one piece: gene extraction and fusion system-Chapter 341: The Next Era

"Rocks wanted to be the king of the world, but he failed, so he is just a loser. Don't compare him to me."

Mio spoke with pride. "I will not be a loser. Black Crow will only succeed. Naturally, we won't be the second Rocks—we'll surpass him."

As soon as the words fell—

Boom!

Another punch collided.

The island trembled violently.

Blood sprayed from Garp's mouth, but Mio too bled from the corner of his lips, crimson drops hitting the cracked ground.

"In the face of justice, you will not succeed," Garp sneered.

"That may not be the case." Mio wiped away the blood with the back of his hand, the smirk never fading. He wasn't afraid of the navy.

His enemies used to be both the navy and the World Government, but now, only the World Government remained.

The navy might be able to defeat him—but only at the cost of full mobilization and devastating losses. That was a price the navy couldn't afford. So, Mio never worried about them. His real enemy was the World Government.

Perhaps the D clan might become his enemy as well, but if they ever clashed, it wouldn't be now.

That day, after reading the letter, Mio understood the D clan wasn't simple—but he wasn't afraid.

After all, if the D clan truly had the power to overthrow the World Government, they wouldn't have remained in hiding for so long, silent and motionless.

In truth, the D clan had also lost. They were overthrown.

At present, there was only one real victor on the sea—the World Government.

It had overthrown the Great Kingdom and ruled the world unchallenged for eight hundred years.

"Enough talking—let's continue," Mio sneered, stepping forward. The ground caved beneath him as he launched himself back at Garp.

Garp didn't reply—he raised his fists and resumed the clash.

Time ticked away amid the fury of battle.

Five hours passed.

Yet the fight raged on with no sign of slowing.

Their stamina was monstrous—mere hours were far from enough to exhaust either of them.

In the distant sky, a seagull with a Den Den Mushi hovered.

But this wasn't a newspaper broadcast—it was linked directly to Dressrosa.

Inside Dressrosa, Doflamingo stood watching the battle unfold on a screen, the corners of his mouth curling into a twisted smile.

"What terrifying strength."

"Well, he is an emperor-level figure," Trebol muttered beside him. "Fighting Garp evenly is expected."

"Heh heh heh... You don't get it, Trebol," Doflamingo said, his eyes gleaming. "This isn't just power. This is the next era. We were lucky we turned to Black Crow for help. If Garp had come here instead... we would've been crushed. Hell, we might've been shipped straight to Impel Down."

Doflamingo had no illusions about Garp's strength.

Even with the entire Donquixote Family, they wouldn't stand a chance.

The room fell silent.

Then, Doflamingo gave an order. "Send our people out—begin destroying King Riku's reputation."

"Yes," a subordinate responded, quickly departing.

Alone again, Doflamingo stared at the screen, his gaze burning as he watched Mio. He licked his lips, excitement glinting in his eyes. He clenched his fists slightly.

When will I become this strong?

When I do, I'll truly have a voice. Maybe I can even return to Marijoa—with the Donquixote name restored.

But the thought of those loathsome faces in Marijoa darkened his expression. He scoffed and let the thought fade, returning his attention to the screen.

Hours passed.

Boom!

Cracks spidered through the island. With a final thunderous clash, the land split apart—chunks of it breaking away and sinking into the sea.

Mio landed nimbly atop one floating piece of debris, looking calmly at Garp across the waves.

"Garp, you should go. If I'm here, you won't reach Dressrosa."

"Tch..." Garp grunted, clearly displeased but unable to argue. He turned and leapt back to the warship.

"Let's go. Continue toward G-5 Base," he ordered grimly.

His face was clouded with frustration. A country had been overtaken by pirates, and he couldn't stop it.

That powerlessness weighed heavily.

But after so many years, Garp had felt this way before. He was used to it by now.

He could only sigh.

Just as the warship was about to leave, Gion stared at Mio and shouted sharply.

"Black Crow! Don't get too cocky. One day, I will arrest you!"

"Oh?"

Mio turned toward the voice, a mischievous grin on his face. "Gion? It's been a while. You sound quite passionate. Could it be you're in love with me?"

"Bah! Don't flatter yourself!" Gion shot back coldly. "I would never fall for a pirate! I'll arrest you myself—sooner or later."

"Alright, I'll wait for you," Mio chuckled, resting his hands behind his head. "If that day ever comes..."

As he finished speaking, Mio vanished and reappeared aboard the Black Glory.

He smacked his lips and looked toward the retreating warship with faint amusement.

To be honest, Mio admired Gion. She was a rare beauty in the navy.

In fact, there weren't many attractive women in the navy at all. Ain, Tina, Tashigi—maybe a few.

Even Gion's former superior, Tsuru, was said to be a beauty in her youth.

Of course, for Mio, the appeal was more about the uniform than the person.

But that was all fantasy anyway.

A pirate involved with a naval officer? That was a recipe for a midnight assassination.

Shaking his head, Mio took the drink handed to him by Erica, took a big gulp, and laughed.

"Let's cruise around here for a bit. Once we've dealt with Doflamingo, we'll head to Dressrosa."

"Yes," Bai Feng nodded, and the Black Glory once again set sail toward the horizon.