one piece: gene extraction and fusion system-Chapter 244: The Slap That Shook the World

"Pah!"

A crisp slap echoed through the air.

The helmet of the Celestial Dragon shattered instantly, and a bright red handprint appeared on his face as his body was flung into the distance. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he collapsed.

"Gululu..."

Seeing this shocking scene, the nearby navy officers swallowed nervously, but none dared to make a move.

If it were just the crew of the Black Crow, they might still have had the courage to engage. But now, facing the Black Crow himself, they felt like a towering mountain was bearing down on them, rendering them immobile.

The leading navy general clenched his jaw, glancing at the fallen Celestial Dragon with a shadow of fear in his eyes. However, the weight of duty pressed down on him, and thinking of the political power behind the Celestial Dragons, he couldn't help but issue a warning. "Black Crow, do you want to be hunted down by an admiral?"

The moment his words fell—

"Pah!"

Another slap rang out.

The navy general's body was launched backwards, a crimson mark blooming on his cheek.

Mio, hands still lowered, said calmly, "The admiral? If the Navy can spare a few admirals to chase me now, then let them come."

Without another word, Mio turned and walked away with his hands in his trouser pockets. As he passed by Bai Feng, his tone turned indifferent. "Get rid of them all."

If they backed down just because of a Celestial Dragon, then once they returned to the New World, the name Black Crow would become a joke among the pirates. After all, the Black Crow was no longer a nameless pirate crew.

Mio was now one of the top powerhouses in the New World.

So what if it was a Celestial Dragon?

If he crossed the line—he'd die.

Otherwise, what face would the Black Crow have left?

Hearing Mio's command, Bai Feng nodded without hesitation.

He hadn't taken action earlier to avoid bringing trouble to Mio. But now, with Mio's stance made crystal clear, he no longer needed to hold back.

As Mio departed—

Bai Feng's figure disappeared.

Puff.

A navy officer's head was severed cleanly, hitting the ground with a thud.

Screams and terrified cries followed—the death wails of Celestial Dragons echoed, but soon, even those went silent.

Only a severed Celestial Dragon head remained, rolling on the ground.

The panic among civilians erupted instantly.

They fled in every direction like madmen.

Even if they hadn't been involved in the death of the Celestial Dragon, simply being present was enough to endanger their lives.

After finishing off those Mio wanted gone, Bai Feng calmly wiped the blood from his hands and left the scene.

Xia Qi's Bar.

Not long after Bai Feng left, Xia Qi received word of what had happened, her expression one of mild surprise.

Rayleigh took a sip of his drink and spoke casually, "The Celestial Dragon just picked the wrong person to provoke."

Anyone with status equal to the Black Crow in the New World would have made the same decision. Slaying the Celestial Dragon was necessary. Leaving in shame would have only brought disgrace and weakened their influence.

Their status demanded this.

And truthfully, even killing a Celestial Dragon was no major issue for someone like the Black Crow. Could the Navy really afford to pursue him?

Rayleigh shook his head. No matter how he looked at it, the answer was obvious.

With the power Black Crow had demonstrated, it would take at least two admirals to have a chance at catching him—and even then, success wasn't guaranteed.

His abilities were too mysterious.

Besides, the Navy couldn't spare the firepower.

At Navy Headquarters.

Fleet Admiral Sengoku listened grimly as a report was relayed through the Den Den Mushi from Sabaody Archipelago. His face was dark, his eyelid twitching, rage simmering beneath the surface. When the call ended, he exploded.

"Are those Celestial Dragons out of their minds?! That's Black Crow, and they actually tried to capture one of his crew? He deserved to die! Idiot!!"

Sitting calmly across from him, Vice Admiral Gion took a sip of tea, then said with a sigh, "Regardless, it's still a Celestial Dragon. We have to pretend we're outraged."

"I know," Sengoku growled, rubbing his face. "But who do we even have left to send? Kizaru and the others are still stationed in the New World. Should I call them back?"

Not likely.

Aside from the three admirals, Garp was overseeing a temporary naval base in the New World that was on its way to becoming a permanent branch. If Garp left, that base would be destroyed almost immediately.

So, Garp couldn't leave either.

Other than them, the only one with the power to challenge Black Crow was Sengoku himself.

But he was the Fleet Admiral. He had to remain at headquarters.

There were plenty of vice admirals stationed there too—but none capable of matching Black Crow. Sending them would just be throwing lives away.

"Report it to the World Government," Gion suggested after a pause. "We can't deal with this now. And it's not our fault anyway. The Five Elders should understand the pros and cons of this situation."

"That's all we can do..." Sengoku exhaled heavily, calming himself down as he reached for the Den Den Mushi again.

The call connected quickly.

A cold, composed voice answered, "We are already aware of the incident. The Navy need not act. Focus on stabilizing the situation in the New World."

"Understood." Sengoku relaxed. If the World Government insisted on Black Crow's capture, he honestly had no idea what he could do. He was still early in his term as Fleet Admiral and didn't have the authority to disobey their direct orders.

When the Den Den Mushi disconnected, Sengoku furrowed his brow once more.

Seeing this, Gion asked, "Still uneasy?"

"Not exactly..." Sengoku shook his head. "I'm just curious. For Black Crow to leave the New World and return to the Grand Line now, there must be a reason. He wouldn't abandon his foothold unless something important was going on."

"Then have someone keep an eye on him," Gion replied calmly.

"Yeah..." Sengoku nodded, rubbing his temples with a tired sigh. "We need to deploy more people. And I still don't know why the Count went to the North Blue. The New World is chaotic, yes—but I get the feeling that something is about to shake the Grand Line as well."

Gion's eyes darkened with concern.

There were simply too many powerful individuals in this era.

The Navy was stretched thin, and with the plans they had in motion, they lacked the manpower to execute them fully.

After a moment of thought, Gion suggested, "Then we should finalize candidates for the Seven Warlords of the Sea system. Their presence will help us stabilize the balance of power."

Sengoku's gaze darkened. "True... but Zephyr..."

He trailed off, sorrow welling in his eyes.

In the end, all he could do was sigh in silence.