one piece: gene extraction and fusion system-Chapter 181: A Trade and a Trap
Chapter 181 - 181: A Trade and a Trap
Cold sweat broke out on Cracker's forehead.
He had only released a trace of murderous intent, yet it had been detected instantly. That alone told him the Black Crow Pirates weren't as simple as he had imagined. More importantly, he still couldn't figure out what had just passed by his neck—it was fast, silent, and deadly.
But Bai Feng's words made Cracker pay close attention to him.
"This guy isn't on the bounty list of the Black Crow Pirates. Is he a newcomer?" Cracker muttered to himself. Not only had he never seen this person among the Black Crow bounties, but there was no sign of him in any of the bounties he had encountered on the sea.
This meant Bai Feng might truly be a fresh face in the pirating world.
But this newcomer had just given him a frightening sense of impending death.
Cracker was deeply shocked—and a bit envious. "Where did that guy Black Crow find such a powerful rookie? Damn it..."
Though there had been no real battle, Cracker was certain that Bai Feng was stronger than him. If someone like Bai Feng had been recruited into the Big Mom Pirates, their plans—especially those involving Poken—would likely proceed far more smoothly. The crew's influence in the New World would also grow significantly.
After all, in the New World, a pirate crew's strength wasn't just about its captain. It also heavily relied on how many powerful subordinates they had.
King versus king. General versus general.
The stronger the generals, the greater the advantage in battle.
Among all pirate captains in the New World, only Whitebeard—and perhaps now the Red Earl—could truly suppress others with individual strength.
Everyone else was roughly on par, making the strength of one's subordinates even more critical.
"Hmph!" Cracker took a deep breath and then got straight to the point. "Black Crow, bring out what you promised."
Moments later, several biscuit soldiers created by Cracker's Devil Fruit ability approached him, each holding a box. When they opened the boxes, inside were three Devil Fruits.
All of them were Zoan-type fruits.
This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.
Mio, having memorized the Devil Fruit encyclopedia, instantly identified all three. They were ordinary animal-type fruits with no particularly rare or powerful traits.
But that was fine for Mio. Since they weren't unique, he would simply use them in the system's gene fusion lottery.
With a wave of his hand, three new boxes appeared instantly in front of Cracker.
This made Cracker's pupils shrink as surprise flashed across his face.
There hadn't been any sign of attack. No visual cue. The boxes had just materialized without warning.
That alone was enough to make Cracker more wary.
"Not bad," Mio said with a grin as he looked at the Devil Fruits. He then turned to Katakuri. "Go."
Without hesitation, Katakuri stepped aboard Cracker's ship. His current condition was quite poor. After being detained for days without food, his physical strength was greatly diminished.
"The transaction's complete, so we'll take our leave. I look forward to the next deal with Big Mom," Mio said with a calm smile. Then he called out loudly, "Hanba, let's move!"
A deep roar echoed from beneath the sea.
Then, the Black Glory surged forward with tremendous speed, quickly disappearing into the distance.
"Cracker, move out!" Katakuri suddenly shouted as he stared at the rapidly departing Black Glory.
"What's wrong?" Cracker frowned.
"The Navy is coming—probably led by an Admiral. Hurry!" Katakuri said seriously, glancing once more in the direction of Mio's escape. He couldn't help but sigh.
Cracker's eyes widened in shock. "Quick! Get us out of here!" he roared.
The ship immediately began to move at top speed.
Cracker turned to Katakuri, his tone grim. "Why is the Navy here? Did the Black Crows set this up?"
"That's right," Katakuri nodded with a bitter smile. "He contacted the Navy and gave them his location. They should be arriving soon. If we don't leave now, we'll be captured for sure."
"That damned bastard..." Cracker cursed under his breath, finally understanding everything.
After killing Perospero, that guy had used Katakuri as leverage to fool Big Mom. Now he wanted the Navy to capture both of them and send them to Impel Down.
If they were imprisoned there, they'd have no way to contact Big Mom—and she might shift her rage toward the Navy instead of the Black Crow Pirates. That would cause even greater chaos.
As for why the Black Crow Pirates dared to play this kind of game...
Cracker already knew the answer: Hanba.
Even if he hadn't seen this mysterious crew member personally, the speed of the Black Glory just now told him enough. Not even a Navy warship could catch up with it.
Katakuri frowned as he watched the departing pirate ship. "This pirate crew... they're monstrous newcomers. Truly cunning."
To use the Navy like this...
"I just hope the admiral leading the team isn't one of the strong ones," Katakuri murmured to himself. If it was someone like Kizaru, their only option might be to surrender and end up in Impel Down—perhaps for life.
As the ship sped away—
Suddenly—
Katakuri and Cracker both looked up at the sky.
A streak of golden light flashed across the clouds, then hovered above the ship.
"I received the Black Crow Pirates' coordinates, but instead, I find you two?" a voice drawled lazily.
Kizaru appeared, grinning with his usual dramatic tone. "So scary. Were you trying to use me to provoke Big Mom?"
He wasn't a fool—he'd understood the situation in an instant.
But even if he knew he was being used, Kizaru didn't plan to let Katakuri or Cracker escape.
"Kizaru..."
Both Katakuri and Cracker frowned deeply as they looked up, a hint of despair settling over them.
If it had been Akainu, they might still have had a fighting chance. Akainu's magma powers were less effective over open water.
But Kizaru...
He was the last Admiral they wanted to face in this situation.
"Will you surrender... or should I come down and arrest you myself?" Kizaru said coolly, one hand in his pocket, the other raised with a glowing fingertip ready to fire.
Katakuri and Cracker exchanged glances, gritted their teeth... and nodded grimly.
BOOM!
A massive explosion erupted over the sea.
The battle had begun.
Not long after, two Navy warships arrived at the scene.
A Marine approached Kizaru and saluted. "Reporting, Admiral Kizaru. Katakuri and Cracker have been captured. Should we escort them to Impel Down immediately?"
