one piece: gene extraction and fusion system-Chapter 330: The Queen’s Rise

This woman was once the original general of Wano Country—the daughter of Kozuki Oden, a member of both the former Whitebeard Pirates and Roger Pirates—and the sister of Kozuki Momonosuke.

She was once the princess of the Kozuki family and hailed as the most beautiful woman in Wano Country.

In the present timeline, Kozuki Hiyori is actually about the same age as Hancock. She may still be residing in Wano Country, since unlike Kozuki Momonosuke, she did not travel twenty years into the future.

Thinking of this, one couldn't help but sigh at the ability of Kozuki Toki, the mother of Hiyori and Momonosuke.

A user of the Paramecia-type Time-Time Fruit, Toki's power certainly sounded impressive. However, its actual ability was peculiar—it only allowed the user to travel forward in time, not backward. A strange, even arguably underwhelming power.

Nevertheless, thanks to that very fruit, Kozuki Toki had journeyed from eight hundred years in the past to the current timeline, eventually marrying Oden.

"When I go to Wano Country, I'll consider looking for her." Mio touched his chin thoughtfully and murmured to himself. After all, Hiyori Kozuki would one day become one of the top three most beautiful women in the world. And to be honest, as a man, Mio couldn't help but feel a bit greedy for—

Ahem.

Her dancing. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

Yes, her dancing.

To personally raise and cultivate a world-class beauty to perform for him alone in the future—that was quite the fulfilling thought, wasn't it?

Shaking away such idle fantasies, Mio turned his attention back to reality. He took out the Sweet-Sweet Fruit and handed it to Hancock. "Eat it. Gain power."

"Power..."

The word echoed in Hancock's ears. Determination flickered in her eyes, and without hesitation, she picked up the Devil Fruit and took a large bite.

Her face instantly paled. As if on the verge of vomiting, she clamped her hands over her mouth and let out several muffled gagging sounds.

Seeing this, Mio couldn't help but shake his head and laugh. "The taste of Devil Fruits has always been nasty," he remarked to himself. "Not that I ever plan on eating one."

Eventually, Hancock managed to swallow the bite she had taken, though she glanced at the rest of the fruit with visible dread.

Mio chuckled. "Don't worry. One bite is enough to awaken the power."

He took a step back, once again returning to his throne. His gaze never left Hancock.

Almost immediately after Hancock ate the fruit, Mio could feel a subtle change. A new aura blossomed from her, enhancing her already striking beauty with a new charm.

Enough of that.

Mio clapped his hands. "Take them down and prepare a place for them to rest. These are my subordinates now. Also, make sure the others on the island don't go wild just because there are women here."

"Don't worry, Sir," Lilith said, covering her mouth as she chuckled. "They wouldn't dare. They know better than to risk their lives doing something so foolish."

"Good." Mio smiled faintly.

Lilith then left with Hancock and the others.

After that, Mio waved toward Baifeng.

"My lord," Baifeng said, stepping forward and bowing.

"Go find a few suitable targets. Once Hancock has trained for a bit, take her and the Nine Snakes Pirates out to hunt. If they don't kill and fight real battles, they won't grow." Mio gave the order directly.

Hancock was young but full of potential, especially now that she had eaten the Devil Fruit. As long as she underwent proper training and plenty of combat, she could grow into a powerful warrior.

After all, there were many promising young fighters sailing the seas.

Of course, few could compare to someone like Mio, but among other pirates, such individuals were still considered strong.

"Yes, understood," Baifeng nodded respectfully.

Mio then instructed Erica to take charge of training Hancock's two sisters.

As for the rest of the Nine Snakes Pirates, Mio didn't particularly care about them.

After giving out his orders, the others quickly left, leaving only Mio and Asuka in the throne room.

After a moment of silence, Asuka spoke. "Sir, what are your plans next?"

"Plans?" Mio chuckled and shook his head. "What plans? For now, we just wait."

Continue laying low, quietly building strength and expanding influence—then, when the time is right, strike.

That moment was still far away.

In Mio's view, the ideal time would be after the original story began in earnest. That was still quite a way off.

But precisely because of that, he had ample time to prepare.

"How's the gold collection going?" Mio suddenly asked.

"A lot has been gathered, but it'll still take some time to meet your expectations. Most of the gold is currently controlled by the World Government, the major kingdoms, and nobles. Most of what we loot during our raids is in the form of Beli. But in about a week, we should have enough."

"A week..." Mio's eyes glinted with anticipation. "Perfect."

On Crow Island—

In a particular area of the island, there stood rows of newly constructed buildings, currently uninhabited.

This would become the residential zone for the Nine Snakes Pirates.

Although there were thousands of pirates on Crow Island at any given time, most preferred to stay on their ships. Only a few chose to live on the island itself.

"This will be your new home," Lilith said to Hancock, gesturing toward the buildings. "The servants on the island will handle meals and necessities. Just give the orders."

Besides the pirates, there were also servants here—ordinary people captured by pirates and left behind to serve the Black Crow.

"I understand." Hancock nodded, though a trace of hesitation remained on her face. She finally gathered her courage and asked, "Sister... is there a way to get stronger quickly?"

"A shortcut to power?" Lilith shook her head. "You've already taken it. Eating a Devil Fruit is the fastest way to gain strength. As long as you master your ability, you'll grow stronger. Besides, someone will be training you soon."

Then, Lilith looked Hancock in the eye and said with a faint smile, "Remember, little sister—only by proving your value can you avoid being cast aside. And if the master decides to abandon someone, it's not just as simple as leaving the Black Crows. Understand?"

Without waiting for a reply, Lilith turned and left.

As she walked away, Sandersonia and Marigold turned toward Hancock, their faces full of worry.

"Sister..."

"Yeah." Hancock turned around, looking at her younger sisters. Determination burned in her eyes. "We must become stronger."

She clenched her fists and vowed silently.

"We will become valuable—valuable enough to protect Nine Snake Island."