Queen, whose real name is Saian, was once a top scientist who worked alongside Vegapunk and many other elite scientists at MADS. Naturally, the methods at his disposal were numerous.
Unlike Caesar, Judge, and others who were constantly dissatisfied with and looked down upon the inventions of other scientists, Queen never minded taking the research results of others for his own use.
Vegapunk laser beams, Germa modification technology, and even the unique abilities attached to the transformation cans of the four curly-browed brothers—Queen had learned them all just the same.
However, the core technology that truly belonged to him was his research into biochemical weapons, which was the origin of his title, "Plague."
As for the virus he was using now, Sherwin also had an impression of it. It was the artificial virus that had appeared in the manga and was called Queen masterpiece—Ice Demon.
True to the name "Ice Demon," those infected with the virus would not only have cold air spread throughout their entire bodies, but the areas covered by the frost would transform to look like a demon, and they would lose control, attacking others regardless of whether they were friend or foe.
What was even more terrifying was that Queen viruses were always meticulously designed for infectivity. As long as there was any contact, one would be immediately infected, and Ice Demon was no exception.
Having read the manga, Sherwin naturally did not overlook Queen viruses. He had even considered bringing Haibara Meow along, but on second thought, he figured it would be fine as long as he dealt with the infected before they could rush him, so he abandoned the idea of bringing the kitten.
But what he never expected was that Queen would actually be ruthless enough to infect himself.
Even if he had the antidote, doing so was far too risky because the strength boost provided by Ice Demon wasn't particularly high for a master like Queen.
If he couldn't infect Sherwin, he might not even last long enough to detoxify himself.
In fact, there was one thing Sherwin didn't know: unlike in the manga, the Ice Demon virus currently in Queen hands was not yet perfect.
It was still in the development stage, and even the corresponding antibodies were not finished.
Rather than an antidote, it was more of a suppressant that could only keep the virus down without being able to clear it completely.
Therefore, this move of his could truly be described as a technique of "Heaven and Earth sharing the same longevity," a near-suicidal strike where both parties perish together.
Monster Hunter Style: Hunter Art: Critical Juncture!
Knowing the situation with the Ice virus, Sherwin was naturally not foolish enough to touch Queen.
He raised the Longsword to parry that left arm, which had completely turned to ice—even growing sharp, long claws from the tips of its mechanical fingers—and then swiftly retreated.
Furthermore, as Sherwin retreated, he continuously unleashed flying slashes at Queen to prevent him from closing the distance.
"Roar roar roar roar roar—! Do... not... flee roar roar—!!!"
In the blink of an eye, Queen, whose body was already more than half transformed into an Ice Oni, grew desperate.
He let out intermittent roars and braved Sherwin flying slashes in an attempt to get close. His arms, neck, and tail shifted into segmented forms, extending as far as possible to try and reach Sherwin.
After several failed attempts, he even resorted to detaching his own body parts and throwing them like hidden weapons.
However, all of this was in vain. Sherwin, being well-prepared, was in no rush to finish Queen off. Instead, he employed Monster Hunter maneuvering tactics, circling and contending with his opponent.
"Roar roar roar—!"
Having completely transformed into an Ice Demon, Queen was now unable to speak normally, only capable of letting out roars like an evil demon.
Upon that bald brachiosaurus head, two slender oni horns had grown, and his mouth full of sharp fangs looked nothing like those of a herbivorous dinosaur.
"Imperial Red Bow!"
King, who had been blasted away by the laser earlier, had actually rushed toward Queen location at the first possible moment, intending to team up and deal with Sherwin.
Regrettably, however, he was once again intercepted halfway through his flight...
"Flying Cat Mitsurugi Style: Cat Flash Meow!"
Hiko Seijuro, who had been clearing out the small fry, descended from the sky. With both paws, he held his beloved blade, Kikyousen Tougetsu, high above his head and slashed down fiercely upon King steel-masked head.
Boom!
The massive Pteranodon was struck down by the little black cat—who wasn't even as large as one of his talons—and slammed heavily into the ground.
