radicalducati Chapter 245 The Resurrected Lava, Escape!
Chapter 245 The Resurrected Lava, Escape!
Chapter 245 The Resurrected Lava, Escape!
Inside Egghead Island, in the emergency passage leading to the secret port, the atmosphere was oppressively tense.
Hercules carried the bear's life support capsule on his shoulder, each step causing the metal floor to tremble slightly.
His scarlet eyes scanned every vent and shadow around him warily, like the most vigilant guardian beast.
Bonnie stayed close to him, her little hands clenching nervously every now and then.
"Turn left! Avoid the main power pipeline; I just tampered with the surveillance there, but it won't last long!"
Da Vinci's voice came through her makeshift miniature communicator, clear and swift.
The device in her hand continuously traced pale blue data streams in the air, breaking through system blockades along the way in real time.
"Warning! Main body! Extremely high-energy life form detected nearby! Approaching at an extremely rapid speed!"
"Energy spectrum analysis—highly matches Admiral Akainu Sakazuki in the files, but—it's even more chaotic and violent! It exhibits characteristics of unknown divine contamination!"
The AI-synthesized voice had an unprecedented urgency.
"What?! Sakazuki?! How could that bastard be here? The news said he got really badly beaten up by Blackbeard! He should be in the hospital!!"
Bucky screamed.
Shanks' voice came through the magical communication system that Merlin had temporarily set up, and it was heavy with emotion.
"No! This isn't Sakazuki! This aura—I've sensed it in Alabasta before!"
"It's that Lava Demon! The monster awakened by the power of Tescatlipoca!"
Merlin's voice followed, confirming, "That's right! Although the form and vessel are different, the core, the fanatical divinity that denies civilization, is of the same origin as that descendant from Alabasta!"
"The World Government—what exactly did they do with that power?! Dr. Vegapunk, do you have any clues?"
Sweat poured from Vegapunk's brow.
As he ran alongside the group, he kept his eyes glued to a portable monitoring screen on his wrist, his voice filled with disbelief and panic.
"I know, but—it's impossible—this energy reaction—is the lava core experimental subject going berserk!"
""
"It should be in deep hibernation, locked away in a multi-layered laboratory!"
"How could it possibly be activated without my command and Sakazuki's vital signs as the key?!"
Suddenly, the entire passageway shook violently again.
This time it was even more intense than before, with the lights overhead flashing wildly.
Then, the light went out completely, with only the emergency red lights and the light drawn by Leonardo da Vinci's own brush providing illumination.
A suffocating heat surged from deep beneath their feet, as if they were running on the crater of a volcano about to erupt!
"Warning! The bottom-level sealing unit has been forcibly breached by an unknown authority! The energy index of the lava core is increasing exponentially! It—it's coming up!"
On Vegapunk's monitoring screen, a crimson dot representing an extremely high threat was rushing upwards along the tunnel shaft at a terrifying speed!
"It's not a rampage—it was triggered intentionally!"
A sharp glint flashed in Da Vinci's azure eyes.
"This order, with authority exceeding yours, Master, is a direct command from the Holy Land of Mary Geoise!"
"They don't care about the island or the research findings within; they only have one goal: to completely eliminate the invaders!"
Jason followed behind Heracles, his face pale, but he still kept his mouth shut.
This was mainly to embolden himself and Bucky's men.
"What's there to be afraid of! These are just traps and tin cans! The so-called Lava Demon is nothing more than part of the great hero's trial."
"With Lord Jason here, and the invincible Hercules, we will surely escort you safely to that snail-slow clown ship!"
Bucky, enraged, turned around and yelled, "Shut up! My great Bucky is—well-designed!"
"Forget about such trivial matters; even being slow is better than being roasted to a crisp by lava!"
Although his attitude towards Shanks has improved a lot, the current situation is obviously much more serious than when facing an old friend.
"Shanks, you're drawing fire outside, don't mess things up and drag us down with you!"
No sooner had they finished speaking than the ground in the passage not far in front of them suddenly exploded! Radiating hot, crimson lava gushed out like a fountain, instantly blocking their path!
Within the churning lava, the lava creature that kept emitting inhuman roars slowly rose.
Its face, composed of flowing magma, seemed to conjure an expression of mockery and rage, locking onto Vegapunk!
"roar-!!!"
A terrifying sound wave, mixed with a scorching shockwave, swept in!
"Protect the doctor and Bonnie!" Jason shouted instinctively, though his legs were weak with fear.
Hercules gently placed the life support capsule in a relatively safe corner.
He let out a deafening roar, and his entire body was engulfed in crimson magic that burned like flames!
