one piece: gene extraction and fusion system Chapter 67: Awaiting the Journey to the Historical Text

Ikalem left happily with Mio.

King Cobra let out a long, heavy sigh and sat quietly in his study, lost in deep thought.

Not long after, there was a knock on the door.

"Co in."

"Your Majesty," a curly-haired man entered.

"Oh, Ikalem. What's the matter?" Cobra smiled upon seeing the captain of the Kingdom Guard.

"Your Majesty, I just heard a soldier say there was a stranger in your study. I was a bit concerned and ca to check," Ikalem said, his tone slightly tense.

"It's nothing. Just an old friend I haven't seen in a long ti," Cobra replied with a calm smile. Naturally, he couldn't tell the truth. But in his heart, he was deeply worried.

The historical text in the royal tomb was like a ti bomb. The mont word got out, the World Governnt would not hesitate to act. Mio had discovered it this ti... but what about the next?

anwhile, Mio was oblivious to Cobra's inner turmoil.

After leaving the palace, Mio quickly found a hotel in the capital and checked in. He then contacted Robin through the Den Den Mushi to tell her his location.

Settling into the room, Mio took out the Devil Fruit he had just received and examined it closely. At the sa ti, he also retrieved another Devil Fruit he'd been carrying with him.

It didn't take long to identify it.

"Animal-type... Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Jackal," Mio murmured, flipping through the Devil Fruit guidebook.

He rembered this one. Wasn't it the fruit that would one day belong to a lieutenant of Alabasta's guards?

"Huh... Interesting," Mio said with a mix of disappointnt and amusent. "Not exactly powerful... but not bad either."

It wasn't a strong ability. But because of that, it had potential—he could use it for a system lottery and maybe acquire a powerful gene from another world.

Still, he wasn't in a rush.

"I'll wait for my lucky mont. Even if it's superstition, maybe I'll get a top-tier power."

Mio didn't stay in the room alone for long. Soon, Robin and the others returned.

"Here," Mio said, handing over the books he'd taken from the palace to Robin and Lilith.

Robin's eyes lit up with surprise and joy. "I know this book! I rember seeing it in O'Hara before it was destroyed. I thought I'd never find it again."

But then, her smile faded as she recalled the tragedy.

Mio gently patted her head. "It's okay. One day, we'll have a big ship and a massive library. I'll collect all kinds of books for you. You can sleep surrounded by them every night if you want."

Robin's heart ward. She knew O'Hara could never return, but Mio's words brought comfort. She nodded with a grateful smile.

Then Mio shared another piece of news—one that shocked Robin even more.

"Get ready for tomorrow. I'll take you to see the historical text."

"R-Really?" Robin's eyes widened, full of disbelief. "So soon?"

"Of course," Mio said, shrugging casually. "Why would I lie after saying all that?"

For others, the historical text might be incredibly difficult to find. But for Mio, it wasn't so hard—at least not the standard ones. The red Poneglyphs, the Road Poneglyphs, were another story. He knew of them, but obtaining them? That was impossible for now.

After all, they were all in the hands of true monsters.

"Thank you, Captain..." Robin whispered, a glowing smile spreading across her face.

Then, unexpectedly, she stood on her toes and gave Mio a light kiss on the cheek. Her eyes sparkled with gratitude and joy. She was so close to touching the truth she'd sought for years. It felt like a dream.

Realizing what she'd just done, Robin's face turned bright red. Her hands fidgeted nervously as she looked down.

Mio blinked, stunned for a mont. Then, with a grin, he pointed to his other cheek. "Want to give one more over here?"

"N-No!" Robin squeaked, flustered, covering her face with both hands.

Watching from the side, Lilith and Erica imdiately raised their hands in mock protest.

"I can do x2!" Lilith said cheerfully.

"Sa here!" Erica chid in.

"Hahaha!" Mio laughed heartily at their antics but shook his head. "The gentle countryside can wait. We've got work to do."

He needed to stay focused. A little fun was fine, but it wasn't yet ti to indulge.

"Oh, by the way, Master—do you want this?" Erica suddenly asked, pulling a weapon from her waist and offering it to him.

"A weapon?" Mio took it and examined the blade. His fingers brushed across its surface, and he nodded in appreciation. "Not bad. Feels just as good as a nad blade... maybe even stronger."

"I bought it earlier," Erica explained. "It cost exactly one million berries. I only saw this one, but it's a solid weapon."

In this world, weapons weren't overly expensive. Even famous swords didn't fetch outrageous prices. Their rarity made them valuable, not necessarily their strength.

A powerful sword required a skilled user to truly shine. Unlike Devil Fruits, which could give any ordinary person trendous power, a sword only enhanced soone who was already strong.

"Still, this one's nice," Mio said, returning the blade. "Let's go check the palace treasury tomorrow. Maybe they've got more."

If Cobra knew what Mio was planning, he might've exploded on the spot.

"I've never seen a more shaless person in my life!" Cobra would've probably cursed. "Can't you at least try to have so dignity?"

"Yeah," Erica nodded quietly, staring up at Mio.

He sighed helplessly and rubbed her head. Erica's eyes squinted as she leaned into the gesture with a peaceful smile.

Not long after, Warwick arrived.

The massive werewolf stepped into the room and imdiately spoke. "Master, I just heard people say the navy is in Rapeseed Town and heading toward the capital."

Mio didn't react. "So what? Alabasta's a World Governnt country. It's normal for navy to be here."

Warwick added, "But they said there's a woman with them. A very beautiful one. Soone called Momousagi."

"Momousagi?" Mio raised an eyebrow, rubbing his chin. "What's she doing in Alabasta? Did she track us?"

If she was in Rapeseed Town, she had only just arrived. Whether she was here for him or not, she wouldn't leave anyti soon—not before reading the Poneglyph herself.

"Well," Mio said, eyes flashing with calm resolve. "If it cos down to it—we can always fight again."

He wasn't afraid of Momousagi at all.