Good for those who got the Akira reference.
@Ceberusyuri Shiki was killed because he was too much trouble being kept alive, and it isn't like one more life would matter for Drakken when he has another few thousand as livestock.
Now, for the chapter itself. I'm actually grateful that they got rid of Drakken's current design. You can see that Mashima didn't put much effort because it was barely used one full chapter. I know the going all blobby monster is nothing knew but it could be like
@Hadski said, and that the machine was keeping Drakken alive but his Ether gear in check.
The normal human body isn't engineered to live past 120 years before it finally shutting down (especially the brain), so I can imagine his mutation like being a cancer of sorts, his body is frantically fighting to keep him alive after this sudden change to his condition and the Ether gear just enters here to enhance the process. The guy is past his lifetime and this is his way of extending the death of his cells, but yeah, it's not good looking. Still, it's better than dying. Am I right?