The sound of steel being drawn echoed across the street.
Clang!
With a crisp sound, Mio sheathed Raikiri and glanced coldly at the mole lying motionless on the ground. Without another word, he turned around and left.
One step forward.
His figure blurred, vanishing into the rainfall as he began moving through the streets.
This battle marked a breakthrough—Mio had stepped into the realm of steel cutting. It was a technique where one's blade could perceive the essence of all things. And more importantly, he had discovered the most compatible weather for his Devil Fruit ability—the Replacement Fruit. Rainy days.
With every step Mio took, he swapped places with a falling raindrop. This strange movement was seamless, flowing like water.
He also discovered another advantage of Observation Haki—it could greatly enhance the potential of the Replacement Fruit. He didn't need to see what he wanted to replace himself with. As long as he could sense it through Haki, he could switch.
This opened endless possibilities.
If his Observation Haki could eventually expand to cover an entire island…
Then, theoretically, he could appear at any point on that island in an instant.
"I hope the Thunder Fruit is still on Skypiea…" Mio muttered to himself, a glint flashing through his eyes.
The Thunder Fruit. It had massive synergy with Observation Haki. In the original story, Enel had used it to perceive everything happening across the entire island.
If Mio could get his hands on that fruit, combining its power with his Replacement Fruit and Haki…
As long as he had stamina left to burn, he'd be unbeatable.
Fifteen Minutes Later
Mio returned to the ship.
He watched as Warwick and the others carried the newly acquired supplies onto the deck and into the cabin. A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Hanba, let's go," Mio ordered casually.
"Yes, Master," Hanba responded, dragging the ship forward slowly as it sailed off into the rain.
Two Days Later – Grand Line, Near Reverse Mountain Lighthouse
Under a wide parasol, Crocus sat relaxed, sipping juice and flipping through a newspaper. The lighthouse guardian was enjoying a rare peaceful moment.
Then—a massive black shadow suddenly fell into view, crashing into the sea with a deafening roar.
A massive splash of seawater exploded upward and came crashing down over Crocus, completely drenching him from head to toe.
"Pffft—!?"
Crocus looked like a wet chicken, blinking through soaked glasses. Before he could even react, a familiar voice rang out.
"Yo, long time no see, old man."
Leaning lazily against the side of the ship was Mio, smirking as if nothing unusual had just happened.
"Mio?" Crocus wiped his face and stared, baffled. "Didn't you already head into the Grand Line? Why the hell are you coming from Reverse Mountain again?"
"I went back to the East Blue for some business," Mio said with a grin.
"That big shadow just now—what was that?"
"Oh, that? One of my crew members. His name's Hanba."
With a snap of his fingers, Mio called him.
A moment later, a massive form burst up from beneath the sea, towering before Crocus.
The old man's eyes went wide. "Is that… the descendant of Oars!? How the hell is it that big!?"
Before Crocus could recover, Mio tossed a bottle of rum toward him. Crocus caught it mid-air.
"Here, a little gift," Mio said with a grin. "We've got more places to go, so we won't be staying. Until next time, old man."
With that, Mio raised his own bottle, took a massive swig, and tossed the empty container into the sea.
"Hanba! Let's move!"
"Got it, Master!"
The giant dove back beneath the surface, pulling the ship forward with incredible speed.
Crocus remained seated, holding the rum as he watched the ship shrink into the horizon.
"…Where did that kid find a sea-traveling giant like that?" he muttered.
After a moment, he popped the cork off the rum and took a sip, sighing and glancing down at his soaked clothes.
"That little brat. Guess I'll have to change again."
Still, Crocus wasn't mad. In fact, he cracked a faint smile.
"He's an interesting one, that boy…"
Elsewhere, on Mio's Ship
As the ship advanced under Hanba's pull, the crew enjoyed themselves.
When not eating or relaxing, everyone was training hard.
On the deck, a fierce fight was underway—Warwick versus Kuroken (Black Flame).
After intense training, Warwick's strength had improved dramatically. Thanks to his natural physical prowess and high compatibility with Armament Haki, he could now fully coat both hands in it. He'd also mastered all six techniques of Rokushiki. With his current level, he could hold his own against a Marine Headquarters Rear Admiral.
Kuroken, too, had improved. With the help of his Sharingan, he had learned Rokushiki techniques as well. Though still developing his Haki, his strength had risen significantly—especially thanks to his Gluttony ability.
However, Gluttony was close to hitting its limit.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The fight between the two intensified.
But then something unexpected happened—Mio noticed something unusual.
Warwick's Haki-coated claw slashed at Kuroken—but before it landed, a scarlet tentacle whipped out from behind Kuroken, intercepting the strike.
It wasn't just the appearance of the kagune that surprised Mio.
It was the faint black coating on the tentacle—Armament Haki.
"You can use Armament Haki on your kagune?" Mio asked, stunned.
The fight halted, and Kuroken nodded. "Yes, Master. I just tried it in battle and discovered I could."
Mio's eyes narrowed in interest. "In that case, focus on training your Armament Haki and physical strength. Your regenerative ability combined with Haki will make you an unstoppable weapon."
If Kuroken could take his Armament Haki to advanced levels, then with his kagune, he could destroy mountains with ease. Combined with the precision of his Sharingan, he would eventually become a top-tier powerhouse.
"I will, Master!" Kuroken said firmly, eyes burning with determination before turning back to fight Warwick again.
After their bout, Warwick ran over to Mio excitedly, tail wagging.
"What is it?" Mio asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Master, look!" Warwick turned around and raised his bushy wolf tail proudly. "I can do it too!"
He activated his Armament Haki—and his tail turned pitch black with Haki coating.
Mio's expression froze.
"You can do it…?"
He was speechless.
You can do it, but should you?
He was genuinely impressed by Kuroken because the kagune was his main weapon. But Warwick?
What was he going to do—whip him with his tail? With a tail that long, wouldn't that mean…?
Mio immediately rolled his eyes and waved dismissively. "Go play somewhere else."
"…Oh." Warwick's tail drooped instantly, and he walked away like a dejected puppy.
Mio sighed again.
"Why the hell is he acting like some whiny little girl?"