed directly at El and his group.
"Ahem… I would advise you to think very carefully, Queen!" Crocodile called out, his mind finally catching up with what he had just seen.
He now realized that his captain's strength was even greater than any of them had imagined—if someone as formidable as Jack could be brushed aside so effortlessly, then Queen would be no different, so what point was there in resisting now?
"You have seen our captain's power for yourself—fighting back will only lead to your death!"
In the past, Crocodile would have done everything he could to avoid facing commanders like Queen or Jack, but now, with El standing behind him, he held his ground with far more confidence.
"That is right," Doflamingo chimed in, finally grasping that they held the upper hand and all the leverage here.
"Queen, do not think I have forgotten our past dealings," he said, referring to the once "good" trade between the Beasts Pirates and the Donquixote Family: the Family had supplied the Beasts Pirates with artificial Devil Fruits, while the Beasts Pirates had routed their weapons shipments through Dressrosa's ports.
"I advise you to surrender while you still can," Doflamingo said deliberately, drawing out his words to provoke Queen.
"You saw for yourself—Jack was cut down before he could even mount a proper defense. You know how great the gap is between you two; surely you do not truly believe you can defeat our captain?"
He spoke in a mocking tone, half‑hoping to anger Queen into fighting rather than surrender—for though Queen might not be the strongest of the Three Disasters, he was certainly the craftiest, and Doflamingo would not give him any chance to slip away.
"Captain… so this young man is your captain?!"
Queen seized on the phrase, stunned that two men like Doflamingo and Crocodile would willingly serve another.
This pirate was clearly more than just strong; it took real skill and authority to command such men.
Even as Jack fell and was thrown into the sea, Queen had felt his resolve waver—he doubted he could win, and surrendering to a stronger foe was no disgrace; besides, they would never dare kill him, not with Kaido standing behind him.
But now, with Doflamingo's taunts ringing out, he could not simply yield without losing face.
"Why did you seize my men?" Doflamingo asked Queen.
With Jack defeated, El's presence alone made him unchallenged on the entire ship—even the Beasts Pirates' own crew kept their distance, too afraid to draw near.
El simply shook his head, leaned casually against the railing, and waited to hear the reason himself.
"Hey hey hey… you really do take me for a fool, don't you?"
Queen suddenly burst into laughter, then signaled for his men to bring forward the two bound Donquixote Family officers—Baby 5 and Buffalo.
"You came for these two?" Queen asked, pointing at the prisoners.
Both had been raised in the Donquixote Family from childhood; though they were not among its strongest members now, they were meant to be the core of its future.
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