one piece: gene extraction and fusion system

"What do you mean? Lord Black Crow, do you look down on me?" Gunther's eyes turned cold, his tone growing sharper as his anger flared.

"Pfft."

Hawkeye, who had been silent and expressionless, let out a small laugh as if he couldn't help himself.

"Hawkeye, you bastard, do you want to die?" Gunther roared furiously, his voice shaking the tavern. Clearly, he could sense that Hawkeye, a fellow Warlord, was mocking him. With a snarl, he swung his clawed hand, sending a slicing air blade toward Hawkeye.

Hawkeye casually drew the black blade Yoru resting near his neck and swung it lazily behind him without even turning his head. A powerful green slash erupted, splitting the incoming air blade in two before it harmlessly dispersed.

Then, Hawkeye turned slightly, his golden eyes sharp and calm. "Sorry. I just couldn't help myself. Frogs in a well amuse me… but I thought you were smarter than this. Clearly, you don't even know your own limits."

The words dripped with disdain.

Gardevoir stepped forward quietly and raised her right hand.

Suddenly—

Whoosh!

A sudden gust of wind swept over the tavern, swirling violently around Gunther and lifting him slightly off the ground.

Gunther's body writhed in midair as he struggled, clawing at his own neck. The wind had formed an invisible noose, strangling him mercilessly. His face turned a deep shade of red as he gasped for breath.

"You're so weak," Gardevoir said with a cold frown. "Who gave you the confidence to stand before the gentleman like this?"

With another flick of her wrist, the wind flung Gunther out of the tavern. His body slammed into the ground outside, creating a deep crater and raising a cloud of dust.

Gardevoir floated toward the doorway, her crimson eyes calm and merciless. From above, she looked down at the struggling Shichibukai.

"I'll give you one chance to strike back," she said in her soft but icy tone. "A final flicker of resistance before death claims you. Make it count."

Gunther, trembling as he climbed from the rubble, roared in defiance. His massive muscles tensed, and his face twisted with rage.

"You wretched woman! Who the hell do you think you're looking down on?! I am Gunther, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea! My bounty was 170 million before I joined them!"

ROOOAAARRR!

Gunther's body began to transform. Scales erupted across his skin, and his figure grew larger, more beast-like.

In the blink of an eye, he had taken the hybrid form of a prehistoric beast—an ancient carnivorous dinosaur.

With a feral grin, Gunther slammed his fists together. "Now, I'll smash you into pieces!"

Whoosh!

Gunther vanished in an instant, reappearing right in front of Gardevoir with terrifying speed. His massive fist shot forward like a cannonball, whistling through the air.

But—

The punch froze.

It hung there, unmoving, as if an invisible wall blocked his strength.

"Weak…"

"Still weak."

"You're not even worth the gentleman's time." Gardevoir's voice was calm, her scarlet eyes glowing faintly as her telekinetic power exploded outward, locking Gunther's entire body in place.

"Damn it! Let me go!!" Gunther screamed, his jaw tight with panic. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't move a single muscle.

With another flick of her hand, Gunther's body was hurled violently across the ground like a ragdoll.

Gardevoir raised her hand slowly.

A spear of compressed wind formed above her palm, glowing with a faint bluish hue as it hummed with lethal intent.

"This ends now."

Whoosh!

The wind spear shot forward, faster than the eye could follow.

Gunther's eyes widened in horror as he felt his limbs lock up again. The air around him had turned heavy, making even breathing difficult.

"No, wait—!"

SHUNK!

The spear pierced through his skull.

Blood sprayed into the air as Gunther's lifeless body dropped, his head pinned to the ground by the wind spear.

A deathly silence fell over the area.

Gardevoir calmly turned, stepping back into the tavern. She approached Mio, lowering her head slightly in deference.

"Sir, was that truly one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea? He was… disappointingly weak."

"There are strong and weak ones among the Warlords," Mio said calmly, swirling the wine in his glass. "That fool was a pawn. The navy played him like a fiddle… and he never realized it. Honestly, I'm surprised someone like him was even given the title of Shichibukai."

Hawkeye smirked. "Not all of us are so brainless. Some of us understand our place in the food chain."

He sheathed Yoru with a smooth motion. "This idiot was invited by the navy before he even reached the New World. Pirates like him think this 'paradise' is the whole world. He didn't even know what real monsters lurk beyond."

Mio leaned back, amused. "It's clear the navy sent him here hoping to probe our strength. They'll be disappointed. I'm sure they wanted him to gather intel, but instead they've lost one of their chess pieces."

A wry smile tugged at Mio's lips. "If they're smart, they'll think twice before trying again."

Meanwhile, elsewhere on Sabaody Archipelago:

In an auction house operated by the Donquixote family, Doflamingo burst into his signature laugh as news reached him.

"Fufufufufufu! That fool Gunther actually tried it… what a waste. I never liked him anyway. It's better he's gone before he messes up my business."

"But our friends… they're even more terrifying than I imagined," Doflamingo murmured, his grin sharpening. He waved a hand, summoning one of his underlings.

"Take this letter to Black Crow. Deliver it personally."

"Yes, young master!"

The underling departed swiftly with the sealed envelope.

At Marine Headquarters:

Sengoku, sitting in his office late at night, slammed his palm on the desk when the report arrived.

"That idiot… Gunther couldn't even last five minutes."

Though he'd fully expected the outcome, Sengoku had hoped Gunther would at least gather useful information. But the report contained little beyond speculation about the woman's power.

Name: Unknown

Gender: Female

Devil Fruit: Possibly Logia-class, Wind-Wind Fruit

Sengoku exhaled deeply. "Logia… this complicates things."

Another powerhouse. Another Black Crow monster potentially at admiral level.

"The balance of the seas is shifting faster than I like…"

He grabbed a Den Den Mushi and barked orders. "Keep a close eye on the Black Crow Pirates in Sabaody. Do not engage. Just report any movement immediately."

Two days later:

The Black Glory docked at Sabaody's port. Other ships fled at the mere sight of the infamous vessel.

Hawkeye stood at the pier with Mio.

"Not coming with me?" Hawkeye asked casually.

"No. I've got business on Sky Island first. If you're bored, head to the East Blue. I'll meet you there later."

"Fine." Hawkeye nodded and stepped onto his tiny coffin-shaped boat, slowly drifting away.

Mio smiled faintly as he boarded the Black Glory. "Let's go."

The ship sailed away, cutting across the waves toward Gaya Island.

On the deck, Mio opened the letter Doflamingo had sent and made a call on his Den Den Mushi.

"Fufufufufu… I hear you're leaving Sabaody."

"Do you want to get involved?" Mio asked bluntly.

"Of course."

"Donquixote Doflamingo…" Mio's tone grew colder. "Do you think your family is strong enough to play this game?"

Doflamingo's laugh didn't waver. "Compared to you? No. But even emperors need pawns sometimes. All I ask is a small favor in return."

"Revenge," Mio said flatly. "You want revenge, and you think I'll let you use me for it."

"Fufufufufufu… you're sharp as ever. So, do we have an agreement?"

"You can play your part, but overstep and I'll crush you myself," Mio warned.

"Fufufufu… understood."

The call ended.

Above the clouds, Sky Island:

As Mio leapt from cloud to cloud using his Replacement Fruit and Haki, he soon landed on the Island of God.

On the shore, Renee, Penny, and Perona were waiting for him.

"Sir!" Renee called happily, bowing respectfully.

"Long time no see, Renee, Penny, Perona," Mio greeted with a rare smile.

Perona twirled her wine-red umbrella in delight. "I didn't think Lord Black Crow would even remember my name. You've made my day".