"Since Your Excellency carries a blade at your waist, you must also be a swordsman, meow? I shall be your opponent, meow!"
(=`ω=)
After knocking King down, Hiko Seijuro did not press the advantage. Instead, he stood before him, his long blade pointing diagonally toward the ground as he spoke.
King slowly stood up and touched the mask where Hiko Seijuro slash had left a crack. Beneath the mask, his expression was not at all pleasant...
But with his steady temperament, he quickly pushed those emotions aside, calmly and rapidly analyzing the current situation.
With their current lineup, it was clearly impossible to defeat Sherwin and his group. This was not only because Kaido had left Wano Country in pursuit of Issho, but also because the Tobi Roppo—who ranked just below the three All-Stars—and most of the Headliners were not present here either.
As for the Numbers, because their bodies were too large, they had been struck by Fujitora meteors a few days ago, leaving them either dead or wounded and completely unable to help.
However, compared to Kaido, whose whereabouts were entirely unknown, the Tobi Roppo and the Headliners were at least still in Wano Country they had simply been dispatched to the main island to suppress and search for the samurai Fujitora had released.
Given the commotion Sherwin made when he landed just now, they should all be rushing toward this location.
Furthermore, if nothing unexpected happened, Bao should have already notified Kaido, though it remained uncertain if he had received the message.
Regardless, the most correct course of action right now was not to defeat the invading enemies, but to stall for as much time as possible, hoping that the others—and Kaido—could return in time.
Thinking of this, King silently drew the massive katana from his waist and ignited the flames on his body.
"Imperial Flaming Wings!"
"Using flames against me? That is not a wise choice meow..."
Seijuro Meow paw gripping the blade suddenly blurred. The Kikyo Zen Fuyuzuki he had been holding was instantly replaced by a katana with a black-purple blade and a red sawtooth pattern. Embedded in the tsuba of this black blade was a small Breath Dial.
This was the black blade modified through the joint efforts of Purah Meow and Suika Meow—the "Shusui Kai."
"Water Breathing, Sixth Form: Twist Whirlpool meow!"
A massive amount of seawater gushed from the Breath Dial at the tsuba, and under Seijuro Meow agitation, it formed a giant vortex around him.
The vortex spun faster and faster. Just as the fire dragon unleashed by King was about to collide with him, Seijuro Meow finally swung the Shusui Kai, slashing directly toward the fire dragon.
The swirling vortex surrounding the small black Felyne lashed out with a single swing, transforming into a massive, razor-sharp blade of water that collided violently with King fire dragon.
"Sizzle—!"
The clash of flame and seawater instantly generated a massive cloud of steam, obscuring the vision of both Seijuro Meow and King.
However, for a pair who had mastered Observation Haki, such an obstacle was trivial. Both parties charged into the mist almost simultaneously, trading a flurry of blows. The mist rapidly dispersed under the sheer intensity of their fierce exchange.
King, whose sole intent was to stall for time, had no intention of switching to speed mode. Once he realized he couldn't quickly take down Seijuro Meow, he began to rely on his racial gifts and profound Armament Haki to tank several of the small black Felyne attacks.
But while he held his ground against Seijuro Meow, Queen—who had poisoned himself on the other side—was suffering.
Unable to land a single hit on Sherwin no matter what he tried, Queen attempted to turn his attention toward the other Felynes.
And yet...
The Felynes were just as fast, surpassing even Sherwin in terms of agility. The only one who didn't bother dodging much was Klee Meow, but she had dozens of clones, making it impossible for Queen to find the real one.
Fortunately, as the developer of the Ice demon virus and someone who had cybernetically enhanced most of his body, Queen was one of the few capable of maintaining a clear head under the virus influence.
Seeing that his plan was failing, he decisively injected himself with an unfinished antibody, temporarily resolving the Ice Demon crisis.
However, this meant he now had to face Sherwin once more, and this time, the Hunter was no longer bothering to circle him.
Queen: "..."