CHAPTER 74: The Birth of Hei Yan

 [Please choose the direction of cultivation: beast form? - human form?]

 "Human form!"

 Mio answered without hesitation. After all, he didn't need a beast form for now. That could be considered later when the time was right.

 Once the choice was made—

 The cultivation process quickly completed, and the detailed abilities of the newly cultivated creature appeared before Mio's eyes.

 [Cultivation successful!]

 [Name: Unnamed]

 [Ability List:]

 - Mental Shield: Grants powerful mental defenses against spiritual or psychic attacks.

 - Scaled Kagome: A set of tentacle-like appendages can extend from the back. These can be manipulated freely, possess immense power, and have excellent regeneration and destructive capabilities.

 - Gluttony: Increases strength through food intake. This ability has an upper limit.

 - Speed: Possesses extraordinary movement speed.

 - Keen Sense of Smell: Able to track scents from great distances and distinguish between individuals by smell.

 - Sharingan: A powerful eye technique with immense potential.

 - Law of the Forest: In times of crisis, prioritizes survival by instinctively abandoning emotions if necessary.

 [Combat Power: Navy Headquarters - Commodore level]

 [Potential: Not yet developed]

 "Not bad."

 Mio nodded with satisfaction. The results were solid, and with proper growth and development, this new entity would certainly become a powerful force on the seas. Especially with the Sharingan—

 While it wasn't on the same level as the Mangekyō or Eternal Mangekyō, the base Sharingan still had its perks.

 Its biggest advantage? Copying.

 Although it couldn't copy Devil Fruit abilities, physical techniques were fair game. The Six Styles could be replicated. If the body was strong enough, perhaps even Haki could be copied. Mio was quite curious about that.

 "It's time to give you a name. Hmm…"

 Mio rubbed his chin in thought, and with a snap of his fingers, the newly born creature materialized in front of him.

 He appeared to be a teenager. Short black hair, an indifferent gaze in his eyes, and a calm, emotionless expression. The cold aura around him was evident.

 "Master," the boy said in a flat tone upon seeing Mio.

 "Alright, what should I call you…" Mio muttered, scratching his head.

 After a moment of thought, he turned to the boy. "If you were to name yourself, what name would you choose?"

 The boy blinked, stunned. But then he asked, "I can choose?"

 "Of course," Mio replied with a grin.

 Without hesitation, the boy responded, "I want to be called Hei Yan."

 "Hei Yan? Why that name?" Mio asked, a little puzzled by the choice.

 "I don't know," Hei Yan shook his head. "It just popped into my mind, and it felt right."

 "Alright then. Hei Yan it is," Mio said, ruffling the boy's hair.

 Hei Yan's face didn't change at all—still cold, still expressionless. If Mio hadn't known the connection between them, he might have mistaken Hei Yan for an enemy. But now, he could tell—the boy simply had facial paralysis.

 Mio found a spare set of clothes and tossed them over. "Here, put these on. Then let's go eat."

 Hei Yan quickly dressed, and as he did, Mio's ability extraction process began.

 "Starting extraction… Extraction successful. Congratulations! You have obtained the ability [Sharingan] and one-tenth of the creature's overall attributes!"

 "Tsk, not bad."

 Mio smirked in satisfaction. The Sharingan was a great asset in combat—being able to read and predict enemy movements was invaluable. Its copying ability might be somewhat limited in this world, but there were still techniques worth mimicking. Swordsmanship especially.

 As for the attribute boost, one-tenth might not sound like much, but Hei Yan had considerable mental strength and speed. The improvements in these areas were already noticeable.

 With a thought, Mio activated the Sharingan.

 A pair of scarlet eyes with three tomoe appeared in his vision.

 Looking at himself in a nearby mirror, Mio was stunned. "Three tomoe… from the start?"

 Typically, the Sharingan awakened with a single tomoe. Starting with three was highly unusual. It probably had something to do with his mental strength. Regardless of the reason, it was a huge advantage—he wouldn't have to waste time developing it further and could focus on mastering other abilities.

 "Let's go. Time to eat."

 Mio gave Hei Yan a quick pat on the head and led him to the ship's dining area.

 Their arrival didn't draw much reaction. Robin took one glance and immediately figured it out—this boy must be the black panther from before, now transformed.

 "Alright, everyone, this is our new companion. His name is Hei Yan," Mio announced, clapping his hands. He then introduced Hei Yan to Erica and the others.

 Hei Yan gave them all a slight nod. His expression remained cool, almost indifferent.

 Mio chuckled. "Don't mind his stiff expression. He's got a bit of a poker face."

 Erica had already prepared a lavish meal and began serving as Mio finished speaking.

 After the meal, Mio arranged sleeping quarters for Hei Yan. Since space was limited, he decided Hei Yan would share a room with Warwick.

 Later that evening, Mio did what he always did—spar with Warwick to hone his skills and adapt to his newly gained abilities.

 On the deck—

 Bang! Bang! Bang!

 Two figures blurred as they clashed under the moonlight, sweat flying in every direction.

 Mio's Sharingan was active, the three tomoe spinning in his eyes. In his vision, Warwick's movements slowed to a crawl—he could read each attack, every twitch.

 Whoosh!

 A sharp claw swiped toward him.

 Mio tilted his head slightly, dodging it with ease.

 With a swift counter, he delivered a solid punch to Warwick's stomach, sending the werewolf stumbling back several steps.

 "Master, you're getting stronger," Warwick grunted, his tone serious.

 "Heh. Again." Mio grinned, motioning for another round.

 Meanwhile, Hei Yan sat nearby, a book in his hands—one he'd borrowed from Robin. It contained detailed information about the world they were sailing through.

 Celestial Dragons… Nobles… Navy… World Government… Pirates…

 With the Sharingan aiding his reading speed, Hei Yan finished the book in mere minutes before fetching another one. Page after page, he devoured knowledge.

 The night wore on, quiet but filled with growth—for both Mio and Hei Yan.

 The next day—

 News spread like wildfire across the seas.

 Whitebeard had taken on three pirates, each with bounties over one billion berries, and crushed them in a brutal display of overwhelming power.

 The event shocked the entire New World.

 The message was clear: Whitebeard wasn't just a powerhouse—he was an emperor.

 And just like that, the seas stirred once more. Pirates, Marines, and kings alike began to feel the ripple effects of the shifting balance of power…