In fact, Mio had already noticed Im's arrival.
Although he might not have sensed her two years ago, his mastery of his Devil Fruit ability now allowed him to be aware of her presence.
The reason he hadn't acted immediately was simple—he wanted to see what Im was planning.
And now, it seemed the waiting had paid off.
The "mark" that Asuka mentioned was, as expected, a manifestation of Im's ability.
The specifics of the fruit power remained unclear, but Mio already had some hypotheses.
"Controlling people's hearts…"
Mio's eyes narrowed in contemplation.
"This kind of ability is truly terrifying."
While he had no concerns about those he personally trained, Mio could already imagine what might happen if this ability wasn't limited. If the Revolutionary Army ever launched a full-scale attack on Marijoa, and Im used that power… Even if the stronger warriors were immune, just affecting the masses of soldiers and civilians would be enough to sway the battlefield.
"So, if I want to bring down the World Government, I have to rely more on those I've trained myself," Mio murmured.
Though it was only a guess, Im's power had to be treated as a serious threat.
After a moment of thought, Mio turned to Asuka. "Destroy that mark. There's no point in keeping it."
He had a good idea of Im's goal—control Asuka and turn him into a hidden weapon aboard the Black Glory. But clearly, she didn't know what kind of person Asuka really was. Asuka had the power to influence others' minds—how could he be controlled so easily?
Even if Asuka wasn't entirely loyal, there was no way he'd fall victim to something like this.
"Yes," Asuka nodded.
With a focused thought, blood flashed in his eyes.
In that moment, a golden light could be seen dissipating within those blood-red eyes.
As the mark vanished…
Far away on the sea, a figure walking on water suddenly stopped as though sensing something. A moment of surprise flickered across her expression.
But she quickly muttered, "Those who cannot be controlled… should not exist in this world."
And with that, she continued on her way.
…
The Black Glory continued its course toward its next destination—where the three thousand gorillas awaited.
Meanwhile…
The Grand Line.
In a certain sea zone.
A ship sailed across the waves, manned entirely by fishmen. The leader was none other than Fisher Tiger. They had just hijacked the vessel, driving off or killing its former crew.
Tiger stood at the helm with his fellow fishmen, sketching the design of their pirate flag.
Though he still supported Queen Otohime's dream, it was more about ensuring a better future for Fishman Island. As for the World Government and the Navy, he no longer held any expectations.
Becoming a pirate was his best—and perhaps only—choice.
As Tiger completed the design and named their crew the "Sun Pirates," a blinding golden light streaked across the sky toward them.
An indifferent voice followed.
"Found you at last, Fishman… Tiger."
"Admiral Kizaru!" Tiger's expression turned grim. He hadn't expected the admiral to find him so quickly after leaving Fishman Island.
"Are you going to surrender and come with me, or do I have to arrest you?" Kizaru asked lazily, floating above them in a shaft of golden light.
"Hmph, you think it'll be that easy to catch me?" Tiger growled. He scanned the surroundings. If it were Aokiji, maybe. But with Kizaru here, he had the sea—his greatest escape route.
But Kizaru seemed to know exactly what Tiger was thinking. He said casually, "There are many of your comrades aboard this ship. You might escape. But how many of them do you think can?"
The implication was obvious.
Tiger's expression darkened.
Kizaru wasn't as blindly righteous as Aokiji or as extreme as Akainu, but he was the most calculating among the Admirals. Perhaps once, he'd held to a sense of justice—but that had long been eroded by what he'd seen.
"Damn him, that bastard is threatening us, Big Brother Tiger!"
"We're not afraid of death! Big Brother Tiger, don't worry about us—just go!"
"Yeah! Even if he's an admiral, it won't be easy for him to take us all!"
The fishmen shouted defiantly.
But Kizaru wasn't in the mood to waste time. He had already spent too much of his intended vacation chasing Tiger.
Scratching his ear, he sighed. "Let's finish this. The Celestial Dragons don't want you coming back alive anyway."
He pointed his glowing finger.
Whoosh.
A beam of light pierced one fishman's skull. His eyes widened in shock before he collapsed onto the deck.
"You bastard!" Tiger roared in fury at the sight of his fallen comrade.
But Kizaru remained cold and indifferent. "Tiger, return to Marijoa with me and stand trial."
…
The next day.
The world was rocked by the latest headline, printed by a World Government-aligned newspaper.
"Fishman Tiger, leader of the Marijoa slave uprising, captured and executed by Admiral Kizaru."
Erica set down the newspaper and turned to Mio. "Sir, with Tiger dead, should we head to Fishman Island soon?"
"No rush," Mio replied casually, hands behind his head as he soaked in the sun. "Renee hasn't acted yet. Tiger's death alone isn't enough for me to completely control Fishman Island."
He showed no sorrow over Tiger's death.
After all, Fishman Island was far too important to him.
And he had his suspicions as well.
Im's ability likely wouldn't work on the Sea Kings.
If it did, they'd have been under her control generations ago.
Moreover, Fishman Island held more than just the Sea Kings. Noah was there too—and that ship was key. If the people of Fishman Island didn't accept him willingly, there was no way he could secure Noah without conflict.
The ship's significance was profound.
Only by becoming the undisputed king of Fishman Island could Mio claim Noah freely.
Of course, that might still bring some conflict with the Sea Kings, since they guarded Noah. But with Shirahoshi on his side, the Sea Kings wouldn't be a problem.