With a dull "thud," Shusui shot through the air like a bolt of lightning, carrying an unstoppable, razor-sharp momentum as it plunged straight into King's heart!
This strike was as swift as the wind and as fierce as thunder, leaving no time for anyone to react.
In the instant he suffered this fatal blow, King's already somewhat narrow eyes involuntarily widened into perfect circles, as if they were about to bulge out of their sockets.
Those eyes were filled with shock, disbelief, and despair, fixed intently on the Shusui before him and the person wielding it.
Yet, in the blink of an eye, the light in King's eyes rapidly dimmed, like a candle flame suddenly extinguished by a violent gust of wind.
His gaze became hollow and unfocused, devoid of any life, as if his spirit had completely departed.
Simultaneously, his face turned deathly pale in an instant, resembling a corpse that had just perished.
"Boom..."
With a thunderous crash, King's body plummeted from mid-air like a cannonball.
The immense impact shook the ground, forcibly creating a large crater.
And King lay silently at the very center of this crater, motionless, as if he had entirely lost all vitality, becoming nothing more than a cold, lifeless shell.
"Hiss..."
Both Sasaki and Ulti couldn't help but gasp sharply upon witnessing this scene.
As members of the Beasts Pirates, they were well aware of King's strength.
He was undoubtedly the strongest under Kaido.
Otherwise, King would never have secured the position as the leader of the Three Calamities in the strength-respecting Beasts Pirates.
Of course, neither of them had personally experienced just how terrifying King's power truly was.
But they had experienced the might of the youngest among the Three Calamities, Jack the Drought.
Jack the Drought's strength was already beyond their reach, let alone that of King, the leader of the Three Calamities.
They had also witnessed King engage other powerful pirates, his devastating power absolutely horrifying.
It could be said that in the entire New World, aside from the Four Emperors of Pirates, only a handful of individuals could rival him.
Such a figure now lay there motionless, like a dead fish.
Especially Sasaki, who simply "gave up"—what was the point of fighting now?
Not only had Who's-Who been knocked out of combat by Young Master Yamato's single strike, but now even their strongest, King, had been killed by this Marine.
He's already no match for Ulti and he certainly cant take her along with the even more powerful Young Master Yamato and this Marine.
He couldn't even win one-on-one, and now he had to fight one against three...
Sasaki resigned himself to fate, reverting from his beast-man form to his normal state, his expression utterly dejected.
Seeing this, Lancelot couldn't help but laugh and even asked.
"Interested in joining me?"
Sasaki: "..."
Hearing this, Sasaki was momentarily stunned.
He truly hadn't expected Lancelot to extend an olive branch to him... but then, glancing at Ulti standing before him, he understood.
If the other side could recruit Ulti, why not him as well?
But should he join or not?
Wait!
Given this Marine's consistent modus operandi, the choice before him wasn't whether to join or not, but rather between life and death.
...
Meanwhile, at the quarry.
Queen received the call for reinforcements, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"Sasaki, say that again!"
Sasaki: "Ulti and Young Master Yamato have betrayed us. Who's-Who is dead. King is locked in a bitter battle with Lancelot... If we don't get reinforcements soon, the entire Onigashima will fall."
"Hiss..."
Upon receiving confirmation, Queen couldn't help but suck in a cold breath.
His heart was filled with immense shock... and disbelief.
Where was Onigashima? It was located at the very center of the New World, serving as the stronghold of their Beasts Pirates.
How could a Marine dare to attack there directly? Could you believe it?
Most importantly, both Ulti and Young Master Yamato had betrayed the Beasts Pirates, joining forces with that Marine to assault Onigashima.
Could you believe it?
Yet no matter how unbelievable it seemed, he had no choice but to accept it.
Because he understood that Sasaki would never lie about such matters.
In a heavy tone, he said, "Hold on with King. I'm heading over immediately."
With that, Queen promptly ended the call, stood up abruptly, and rushed out of his room. But just as he stepped out, it seemed he remembered something.
He picked up the Den Den Mushi again and dialed Kaido.
The call connected quickly, and Kaido's voice came through.
"This is Kaido."
Queen immediately reported, "Captain, it's bad! That Marine has attacked Onigashima. Sasaki just called—Ulti and Young Master Yamato have rebelled, Who's-Who is dead, and King is locked in a fierce battle with Lancelot... If we don't get reinforcements soon, the entire Onigashima will fall. I'm already on my way and should be there shortly to support them."
"But I have my doubts... After all, I refuse to believe that Marine came alone. So, Captain, you should return as quickly as possible! Otherwise, I fear even with my support, we might not be able to hold Onigashima in the end."
"What?!"
Kaido's face drastically changed, and he let out a shocked exclamation.
His eyes widened, as if he had just heard the most astonishing news in the world.
How dare that guy attack Onigashima directly?
After snapping back to reality, he was furious.
However, he didn't lose his composure.
If what Queen said was true, even if he returned, it might not guarantee Onigashima's safety.
And Onigashima was the stronghold of the Beasts Pirates.
If the Marines captured it... His position as the Emperor would be in grave danger.
He nodded and said, "You go ahead first. I'll return right away."
After a pause, he added, "Half a day. Just hold out for half a day, and I'll be back at Onigashima."
Queen replied, "Understood, Captain."
They ended the call, and Queen hurried toward the center of Onigashima.
Meanwhile, Kaido didn't put away the Den Den Mushi.
Instead, he dialed Charlotte Linlin's number.
"Buru... Buru..."
On Whole Cake Island, Charlotte Linlin was enjoying herself with her 43rd husband, hoping to have more children.
Suddenly, the Den Den Mushi on the bedside table rang.
Right at the critical moment!
This unexpected interruption startled her 43rd husband. Being startled was one thing...
But he ended up finishing prematurely... How could Charlotte Linlin tolerate this?
Suppressing her rage with the last shred of rationality, she kicked her 43rd husband off the bed and answered the Den Den Mushi...
Because this particular Den Den Mushi wasn't for casual calls.
Nor was it accessible to just anyone.
If it rang, it definitely meant something extremely important.