He took a step forward, and his huge fist, accompanied by a shrill whistling sound that tore through the air, slammed down on the lava creation!
The lava creation neither dodged nor evaded; its lava arm suddenly expanded, and it delivered a punch to meet the attack head-on!
boom-!!!
The stone knife clashed violently with the lava gauntlet!
This time, the lava creature's arm was not shattered directly; instead, it produced a loud, metallic clang!
Hot lava splashed everywhere, landing on the surrounding walls and instantly melting them!
Hercules' power clearly had the upper hand, forcing the lava creature to retreat half a step, but the opponent's strange regenerative ability and seemingly inexhaustible energy instantly brought the battle to a stalemate!
"It's different from what we studied before; there's something at its core!" Leonardo da Vinci keenly observed.
"It's not just the remnants of Tescatlipoca's divinity that's driving it; there's an even colder will at play! It's being remotely controlled!"
"It's Im—" Vegapunk's voice was hoarse, filled with despair.
"Only that guy has that kind of authority—we've all been tricked!"
"They knew about my relationship with Leonardo da Vinci all along and let us conduct our research until we produced results."
"Or—until we lose our value, like we are now, we might have to be eliminated along with our achievements!"
Just then, Shanks' urgent voice came through the external communicator, with the sounds of intense explosions and shouts of killing in the background.
"Bucky! Vegapunk! How's it going over there? We're under a lot of pressure here!"
The navy is acting like madmen, and I sense several powerful auras rapidly approaching! One of them—filled with a nauseating aura of death—is likely one of the Five Elders!
Merlin's voice was also mixed in, carrying an unusual seriousness.
"The space is disrupted; large-scale teleportation spells cannot be cast! We must reach the evacuation point from the inside as soon as possible!"
With lava creatures blocking the way ahead, pursuers behind, and top World Government experts about to arrive, the situation is extremely critical!
"We can't fight head-on!" Leonardo da Vinci quickly made the judgment.
"Mr. Hercules! Hold it off for ten seconds! Master, do you remember where the nearest large cooling pipe is below this passage?!"
Vegapunk immediately understood her intention and quickly gave her a coordinate.
"Of course! Fifteen meters to the lower left, the main cooling circulation system C-7 pipe!"
Da Vinci's paintbrush suddenly burst forth with dazzling light as she drew an extremely complex three-dimensional rune set in the air!
"With the wisdom of all things, reconstructing matter—UomoUniversale!"
The runes seemed to come alive, suddenly imprinting themselves onto the metal floor beneath their feet!
The next moment, the solid alloy floor rippled like water, quickly dissolving and reconstructing to reveal the crisscrossing pipe system below, one of which, with a diameter of over three meters, was emitting a cold, white aura!
"Jump!" Leonardo da Vinci shouted.
Hercules roared and suddenly unleashed even greater power.
The giant axe cleaved like a storm, temporarily forcing the lava creature back to the other end of the passage and blocking the gap with its massive body.
"Berserker!" Bonnie exclaimed.
"He's alright! Let's go!" Jason reacted extremely quickly this time, grabbing Bonnie and jumping into the cooling pipe first.
Bucky and his men scrambled down the slope.
With Da Vinci's assistance, Vegapunk carefully lowered the life support pod.
"Hercules! Retreat!" Da Vinci shouted into the communicator.
Hercules punched away the surging lava again, then turned around without hesitation, his massive body leaping nimbly into the cooling pipe.
The instant he leaped in, Leonardo da Vinci flicked his brush, and the opening above quickly closed, transforming back into solid metal ground.
Almost the instant the cave entrance closed, the scorching lava completely engulfed the area.
The cooling pipes were chillingly cold, a stark contrast to the scorching heat outside.
The group slid quickly along the cold pipe walls.
"This is just a temporary measure!" Vegapunk said breathlessly.
"The lava creatures will find us soon! And the Five Elders—"
"So we can't go to the port we booked!" Da Vinci interrupted him sharply.
"Master, I have a general understanding of the map here. However, based on my understanding of you, are there any other unrecorded exits on this island, even unfinished ones?"
"Especially—those near the edge, capable of directly escaping the island's boundaries?"
Vegapunk was stunned for a moment, and then data flashed wildly on the giant apple head.
"Yes! There is one! On the northwest side of the island, an electromagnetic catapult launch channel originally designed for launching experimental aircraft!"
"It was abandoned due to energy and technological issues, but the structure remains! The passage leads directly to the sea off the island!"
"That's it!" Da Vinci decided immediately.
"Change course! We're heading to the electromagnetic catapult launch area!"
