Agonized roars, like the howls of beasts, echoed through the grim prison halls.
Darren and Bullet writhed on the floor, their bodies trembling uncontrollably from the pain.
Their skin glowed red as if engulfed in flames. Heat surged within them like an inferno—every cell, every muscle felt as though it were on fire.
"Muhahaha... Excellent subjects... I increased the mummy virus dose, and they're still kicking!"
"Incredible... absolutely incredible..."
The fat man, Queen, bit into his cigar, eyes wild with excitement as he stared at the life monitor's spiking data. His entire body trembled with thrill as he scribbled into his lab notebook:
'Body temperature has surpassed 55°C...'
'At 30% dosage, cells appear to be entering rapid division...'
'Such division suggests intense organ strain—metabolic pressure is rising...'
'All this proves the potency of the mummy virus beyond doubt...'
'Although... something odd—the pain response readings are off the charts, but those two... seem to be enjoying themselves?'
'If they were normal, they'd have passed out long ago...'
'Could the virus induce hallucinations? Or even addiction?'
He paused, squinting suspiciously at the two men still convulsing on the floor.
'No... unlikely. But I can't rule it out yet. It could just be that these two freaks have abnormally strong wills.'
Two minutes finally passed.
The burning pain subsided, and both men collapsed like heaps of broken flesh—panting, skin still steaming.
"Muhahaha... So? Now you get it?"
Queen swaggered over, towering above them, his massive gut sticking out proudly. He sneered grotesquely.
"There's still time to beg. Swear loyalty to Boss Kaido, and all this ends."
"If not... I'll use an even higher dosage of the virus. The pain you've felt so far? That was just the beginning."
"So, what'll it be—will you join the Beasts Pi—"
Darren and Bullet shouted in perfect unison, exchanging the faintest of glances.
He stared at the two broken wrecks before him, utterly baffled.
He could've sworn their eyes lit up when he mentioned increasing the dosage...
A terrible suspicion crept into Queen's mind.
These two... are they masochists!?
A shiver ran down his spine. He instinctively took two steps back, putting distance between himself and the maniacs.
Still gasping for breath, Darren suddenly broke into a defiant, sneering grin.
"You fat bastard... You really think I'd submit to trash science like yours?"
He began thrashing violently, banging the seastone shackles against the floor.
"This... this is your grand research project? The mummy virus?"
Blood streamed from Darren's eyes, nostrils, ears, and lips, yet he still managed a disdainful laugh.
"With a dose like that? What is this—wellness therapy?"
Queen blinked, struggling to process the words. Beside him, Bullet looked at Darren like he'd lost his mind.
Darren gave him a subtle wink.
Bullet paused. Then—something clicked.
His expression suddenly shifted.
"That's your best shot, fatass!?"
He burst into manic laughter.
"That pain? Barely even a tickle! Kahahahaha!!"
"You suicidal freaks!! You dare mock my research!!"
Queen's eyes turned bloodshot with rage.
"You brought this on yourselves!! You want pain!? I'll give you pain!!"
Furious, he snatched a vial from his kit. The liquid inside shimmered an eerie blue.
"Now witness... the crowning masterpiece of Queen the Plague's unparalleled genius!!"
His mechanical arm whirred and shifted. A large needle slid out with a hiss.
The needle pierced the vial's cap, drawing up the glowing blue substance.
"It's not at full potential yet—but for you two, it's more than enough!"
Queen sneered as he coated the needle with Armament Haki and jabbed it into Darren's and Bullet's arms.
The moment the virus entered their veins, a wholly different sensation slammed into them—like a tidal wave of death.
Their minds went blank.
Bone-deep frost surged through their blood, their cells, their muscles. It felt as if hell itself had frozen over.
Their skin turned blue before their eyes, as if coated in rime. Their joints stiffened, their movements slowed. They became like ice-covered demons.
The cold engulfed them—then came the pain.
Nerve-shredding agony. Will-breaking torment.
From the darkest depths of their minds surged a primal, uncontrollable bloodlust—violent and irrational.
A fist slammed into Darren's cheek, swelling his face instantly.
His eyes snapped open. Before him stood Bullet—transformed, eyes crimson, face contorted in a savage snarl. He stomped forward like a frost-covered beast, driven mad.
"Muhahaha... That's the Ice Oni Virus! Tear each other apart, boys!"
"Enjoy it—my masterpiece, born of true scientific brilliance!!"
Queen cackled as he turned and slammed the prison door shut, striding away.
As his fat figure disappeared down the corridor, Darren's own vision began to blur—his mind consumed by pure, violent instinct. His eyes burned red.
The two figures exploded into motion like cannonballs, colliding in the cell with explosive force—locked in a brutal, frenzied brawl.