one piece: gene extraction and fusion system-Chapter 291: Moriah’s Deal and Undercover Shadows

"Is he preparing to return to the New World?"

"Maybe he'll go to Fishman Island. After all, Fishman Island is in chaos right now. This is the perfect time to seize control."

"It's possible. Tsk, I really want to follow Black Crow, but unfortunately, I'm not strong enough. Black Crow only recruits elites."

"Still, whether he's going to Fishman Island or not, Black Crow is definitely heading back to the New World. It's going to get interesting. He hasn't made any moves in two years, and now he suddenly appears in the first half of the Grand Line. Who knows what he's planning—but once he returns to the New World, I bet he'll stir up some serious trouble."

The appearance of Black Crow in the Sabaody Archipelago naturally attracted the attention of many pirates.

Some were preparing to head for the New World.

Others had fled from the New World and now acted arrogantly in the weaker seas.

Mio didn't pay them any attention. After walking a few steps, his gaze shifted toward a certain direction—where a lone figure stood, watching him.

Their eyes met. The figure didn't flinch.

"Seven Warlords of the Sea... Gekko Moriah?" Mio smirked and easily recognized the man.

"Black Crow. Quite unexpected to see a guy like you here, hehe." Gekko Moriah grinned viciously.

"What? Do you have something to discuss with me?" Mio asked indifferently.

To be honest, Moriah's Shadow-Shadow Fruit was a formidable power. Unfortunately, Moriah had never developed it to its full potential. Ever since his crushing defeat at the hands of Kaido, when his entire crew was slaughtered, Moriah had descended into his obsession with zombies and never recovered.

"That's right." Moriah nodded. He hadn't come here intending to talk to Mio, but now that they'd crossed paths, the idea had taken root.

"Black Crow, how about we make a deal?" Moriah licked his lips with a crazed look.

"A deal? Why don't you start by telling me what you have to offer?" Mio chuckled. To him, Moriah was just another failed pirate from the New World—perhaps one of the more notable ones, but a loser all the same.

Sure, Moriah had strength, but he lacked influence or useful assets. Mio couldn't imagine what value this man could possibly bring to him.

"I can do anything for you... as long as you help me with one thing," Moriah said in a low, heavy voice, his eyes brimming with hatred.

Once, Gekko Moriah had been like Luffy—proud, confident in his strength, with a tight-knit crew. But then he met Kaido. Kaido crushed him, wiped out his companions, and left him broken.

Now, Moriah's heart burned with hatred.

Hearing this, Mio smirked coldly. "With your current strength, what do you think you can do for me? Any one of my crew could take you down. And I already know what you're going to ask—let me guess, you want me to help you kill Kaido?"

As he said this, Mio's smile widened further.

"But you're not worth it. You simply don't have the value to make me go to war with Kaido. Improve your worth first. Oh, by the way, here's an idea—try collecting Devil Fruits. I'm very interested in them. If you manage to gather ten, I might consider helping you. Sound fair?"

With that, Mio turned and walked toward Xia Qi's bar.

He had no further thoughts about Moriah. People like him might be useful in the future.

Moriah watched Mio's retreating back, his heart filled with silent rage.

But... he couldn't refute it.

Black Crow's strength was monstrous, and his crew members were all elite fighters. This was common knowledge throughout the New World—Black Crow only accepted the best of the best.

"Devil Fruits, huh..."

Moriah murmured under his breath, eyes gleaming with a cold light.

He was still one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. That meant he had the power and protection to do things others couldn't. If he acted carefully, even plundering Devil Fruits from kingdoms wouldn't raise alarms.

This was the privilege of being a Warlord.

As long as he didn't go too far, the World Government would turn a blind eye.

"Hmph."

With a cold snort, Moriah turned and left—but the hatred for Kaido still burned fiercely in his eyes.

Mio likely didn't expect Moriah to take the offer seriously. To him, it had only been a joke.

But if Moriah really did gather ten Devil Fruits?

Mio wouldn't mind honoring his word. After all, Kaido's genes were something he deeply desired.

...

At Xia Qi's bar.

Mio pushed open the door and entered.

There was no one inside except for Xia Qi. Rayleigh was nowhere to be seen.

Xia Qi, who had been sipping her drink, looked up and smiled when she saw him. "Getting ready to return to the New World?"

"Yeah, but we'll stop at Fishman Island first." Mio smiled and nodded, taking a seat at the counter. "Whiskey on the rocks?"

"Fishman Island?" Xia Qi raised a brow, then smiled knowingly. "Looks like some folks with ideas about Fishman Island are about to be disappointed."

"By the way," Xia Qi said suddenly, her voice dropping slightly, "since we're friends, I've got some intel you should hear."

"Go ahead," Mio said, resting his chin in one hand while sipping his drink.

"You're aware that the World Government has undercover agents operating in the New World, right?" Xia Qi asked with a sly smile.

"Yeah." Mio nodded. Of course he knew. Even after the main story began, the World Government's spy network was terrifyingly vast.

Take Stussy, for example—an influential figure in the New World's underground scene and secretly a CP0 agent. That woman had infiltrated incredibly deep.

And CP0 was the highest-ranking intelligence division under the World Government. Its members were elite, and there were definitely more agents like Stussy operating in the New World.

Some were so well-hidden that unless the World Government activated them, they'd never be exposed.

With a flicker in his eyes, Mio asked, "So, what, they've decided to investigate me?"

"Exactly." Xia Qi nodded. "You should be more cautious. The World Government's true agents in the New World are CP0 members. These guys are strong. Once they're ordered to investigate, they'll act, and they'll be thorough. They probably can't threaten you directly, but if they dig up something the World Government wants to know, they might really move against you."