one piece: gene extraction and fusion system-Chapter 219: The Lord’s Voyage and Rising Bounties

Suddenly,

Mio put away the Devil Fruit and seemed to remember something. His eyes flickered.

"Maybe that thing... can be used as culture fluid."

He recalled something from the original story. That thing was extremely extraordinary. When the situation in the New World was resolved, he could go and see it. If it could really be cultivated, combined with the genes in his hands, creating a top-level, general-class existence wouldn't be a problem.

Thinking of this, Mio couldn't help but smile excitedly.

The night deepened.

Mio slowly got up, returned to the ship, and went to rest.

At the Same Time — Marijoa, World Government Headquarters

At this time, Commander-in-Chief Kong arrived at a grand and majestic hall.

Here sat the Five Elders, the rulers of the World Government known across the world, each one exuding a dignified and commanding presence.

At the door to the hall stood two men in black, their strong aura evident as they stood silently.

Kong walked in, sat down before the Five Elders, and said in a low tone, "Tell me, what's so important that I had to come here at this hour?"

"It's a critical matter," said the bald Five Elder as he looked up. "You must issue this order personally. You must treat it with utmost seriousness—no carelessness can be allowed."

"Hm?" Kong raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Just say what it is."

Another Elder took out a sea chart, spread it before Kong, and pointed at one of the routes. "You have three days to clear this entire route of pirates and any unstable elements. It must remain pirate-free for one full week. Not even a single pirate can be allowed to appear in this sea zone."

Looking at the marked route, Kong's face immediately darkened, and he roared, "Are you mad? This is one of the routes into the New World! What do you expect me to do—slaughter every pirate there? Even Whitebeard could be drawn out! Who's taking responsibility if that happens?"

"No," said the bald Elder calmly. "You don't need to kill them all. But the route must be empty of pirates for one week—completely clean."

"Why?" Kong frowned.

"The Lord is heading to the New World," the chubby Five Elder said solemnly, resting his chin on his hands. "His identity, appearance—none of it can be known. It doesn't matter if ordinary people see him, but pirates might recognize him. If his presence is exposed, it could trigger turmoil across the world. You understand that, don't you?"

Kong's expression turned serious. He stared at the sea chart. "Hasn't that Lord always avoided the New World? Why go there now?"

"I don't know," replied the bald Elder, shaking his head. "We cannot speculate on the Lord's intentions. We simply follow orders."

"If the goal is only to prevent pirates from entering this route, that's doable. But the CP organization must also get involved," Kong said gravely. "The navy can't do this alone."

"Understood," another Elder nodded in agreement.

Kong accepted the sea chart with a silent nod, still puzzled. But as the Elders had said, he couldn't afford to guess at the Lord's reasoning—he just had to carry out the mission.

Without lingering, Kong swiftly took the sea chart and departed.

After Kong's Departure

The Five Elders exchanged glances and started a quiet discussion.

"Is the Lord heading to inspect that island?" one Elder asked in a low voice.

"It's possible," another replied. "He does know the island's location. But it's unlikely. The island hasn't been fully restored—only ruins remain. The King's power destroyed almost everything there."

"Yes, only the truth of history remains on that island. The Lord may have another objective entirely."

"In any case, we must not question his decision. We should simply execute the orders without unnecessary speculation."

"Agreed. Meeting adjourned."

"Mm."

Navy Headquarters

Even though it was late into the night, Sengoku was still at work.

He had too many documents to handle—not only naval matters but also paperwork related to various kingdoms across the seas. It was tedious, but he had to do it.

Tonight, however, his main concern wasn't routine—it was the Black Crow Pirates.

The rate at which the Black Crow's power was growing was something Sengoku had never predicted.

Especially after Vice Admiral Poken had been driven back by Black Crow, Sengoku had been surprised for quite some time.

Now, the Black Crow had established Crow Island in the New World as their base of operations. Sengoku was already planning how to suppress this pirate group before it grew out of control.

If they weren't dealt with now, doing so in the future would become nearly impossible.

In just over a year, the Black Crow Pirates had evolved from a moderate threat into a force that gave Sengoku a major headache. That alone spoke volumes about their growth.

"The bounty on Black Crow must be raised," Sengoku muttered. "Even if it means further legitimizing his presence in the New World, we have no choice."

Aside from Black Crow himself, there was another 'Crow' who had injured Poken—a mysterious and dangerous member of the crew.

Furthermore, Aokiji's latest report mentioned a new crew member—extremely powerful, slightly weaker than Aokiji himself, with a rare and special ability resembling a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit.

Sengoku groaned in frustration.

How many Mythical Zoans does this crew have?!

Mashi was one.

Lilith was another.

Black Crow himself was suspected to be one.

Hei Yan was also suspected to have a Mythical Zoan-type ability.

And now there's another one?!

It was as if Mythical Zoan Fruits were being distributed like free candy within the Black Crow Pirates.

Shaking his head, Sengoku made the decision.

He picked up the Den Den Mushi and contacted the bounty department.

"The bounty for Black Crow—Mio Kurokawa—is to be raised to 1.1 billion Berries!"

"Crew member Erica—bounty raised to 600 million Berries!"

"Crew member Lilith—bounty raised to 610 million Berries!"

"Crew member Hei Yan—bounty raised to 530 million Berries!"

"Crew member Warwick—bounty raised to 300 million Berries!"

"Crew member Hanba—bounty raised to 270 million Berries!"

"Crew member Hei'e—bounty raised to 900 million Berries!"

"Crew member Shirafu—bounty raised to 840 million Berries!"

"Crew member Mashi—bounty raised to 590 million Berries!"

These figures were based on the strength and threat level the Black Crow Pirates had demonstrated since arriving in the New World.

Sengoku knew this wasn't the end of his worries—only the beginning.