If Mio knew what Doflamingo was thinking, he would probably just smile.
He had done this simply to make certain guarantees.
To protect his own life, to protect Erica and the others, and to make preparations for the future—especially when it came to improving his strength.
With a soft plop, Mio suddenly pulled up his fishing rod, and a small fish flew out of the water. After catching the fish and releasing it back into the sea, a surprised voice echoed behind him.
"Master, the egg has hatched!" Erica called out.
"Huh?"
Hearing her voice, Mio quickly left the bow and entered the cabin, making his way to one of the rooms. Several crew members had gathered there, their eyes fixed on the center of the room, where the dragon egg was placed. Cracks had begun to form across its shell.
It was obvious that the dragon egg was about to hatch.
Crack...
Crack...
The fractures grew larger and more numerous until the egg suddenly split open, and a small head peeked out.
It wasn't a particularly pretty creature—bald and a bit awkward—but it looked around curiously, then locked eyes with Mio and let out a happy chirp.
It clumsily climbed out of the shell and crawled to Mio's leg, rubbing against it affectionately as if recognizing him as its parent.
Well—father, to be precise.
Click! A camera flash went off.
Robin had taken a picture. Then she looked at Mio and asked, "Captain, what should we feed the hatchling? Does it drink milk?"
"Probably," Mio replied, scratching his head. He asked Robin to fetch a bottle of milk. After crafting a small pacifier from some plastic, he placed it in the little creature's mouth.
The baby dragon eagerly began to drink and seemed to enjoy the milk quite a bit.
Once it had finished feeding, the little creature let out a soft yawn and curled up beside Mio's legs, falling fast asleep.
"Alright, let's give it some space," Mio said with a smile, gently picking the little dragon up into his arms.
Erica and the others nodded and quietly left the room.
Mio looked down at the small creature in his arms and narrowed his eyes slightly. A flicker of reluctance flashed across his face.
Tsk... it's kind of hard to do this to something that just hatched.
But now was the best time.
If he waited and raised it for a while, it would only become harder to do.
"The timing of the hatching is just right," Mio muttered. "I'll train you before we head to Impel Down."
He gently laid the little creature down, then returned to the deck to retrieve the fish he had caught earlier.
This fish was native to the One Piece world. Even though it was small, its mouth was full of sharp, jagged teeth.
Holding the fish in one hand, Mio picked up the Thunder Fruit with the other and shoved it into the fish's mouth.
The fish instinctively bit down and swallowed the fruit whole.
Then, without a word, Mio clenched the fish tightly, instantly crushing it in his grasp.
A system prompt appeared before him:
"Congratulations on collecting the fish (Lightning) gene!"
With that, Mio turned his gaze back toward the little creature and sighed before taking action.
One minute later...
Mio stared at the baby dragon floating in the gene culture tank. Without hesitation, he dragged the Fire Dragon Gene, Lightning Gene, and several other supplementary genes into the fusion chamber.
Once all gene selections were finalized, Mio pressed the "Cultivate" button.
Cultivation: Start.
Mio sat cross-legged on the floor and waited patiently.
Inside the cultivation interface, thunder rumbled, and dragon roars echoed deafeningly.
Several minutes passed.
[Please select the cultivation direction: Beast-type? — Human-type?]
"Human-type!" Mio said without hesitation.
"Selection successful."
The cultivation process resumed.
Roughly half an hour later...
Cultivation complete.
The creature's ability panel appeared before Mio's eyes.
[Ability Overview]
Abilities:
Longevity: Possesses an extraordinarily long lifespan. Rapid growth in early life, stable adult state, and rapid aging near death.
Great Strength: Incredible raw power.
Toughness: High defensive skin resistance.
Dragon Might: Natural dragon aura that suppresses the will of weaker beings.
Fire Eating: Can absorb flames to recover strength.
Dragon Body: Enhanced physical attributes by nature of being part dragon.
Dragon Power: A natural gift, embodies the fiery power of a dragon.
Thunder and Lightning: Can manipulate lightning, transform into it; weak to seawater.
Strength Level: Navy Lieutenant Commander
Potential Combat Peak: Navy Colonel
Potential: Extremely high, yet to be fully developed.
Mio wasn't the least bit surprised.
The panel was extravagant. Every ability listed was powerful and impressive.
As for her current strength? That was understandable. The creature had just been born, and although she had impressive genetics, she didn't yet know how to use them. Her physical growth would take time, but the foundations were solid.
Mio could already tell—the potential of this little girl was immense.
On his ship, aside from himself, there were only two others whose potential could compare.
One was Erica—her swordsmanship talent was terrifying. If she continued to improve, killing a dragon wouldn't be beyond her reach.
The other was Hei Yan.
Hei Yan's potential was equally terrifying, but it had yet to fully blossom. It was only a matter of time, though. Mio had already formulated a plan, and once they returned from Impel Down, he intended to put it into motion.
But again, only Erica and Hei Yan could compare to this little one—for now.
The main reason?
Her lifespan.
Extremely long.
That's what gave her so much room to grow.
Millennium Dragons already had lengthy lives. With the added influence of the fire dragon genes, her longevity had undoubtedly increased. As her strength increased in the future, so too would her lifespan.
In the end, even an average person with a long enough life could surpass a genius.
Let alone a dragon girl with enormous talent.
With a thought, Mio summoned the baby girl into his arms.
After cultivation, she had transformed into a human infant—but retained clear draconic traits.
Two small horns protruded from her forehead, and there were markings on her back that hinted at future dragon wings.
"...Huh? A girl?" Mio blinked as he glanced at the naked baby in his arms. He had expected a boy.
"Well, since you're a girl... your name will be Mashi from now on."
He scratched her little nose with a smile. "When you appear before the Navy and unleash your strength, maybe they'll call you the Dragon Princess."
Perhaps tickled by his finger, the baby girl stirred, her nose wrinkling. She opened her eyes and looked around, frowning and swinging her tiny fists in annoyance.
But as soon as she saw Mio, her scowl disappeared, and she broke into a smile.
She gave a contented sigh and dozed off once more in his arms.