"Reporting to Admiral Sengoku, this is Vice Admiral Momosagi. The capture mission has failed."
Inside the Marine Headquarters office, Sengoku held the Den Den Mushi receiver tightly, his face stern.
Though he had mentally prepared for such news, hearing it firsthand still brought a wave of disappointment. Momosagi—also known as Gion—was a promising elite within the Navy ranks. While not quite on par with the likes of Aokiji, she was still one of Sengoku's favored candidates for future admiralship. Yet even she had failed to capture a newly emerged pirate crew?
"Tell me everything that happened," Sengoku said in a low, heavy tone.
"Yes, sir," Momosagi replied promptly, her voice composed yet tinged with frustration. "As far as we know, there are four members on this pirate ship: the captain, Kurokawa Mio, and crew members Erica, Warwick, and Nico Robin."
"Except for Captain Kurokawa Mio—whose abilities are currently unknown—the other three are all confirmed Devil Fruit users. Warwick possesses an animal-type Devil Fruit related to wolves. Erica's ability is unconfirmed but appears to also be animal-based. She can seemingly control ants or possibly all insects, and she's incredibly dangerous. Nico Robin is, as you know, already a known target."
She paused, then continued with a more serious tone. "Aside from Robin, none of the other three can be considered weak. Kurokawa Mio's current base strength is around the level of a Navy colonel, but he's capable of sudden explosive combat power. Warwick's full power remains unclear. Erica's strength is on par with my own."
"Furthermore, all of them appear to have basic proficiency in Haki, though they're likely still in the early stages of mastery."
Momosagi then added, "We also encountered two giant pirates on the prehistoric island, Little Garden. They interfered and allowed the pirate group to escape."
Sengoku rubbed his temples at this, his frown deepening. "Forget the giants for now. As for this so-called rookie pirate group... this situation has exceeded my expectations. They don't act like rookies at all."
He knew of the two giants stationed on Little Garden and the peculiar history behind their presence. In fact, the mysterious girl related to their quarrel—one who might one day grow into someone significant—had always intrigued him.
(Author's Note: A reference to a discussion on Tieba mentioned that the girl's face resembles either Bonnie or the nun who raised Big Mom. Borrowing the idea here—might be used later, or not.)
Putting aside the giants, Mio's case gave Sengoku a headache.
And as if one problem wasn't enough, a more horrifying event had just occurred in the North Blue.
A small town associated with the Tenjojin was annihilated overnight. Thousands of lives were lost.
Death is a common occurrence in this world, but for an entire town to be wiped out in a single night—especially one linked to Tenjojin—was a different matter altogether. The World Government was furious. To them, this was nothing short of a blatant provocation.
They immediately pressured the Navy for results.
Fleet Admiral Kong, nearing his promotion, seemed eager to offload responsibilities to Sengoku, using his upcoming retirement as an excuse. As a result, tasks that once fell on Kong now landed on Sengoku's shoulders.
Meanwhile, Kong had taken to enjoying snacks with Garp on a daily basis.
Thinking of this, Sengoku couldn't help but feel a mix of envy and frustration.
"You are not to attempt another capture for now. Just monitor their movements closely," Sengoku instructed. "With your current strength, you may not survive a full confrontation. According to your report, if they go all-out, you'd likely be killed. Wait until we finish up the affairs in the New World. I'll send reinforcements then."
"Understood, sir," Momosagi replied. "I'll continue monitoring them closely."
"Good."
With that, the Den Den Mushi call ended.
Sengoku leaned back and rubbed his forehead once more, muttering to himself, "Looks like we'll have to raise their bounty..."
As per protocol, bounty levels are raised not only based on combat ability but also the threat they pose to world stability. And from what Sengoku gathered, Kurokawa Mio and his crew had both.
They had combat capability, potential, and now a record of evading capture while embarrassing the Navy.
The bounty they had been initially issued seemed woefully insufficient now.
After some time, Sengoku decided he would issue a new bounty list in a few days.
Perhaps it might attract some high-level bounty hunters?
Though the chances were slim...
Grand Line – Aboard Mio's Ship
On the sun-drenched deck, Robin walked over and handed Mio a permanent pointer.
"Captain, the two giants asked me to give this to you. They said you might need it," she said calmly.
Mio raised an eyebrow and scratched his head. "I was going to ask for this myself... completely forgot. Glad you were there, Robin."
With a smile, he reached out and pinched her cheek gently.
The giants had stepped in to help after witnessing the commotion on the coast and sensing Robin's ability. It was thanks to her that they chose to intervene.
Robin simply gave a quiet smile and returned to her usual spot, sitting with a book in her hands.
Strapping the permanent pointer onto his wrist, Mio turned and began walking back to his room.
"Master, I'll start preparing dinner now," Erica called out as she passed him, a soft smile on her face.
Mio gave a thoughtful nod, then sighed. "Shame we didn't bring back that wild boar from the island."
"It's okay. We still have plenty of supplies on board," Erica replied sweetly.
"Ah, then I'll look forward to your delicious cooking. Call me when it's ready, Erica."
"Yes, Master."
With that, Mio headed into his room.
Inside, the small butterfly from earlier rested quietly.
Mio stared at it thoughtfully, then turned toward his system interface.
Rather than trying to fight or use the butterfly right away, he opened the fusion panel—he had something far more ambitious in mind.
Gene Fusion.
In his system, 1+1 was greater than 2. When genes were fused, the resulting creation would be stronger than the sum of its parts.
Today, his fusion targets were the Pterosaur and Velociraptor genes.
Both were Devil Fruit users—complex and powerful. Although the velociraptor's ability was a bit underwhelming, the potential synergy made it worth the risk.
Dragging the two genes into the fusion slots, Mio clicked the glowing Fusion button.
Instantly, the screen filled with steam, swirling with bright white and blue light. Strange sounds echoed out, and the display looked like something from a knockoff sci-fi game.
But Mio had long gotten used to the bizarre aesthetic. What mattered was the result.
Roars echoed—one sharp and reptilian, the other deep and ancient—as if the creatures themselves were struggling for dominance.
Amid the steam and light, two silhouettes took shape.
On one side, a featureless white glow—the embodiment of superpowers, formless and ethereal.
On the other side...
A massive blue butterfly slowly emerged, its wings glowing with breathtaking brilliance.
"The South China Sea Butterfly?" Mio muttered in awe.
The butterfly's wings were predominantly sapphire, but streaked with shimmering hues that danced like living runes. Each flap released a scattering of glowing particles, like fairy dust drifting through the air.
It resembled the legendary Goddess of Light Butterfly Mio had once seen in a documentary back on Earth.
But this one was alive—with special effects.
So beautiful, it was almost impossible to look away.
Mio's eyes gleamed with anticipation as the fusion neared completion.
Something powerful was being born...
And it was beautiful.