one piece: gene extraction and fusion system-Chapter 297: The Black Crow’s Banner Rises

Fishman Island.

This island, barring any major unforeseen incidents, would soon be under Mio's complete control.

And Mio already had a very clear and calculated plan for Fishman Island.

First of all, the king of Fishman Island, Shark Star, was still young. This made it the perfect time to gradually instill ideologies and beliefs in him. As long as Mio continued to shape his thinking, the young king would inevitably follow his lead.

And then, there was the greatest potential on Fishman Island—Sea King Shirahoshi. When the time was right, Mio planned to take her under his wing and train her personally. He would make the Sea King loyal to him. Emotional bonds were always the most effective tool.

With those two elements under his control, the rest of the island's population would fall into place with ease.

Thinking of this, a faint smile flickered in Mio's eyes.

The Next Day – Jilong Court Square

The previous day, the minister had announced there would be an important proclamation.

As a result, a vast crowd of fishmen had gathered in the square.

Around eighty percent of Fishman Island's population was present—roughly three to four million individuals.

It was almost comical in a way. Dragon, in the original history, had once made a very accurate point. Fishmen were inherently superior to humans in physical strength, speed, and durability.

Even if their growth potential wasn't as versatile as humans, with proper training, they could become a terrifying force.

With the massive population of Fishman Island, even if only a tenth of them were trained as soldiers, they could form a sea army in the hundreds of thousands—an army strong enough to stir fear in most of the world's powers.

After all, the majority of this world was ocean.

An army like that would be a fearsome thing.

More importantly, it would grant Fishman Island the strength it needed to stand on its own.

Unfortunately, neither Queen Otohime nor King Neptune had ever considered this possibility. They had sat on a mountain of untapped power, unaware.

Now, the square was packed.

Many fishmen were buzzing with speculation, wondering what the big announcement would be.

Soon, the royal carriage descended from the skies and came to a stop on the high platform at the center of the square. The newly crowned Shark Star stepped down, with the ministers following closely behind.

Facing millions of eyes, Shark Star looked slightly nervous, but he took a deep breath and raised his voice with a loudspeaker.

"My fellow compatriots, we are gathered here today to announce something very important to the future of Fishman Island! Starting today, Fishman Island will become the official territory of the Black Crow Pirates and shall be protected by Lord Black Crow himself. At the same time, the flag of the Black Crow Pirates will be raised over our home!"

As soon as his voice fell, silence swept across the square.

Most of the fishmen stared in disbelief.

Then came a thunderous cheer.

"Hahaha! Amazing! With Lord Black Crow protecting us, we won't have to fear pirates or those damned slave hunters anymore!"

"That's right! Lord Black Crow is incredibly strong. No one would dare cause trouble now!"

"This is great news!"

The response was overwhelmingly positive.

There wasn't a shred of resistance—only joy.

Because Mio—Black Crow—was a human they respected and trusted.

Having such a person protecting Fishman Island filled them with hope.

At the same time, atop Ryugu Castle, a black flag fluttered in the wind. The flag of the Black Crow Pirates had been raised high.

Several reporters who had been stationed on Fishman Island for some time were quick to capture the moment and send the photos to the newspapers.

Mio, naturally, was well aware of what was going on in Jilong Court Square—but he didn't pay it too much mind. At the moment, he had just woken up at the hotel.

Why?

Because last night had been quite the... fulfilling experience.

Sitting up in bed and rubbing his head, Mio couldn't help but sigh.

"These mermaid girls are certainly passionate... but I suppose that's their charm."

With his current status on the island, it was only natural that several fishman ladies had voluntarily visited him the night before.

Wanting to enjoy the exotic local customs, Mio hadn't refused.

Which was why he'd slept in.

After washing up and enjoying breakfast, a thought struck him.

He opened his panel and switched to the lottery interface.

He still had four chances left.

After some brief thought, Mio decided to use them all now. Depending on what he pulled, he might start work on cultivating Noah, the ancient ship hidden in Fishman Street.

Of course, that would depend on whether he obtained suitable genes.

There was no point in developing Noah if the genetic materials were lacking.

It would be a waste.

However, when Mio's eyes locked onto one particular gene on the roulette wheel, a spark of interest flickered in his gaze. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

"There's actually that gene? If I get that, it could be perfect for Noah..."

Yamato Gene.

A simple name, but the description told a different story.

[Yamato Gene: A gene from the world of Kantai Collection, based on a warship-turned-girl known as a Kanmusu. Her main body is a heavily armed battleship, equipped with devastating firepower and regenerative capabilities. She may look like a gentle girl... but you might not be able to bear her weight.]

Yes, it was a Kanmusu gene.

Kanmusu were essentially personified warships with full autonomy and the battle potential of their original vessel forms.

It was the perfect type of gene for something like Noah.

Interestingly, Mio also noticed that the roulette had deep-sea variant genes—Abyssal Ships, blackened versions of Kanmusu with far more vicious capabilities.

"Kanmusu genes are fascinating... If I can draw one, it'll definitely help," Mio muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully before pressing the button to spin the wheel.

The roulette began spinning, fast at first, then gradually slowing.

Mio waited silently as the wheel came to a stop.

The result lit up in front of him.

[Congratulations! You have obtained the Spiny Shell Gene!]

"Not bad."

The Spiny Shell was a Pokémon species with dual water and ice attributes.

Its body was protected by a rock-hard shell and it could use a variety of elemental techniques.

If developed properly, this gene could enhance Noah's defenses significantly.

"Alright. Let's keep going," Mio murmured, shaking his head with a small smile.

Next, he hoped to draw a gene with flight capability—so he wouldn't have to consider wasting the Float-Float Fruit on Noah.