one piece: gene extraction and fusion system-Chapter 293: Descent into the Deep

Soon after, Dragon left.

Xia Qi also returned to the bar.

"That guy actually came to see you," Xia Qi said with a hint of surprise in her voice.

She wasn't surprised that the Revolutionary Army would seek pirates for cooperation. What surprised her was that they had come to Mio. But after a moment's thought, it made sense. The strength of the Black Crow was immense. In the eyes of those who were unaware, they might think Black Crow was merely on par with Kaido and Charlotte Linlin. But those who knew the truth understood just how deep and terrifying the power of Black Crow truly was.

Among the powerful pirates of the New World, Whitebeard would never ally with the Revolutionary Army. After all, everyone on the sea knew about his ties with that man. A partnership with the Revolutionary Army would only throw his sons into the fire.

Kaido and Charlotte Linlin could be considered, but with their volatile personalities, any cooperation would likely place the Revolutionary Army in even greater danger. Moreover, both were known to slaughter civilians without hesitation, regardless of necessity.

Black Crow was different. While he too would attack civilians, it was only when necessary.

And anyone who truly understood knew—Black Crow was more terrifying than either Kaido or Charlotte.

What truly set Black Crow apart was his terrifying potential.

"But cooperating with the Revolutionary Army is extremely dangerous," Xia Qi warned casually.

"I know," Mio replied calmly, gently swirling the wine in his glass. "But there's no helping it. Black Crow may be pirates, but I don't intend to stay a pirate forever, waiting for the Navy or World Government to eventually come arrest me."

"Heh."

With those words, Mio drained the glass in a single gulp.

Then he stood up and turned to leave.

"Let's go."

Mio and Asuka exited the bar and made their way toward the port.

Watching Mio's departing figure, Xia Qi's gaze deepened. She murmured, "What a terrifying ambition..."

From Mio's final words, she heard the terrifying ambition behind Black Crow's rise. This man's goal wasn't small—and Xia Qi believed he could actually achieve it.

"But the seas are about to change..."

Xia Qi chuckled and lit a cigarette. No matter how the world changed, it had little to do with her now. She was just a retired old woman, after all.

...

Aboard the Black Glory, the coating process continued.

Mio returned to the deck and began handling some matters.

Holding the Den Den Mushi in his hand, he contacted Olive on Crow Island and instructed her to tell Hei Yan to keep a close eye on the island, ensuring no bugs snuck in. Since it was possible that World Government spies might act soon, Mio wasn't taking any chances. While he wasn't afraid, vigilance was essential.

And with Hei Yan standing guard, Crow Island was essentially impregnable to undercover agents.

To Hei Yan, the vast number of crows on the island were his eyes.

After giving his orders, Mio waited silently.

On the Sabaody Archipelago, with the arrival of the Black Crows, a large number of coating craftsmen had been requisitioned to work on the Black Glory. As a result, the coating process progressed rapidly, and in just a few hours, a ship was completed.

At this time, Lilith and the others returned to the ship.

Once all personnel were on board—

The Black Glory immediately departed, diving into the sea.

The navy units who had been keeping their distance and observing the Black Crows exhaled in relief as they watched the ship disappear. They had feared that Black Crow might stir up trouble on the Sabaody Archipelago.

However, the leading navy officer quickly retrieved a Den Den Mushi and reported to Marine Headquarters that Black Crow had left.

Marine Headquarters. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

Sengoku sat in his office, processing paperwork. Suddenly, the Den Den Mushi on the desk rang.

He paused his work, picked up the receiver, and listened for a moment.

"Understood."

After that, he hung up and leaned back in thought, fingers lightly tapping the desk. His expression grew solemn.

"Black Crow... Are they heading to Fish-Man Island or straight into the New World? If it's Fish-Man Island, then I fear it may soon become part of the Black Crow Pirates' territory."

As a Fleet Admiral, Sengoku could see things clearly.

Though many had their eyes on Fish-Man Island, few were actually capable of claiming it.

Whitebeard wasn't interested. Charlotte Linlin was occupied with her upcoming tea party—though for unknown reasons, it had recently been postponed. Kaido remained entrenched in Wano Country.

No one else could rival Black Crow.

And if Black Crow showed an interest in Fish-Man Island, few would dare oppose them for it.

"But Kaido..." Sengoku frowned.

The war in Wano Country still raged, with no end in sight. It was giving Sengoku a headache. Though the Navy hoped to swoop in and reap the benefits, now was not the right time.

Regardless of Black Crow's intentions toward Fish-Man Island, their entrance into the New World was inevitable.

And the New World, after all, was pirate territory.

It was too dangerous for the Navy to linger there long.

"Let's just hope the battle in Wano ends soon, so Akainu and Aokiji can withdraw from the area."

"And that Red Earl..."

Sengoku frowned again, visibly troubled.

Recent intel indicated that the Red Earl had been sighted in the South Blue. He seemed to have formed a pirate crew, but was in no hurry to sail into the New World. His exact intentions remained a mystery. For now, he wandered the Four Seas as if exploring.

With such a powerful individual in the Four Seas, the Navy had no choice but to stay alert. The Red Earl's strength meant he could easily dominate an entire sea.

There were strong individuals in the Four Seas, but none who could truly stand against him.

Even some old, retired powerhouses couldn't match him.

Sengoku understood this perfectly.

"It's really... troublesome," he sighed.

While Sengoku worried, the Black Glory sailed through the deep sea. Mio and his crew were no longer strangers to this route to Fish-Man Island.

In fact, they had grown somewhat familiar with it, and it no longer evoked the same sense of wonder as it once had.

As the ship glided silently beneath the waves—

The Black Glory approached Fish-Man Island.

Finally, it arrived just before the great coral gates.

Mio leaned against the railing, gazing at the distant island with a faint smile.

"We're finally here. The last time I came to Fish-Man Island, I was just passing through. But this time... heh."

This time, he intended to become the ruler of Fish-Man Island.

"Come over here," Mio said in a deep voice.

"Yes!" Bai Feng nodded.

Lilith stepped up beside Mio, her Observation Haki already spreading across the entire island. She chuckled and said, "Sir, some of the fish-men have already noticed our arrival."