one piece: gene extraction and fusion system-Chapter 274: The Cost of Favor

On the other side of the Sabaody Archipelago.

Lilith looked at Tiger in front of her and said, "Sir has helped you stop Admiral Kizaru. You guys should leave quickly."

The voice had just finished.

Boom.

A massive explosion echoed in the distance.

Blinding golden light and tremors surged into the sky, followed by a terrifying wave of Haki bursting forth.

Although Tiger knew Kizaru was chasing him, he hadn't expected Mio to help him at such a critical moment. As a pirate, Mio had dared to face off against a Marine admiral—was this what friendship meant?

Tiger wiped his tears, overcome with emotion.

He immediately nodded solemnly to Lilith and said seriously, "Alright, we're leaving now. Please, go help Mio."

With that, Tiger quickly led the fishmen away, tears welling in his eyes as he ran.

Lilith watched Tiger's retreating back until he disappeared from view. Then she turned toward Mio's direction and murmured, "This fishman... is kind of..."

She wanted to say he was a bit silly but remembered that Tiger might still be useful to her captain. So she swallowed her words, took a step forward, and disappeared into the air, rushing toward Mio.

...

Boom.

At that moment, Mio met Kizaru's sudden kick head-on. Grinning, he countered with a punch infused with Armament Haki, releasing a terrifying force.

The surrounding area trembled under the momentum, trees swaying violently, almost breaking apart.

In the next instant, Kizaru's form turned into golden light, reappearing some distance away. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. He looked surprised and thought to himself, "Ryou? As expected of Black Crow, this guy's not to be underestimated."

Ryou was a form of Haki that bypassed external defenses.

One had to remain alert at all times.

Otherwise, the damage to the body could be fatal.

Then, Kizaru's Observation Haki swept across the Sabaody Archipelago. His face turned grim. "Damn it, that fishman escaped!"

Tiger's presence had vanished from the archipelago.

"Looks like I'm getting scolded when I get back," Kizaru muttered, frustrated. As a Marine admiral, failing to capture someone like Tiger—whose strength wasn't even at the top—would certainly earn him a harsh rebuke from Commander-in-Chief Kong.

Feeling increasingly annoyed, Kizaru stepped into the air and floated up. Clasping his hands together, he said, "Black Crow, I'll leave you with a gift before I go."

It wasn't worth staying any longer, especially if it meant risking injury. Kizaru had already decided to withdraw.

"Yata Mirror: Sky From the Clouds!"

Buzz buzz buzz.

Multiple golden lights formed behind him. In the next moment, they transformed into sharp golden swords, spinning mid-air. Hundreds of blades launched toward Mio like a brilliant storm.

But just then—

A chilling killing intent burst from behind Kizaru.

"I'll return the gift on behalf of the captain," came an icy, alluring voice.

Swish.

A sonic boom sliced through the air.

Kizaru's pupils shrank, and he immediately activated his fruit power, blinking away to safety. Yet, despite his speed, a deep cut appeared on his arm, blood dripping from the wound.

Kizaru's eyes narrowed as he stared at the figure behind him. His voice dropped into a wary tone. "Asuka."

Asuka now stood with both hands gripping twin Seven Star Swords, a blood-hued aura radiating from her. The blades themselves were cloaked in a mesmerizing blue glow, and even without actively releasing her killing intent, it still radiated oppressively from her form.

Her presence was enough to send a chill down any opponent's spine.

Kizaru was no exception.

The Navy Headquarters had detailed profiles on every known member of the Black Crow Pirates.

Though Asuka had joined relatively late and hadn't fought the Navy before, her feats in the New World over the past two years were terrifying. She was clearly no weakling.

In fact, Kizaru was now forced to raise her danger level in his mental notes—at the very least, she was on par with him.

If he hadn't reacted quickly just now using the power of the Panda Fruit, the wound wouldn't be on his arm—it would've been his head.

"It's an honor to be remembered by Admiral Kizaru," Asuka said with a flicker of excitement in her eyes, licking her lips. "So... are you staying?"

"Hmph." Kizaru snorted coldly, rising into the sky once again, golden light engulfing him. He shifted his attention back to Mio and said coldly, "Black Crow, next time we meet, it won't go like this."

With that, he vanished in a streak of light.

Thanks to the Panda Fruit's acceleration, Kizaru moved at incredible speed.

Mio made no attempt to pursue him. After all, Tiger was already gone.

His aura slowly dissipated.

Asuka walked to Mio's side, took out a Den Den Mushi, and handed it to him.

Mio accepted it and dialed.

The line connected quickly.

"Tiger has gone to Fish-Man Island," Mio ordered. "Have someone monitor him. Once he leaves Fish-Man Island, immediately report his location to Kizaru."

Tiger couldn't stay.

Now that he had arrived on Fish-Man Island, his usefulness to Mio was over. Keeping him around would only interfere with Mio's plans to rule the island.

"Don't worry, sir. Our Black Gold Department Store has operations on Fish-Man Island. Once Tiger lands, we'll locate him immediately," came Renee's soft, calm voice from the Den Den Mushi.

"Then I'll leave it to you." Mio trusted Renee's competence. After a brief pause, he asked, "And the person I asked you to find?"

"Almost done. There are many candidates on Skypiea. We're currently narrowing down the one most suitable," Renee replied promptly.

Mio's eyes gleamed with thought, then he said plainly, "Report to me as soon as there's progress."

The call ended.

Mio stashed the Den Den Mushi and began walking toward the shore.

Meanwhile—

At a port on the Sabaody Archipelago.

Granny Zha was preparing to return to Amazon Lily with the three Hancock sisters.

She looked up and caught sight of a golden streak vanishing into the sky. A flicker of confusion passed her eyes before she turned toward the battlefield's direction, her expression growing complicated and heavy.

She boarded the ship.

At that moment, Hancock stepped forward and handed her a Den Den Mushi.

"Granny Zha, Black Crow asked me to give this to you. He also left you a message," Hancock said.

Hearing this, Granny Zha trembled slightly, murmuring, "So... it's finally happening..."

She knew from the moment Black Crow spoke to her two years ago that he had set his sights on Amazon Lily.

And he would never let go so easily.

Taking a deep breath, Granny Zha accepted the Den Den Mushi.

——————-

Pump up the power stone