Meanwhile, in the City of Water, in a luxurious room overlooking the entire city.
Crocodile slowly exhaled a smoke ring from his cigar, his slightly gloomy face now displaying a calm composure as if he were in control of the situation.
A blurry image made of smoke floated in front of him, showing the scene inside Egghead Island where lava creatures were frantically chasing Vegapunk and his companions.
"It seems that the little bit of power you contributed was used rather—brutally," Crocodile said hoarsely.
In the shadows of the room, Tescatlipoca's figure materialized like a ghost. His wild and unruly smile remained, but a hint of offended anger flickered deep in his eyes.
"Hehehehe—brutal? It's more than just brutal, it's downright blasphemy against divinity." His voice was filled with suppressed anger.
"That rat lurking in the shadows, Im, dared to forcibly manipulate divine power to create such inferior products that cannot comprehend true destruction!"
He walked to the window and looked out at the azure sea.
"That power is a gift I leave to this world, a fire that stirs up destiny and brings about change! It's not a broom to sweep up trash!"
"Hehehe, thinking about it, it makes sense—mortals are always like this, trying to control powers they can't understand."
Tescatlipoca's voice echoed with a hint of mockery. Crocodile glanced at him coldly: "Don't forget, Tescatlipoca, you yourself chose to leave a portion of your power behind, and you tacitly allowed the World Government to collect it."
"And what right do you have to complain?"
Tescatlipoca turned around abruptly, his smile turning dangerous.
"Oh? My Master, ever since you boarded the Straw Hat Luffy's ship, you seem to be getting bolder and bolder? Are you testing my limits?"
"Don't forget, you still have two more chances to order me around. Is it worth using them in a situation like this?"
Crocodile met his gaze without flinching, the glow of his cigar flickering in the dim light.
"I'm just reminding you that cooperation is based on mutual benefit. And now it seems that abandoning Alabasta was the biggest mistake of all!"
Crocodile snorted: "Forget it, the more I think about it, the angrier I get."
"In short, the sooner the world government collapses, the sooner we can get back everything that belongs to me, and the sooner you can find the fun you want."
"If Im easily clears away the obstacles with your power, it will benefit none of us."
Tescatlipoca stared at Crocodile for a few seconds, then suddenly chuckled, as if his anger had never existed.
"Interesting—really interesting! You're right, gambler."
"In that case, choosing a collaborator with brains is indeed much more interesting than finding a timid puppet."
He looked into the distance again, as if he could see through space to witness the fierce battle on Egghead Island.
"Then let's add a little more uncertainty to this game of hunting."
"While direct intervention isn't ideal, it's still possible to make that substandard product behave a little."
He extended his index finger and gently tapped it in the air.
A barely perceptible fluctuation of chaotic energy crossed space and quietly spread outwards.
Crocodile scoffed: "The right choice. Vegapunk breaking away from the government is a good thing for us."
"The more chaotic the World Government becomes, the greater our chances. But—it seems that the Straw Hat Pirates have gotten into new trouble."
The two fell silent, leaving only the lingering smoke of cigars and the eternal sound of flowing water from the Water City outside the window.
Undercurrents flow beneath the surface of this beautiful city.
On the northwest side of Egghead Island, inside the abandoned electromagnetic catapult tunnel.
The place is covered in dust and discarded parts, with massive tracks stretching to the exit at the edge of the field of vision, beyond which lies the vast ocean.
Just as the group arrived, a sickening metallic tearing sound came from behind them!
A wave of scorching heat hit us!
The lava creature actually melted through the thick isolation wall and caught up with us!
It seemed even more ferocious than before, its crimson eyes almost overflowing with light!
"It's faster!" Bucky screamed.
"No time! Activate the ejection mechanism!" Da Vinci shouted.
Vegapunk lunged at the dusty control panel and began operating it rapidly with both hands.
"The power line has been cut! We need to manually connect to the backup power source! It's right below the track!"
"Let this hero go!" Jason took the initiative unexpectedly this time, perhaps because the instinct for survival overcame his fear of the lava.
He nimbly jumped off the track, found the hidden energy interface, and forcefully pulled it back into place!
Buzz!
The electromagnetic coils on both sides of the track began to light up blue in sequence, and a powerful magnetic field began to be generated!
But the lava creation is already within reach!
It opened its massive lava maw, and an even hotter breath of lava was about to erupt!
"Berserker!" Bonnie screamed.
Hercules let out a deafening roar, plunged his stone knife into the ground, crossed his arms in front of him to protect himself, and concentrated all his magic power to the limit, preparing to withstand this blow that was enough to vaporize steel!