one piece: gene extraction and fusion system-Chapter 185: The Price of Evolution and the Path to Cake Island

"Disperse Susanoo," Mio ordered calmly, glancing at him.

"Yes." Hei Yan immediately obeyed, the towering spectral figure dissipating into particles of light. He quickly approached Mio with confusion written all over his face. "My Lord, just now you..."

"Let them explain it to you," Mio said with a helpless shrug and pointed at Erica and the others. "If there had been any other way, I wouldn't have resorted to this."

Hei Yan turned toward Erica, who began explaining everything. As the details became clear, the corners of Hei Yan's mouth twitched involuntarily. He clearly hadn't expected his Lord to pull such a stunt on him.

Mio smiled. "Well, the process wasn't great, but at least the result was worth it, right?"

Then, turning to Hei Yan again, Mio asked, "What are the abilities of your left and right eyes?"

A Mangekyo Sharingan typically manifests three powers—one in the left eye, one in the right, and one through their combined use. These powers differ from user to user, although patterns do emerge. Some, like Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi, are common combinations, while others include Kamui or Kotoamatsukami.

Of all the powers Mio hoped Hei Yan would awaken, Kotoamatsukami was the most desirable.

This ability was too powerful.

Known as the strongest illusion, Kotoamatsukami could subtly manipulate a person's thoughts and actions without them realizing they were under control. It was a mind control ability so subtle and absolute that even the most loyal soldier of the World Government could be turned without ever knowing they'd betrayed their allegiance.

But reality didn't follow Mio's expectations.

Hei Yan lowered his head slightly. "It's Amaterasu and Kagutsuchi-no-Mikoto."

"Those two, huh..." Mio nodded thoughtfully. The Mangekyo abilities turned out to be the same as Uchiha Sasuke's—Amaterasu and Kagutsuchi-no-Mikoto.

Still, these two powers complemented each other perfectly.

Amaterasu, a black flame that could not be extinguished and burned anything in its path, was already terrifying. But paired with Kagutsuchi-no-Mikoto, which allowed control over the shape and direction of the Amaterasu flames, the result was a deadly and flexible ability.

Even though it wasn't Kotoamatsukami, Mio was still satisfied with the outcome.

"Not bad." Mio smiled and nodded approvingly. "Alright then, the goal of this trip has been achieved. Let's move on."

The purpose of coming to this island was to help Hei Yan's three-tomoe Sharingan evolve into a Mangekyo. Now that this was accomplished, there was no reason to linger. As for why Mio didn't evolve his own eyes, the reason was simple—it wouldn't work.

Hei Yan had no idea what was happening, and so the emotional trauma struck deep. Mio, knowing the entire plan in advance, would never be emotionally moved enough by a similar scene for evolution.

Onboard the Black Glory

The group had returned to the ship.

Mio sat at the navigation desk, holding a sea chart and studying the routes toward the next destination.

To reach Crow Island, they needed to cross several sea zones. Mio was searching for the most efficient path.

One such path led near Cake Island.

Looking at the route, Mio's eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of intrigue in his gaze. After a brief thought, he made a decision.

At that moment, he snapped his fingers.

Shadows flickered on the deck behind him, and several figures emerged. These were members of the Black Shadow Corps—though not from the Ninja Corps. Of the nine Black Shadow Corps divisions, the Ninja Corps was simply the most balanced. The one that appeared now was the Thorn Blade Corps.

The Thorn Blade Corps had sharp cones on their feet and claws, specializing in high-speed movement and brutal melee combat.

Among the nine corps, only the Ninja Corps retained vaguely human features beneath their masks. The others looked more like monsters, vaguely humanoid only in size.

Over twenty Thorn Blade warriors appeared, all kneeling respectfully before Mio, awaiting his orders.

"Go." Mio turned around and waved. "Spread out and investigate. Look for any warships tracking our position or investigating our whereabouts."

Without a word, the Thorn Blade Corps members bowed their heads and melted back into the shadows, vanishing into the surroundings.

Mio rolled up the sea chart and passed a few instructions to Bai Feng. Soon, the ship began moving in the direction he had selected.

Mio leaned against the bow of the ship with a bottle of whiskey, letting the sea breeze wash over him. A small smile played on his lips.

"Navy, don't let me down. I'm counting on you to help me extract some benefits from Big Mom."

On the deck...

Hei Yan was busy adjusting to his newly awakened powers.

Bai Feng continued to train his Armament Haki.

Erica was practicing swordsmanship, following her daily routine.

Lilith and Robin sat quietly, reading books together.

And Warwick—

"Huh? Warwick, what are you doing?" Mio raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Warwick, the ferocious werewolf, was sitting cross-legged with a book in hand—a sight so strange that Mio had to do a double take.

Startled, Warwick looked up and scratched his head, replying in a slightly embarrassed tone, "Reading a book."

"A book?" Mio asked suspiciously. "What book are you reading?"

Warwick glanced around, then leaned closer to whisper. "A book on brewing wine."

"...What the hell?"

Mio blinked, stunned. Brewing wine?