"I will win, and you will die." Queen Hathaway coldly watched as Kuma and Eric launched their frenzied attacks. She dodged Eric's strikes while a faint blood-colored mist began to emanate from her body.

This was the power of her bloodline, boiling and burning like a potent stimulant, significantly boosting her strength. It was her trump card.

Because of this ability, she had once slaughtered countless monsters, Marines, and even Lantis people overnight. The crimson light engulfed her, earning her the title of the Crimson Queen.

That was years ago, when Lantis was still chaotic and not yet unified.

"You're the one who will die." Through their previous battles, Eric had identified some of Hathaway's weaknesses, such as her left arm, which had recently been injured and couldn't fully exert its strength. This would be their opening.

"Danger..." Kuma felt uneasy as he saw the blood-colored mist spreading around Hathaway. He had hoped for a resolution without casualties, but it seemed impossible now. While he sympathized with Hathaway's plight and wanted to help her, he couldn't let it interfere with Dragon's grand plan. He had to make a choice.

Eric couldn't die, nor could any more high-ranking officers. Otherwise, Kuma would face deeper scrutiny for surviving. The only option was to reluctantly sacrifice Hathaway.

He could only hope that after Hathaway fell, Sabo would arrive in time to save the remaining Lantis people. Both Hathaway and Eric were determined to eliminate each other.

This decision was incredibly difficult for Kuma, but sacrifices were sometimes unavoidable. He had witnessed the destruction of many nations and their leaders.

"Kill!" Hathaway suddenly let out a roar filled with madness and pain. With a loud bang, the blood mist around her exploded, sweeping violently in all directions.

Her hair was blown back by the surging power within her, and her skin turned a deep red. If Rosen had seen her, he would have been reminded of Luffy's Gear Second.

But it didn't end there. Her blood boiled, and the blood mist began to coil around her sword, covered in Armament Haki, now predominantly red.

Her hair flew wildly, her face crimson, resembling a legendary sea siren—both fearsome and beautiful.

"Whoosh!" Hathaway vanished in an instant, as if teleporting. Sensing immense danger, Eric used Soru to dodge, crossing his arms defensively.

"Iron Body: Unbreakable Grip!" His arms were fully fortified with Iron Body, reaching the peak of his defensive capabilities. In the instant he assumed his defensive stance, Hathaway's crimson sword slashed down.

"Clang!" Eric's strongest defensive point was instantly breached. The sword cut into his arm, and with just a bit more force, it would have severed his limb.

Eric's expression changed drastically, pain and shock flooding his face. How could she be so much stronger now?

"Ha!" Hathaway's arms glowed red as immense power surged through her. Kuma opened his mouth, a laser beam gathering within, while his hands compressed air bombs. Having made his decision, he aimed to minimize casualties as quickly as possible.

He held nothing back.

"Whoosh!" His body repelled the surrounding air, reaching maximum speed as he appeared beside Eric, the laser beam ready to fire.

"Boom! Boom!" His hands struck Hathaway first. These weren't air bombs—there wasn't enough time—but compressed air walls meant to knock her back.

"Whoosh!" The laser beam shot out.

"Clang!" Hathaway frowned, retreating and blocking with her sword. The laser struck her blade, sending sparks flying and hurling her back a hundred meters. The air walls followed, crashing into her.

"Slash! Slash!" Hathaway casually swung her sword twice, shattering the air walls, but soon noticed her blade beginning to melt.

Her expression darkened. The beam was terrifying, nearly melting her renowned sword.

She didn't know that Kuma's laser could easily melt steel. If her sword hadn't been made of special materials, it would have turned to molten metal in one strike.

"Rankyaku: Focused Light Kick!" Eric closed the distance with Soru and kicked fiercely. Hathaway raised her sword to block.

But with a "crack," her sword shattered. Hathaway froze for a moment as Eric's kick sent her flying. He followed up with a Flying Finger Gun, piercing her left arm and leaving a finger-sized hole.

As she was sent flying, Hathaway's wounded arm reached out and grabbed the broken blade falling to the ground. She still held the hilt but now gripped the broken piece as well.

In mid-air, she coated the broken blade with Haki and hurled it with all her might. The speed was incredible—even Eric hadn't expected her reaction to be so much faster after being kicked away.

"Thud!" The broken blade pierced through Eric's Armament Haki defense, passing through his body and heading straight for Kuma.

Kuma was momentarily stunned. Hathaway's reaction and explosive power had become terrifying. Even with a broken sword, her attack was formidable, though its power had weakened after passing through Eric.

He raised his hand and deflected the blade with his palm, sighing silently. In an instant, he appeared above Hathaway and launched his prepared attack: "Kuma Impact!"

As Hathaway was kicked over the abyss, the expanding air bomb struck her. Unable to use techniques like Moon Walk, she had no way to dodge mid-air. She could only raise her broken sword, coated in Haki, to block.

"Boom!" The shockwave filled the abyss, then exploded outward, widening the fissure.

"She won't die that easily!" Eric growled through gritted teeth.

He saw Hathaway's last-ditch defense. His wounds bled, but he used his unique Life Return ability to compress his muscles, temporarily sealing the injury below his abdomen so it wouldn't hinder his combat.

At the critical moment, Eric had avoided a fatal blow, but his injuries were still severe—both his arm and abdomen. However, Hathaway wouldn't fare much better after being hit by his strongest Rankyaku and Kuma's attack.

With that, Eric leaped into the abyss to continue the pursuit, with Kuma following closely.

"Your Majesty!" Alice and the others saw their queen being struck into the abyss, growing increasingly anxious. However, Rear Admiral O'Neill had no intention of winning outright; his goal was simply to stall her.

The odds were still in their favor.

"Follow orders! Her Majesty won't die! We must eliminate the Marines completely before she returns, welcoming our queen with victory!" the temporary leader of the vanguard roared, steadying their morale.

"Let's go down and see. If he's dead, we leave immediately," Law said, standing at the edge of the pit. He had made up his mind.

If he saw the Shichibukai's corpse, he wouldn't hesitate to leave. After all, he wasn't willing to give up the chance to take revenge on Doflamingo.

But would there even be a body after such an explosion?

The battlefield was growing more dangerous and chaotic by the minute. With that thought, Law jumped down.

"Uncle, there seems to be a big explosion in the neighboring area..." After finishing bandaging Rosen, Natalie, sitting nearby, curiously reached out to touch the light particles, then heard a faint sound.

(End of Chapter)

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