one piece: gene extraction and fusion system-Chapter 253: Strong World

The Upside-Down Mountain.

This waterway connects the Four Seas and leads into the Grand Line.

At this moment, the Black Glory had returned to this place once more.

From afar, the familiar lighthouse still stood, unchanging through time.

But this time, Mio also saw something new—a colossal whale lingering near the mountain's base.

"Is that the legendary island whale? It's enormous," Robin said in surprise, gazing at Laboon in the distance.

Mio's eyes briefly swept over Laboon but didn't linger. He wasn't particularly interested. Although Laboon was a notable character from the original storyline and belonged to the rare species known as island whales, there was nothing extraordinary about him in Mio's eyes.

Island whales weren't unique to Laboon, and aside from being impressively strong for a whale, there wasn't much that caught Mio's attention.

More importantly, there were too many potential downsides. Killing Laboon, for instance, would likely incur the wrath of Crocus. Though Crocus had only served a few years as a ship doctor on the Roger Pirates' vessel, his contribution had allowed Roger to complete his final journey. Roger's crew owed this old man a significant debt.

Causing trouble over a whale wasn't worth it.

"A rare visitor," Crocus muttered while reading a newspaper, his gaze lifting toward the approaching ship with mild surprise.

Crocus still remembered Mio clearly. He had once considered Mio to be a rather intriguing figure. But now, Mio—known as the Black Crow—had grown into a towering force, infamous across the New World, strong enough to go head-to-head with the likes of Whitebeard. To see someone like that return to this modest corner of the world was unexpected.

"Hey, Crocus, long time no see!" Mio waved with a grin.

"Ah, indeed. It's been a while," Crocus nodded, then asked curiously, "With your current status, there's not much the Four Seas can offer you. What brings you here?"

"I have a few things to take care of. I'm also looking for someone," Mio said with a shrug.

"Looking for someone?" Crocus was momentarily surprised, then chuckled. "If someone like you is searching personally, they must be anything but ordinary."

"Golden Lion," Mio said with a slight smile. "Definitely not ordinary."

Crocus nodded knowingly and sighed. "The Golden Lion, huh? That one's been missing for years. His strength is real, and his pride runs deep—like a lion. If you meet him, you're bound to clash. And with his abilities, finding him won't be easy."

"True," Mio agreed. "But when it's important, even the most difficult things are worth attempting."

"Well, I wish you good luck," Crocus said sincerely. If he had known where the Golden Lion was, he wouldn't have hesitated to tell Mio. After all, Mio was one of the few pirates he respected.

After chatting for a while, Crocus asked about the Rumbar Pirates.

Mio, of course, pretended ignorance. That story was better left to Luffy—Mio had no time for it.

Afterward, the Black Glory sailed off, circling the waters near the Upside-Down Mountain in search of the Golden Lion's whereabouts.

As Crocus had said, finding the Golden Lion was not easy. He seemed to have vanished from the area entirely.

Still, Mio remained committed.

He instructed Baifeng and Lilith to take to the skies, searching above the clouds for any signs of a floating island base.

Five days passed slowly.

During that time, Mio and his crew scoured the skies and sea, seeking signs of the Golden Lion's base, but came up empty-handed. No trace of him.

Mio felt it was a waste of time. He had little patience for dragging things out like this.

Then, on a rainy, thunder-filled day—

Mashi soared through the storm, her wings slicing through the rain as flashes of lightning sparked from her form and surged into the clouds.

Suddenly, Mio looked skyward, his eyes narrowing.

"Finally found it," he murmured.

Beside him, Hei Yan followed his gaze, locking onto the faint silhouette of a massive floating island above the clouds.

"Strong World... Is this the awakening of his ability?" Lilith muttered as her gaze scanned the sky. She could see it now—more than one floating island. Dozens, in fact. Keeping such massive structures afloat continuously was a testament to the Golden Lion's mastery over the Float-Float Fruit, and his overwhelming power.

Mio's lips curved upward.

"Now that we've found it, these past few days weren't wasted. Mashi, Lilith, Baifeng—come with me. The rest of you stay on standby."

"Yes!"

Acknowledgments echoed in unison.

In the blink of an eye, Mio vanished, teleporting through the air and emerging above the clouds. Another flash, and he landed on one of the floating islands.

Soon after, Lilith and the others arrived, standing by his side as they took in their surroundings.

"It's beautiful," Mashi whispered, stunned by the sight.

The view was indeed breathtaking. The Golden Lion's sky base—Strong World—was composed not of a single floating island, but dozens. Some were interconnected, while others drifted freely. It was a spectacle of raw power and awe-inspiring scale.

"We can admire the view later," Mio said calmly. "Right now, let's find the target."

His Observation Haki swept across the entirety of Strong World, searching.

Then his eyes glinted.

"Looks like there's no need to search. The target's already here."

Lilith and the others turned their gaze in the same direction. In the distance, a dark silhouette emerged, suspended in the air.

At the same moment—

ROAR!

A thunderous roar echoed as the ground beneath them twisted and surged upward, forming a massive lion made from solid earth. The colossal beast lunged forward, threatening to swallow them all.

"Hmph." Mashi snorted. She stepped forward and instantly vanished, reappearing in front of the earthen lion.

Her delicate hand clenched into a fist as red flames and surging blue lightning erupted around it.

In the next instant—

BOOM!

Mashi punched forward.

A piercing sound tore through the air as thunder and fire exploded outward.

The massive lion shattered into rubble, utterly destroyed.