one piece: gene extraction and fusion system

Chapter 263: The Calm Before the Storm

Chapter 263 - 263: The Calm Before the Storm

After Mio returned to Crow Island, two years had passed in the blink of an eye.

Two years—neither particularly long nor short—were enough to shift the tides of the New World.

These two years were filled with chaos and bloodshed, as battles erupted without pause. The struggle for supremacy never ceased.

Originally, the conflict between Charlotte and Saiya seemed inevitable two years ago. But then, two formidable new figures rose to prominence, shaking the foundations of the New World and making their mark with unmatched strength.

One of them was Taros, who clashed with Admiral Akainu in the New World just a year ago. Their battle ended in a stalemate, and Taros's bounty soared to 1 billion berries.

The other was Qiongqi—an enigma to most. Few knew he was a core member of the Black Crow. After setting out to sea, Qiongqi formed the Disaster Pirates and earned fame following a brutal confrontation with Aokiji. In that battle, he left the admiral severely injured while sustaining only minor wounds himself.

His bounty skyrocketed to 1.5 billion berries.

The rise of Taros and Qiongqi forced figures like Charlotte into silence. With two powerful contenders suddenly in the game, any reckless action might open a path for these new titans to seize control. Thus, everyone waited, tensions smoldering beneath the surface.

For now, Whitebeard remained the sole emperor of the New World.

Meanwhile, on Crow Island, silence and focused growth reigned.

In the past two years, all Black Crow members—Robin included—dedicated themselves to rigorous training. Mio was no exception. Only Asuka occasionally ventured out, hunting pirates as a form of live combat training.

At present...

In a clearing on the island, Mio sat cross-legged in deep concentration.

His physique had grown noticeably stronger compared to two years ago, and the aura he emitted had become more intense and fearsome.

In this time, Mio hadn't focused on Haki, Taijutsu, or swordsmanship. His primary attention went to developing his Devil Fruit abilities—Substitution and Influence.

The Substitution Fruit had already entered the awakening stage, and the Influence Fruit wasn't far behind.

Additionally, Mio had paused his efforts to cultivate soul creatures, storing up ten Devil Fruits. Though a few were unusable, seven were viable for lottery draws.

While that number wasn't staggering, it was respectable—especially considering how difficult it had become to obtain Devil Fruits. Sometimes, it took months just to collect one.

Mio's strategy was clear: first master what he already had. There was no urgency to cultivate new powers. Not yet.

This two-year pause had a purpose—to conserve energy and await a pivotal opportunity. That opportunity was Fishman Island. Mio intended to use it as a stepping stone to ascend the throne of the sea.

He raised his hand.

A glowing halo manifested in his palm, then rapidly expanded until it covered the entire island.

The Field of Influence.

With a thought, dark clouds gathered, thunder rumbling ominously above.

Mio gently lowered his right hand, and in response, lightning serpents slithered through the storm clouds, ready to strike. He could control weather and elements at will now—one facet of the Influence Fruit's power.

And there was more yet to unlock.

Without question, Mio's strength had grown to a terrifying level over these two years.

At Crow Island's port, a ship slowly approached.

Surrounding the harbor were around twenty pirate ships—all under Mio's command.

Dozens of pirates gathered at the port. Upon seeing the approaching vessel, they paused, their eyes filled with anticipation.

"Is Lord Asuka back?"

"Yeah, what an honor to see Lord Asuka again."

"He's become a nightmare for the navy and the trash pirates."

"Thousands of pirates have fallen to his blade. That killing intent... terrifying."

The crowd murmured in awe as a tall figure disembarked.

Asuka stepped off the ship with a cold expression, ignoring the pirates around him. Just from being near him, a few pirates collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed by the suffocating murderous aura. Foam spilled from their mouths as they trembled in fear.

When he reached the island's center, he found Mio and bowed deeply. "Sir."

"You're back?" Mio glanced at him and waved. "Bring me a bottle of wine."

"Understood." Asuka gave a rare smile, nodded, and walked off to fulfill the request.

Just then, Baifeng—now more powerful than two years ago—stepped up and leaned in to whisper. "My lord, the princess of Fishman Island has been born."

"Huh?"

Mio's eyes snapped open, and a terrifying burst of pressure exploded from him, sweeping across Crow Island. Crows scattered into the sky, screeching in fear. Thunderclouds churned above as the sea surrounding the island surged.

He laughed with unrestrained excitement. "Hahahahaha! Finally... finally she's born?!"

"When did this happen?"

"Yesterday," Baifeng answered respectfully.

Mio stood and stretched, the sound of cracking bones echoing as he moved.

"What's her name?"

"Shirahoshi."

"Shirahoshi..." Mio's eyes gleamed with anticipation as he snapped his fingers.

With a crisp pop, a Black Shadow Corps soldier emerged behind him, kneeling silently for orders.

"Go inform Leni. It's time to move. The slaves in Marijoa must be getting restless, right?"

The soldier nodded and vanished into the shadows.

Just then, Asuka returned with a bottle of wine and handed it over.

He glanced toward the direction the Black Shadow soldier had gone, then asked, "Sir... are we preparing to act?"

"That's right." Mio took a long swig of the wine, grinning. "I've rested for two years. It's time to move again. Fishman Island... it's mine."

Asuka's eyes flickered with killing intent. "Shall we deal with Neptune and Otohime?"

Mio shook his head. "No rush. Wait just a bit longer. I need one more thing—something that'll make the people of Fishman Island grateful to me."