"Pluto…"
As he walked away from the garbage dump, Mio was deep in thought. Naturally, he desired the blueprints of the ancient weapon Pluto, but now wasn't the right time to make a move.
The blueprints were still in Tom's hands. Although Tom was a shipwright, his strength wasn't to be underestimated—he could lift an entire ship with one hand. That alone made it clear how terrifying his physical power was.
Taking the blueprints by force would not only be risky but would also attract the attention of the World Government.
So, Mio shelved the idea—for now. There was still plenty of time before the original story began. Once Tom passed away, Mio believed he would definitely obtain the blueprints.
And at that time, it would be much easier than trying to snatch them while Tom was alive.
—
Back at the hotel…
Inside the room, Mio's crewmates were diligently training their Haki. Observation Haki and Armament Haki were being continuously honed, even if progress was slow. Given the limited space in the hotel, this kind of repetitive training was the most practical.
When Mio returned, everyone greeted him with nods and smiles.
He nodded back and took a seat at the table.
Robin immediately asked, "Captain, did you find a suitable shipwright?"
"Yeah, I did," Mio replied with a grin. "When the time comes, he should be able to build us a fantastic ship."
Even though Franky and Iceberg hadn't yet reached their future peak as master shipwrights, Mio had confidence. If Tom was willing to let his apprentices handle the task, he certainly wouldn't leave them unguided. That assurance alone was enough to raise Mio's expectations.
"We don't know how long it will take to build the ship," Mio continued, "so we'll lay low and focus on training here in Water Seven for a while."
No one had any objections. After their brief encounter with Aokiji, all of them were eager to grow stronger. They had seen firsthand how powerless they were in the face of overwhelming strength—and they were determined to change that.
Mio picked up a pen and began writing and sketching on a piece of paper. Robin leaned in curiously and furrowed her brows.
When Mio finished and set the pen down, she asked, "Captain, what is this?"
"This," Mio said, eyes gleaming, "is our next move."
He reached over and gently patted Robin's head with a soft smile. "Given our current strength, heading straight into the New World would be suicide. Before we set foot there, we need to pause and invest serious time into becoming stronger. We don't need to master everything, but our Haki must be raised significantly."
Robin nodded in agreement. But her eyes still narrowed with concern as she pointed at a specific spot on the paper.
"But… why go to such a dangerous place, Captain?" she asked, her voice filled with worry. Her finger rested on three bold, circled words: Impel Down.
Despite her young age, Robin understood exactly what Impel Down was. The great underwater prison was a fortress like no other. Only one person in history—Golden Lion Shiki—had ever escaped it, and he'd lost both legs in the process.
"That's a place we must visit," Mio said with a devilish grin.
Impel Down was an essential stop on Mio's journey.
Not only would it offer a chance to gather powerful Devil Fruit genes, but it could also serve as a breeding ground for cultivating powerful subordinates. Although Mio intended for his core crew to follow an elite path, he couldn't possibly handle everything alone—not if he wanted to rise to the top.
Future allies in the New World were uncertain. So why not create some of his own using Devil Fruit genes?
If he could collect enough valuable Devil Fruit genes from prisoners in Impel Down, he could grow an army of capable fighters.
So yes—Impel Down was absolutely a priority.
Mio gathered up the paper and looked around at Erica and the others. "Alright, listen carefully. I was originally going to wait until we left Water Seven to share this plan, but now's as good a time as any."
The crew gathered around, all eyes focused on their captain.
Mio wasted no time and detailed his upcoming plans thoroughly.
After about ten minutes of intense explanation, Erica immediately spoke up. "I'm going with you, Master."
"No," Mio rejected her outright, shaking his head. "You need to train with Lilith and the others. If you follow me now, you'll only be a liability."
"But Impel Down is extremely dangerous… I'm worried," Erica said, her tone softening.
"Don't worry," Mio said with confidence. "If I want to leave, escaping Impel Down will be easy."
That wasn't empty bravado.
In the eyes of the Navy Headquarters, Mio was a Devil Fruit user. But in reality, he wasn't. If captured, they'd only put him in sea prism stone handcuffs, thinking that would seal his power. But Mio's strength didn't rely on his fruit—he'd retain his full capabilities.
Not to mention his Substitute Fruit ability.
Escaping would be simple.
After some hesitation, Erica finally nodded in agreement.
"By the way…"
Suddenly, Mio pulled out a bounty poster and tossed it toward Kuroken.
"This guy's your target. During our stay in Water Seven, take Hanba and go capture him—alive."
The man on the bounty poster was a pirate operating somewhere along the Grand Line. A Devil Fruit user with an ability that most would consider useless.
But to Mio, it was incredibly valuable.
Kuroken took the poster, nodded, and silently turned to leave. Hanba followed close behind, carrying a piece of Mio's vivre card to find his way back once the mission was complete.
With their departure, silence returned to the room, and the rest of the crew resumed their training.
Meanwhile, Mio sat alone at the table, holding a Devil Fruit in his hand.
This one wasn't the Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder Fruit), but one of the other two Devil Fruits in his possession. He looked at it thoughtfully. With a silent command, the system panel popped up in front of his eyes.
He was about to use this fruit for a genetic lottery.
Time to see what kind of genes he could draw.
"You have obtained one lottery attempt."
The prompt appeared on the panel.
Mio tapped the lottery section, and a massive roulette wheel materialized in front of him.
Every time he saw the genetic options available, his heart raced with excitement.
The potential was staggering.
- [Bleach – Hollow Gene!]
- [Naruto – Two-Tails (Matatabi) Gene!]
- [League of Legends – Bloodthirst Strike: Yama's Black Sword Gene!]
- [Fairy Tail – Fire Dragon Gene!]
- [Jackie Chan Adventures – Wind Demon Gene!]
- And many more…
So many powerful genes. Even Pokémon and Digimon entries were mixed into the pool.
What kind of gene would he get this time?
Without hesitation, Mio pressed the "Draw" button.
The roulette wheel began spinning wildly…