"You're sure there will be few people interested in this Devil Fruit?" Mio asked with a smile.
Hearing this, Doflamingo also laughed, but his tone carried deeper meaning.
"That being said, there aren't many people who dare to possess this kind of power."
"Heh, if you find the fruit and want to use it for bargaining, come to me." Mio chuckled, shook his head, and hung up the Den Den Mushi.
In the Grand Line — On a Ship
Doflamingo put away the Den Den Mushi and looked up at the clear blue sky with a wicked smile.
"I really can't understand you more and more, my friend… Fufufufufu."
Previously, in Impel Down, Mio had clearly been captured, yet he still knew about the Seven Warlords of the Sea, which suggested his intelligence network was extremely strong.
He had foresight.
He had ties to Vegapunk.
He had ambition.
He was powerful, with endless potential.
Even the Black Crow Pirates under his command had shown remarkable growth and talent.
But even with all that, none of it compared to the forbidden power of the Operation Fruit.
The Operation Fruit's ultimate ability could grant immortality to another person—at the cost of the user's life.
This kind of power tempted many, but very few had the courage to pursue it.
Why? The reason was simple.
The World Government would never allow such a person to exist.
An immortal individual posed an immense long-term threat to the balance and control of the World Government.
Even the very foundation of their power could be shaken.
Only the ignorant dream of immortality.
Those who understand it rarely seek it—because even if you live forever, you can still be killed.
And once the World Government learns someone has gained immortality, they will go to every length to erase that person.
Their full might is something even the Four Emperors might not be able to resist—unless they joined forces.
After all, the World Government had 800 years of deep-rooted power behind it.
"The Operation Fruit, huh…" Doflamingo's eyes gleamed as he muttered. He had known about the fruit, but finding it was another matter.
Still, his interest in Mio was only deepening.
He began to seriously consider forming a solid alliance with Mio.
Whether it was for intelligence,
Mio's potential,
or the rapid development of the Black Crow Pirates—
he had to take it all into account.
But the timing wasn't right—yet.
Standing nearby, Trebol stepped forward and asked in a low tone,
"Young Master, are the Black Crow Pirates heading to the New World?"
"Yeah, that's right," Doflamingo nodded, eyes still fixed on the sky.
"The captain of the Black Crow Pirates escaped from Impel Down. Whether he did it alone or with others, the whole world will be in an uproar tomorrow. Not to mention—he deliberately infiltrated Impel Down and hid there for a year. What do you think that means? Whatever it is, by tomorrow, the powerful players in the New World will all remember his name."
Trebol frowned.
"That's not necessarily a good thing. The New World has no room for more powerful pirates. In the past year, any pirate entering has either been killed or forced to join a major force. A new name with power like this? Kaido will definitely notice the Black Crow Pirates. And then there will be only two paths left for them."
"Either submit to Kaido…"
"Or be hunted down by Kaido."
Doflamingo grinned.
"And why can't the Black Crow Pirates be the ones to kill Kaido?"
Trebol fell silent for a long time, before speaking.
"The odds are low. Their strength… isn't enough to shake Kaido yet."
"Fufufufu… We'll see tomorrow whether they've got what it takes."
After laughing, Doflamingo stopped talking, casually placing his hands in his trouser pockets and swaggering toward the cabin with his trademark strut.
Inside the Gate of Justice — Onboard the Black Glory
The Black Glory was heading toward Judicial Island.
If nothing went wrong, then Judicial Island had likely already received news about Impel Down.
Inside the ship's restaurant, Mio was enjoying a barbecue with large bites, visibly pleased.
"Ah, this taste… It never changes. Give me another piece."
"Okay." Erica giggled softly, then handed him a large chunk of meat.
A bite of meat, a sip of wine.
Mio was in pure bliss.
After finishing his meal, Mio planned to rest.
Over the past year, he hadn't rested properly even once—training consumed nearly every single day.
But before heading to bed, he checked the gene data he had collected.
Ancient giant lizard gene.
Antelope gene.
Momo gene.
Sparrowhawk gene.
And more…
Looking at them, Mio smiled. Once he acquired what he needed from Vegapunk, he could begin training his new creations.
And the one he would train next…
A thoughtful glint flickered in Mio's eyes before he shook his head, washed up, and went to sleep.
The Next Morning — Judicial Island
Judicial Island, known as the "Island That Never Sleeps," served as a court—but in name only.
At this moment, the Gate of Justice on Judicial Island was slowly opening.
The Black Glory passed through the gate.
Mio sat calmly on the bow, gazing at the approaching island.
Erica stood on his right, surveying the surroundings.
"Master, it looks like no one came to stop us."
"As expected," Mio said indifferently. "Let's get out of here. We have a new destination."
Judicial Island belonged to the World Government, not the Navy.
Currently, the commander of the island was Spandine—Spandam's cowardly father. Even if he had heard the news about Impel Down, he likely wouldn't have the guts to intercept Mio.
And even if he did?
Mio wouldn't mind killing another batch of World Government lackeys.
The Black Glory surged forward at full speed.
It was about to leave Judicial Island's waters.
But then—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Sharp, slicing sounds cut through the air.
Mio looked up and saw a warship belonging directly to the World Government in the distance. Shells flew from its cannons, aimed straight at them.
Another warship was closing in from the other side as well.
Warwick leapt into the sky and kicked out, releasing a barrage of storm-like kicks. The resulting air blades shredded the incoming shells mid-air.
Mio glanced at the warships but didn't even stand up.
He kept his eyes on the sea chart before him, lifted one hand, and waved lazily.
"Get rid of them."
At that signal—
Hei Yan stared at one of the warships, took a step forward, and vanished from sight.
Lilith's figure disappeared the moment Mio finished speaking.
Erica gripped her swords with both hands, her gaze sharpening. In a flash, she drew her blades and unleashed a powerful slash.
Two silver sword arcs flew across the sea and struck directly.
BOOM—
A warship was
cleaved in two.