Mio stared at the last three results from the gene draw.
He had acquired the [Akame no Mie – Esdeath Gene], the [Jackie Chan Adventures – Shadow Gene], and one that made the corners of his mouth twitch — the [Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf – Big Big Wolf Gene].
First off, there wasn't much to say about the Esdeath gene. Mio wasn't interested in an ordinary version, but this one came from the version that had consumed the forbidden blood — granting her immense control over ice, similar to Aokiji.
Perhaps Esdeath's raw control over ice wasn't quite as refined as Aokiji's…
But Esdeath had a terrifying ability: Mokobotmo.
This technique allowed her to freeze both space and time — including the very flow of time itself. Though it had its limitations, it was undoubtedly fearsome. Even if it only lasted a brief moment, that moment was enough to change the tide of battle.
Next came the Shadow Gene from Jackie Chan Adventures. This one related to the Shadow Corps.
With this gene, one could summon an entire corps of Black Shadow warriors from another dimension to fight in this world. A strange and mysterious ability, to say the least.
While the Black Shadow Corps weren't especially strong compared to powerhouses in this world, they had certain distinct advantages. They were immortal, numerous, and diverse in type. Most importantly, they possessed their own dimension — the Black Shadow Kingdom. They could travel instantly between the physical world and their kingdom, making their movements extremely hard to track.
Their greatest strength wasn't combat.
It was intelligence gathering.
With this ability, Mio could quickly create a top-tier intelligence network.
And finally… the Big Big Wolf Gene.
Just seeing the name gave Mio a headache. But when he read the details, he couldn't help but reconsider.
[Big Big Wolf Gene: A gene from the world of Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf. Although this wolf often fails in catching goats, it has an exceptionally high IQ — particularly when it comes to research and invention.]
While not a combat-heavy gene, it was clearly practical.
"Not bad for boosting intelligence," Mio muttered. "Maybe I can turn this one into a shipwright? Or a ship engineer?"
He shook his head, letting out a small chuckle. "Forget it. The first few were already pretty great. It's impossible to pull top-tier genes every single time."
Closing the gene draw panel, Mio took inventory.
Four new genes.
Three of them were incredibly useful: the Gengar Gene, Esdeath Gene, and Shadow Gene.
Two were ideal for nurturing members of the Mink Tribe, and one was perfect for developing his Saker Falcon unit.
As for the Big Big Wolf Gene… he'd leave that for later. It might come in handy eventually, but it wasn't a priority. Mio preferred collecting additional genes to boost biological stats before attempting any new cultivations. Using a single gene as the foundation, even if it had potential, would result in a creature too weak to be of much help.
With that decided, Mio turned to the large map pinned to the cabin wall. He studied the islands scattered across the route to Alabasta.
There were plenty of uninhabited islands in the Grand Line — most of them without names or records. The kind of place perfect for finding unknown beasts. What he really wanted was a training-type island like the one Erica and the others had used before — full of wild and powerful creatures.
Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be such a place on the direct route to Alabasta.
Instead, he would have to settle for second best — an island filled with ferocious beasts.
Lanti Island fit the bill.
With the decision made, Mio stepped out onto the deck and called out to Erica, instructing her to keep the two Mink Tribe members and the Saker Falcon in storage for now. There was no need to deploy them just yet. After that, he found Hanba and gave him directions toward Lanti Island.
Time passed slowly.
Before he knew it, four days had gone by.
Out at sea, many pirates and news agencies were anxiously watching for the movements of the Black Crow Pirates. They all assumed Mio would eventually head to Sabaody Archipelago, the last step before entering the New World.
What they didn't know was that Mio had no intention of going there anytime soon.
On this particular day…
Dark clouds covered the sky, thunder roared overhead, and lightning danced across the heavens like writhing serpents. Rain poured down relentlessly.
At last, an island appeared in sight — Lanti Island.
Mio stood on the deck in short sleeves. Lilith was beside him, her large bat-like wings spread above to shield him from the rain.
"Let's go," Mio ordered Hanba calmly.
Hanba obeyed immediately, guiding the Black Glory toward the island's shore.
As they neared the coast, Mio narrowed his eyes. There was already a pirate ship docked there.
He smirked. "Looks like someone's here to deliver me some new genes."
The first half of the Grand Line didn't boast many powerful pirates, but even average Devil Fruit users had better potential than most wild beasts. Occasionally, someone unique popped up. That hope flickered in Mio's eyes.
As the Black Glory closed in…
Pirates on the other ship began to notice them.
One climbed the flagpole, eyes widening. "Boss! There's a big name heading this way!"
From the cabin below, a voice rang out.
"What are you yelling about now?"
"Did someone with a bounty over 100 million show up or something?"
"No way! That'd be crazy…"
One by one, figures emerged from the cabin. The man in front had spiky yellow hair and wore a cape. He didn't seem to mind the downpour, frowning as he looked up.
"What's going on?" he demanded.
"Boss, it's the Black Crow Pirates!" the lookout shouted, pointing frantically at the Black Glory.
The man froze.
A flicker of disbelief flashed across his face, followed quickly by wide-eyed shock. Then… a grin spread across his face.
"Finally… I get to meet you again. This time, I won't lose."
With that, Bellamy stepped forward and leapt from the pirate ship, landing on the wet shore below. He looked up at the Black Glory and shouted, "Kurokawa Mio, come down and accept my challenge! I'm Bellamy — the guy you beat in the North Blue! I didn't die, and I've come to settle the score!"
Onboard the Black Glory…
Mio turned at the sound of the voice. He saw the figure on the shore and squinted slightly in thought.
It took a moment… but then he remembered.
"Oh, that guy."
He murmured to himself. Back during his earliest days after arriving in this world, he had encountered Bellamy on a remote island in the North Blue. He'd crushed him easily and had assumed the man was dead.
But clearly, he wasn't.
"You want to challenge me?" Mio asked, leaning casually against the railing. His arms rested on the wooden rail as he gazed down at Bellamy with a smile.
"That's right! Come down and fight me!" Bellamy roared defiantly, completely unfazed by Mio's bounty or reputation.
His legs suddenly transformed into coiled springs — clear proof he'd eaten a Devil Fruit.
"A challenge?" Mio chuckled and shook his head slowly. "No. You're not qualified yet."
He then gestured to Erica and the others standing beside him.
"Pick one of them. Beat them, and I'll give you the chance to challenge me."
——-
Pump up the power stone if you guys want mass release