one piece: gene extraction and fusion system-Chapter 233: Clash of Legends: Mio vs. Whitebeard

Crow Island.

The vibrations continued to rumble through the air.

Dust billowed into the sky.

Mio shot forward and clashed head-on with Whitebeard.

A terrifying shockwave erupted. The next moment, the skin on Mio's arm split open from the force, and blood dripped to the ground.

This was the overwhelming power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.

Even with Armament Haki wrapped around his arm, the brutal shockwaves tore through his defense.

Had he relied solely on his physical toughness, his arm would've been seriously damaged after just a few hits.

In terms of raw physical defense, he still lagged behind the world's top powerhouses.

But Mio grinned. Though injured, he endured it. His eyes gleamed with battle spirit, and his figure disappeared in an instant, reappearing at Whitebeard's right.

He clenched his fist again and punched.

Whitebeard began to react, but before his counterattack could land, Mio vanished once more and appeared on his other side.

This time, Mio didn't hold back. He unleashed his full strength.

The speed was astonishing.

Before Whitebeard could respond, Mio's punch slammed into his ribs.

All of his might exploded at that moment.

"Guh."

Whitebeard groaned, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

The enhanced Armament Haki, the intertwining of Dragon Power and Demon Power, and the domineering flow of Ryusakura together were enough to leave even Whitebeard injured.

But for someone of Whitebeard's caliber, such an injury was nothing serious.

Grinning with excitement, Whitebeard clenched his fists, sending a devastating shockwave through the air. Cracks split the sky as the vibrations crashed down toward Mio.

Even without a direct hit, Mio's cheek throbbed in pain under the force of the tremors.

This was the kind of power that injured enemies from a distance—pure vibration force.

In the next instant, a wound tore open on Mio's cheek, blood trickling out.

But Mio didn't flinch. His eyes flickered, and he vanished again.

"Boy, you think it's that easy to land a hit on me?" Whitebeard growled. His fists trembled, releasing another burst of seismic energy.

Mio had just reappeared behind Whitebeard when he sensed danger closing in fast.

Without hesitation, he coated his body entirely in Armament Haki.

A dull groan escaped him as Whitebeard's tremor attack slammed into his abdomen, drawing blood from the corner of his mouth.

But Mio didn't stop. Gritting his teeth, he retaliated immediately with another punch.

Even if it meant injury for injury, he refused to fall behind.

Boom!

The strike landed squarely on Whitebeard's back.

The force was strong enough to shake Whitebeard's massive body and draw more blood from his mouth.

"As expected of Lord Black Crow! Incredible! Absolutely incredible!!"

Araki's voice trembled with excitement, his gaze never leaving Mio.

Beside him, Katsumata Takeru was just as ecstatic. "That's Whitebeard he's fighting! And Lord Black Crow is holding his own! Hahahaha! Just give him a few more years—who in the New World could possibly stand against him then?"

Compared to Whitebeard, Black Crow was still young.

That was what made this so thrilling.

Meanwhile, the captains of the Whitebeard Pirates were watching grimly.

"Dad is hurt," Marco said solemnly, surprise clear in his tone.

"It's evenly matched."

Even Joz, reluctant to admit it, couldn't deny that Black Crow and Whitebeard were neck and neck.

In a head-on brawl, Black Crow wasn't quite Whitebeard's match. But his strange space-related ability was unpredictable, and that was making a difference.

Even Whitebeard had trouble dealing with it.

"The battle won't last much longer," Vista said calmly, though he was clearly impressed by Black Crow's power.

Why?

Because this was Crow Island—Black Crow's base.

If the battle continued at full intensity, the island would be reduced to rubble.

And if that happened, it wouldn't just be a duel.

It would become an all-out war between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Black Crow Pirates.

So the battle was sure to stop before that point.

And they were right.

At that moment, Mio wiped the blood from his mouth and swung his arms, dispersing the air.

Demonic energy surged from his body, intertwining and spiraling upward.

In an instant, a massive figure took shape behind Mio.

A blood-red skeleton giant, fifty meters tall, emerged. Its body burned with black and crimson flames, radiating an intense heat. But what was more terrifying was the next moment—

Mio's entire body glowed with Armament Haki.

The blackened Haki surged outward, enveloping the entire giant form.

"Whitebeard!" Mio shouted with a fierce grin. "Come at me!"

Whitebeard grinned wide in return. "Come on then!"

He raised his fists, and the air exploded again.

Crack—

Spiderweb-like cracks tore through the sky, expanding outward.

The wind howled.

Sea waves crashed skyward. The ground trembled beneath them.

Whitebeard's fists pulsed with the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.

Whoosh—

A thunderous roar sliced the air as Mio's armored giant clenched its fists and slammed them downward toward Whitebeard.

A monstrous strike—enough to crush a mountain.

But Whitebeard didn't falter. He laughed, exhilarated.

"Gurararara! Bring it on!"

With a roar, he unleashed all his strength and punched forward.

The shockwave erupted instantly.

Boom!

The two forces collided.

At the moment of impact, Whitebeard coughed blood again, clearly suffering internal damage.

But then—

Cracks formed along the giant's arms.

Those cracks spread rapidly, crawling toward Mio's position inside the massive structure.

Blood spilled from the corner of Mio's mouth as well.

He, too, had taken a heavy hit.

That was the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.

Its destructive force was beyond imagination.

As the shockwaves collided, dust exploded into the sky, swallowing the battlefield in a dense cloud.

The earth split apart beneath them.

Everyone watching stared toward the center of the clash—but the dust concealed everything.

Tension filled the air.

Hearts pounded.

No one could see what was happening inside...