The sound of upbeat, energetic music suddenly echoed through the running shower.
Through the steam-fogged glass, the rotund figure of the big man swayed to the rhythm.
Queen grabbed the showerhead like a microphone and began singing in a deep voice:
"Zumu zumu zumu zumu..."
"If I get thinner, I'll be too popular〜♪"
"So I don't get thinner, that's my kind of...funk!!"
"I may look chubby, but it's all muscle〜♪"
The shadow of the bouncing ball twisted wildly, arms flailing as his voice grew more fevered.
"I can sing and dance, that's my kind of...funk!!"
But just as Queen was singing his heart out in self-amused delight—
A deafening explosion thundered in the distance. The entire facility shook violently. The windows shattered under the blast wave.
"What the hell!? What's going on!?"
Shlk! Startled, Queen yanked open the glass door, sticking his head out.
A Beast Pirates soldier, wearing a horned helmet, burst in trembling.
"Q-Queen-sama!! The furnace in Factory No. 3 in Area A just exploded!!"
Queen's eyes bulged. He yanked a towel around his waist and his massive, round body duang, duang, duang ran to the shattered window.
What he saw made his eyeballs nearly pop out of their sockets. His jaw dropped.
In the distance, one of the armament factories was engulfed in flames. A mushroom cloud of fire and smoke billowed into the sky. The towering smokestacks collapsed one by one amidst continuing explosions.
The area had descended into chaos. Amidst the inferno, Beast Pirates and forced laborers alike had become living torches, writhing in screams of agony.
"What the hell happened, you useless idiots!!"
Queen grabbed the pirate by the collar, eyes bloodshot.
"Something had to happen while I'm here! When Boss Kaido gets back, he'll kill me!!"
The soldier was trembling all over, face pale.
"I-I don't know... It looks like someone tossed explosives into the furnace... People are already rushing to put out the fire..."
Queen saw more Beast Pirates racing toward the blaze on beast-drawn war chariots, raising dust trails across the ground.
"I've got no choice—I have to go too."
There were only eight factories in the base, spread across Areas A, B, and C.
They were the Beast Pirates' biggest economic asset—Kaido's pride and joy!
If the fire spread, Kaido really would twist his head off.
No time to think. Queen grabbed his overalls and tried to put them on.
But his round frame was too much—he struggled to squeeze in, face red with panic.
"Idiot! What are you staring at!? Help me!!"
"Y-yes sir, Queen-sama!!"
The pirate rushed forward, sweating profusely as he finally managed to stuff Queen into the overalls.
Queen lit a cigar and stormed out of the lab, not sparing a glance back.
"If this sparks a chain reaction and hits another factory, I'm screwed!!"
The pirate following him flinched. With Queen's nasty temper, if things went south, they'd all suffer.
The beast-chariot roared with steam, engine at full power, charging like a rabid hound toward the fire.
Two deep ruts scarred the earth behind them, dust billowing in their wake.
The shower still sprayed hot water.
Steam filled the room.
Ripples stirred on the wall.
Senor emerged from the surface, gasping, pale.
He glanced toward the direction Queen had gone. Towers of flame pierced the sky like grand fireworks.
"Lord Darren's plan... worked."
Senor steadied his breathing.
Explosives were everywhere on this island—it was the Beast Pirates' main base and one of the underground world's largest arms factories.
A mafia veteran like Senor only needed to make minor tweaks to set up a delayed detonation.
Destroying a whole building required a massive payload.
But destroying a furnace? Sometimes all it took was a single spark.
Triggering a massive explosion in one factory meant Queen would definitely rush to the scene.
Senor's eyes landed on the key ring hanging from the hook.
The Seastone Cuffs key!
"Lord Darren was right. A scientist like Queen can't stand having blood all over him. He had to take off his key while showering."
"And once the factory exploded, all his attention would be pulled to the fire. There's a good chance he'd forget the key entirely."
"And even with Observation Haki, if he's distracted... he wouldn't notice me slipping in."
Senor muttered with newfound respect.
He grabbed the key ring.
"Now... it's the final life-or-death sprint."
His eyes sharpened. He dove into the watery ground, swimming at full speed toward the prison!
On foot, it would take about a minute to run from the lab to the prison.
But with the Swim-Swim Fruit, swimming through earth was slower.
Senor gritted his teeth.
He had to get the Seastone Cuffs key to Darren—before that fat bastard realized what he'd left behind!