one piece: gene extraction and fusion system-Chapter 218: Confrontation on the Icy Sea

Aokiji frowned, his eyes flashing with coldness.

"Black Crow is indeed powerful and threatening, but you are not Black Crow. Stay here," Aokiji said in a cold tone and landed on the sea with a light jump. The surface beneath his feet instantly froze solid upon contact.

Then, he slapped his palm against the sea.

A burst of terrifying cold air erupted and spread rapidly forward.

Wherever the cold air passed, the sea froze over.

The ice expanded quickly, stretching toward the pirate ship at an alarming speed.

Within less than a minute, the icy surface reached and encased the pirate ship.

Feeling the sudden drop in temperature, Katsumata Takeru's expression changed.

His strength was considered mid-level in the New World, but he was far inferior to a marine admiral.

At that moment—

Buzz.

A violent gust of wind suddenly swept forth, rushing straight toward the cold air.

The swirling wind blocked the frost head-on, halting its advance completely.

A figure appeared on the bow of the pirate ship, gazing calmly at Aokiji and speaking in an unshaken tone. "Admiral Aokiji, this sea territory now belongs to Black Crow. The Ripper Pirates are part of Black Crow's forces. Are you sure you want to start a fight here?"

"It's Lord Bai Feng!"

"Great! Lord Bai Feng has come to save us—no need to worry anymore!"

Seeing him arrive, Katsumata Takeru finally relaxed.

Bai Feng was extremely strong. Although it was uncertain if he could defeat Admiral Aokiji, it should be possible for him to stall for time—enough for Lord Black Crow and reinforcements to arrive.

"It's normal for the navy to arrest pirates, isn't it?" Aokiji replied calmly, though he refrained from taking any further action.

He could sense the man before him wasn't weak. If they engaged, it wouldn't be easy to defeat him quickly, and the opponent's abilities clearly weren't to be underestimated.

"Black Crow isn't someone you can just capture," Bai Feng said, his tone still calm but now laced with menace. "And you're alone. Even if you're an admiral, do you really think you can take us on by yourself? We're close to Crow Island. If we decide to act—even if it costs us—we might make sure you don't leave this place alive."

"Anyone can talk big. That doesn't mean you have the power to back it up," Aokiji replied, his tone deep as cold energy began to surge through his body again.

In response, Bai Feng spread his wings wide. With a sudden flap, a terrifying gust of wind erupted. Twin tornadoes formed on either side of the pirate ship, spinning fiercely and drawing seawater into the air in spiraling columns.

"You're welcome to try," Bai Feng said indifferently.

Even when facing an admiral, he showed no fear.

He might not be Aokiji's match in a one-on-one fight, but buying time until reinforcements arrived? That was more than doable.

Once all of the Black Crow pirates were present, Aokiji wouldn't leave unscathed—he'd either be seriously injured or worse.

Aokiji stared at the tornadoes warily. That kind of power was dangerous on the sea.

After a moment of silence, the cold aura around Aokiji receded. Bai Feng had made his point—the island was too close. While Black Crow had shown no clear intent to kill him, if provoked, they might be willing to pay the price to keep him here permanently.

Thinking this through...

Aokiji gave up on continuing the fight.

With a light leap, he returned to his warship, casting one last glance at Bai Feng.

"I'll let you off this time. But next time, be careful. If you're alone, you'll be captured and taken to Impel Down. Not everyone is as lucky as your captain."

"Don't worry about us, Admiral Aokiji. We know how to take care of ourselves," Bai Feng responded calmly. He flapped his wings once more, and the fierce winds dissipated at once.

"Hmph."

Aokiji snorted coldly and gave the order. "Let's go."

The warships began to move, slowly retreating into the distance.

He had lost face this time, but there was nothing else to be done.

Since the Black Crow Pirates could help Poken escape, they might be capable of seriously wounding him too. And this was still the New World—he couldn't afford to linger alone in enemy territory for too long, especially not against the entire Black Crow crew.

If a real battle broke out, things would become far too messy by the time marine reinforcements arrived.

In this situation, retreat was the most sensible choice.

"But this time, I must report everything to Marshal Sengoku when I return."

The strength of the Black Crow Pirates was far more terrifying than expected.

Especially Bai Feng—clearly powerful, yet he still had no bounty. That needed to change immediately. A bounty would serve as a warning to other navy officers.

Otherwise, someone was bound to suffer a heavy loss due to lack of intel.

As the three warships left the scene, Bai Feng turned to Katsumata Takeru and said, "Continue patrolling the area. I'll join you."

"Yes!" Katsumata replied, excited. With Lord Bai Feng accompanying them, he didn't need to worry. Even if another admiral appeared, they'd have time to call for reinforcements.

The pirate ship continued its patrol of the sea.

Mio, of course, was aware of the encounter, but he didn't plan to step in. Just as Aokiji understood his situation, Mio could also sympathize with Aokiji's pressure.

This situation could be resolved without a fight—so why escalate?

And so, he stayed on Crow Island, drinking with Hawkeye.

If Aokiji had truly chosen to fight, he wouldn't have been able to leave.

The current Black Crow Pirates weren't the same as when Aokiji first encountered them.

Time passed quietly, and soon it was late at night.

Hawkeye had retired to rest.

Mio leaned against a massive tree, gazing at the starry sky. He held two Devil Fruits in his hands, his expression thoughtful.

He was pondering whether or not to draw a lottery.

He didn't have many Devil Fruits on hand—three in total. One would be kept for future use, and the other two could be used in a draw.

Still, he wasn't in a hurry. Right now, he possessed several powerful genes.

"Tsk... the real issue is the lack of suitable organisms to cultivate," Mio muttered.

Strong genes required strong host organisms, but quality hosts were hard to come by.

"But once we find the right creatures, with the genes I already have, I should be able to create something on par with Hei'er," Mio said with a soft chuckle.

He was looking forward to that.

After all, he currently had three sets of incredibly powerful genes in his possession.

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