The operation to capture and subdue the wild beasts of Merveille Island uncovered something extraordinary. Among the creatures were those that had devoured IQ plants, triggering bizarre evolutions and granting them a wild array of unique abilities!
Charlotte Linlin dragged a massive black beetle that spewed flames, its wings flapping frantically but unable to escape her monstrous strength. The fire it shot was greedily devoured by her blazing homie, Prometheus, leaving the beast to wail helplessly at the sky!
Redfield, with a vine wrapped around the beak of a four-winged yellow bird, forced it to fly back to the Merveille's human's village. The bird unleashed torrents of lightning, but the Red Count was unfazed, draining its electricity with ease.
The proud creature, a dominant force on the island, was humiliated—its vaunted lightning rendered useless against this two-legged monster who tamed it with such dominance!
Whitebeard Newgate hauled a black-and-white striped bear, its strength so impressive it caught even him off guard.
"This thing's power rivals a pirate with a 200- or 300-million-Belly bounty!" he roared, suspecting it was one of the evolved abilities Brook had mentioned.
Kaido rode back on a light-blue horned tyrannosaur, his tattered clothes hinting at the fierce battle it took to subdue the beast.
Fisher Tiger, bruised and battered, returned with a boxing penguin, the two clearly having traded blows in a gritty, fist-to-fist showdown that showcased their raw toughness!
Shakky pranced in on a twin-tailed blue saber-tooth tiger, while Stussy rode atop a pink triceratops, both clearly chosen for their aesthetic appeal rather than Brook's mission priorities.
Ship doctor Crocus captured a colossal venomous scorpion, its deadly aura unmistakable. Silva, nursing wounds, dragged in a massive green mantis, likely caught off guard by its lightning-fast strikes.
Fishman Tom stood triumphantly atop a 30- to 40-meter-long pink-spotted multi-tentacled squid, a miniature version of an octopus siren. Scarlet, meanwhile, tamed a female scythe-fox, its forelimbs evolved into elegant dual blades that gleamed with deadly beauty.
Nearly every crew member had their prize. These beasts, having consumed IQ plants, had undergone primitive evolution, their strength amplified many times over.
If they were given refined IQ serums, their power would skyrocket further—but so would their aggression, making them defiant and prone to infighting or even killing each other!
The crew hoped Vegapunk could iron out the serum's flaws. Unlike Dr. Indigo, whose work fell short, Vegapunk's genius might just crack it!
These IQ-plant-fueled beasts retained some rationality, allowing the Hell Pirates to subdue them after a good thrashing. But serum-enhanced creatures would be different—relentless, fearless, driven only by madness and slaughter.
Brook tasked the Merveille's human with collecting IQ plants, soil and all, for centralized cultivation, planting the gathered seeds in one area. It was the most useful role the ordinary tribesfolk could play.
He also planned to recruit Tontatta tribesmen from Skypiea to manage the IQ plants. After all, those tiny green thumbs were legendary for growing anything!
...
Days passed, and Merveille Island finally floated skyward. After giving Golden Lion Shiki a day or two to rest, the Hell Pirates set sail with the island in tow, heading for their next destination.
...
Kuraigana Island, the former site of the Shikkearu Kingdom, was known as the Dark Island of the Grand Line. In the future, it would become the domain of the world's greatest swordsman, Hawk Eyes Mihawk.
Shrouded in perpetual fog, the island's eerie atmosphere rivaled the Florian Triangle. Crumbling castles dotted the landscape, whispering of its haunted past.
Rumors swirled that pirates who stumbled here were often defeated by their own signature moves. The blow to their pride was devastating—mastering a technique only to see it mimicked and surpassed left many broken, their skills stagnating, their spirits crushed.
Now, a massive floating island—Merveille—invaded this grim kingdom, stirring flocks of crows and bats. The air filled with a cacophony of ape-like screeches and monkey howls.
Brook spotted sword slashes slicing through the forest toward Merveille. Before he could act, Shiki soared down, his blades drawn. Two golden slash waves obliterated the incoming attacks, followed by his Thousand-Cut Valley, a barrage of sword strikes raining into the forest below.
The jungle erupted with chaotic roars. Baboons leaped skyward, unleashing a rainbow of sword slashes—including Shiki's own Thousand-Cut Valley in golden hues. Shiki's jaw dropped.
His signature golden slash wave, crafted when he became a master swordsman, had been copied in a single exchange? Were these "human mimics" really as freakish as Brook claimed?
No way—he refused to believe it!
A massive golden sword wave, hundreds of meters long, tore through the forest like a divine blade splitting the earth. The dark woods parted, a chasm forming as countless baboons wailed in distress.
"Jahaha! Let's see those monkeys copy that!" Shiki crowed, brimming with pride.
He was right—the mimics' current strength couldn't fully replicate his ultimate technique. Their power paled compared to his, but given enough exposure, they might manage a weaker version.
One by one, the human mimics emerged along the massive sword scar, their eyes blazing as they locked onto this rare, overwhelming foe.
Kuraigana Island, deep in the Grand Line, rarely saw titans like Shiki—pirates from the New World were a rarity, far beyond the usual Supernovas.
A baboon leader, five or six times larger than its kin, stepped forward. Snatching a sword from a subordinate, it mimicked Shiki's stance, wielding dual blades with eerie precision.
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