"Boss Queen can't even withstand a single move from this kid! Who on earth is he?"
"No way! Boss Queen was blown away with just one strike!"
"If even Boss Queen isn't a match, what can we do? We'll just be fodder if we fight him. What should we do now?"
"Maybe... run away?!"
"Let's go, go, go... If not now, then when!"
The guards who had been following Queen out earlier, upon seeing their boss unable to hold his ground for even one round, huddled together on the sidelines to discuss.
However, instead of figuring out how to face Reno, they were busy plotting their escape. Typical pirates every man for himself in times of crisis!
Ratatatatata...
Just as Reno stood there in a daze, the sound of machine gunfire rang out. However, the bullets weren't aimed at him; they were directed at the fleeing guards.
"Ahhh ahhh!"
"This is bad!!"
"Boss Queen is fine!"
"Run away!!"
"If we don't escape now, Boss Queen will kill us all!"
Ratatatatata...
Bullets poured out from the dust cloud where Queen had landed, raising a veil of dust. The thick haze obscured everything inside, leaving only the sight of countless bullets firing outwards.
Once the escaping guards had all fallen, Queen slowly emerged from the dust cloud. Aside from looking a little disheveled, there wasn't a single wound on him.
Queen fixed his gaze on Reno, who was floating midair, and asked grimly, "Who are you, and what are you here for?"
Having someone sneak so close to their quarters without being detected was infuriating. It's no wonder Queen's mood was foul. Anyone would lose their composure in such a situation!
Reno watched Queen, who had emerged unscathed, and after a careful look, mused internally:
This guy can't hurt me, but without pulling out my big moves, I can't take him down either. But if I use a powerful attack, the people in Udon might get caught in the collateral damage.
With that in mind, Reno dropped his serious expression and returned to his usual laid-back demeanor, joking, "I'm just a passerby. I saw some lights here and came to check it out..."
"You came out and attacked me for no reason. You're asking me why I'm here? I should be asking you why you attacked me first!"
Ratatatatata...
Before Reno could finish speaking, Queen transformed his arm into a Gatling gun and opened fire on him.
Seeing Queen's underhanded sneak attack, Reno cursed internally:
What the heck! This sneaky bastard doesn't play fair at all!
Whoosh... whoosh... whoosh...
While dodging the bullets with his Observation Haki, Reno kept thinking about how to shake off Queen and find the keys.
But this Gatling gun with blue flames seemed to have infinite ammo. Escaping wasn't difficult, but shaking him off to search for the keys? That seemed nearly impossible.
Finally, Reno shouted toward the sky, "Hey, bird-man! Get down here! If you don't come down now, I'm going to sink this place!"
Marco had been sent by Whitebeard to protect Reno. In a moment like this, Reno wasn't going to hold back.
Getting Marco to keep Queen occupied would allow Reno to search for the keys more quickly. The guards were already alerted, and the rescue had to be sped up.
Otherwise, if that lunatic Kaido showed up, things would get very ugly!
Marco, still in the clouds, heard Reno's shout and the threat to sink the place. Without wasting a second, he dived down like a bolt of lightning.
Marco knew very well how terrifying Reno was. The last time Marco had tried to chase him down for revenge, he swore that Reno couldn't possibly break through his defense, even if Reno was given a free shot.
But then, a thousand-meter-wide green palm appeared above Marco's head, and he had to flee for his life. If Reno hadn't deliberately slowed down, Marco might still be bedridden today.
When Marco looked back at the aftermath of that palm strike, the sea where it landed was now a massive chasm, with water taking minutes to fill the void.
From that day on, Marco understood Reno's true power. Normally, Reno's attacks seemed harmless, but when serious, this brat could unleash strikes comparable to top-tier powerhouses!
So, when Marco heard Reno threatening to sink the area, he didn't hesitate, fearing Reno might actually do it.
Whoosh!
Ratatatatata...
Thud, thud, thud..
In his phoenix form, Marco flew like lightning and quickly positioned himself in front of Reno, shielding him from Queen's hail of bullets.
Though many areas of Marco's body were pierced by bullets, they regenerated moments later, as if he had never been injured.
While blocking the bullets, Marco turned his head and said, "I've got this. You go rescue the hostages!"
"Thanks, Pineapple-head!"
Hearing Marco's assurance, Reno grinned and said cheekily, "Thanks, Pineapple-head! Don't die on me!"
Without waiting for a response, Reno floated toward the guards' quarters. Seeing him approach, the guards panicked and scrambled out of his way, treating him like a plague.
With no one daring to stop him, Reno easily entered the guards' room and spotted a wall covered in keys. A simple wave of his hand brought all the keys floating toward him.
"Boom, boom..."
"Kaboom kaboom!!"
Having grabbed the cell keys, Reno walked out and glanced at Marco and Queen locked in fierce combat.
----------
Patreon Advance 30 Chapters: patreon .com/FicVibe