At least the pirate flag looked pretty cool.
"Let's take this one," Mio said with a nod of approval.
"Okay." Robin's eyes sparkled with excitement as he heard Mio's agreement. Without wasting any time, he returned to the cabin and brought out the materials to recreate the pirate flag from scratch.
It didn't take long.
Soon, the new pirate flag was ready.
Mio took it and hoisted it up the boat's mast, where it billowed proudly in the wind. The same symbol had been painted on the large canvas sails, catching the wind dramatically.
Looking up at the flag fluttering above, Mio grinned. "Feels good. Our pirate crew finally has a symbol of its own."
Three days later.
Sailing at full speed, the ship finally reached the waters near Little Garden.
On the deck, Mio was sparring with Erica. Their training focused on Observation Haki. Mio's eyes were covered by a black cloth as Erica launched punch after punch toward him. Despite being blindfolded, he effortlessly dodged each strike, moving his head and body with precision.
"Five meters… So that's my current range. Guess that qualifies as entry-level," Mio muttered as he removed the blindfold, a bit disappointed with the limited range but still satisfied with the progress.
"Master, shall we continue?" Erica asked.
"No, that's enough for now. We're almost at Little Garden. I can practice Observation Haki on my own later. As for Armament Haki, we'll tackle that after this island," Mio replied, shifting his gaze forward.
A large island had appeared on the horizon.
Little Garden—also known as Pangu Island.
The island was known for being a preserved remnant of ancient times, filled with primeval flora and fauna. According to the original timeline, Nami had been infected here by an ancient virus, which later led the crew to Drum Island.
With that in mind, Mio turned toward Robin and offered a reminder. Among his crew, Robin had the weakest physical constitution and was more susceptible to illness.
Robin nodded. "Why don't I just stay on the ship?"
"Are you sure you don't want to take a look?" Mio asked, grinning. "This is an ancient island, you know. Most of the creatures here are from prehistoric times. There are even two giants living here."
"Giants?" Robin's eyes lit up with curiosity. After a brief moment of consideration, he nodded. "Alright, I'll come."
Soon after, the ship reached the shoreline.
Once the anchor was dropped and the vessel secured, the group disembarked onto the island.
At first glance, it was a wild, untouched landscape—thick forests, colossal trees, and massive roots snaking across the ground like vines. The whole island gave off an ancient and dangerous vibe.
"Let's go," Mio said with a hint of anticipation as he stepped forward into the dense jungle.
Erica and Warwick followed close behind him, while Robin carefully trailed beside Erica—perhaps feeling safer near another woman.
"Captain, what are we doing here exactly?" Robin asked, looking around with wide eyes. She already knew Mio's name but still addressed him respectfully as Captain.
"We're here to look for some special creatures," Mio replied. After a pause, he added, "Just think of me as a Devil Fruit user. I can turn unique animals into humanoid beings."
"I see…" Robin's expression shifted to realization. After glancing at Erica and Warwick—both clearly not ordinary people—she immediately accepted Mio's explanation.
As they moved deeper into the forest, Mio activated his Observation Haki. The range was limited to about five meters, but it was still useful and provided consistent training. With time, the ability would naturally strengthen.
After about ten minutes of trekking through thick foliage…
A deep, guttural roar echoed ahead, followed by faint tremors in the ground.
"Sounds like a dinosaur," Mio murmured. "Looks like we found our first target."
Without hesitation, he sprinted forward. "Erica, protect Robin and bring her with you!"
Robin wouldn't be able to keep up with his speed.
"Yes, Master," Erica acknowledged immediately, then guided Robin carefully while following at a moderate pace.
Before long, Mio and Warwick reached the source of the commotion.
In the heart of the forest, two ancient giants of nature had met—though only one was still standing. A Triceratops lay dead, its body being devoured by a massive Tyrannosaurus Rex.
"Tsk. Talk about luck," Mio muttered, eyes gleaming.
A Tyrannosaurus was among the strongest of the dinosaur species. It was exactly the kind of gene he was hoping to acquire.
Without hesitation, he drew his sword—Raikiri—from his waist.
In a single burst of motion, he vanished from his position and reappeared mid-charge.
"Cut!"
With a sharp shout, Mio swung his blade. A wave of sword energy burst forth, slicing through the air with precision and power.
"ROAR!!"
The Tyrannosaurus turned its head toward Mio, bellowing in rage as its meal was interrupted. But before it could act, the slash connected—severing one of its legs cleanly.
The massive beast toppled over, shaking the ground as its body crashed into the dirt, dust rising like a wave.
It struggled, attempting to rise—but its body was designed to move on two legs. With one gone, the T-Rex was helpless.
Mio grinned and moved in behind the beast.
The massive tail whipped toward him in desperation, but using Observation Haki, he twisted and ducked under the strike with ease.
"You just had your last meal. Consider this your final rest," Mio said calmly.
With Raikiri in hand, he thrust the blade directly into the dinosaur's skull.
Puff!
The lightning-infused sword pierced cleanly through the skull, then was pulled back as blood sprayed out.
The T-Rex let out one final growl—weak and pained.
"Tough guy," Mio muttered.
With one final slash, he sent another arc of sword energy flying, this time at the neck.
The Tyrannosaurus' massive head was cleanly severed and thudded to the ground beside its body.
At last, the beast was dead.
[Gene Collection Complete: Tyrannosaurus Rex]
A system prompt popped up in front of Mio's eyes.
Seeing the message, a smirk crept across his lips.
But the moment didn't last long.
The stench of blood had begun to spread—and it didn't take long for another predator to appear. A sharp screech rang out from above, and a Pterosaur descended, circling over the scene.
Mio looked up and laughed. "Another great catch. Warwick, bring it down—but don't kill it. I want it alive."
"Warwick understands!" the werewolf responded.
He leaped high into the air, stepping across the sky in midair with a feral grin as he charged toward the incoming pterosaur…