one piece: gene extraction and fusion system-Chapter 259: The Sky Beyond the Sky

Inside the cave.

After walking a certain distance inside, a series of murals gradually appeared along the rough walls—scattered, but distinctly ancient.

Robin walked beside Mio, her eyes sweeping across the faded paintings. She studied them carefully, translating as she went.

"The murals seem to depict a kingdom from long ago," she said softly. "It was a powerful nation that once ruled over the entire Grand Line. The king was loved by the people, and the country had many powerful warriors. But in the end... it fell apart. The reason why is not recorded here."

Hearing this, Mio's expression lit up with understanding. "Are these murals about the Great Kingdom?" he asked.

As the only known kingdom that ever ruled the entire Grand Line over eight hundred years ago, its power was almost unimaginable.

Robin nodded slowly but looked puzzled. "The murals are broken in many places. There's no clear record of how or why the Great Kingdom was destroyed."

Mio reached out and gently rubbed Robin's head with a smile. "That's normal. If the truth were so easy to find, the Void Century wouldn't still be a mystery."

They continued deeper into the cave.

Eventually, they reached the deepest part.

There, standing in the center of a sunken platform, was a massive square stone block covered in ancient script.

Without a doubt, this was it—what Roger had left behind.

There was nothing else in this chamber. Yet, judging by the worn, sunken marks on the ground around it, the Poneglyph had been resting there for a very long time.

Robin rushed forward, opening her notebook and kneeling before the stone. She began carefully translating the ancient script.

Mio stood back, waiting silently.

He wasn't in any rush. This was something worth taking time with.

Half an hour passed.

Robin finally closed her notebook and looked up at Mio.

"Have you finished translating it?" he asked.

"Yes," Robin nodded. "It mentions something about the Heavenly King."

"The Heavenly King?" Mio's eyes flickered with surprise. He had suspected this Poneglyph might hold something about Uranus, but to have it confirmed still caught him off guard.

His curiosity deepened. "What does it say exactly?"

Robin frowned slightly. "The information is vague. It describes the Heavenly King as the most destructive of the three ancient weapons. It even implies that the fall of the Great Kingdom was related to it. But it also mentions that there are multiple restrictions on using the Heavenly King. Unfortunately, the details of those restrictions aren't explained here. There is, however, a record of its location... though I don't understand it."

Robin flipped open her notebook and read aloud, "'The boundless land beyond the sky.' That's all it says."

"The sky beyond the sky?" Mio echoed.

"The boundless land?"

He frowned, thinking hard.

Then suddenly, his pupils contracted. A flash of realization crossed his face.

He looked up instinctively, even though the cave ceiling blocked the sky above. Still, his eyes gleamed with newfound clarity as he murmured to himself, "I see... the Heavenly King... is there..."

Robin, watching him, tilted her head curiously. "Captain, do you know where it is?"

Mio nodded slightly. "I have some guesses."

He didn't elaborate. He truly had an idea of where Uranus might be located—but at the moment, reaching it was impossible. More importantly, understanding its limitations was crucial. Only by doing so could he determine when or if the World Government might choose to use it.

And to uncover that, they needed to find more Poneglyphs.

"We've got what we need for now," Mio said, withdrawing from his thoughts. He looked at Robin and smiled. "Let's record everything and move on. We're heading to the North Blue next."

"Okay." Robin nodded and took out her camera to document the inscriptions.

After she finished, the group left the cave.

Back on the shore, Mio stepped aboard the Black Glory, his gaze falling on Bai Feng.

"Set course for the North Blue," Mio ordered.

"Yes, Captain."

The Black Glory turned, moving swiftly toward Reverse Mountain, leaving the island behind.

Meanwhile, around the world—Mio's plans continued to unfold.

East Blue.

On a small, ordinary island with a modest town of a few thousand residents, a new store had opened.

Its name was Black Gold Department Store—a simple, inconspicuous name. Many of its employees had even been hired locally, giving it an authentic, small-town vibe.

To most, it seemed like a regular store. But for those with sharp eyes, it was easy to recognize that the store sold rare Sky Island goods—various types of shells, most of them for household use and only a few for combat. There were also exotic liquors and foods from the sky.

However, few would notice the tiny, well-hidden monitoring and listening devices tucked into obscure corners of the shop.

On the second floor, three Shadow Soldiers silently monitored the incoming audio and video feeds. Whenever they detected any piece of valuable or suspicious intelligence, they would immediately record and forward it to the headquarters of the Linglong Newspaper, where more Shadow Soldiers would sort and process the information.

This store was a test—an experiment by Renee.

If successful, Black Gold Department Stores would soon begin spreading across the East Blue, quietly expanding Mio's intelligence network.

New World.

A violent clash broke out in a certain sea.

Boom!

Qiongqi smashed a massive pirate ship with a single punch. Power surged from his body like a tidal wave. Thunder wrapped around his fists, crackling and howling through the air.

In the next moment, he vanished—his body turning into a streak of lightning.

Reappearing in a flash, Qiongqi grabbed a pirate by the neck and hoisted him into the air.

"A bounty of 100 million, huh? Not bad for a newcomer," Qiongqi said indifferently. "You have two options—join me, or die. Choose."

The pirate, face reddening as he gasped for air, nodded frantically in submission.

Satisfied, Qiongqi threw him to the deck and grinned. "Take your crew and follow me. With my strength, you'll become famous in the New World in no time."

Elsewhere in the New World.

A lively banquet was underway on a remote island.

Thousands of pirates gathered, laughing and celebrating.

At the center, Talos stood shirtless, guzzling from a massive wine barrel.

After wiping the wine from his mouth, he looked toward his right-hand man, Godot, and asked, "Any good targets nearby?"

Godot shrugged helplessly. "None, boss. Any strong rookies who wandered into this area either joined us or got crushed by you. The rest are too scared to come near."

"Hmph. Then it's time to switch hunting grounds," Talos said, unconcerned.

He was building a formidable fleet.

When the time came, if his master—Mio—needed him, he wanted to be ready to show off overwhelming power. To deliver a surprise that no one could ignore.

Mio's plans were in motion.

From ancient secrets hidden in caves...

To intelligence networks spreading quietly in the East Blue...

To powerful subordinates rising in the New World...

The world was slowly but surely being wrapped around his finger.

And this was only the beginning.