one piece: gene extraction and fusion system-Chapter 279: Shadows over the Island

Two days later.

"Lord Black Crow is so handsome. He not only killed the Celestial Dragons but also rescued Lord Tiger. He's completely different from all other humans."

"That's right. Humans are disgusting no matter how you look at them, but Lord Black Crow is on another level." frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

"I wonder when Lord Black Crow will visit Fishman Island? I'll definitely prepare the best wine to welcome him."

On Fishman Island, rumors continued to circulate, all centered around Tiger being rescued by Black Crow. With Tiger himself present on the island and openly admitting his friendship with Black Crow, those rumors only grew stronger and more credible.

This time, Black Crow's status in the hearts of the Fishman Island residents rose significantly.

However, perhaps aware that he had stayed too long, Tiger made preparations to leave Fishman Island. With him were mermaid slaves he had rescued from Mary Geoise.

Just like in the original timeline, Tiger intended to form a pirate crew and brand the Celestial Dragon's Hoof with the pirate flag.

Grand Line – A Certain Route

Mio held the Den Den Mushi in his hand, surprise flashing through his eyes. "So, Tiger is about to leave Fishman Island?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then find a chance to leak the news to Kizaru. Make sure he doesn't trace it back to us," Mio ordered calmly.

"Yes, sir. Any other instructions?" asked Leni.

Mio fell silent for a moment, his expression thoughtful. Then he sighed softly and spoke. "After Tiger leaves, stir unrest on Fishman Island. The radicals on Fishman Street already oppose Otohime's ideals. Fuel their anger. Create an opportunity for civil unrest, and in the chaos—remove Otohime and Neptune."

In the past, Mio had killed many, mostly pirates and marines. Innocents were rarely his target.

But now...

He was dragging ordinary people into his plans. And that realization made him feel increasingly like a villain.

But that was fine.

This was the world of One Piece.

"The end justifies the means," Mio muttered under his breath, a cold glint in his eye. "Being the villain suits me just fine. In this world, honesty only gets you laughed at."

"Then sir, should we frame someone? The people of Fishman Island already hate human nobles. We could blame Otohime and Neptune's deaths on them," Leni suggested with a smile, eager to refine the plan.

If the deaths of the king and queen were pinned on human nobles, the hatred from Fishman Island would erupt into a wildfire. No one would question it.

"Alright," Mio replied. "But make sure there are no loose ends. No evidence that can lead back to us."

"Of course. I've already planned it all," Leni said confidently. "Once we eliminate Otohime and Neptune, we'll leave behind the corpses of a few known slave traders and plant forged evidence. It'll suggest that the human nobles ordered Otohime's abduction. That should be enough to turn public opinion entirely."

"Good," Mio said with a pleased smile. "I'll be waiting for good news."

He had to gain control over Fishman Island—no matter the cost.

The potential power on that island was as valuable as the Operation Fruit. The Sea King, with the ability to control sea kings across the ocean... if Mio didn't seize that power, he'd be an idiot.

It was a necessary weapon for the war against the World Government.

"Haha, sir, don't worry. I'll handle it. We'll speak again soon," Leni said before hanging up the Den Den Mushi.

Mio closed the receiver and looked up to see a new island slowly coming into view.

The hunt was far from over.

Gene collection had to continue.

He opened his panel and checked the genes collected so far. There were many, but not balanced enough. He still lacked crucial ones.

After all, he was cultivating the three thousand gorillas to be evenly enhanced. Each gene used had to be uniform to maintain consistency.

This next phase would push his power to a whole new level—and he was already looking forward to it.

The Black Glory finally docked.

Sky Island

At that moment, Renee had just ended the call with Mio. Her eyes flickered as she waved a hand.

A shadow soldier stepped forward and set down a Den Den Mushi. It projected an image of Fishman Island—Tiger and the others preparing to depart.

But it seemed Tiger had one last message for his comrades before leaving.

Renee wasn't in a hurry. She calmly watched the feed.

After about half an hour, Tiger left Fishman Island.

Still, Renee kept her eyes on the projection. A few hours later, Tiger burst from the ocean's surface.

Turning to the shadow soldier, she instructed, "Tiger has left Fishman Island and didn't enter the New World. He's still in the first half of the Grand Line, likely near the Sabaody Archipelago. Locate Kizaru and disguise yourself to deliver this news. Don't let it trace back to Linglong News."

The shadow soldier nodded and disappeared with the Den Den Mushi.

Renee reclined on the plush white sofa and sipped a glass of red wine, deep in thought.

"Fishman Island..."

As the head of Mio's intelligence network, Renee knew a great deal—much of it directly from Mio. She understood how much power lay hidden on Fishman Island.

Power that only Mio deserved to wield.

That's why Renee aimed for perfection. From two years ago until now, two types of rumors had been circulating: one about the cruelty of human nobles toward fishmen, and one about how Black Crow was fundamentally different from other humans.

And Renee was already thinking of ways to tighten Fishman Island's loyalty to Mio...

Bulu Bulu—

The Den Den Mushi rang suddenly.

Annoyed, Renee picked it up. "Penny, what is it?"

"Sis, I have a sister now!"

"...What?"

"I said, I found my sister today!"

"A sister? Where did that come from?" Renee frowned.

On the other end, Penny laughed—a sound mimicked perfectly by the Den Den Mushi.

"I adopted her. Found her in the ruins of a kingdom. She's only a few years old, and super cute."

"Penny," Renee's voice turned cold. "You know what we do. Even a child might pose a risk to Master Mio. She could jeopardize our secrets."

"Relax, sis. I'll raise her properly. Her name's Perona. And she's a Devil Fruit user—she has the Ghost Fruit."

Renee's eyes lit up in surprise.

The Ghost Fruit... she knew of it. Its powers were rare and extremely useful.

After a moment of contemplation, Renee nodded. "Fine. I'll return tomorrow. We'll talk then."