one piece: gene extraction and fusion system-Chapter 268: The Ultimate Devil Fruit — Operation

"Joker, you want to rob your fellow thieves? Damn it, you bastard!"

On the island, a roar of shock and anger rang out.

Behind a trembling pirate stood thirty or forty of his crew, all clutching weapons or a tightly held box. They looked at Doflamingo in front of them with a mixture of fear and rage.

"Fuffuffuffuffu." A cold gleam flashed behind Doflamingo's tinted glasses as he sneered. "You simply picked up something you were never meant to have. Die."

The words had barely fallen when Doflamingo flicked his right hand.

Shlick.

A sound like slicing air echoed as invisible threads pierced the pirates' necks. Smooth incisions appeared before their heads toppled to the ground, rolling in the blood-soaked grass.

The metallic scent of blood spread swiftly.

Screams followed, and the chaos didn't last long.

An hour later.

Doflamingo, now splattered with blood, stepped onto the shore. Taking a towel handed over by one of his men, he wiped the blood from his face with calm indifference. Then he reached for the box Trebol passed to him and opened it.

Inside, nestled in the velvet lining, was a Devil Fruit.

It was red, covered with characteristic swirling patterns, and shaped vaguely like a heart.

"This is the one." Doflamingo grinned. He hadn't expected that this Devil Fruit—one with a legendary forbidden power—would appear in the North Blue. That he happened to hear of it first could only be called fate.

But it was a fruit beyond his reach.

With his current strength and the threat it would attract, possessing this fruit would bring more disaster than benefit. Doflamingo had no desire to be hunted like a dog.

At that moment, a Black Shadow soldier emerged from the nearby darkness, silently approaching Doflamingo.

Like the rest of the corps, this one was stained in fresh blood.

Without a word, Doflamingo handed over the box. "Take it."

The shadow soldier accepted the box and immediately vanished into the night.

As the last of the shadow soldiers disappeared, Doflamingo turned and boarded his ship. As it pulled away from the island, he looked toward the Grand Line with thoughtful amusement.

"I wonder... can you truly awaken that forbidden power, Black Crow?"

...

Elsewhere, aboard the Black Glory—

The shadow soldier knelt on one knee before Mio, raising the ornate box above his head with both hands.

Mio took the box, opened it, and the moment his eyes fell on the Devil Fruit within, an unmistakable excitement flashed through them.

"Yes, this is it." Mio couldn't help but lift the Devil Fruit up, his voice brimming with satisfaction. "The Operation Fruit."

In the original world, this was the fruit that Trafalgar Law wielded—touted as the ultimate Devil Fruit.

While the fruit's known capabilities were impressive, Mio knew the reason it was called "ultimate" wasn't due to its battlefield versatility.

No, the true terror of the Operation Fruit lay in one specific ability: the Perpetual Youth Surgery.

A technique that could grant someone eternal life.

Of course, the user who performed this operation would die immediately afterward.

Mio had no particular interest in the Operation Fruit's standard powers—his own Replacement Fruit bore similarities, and though the Operation Fruit had strengths in some areas, it wasn't dramatically superior.

But immortality? That was non-negotiable.

Still, performing the Perpetual Youth Surgery required an individual of remarkable innate talent—raw ability that couldn't be trained into just anyone.

Which is why Mio had no intention of cultivating an ability user slowly. It was too inefficient.

He already had a plan. He'd been thinking about this fruit since arriving in this world.

After a moment of silent contemplation, Mio closed the box and reached for his Den Den Mushi.

Click. The line connected.

"Come here," Mio said calmly.

No response was needed. The Den Den Mushi clicked off.

Soon, a figure emerged silently on the deck of the Black Glory.

Dressed in black, with a graceful figure and a wide-brimmed boonie hat casting shadow over her face, Renee stepped forward and bowed slightly.

"Sir, do you have a new mission for me?"

"I do." Mio nodded, meeting her eyes. "What's the current situation on Sky Island?"

Renee answered immediately, with a trace of pride in her voice. "It's under complete control. The people have grown accustomed to my rule. They even welcome it."

"Good." Mio nodded with satisfaction. "Then I have a task for you. I want you to find someone on Sky Island—a person with a kind heart and exceptional medical talent. It's best if they share some bond with me: blood, friendship, or love. Once you find someone who fits, report back. You must handle this personally."

"Understood." Renee bowed deeper, her tone solemn. From the seriousness in Mio's gaze, she understood just how critical this mission was.

Without further delay, Renee vanished once more into the night.

Mio stored the Operation Fruit securely and returned to his room.

Lying on his bed, he stared at the ceiling in the dark, reflecting on his plan for the fruit.

A quiet laugh escaped his lips.

"I'm really turning into a villain, huh?"

His plan was ruthless. He intended to farm the Operation Fruit—use it to perform the Perpetual Youth Surgery, allow the fruit to reincarnate, then retrieve it again.

Again and again.

Each time, someone would die.

A string of sacrifices for a single goal: immortality.

Villainous? Perhaps.

But Mio didn't care.

This wasn't a story where being "the good guy" guaranteed survival. It was a world of power—of brutality and ambition.

If Luffy hadn't had the protection of his father, Monkey D. Dragon, he might not have even escaped the East Blue. If Smoker had caught him in Loguetown, it would've been over before it began.

Such is the luck of a protagonist.

But Mio wasn't the child of destiny in this world. He was no chosen one.

Which meant he would do whatever it took to survive and thrive.

"This fruit is in my hands now. The next step... is controlling the Sea Kings," Mio murmured, eyes glinting in the dark.

With that final thought, he drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.

——————-

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