"Drawing!"
"Drawing started~ Drawing successful. Congratulations on acquiring the ability [Replacement] and one-tenth of the all-round attributes of the creature you cultivated this time!"
Mio blinked in disbelief at the prompt on the panel.
Then, his eyes widened as a look of genuine surprise spread across his face. "Fuck, I actually got it!!"
Lilith had so many incredible abilities, and the chances of drawing the [Replacement] skill were ridiculously slim. Mio hadn't expected much—just a hopeful prayer at best. But to think he actually managed to get it…
And that wasn't all.
"Lilith's attributes… they're kind of insane," Mio murmured, scanning the data.
The boost to his own stats from Lilith's gene was impressive. While the strength enhancement wasn't as massive as what he received from Erica, the improvements in speed and endurance were significantly greater.
"Master seems very happy?" Lilith asked curiously, tilting her head, her long blue hair swaying gently.
Mio looked over, a grin spreading across his face. "Yeah, something really good happened."
"Oh," Lilith responded with a soft nod.
Although Lilith had the aura of a regal queen—her figure and voice both alluring—her face carried a calm nobility. It gave off an icy beauty, yet she didn't behave coldly at all. In Mio's eyes, she was like a goddess carved from crystal—aloof but warm in spirit.
"Dinner's ready. Let's go eat," Mio said with a smile. He glanced at the carpet by the door, and an idea popped into his head. "Replace."
In an instant, Mio vanished from his spot and reappeared at the door, hand already on the handle, which he pulled open.
The carpet he had been standing on a moment ago now appeared exactly where he had been.
The sensation was incredible—like blinking and reappearing somewhere else without any dizziness or resistance.
"I need to test this later… see if using [Replacement] makes me weak to seawater, like Devil Fruit users," Mio thought.
If it didn't, then there was no need for him to consume a Devil Fruit at all. He could just keep extracting powers from his cultivated creatures. Sure, the lottery was random, but there was always a chance to get what he needed.
Once someone ate a Devil Fruit, they were locked into its weakness—powerless in seawater. And this world was more sea than land.
So if he could avoid eating one, all the better.
Just then, Lilith's figure shimmered and appeared beside him. The spot where Mio had stood was now occupied by her hand gripping the door handle.
"Master, I'm hungry," she said.
Mio looked down at her hand wrapped around his and chuckled. "Well then, let's go eat."
"Yeah," Lilith replied happily.
The two made their way to the dining room.
Robin, seated at the table, looked up and was visibly startled. A huge question mark practically floated over her head as she stared at Lilith.
Where had this stunning girl come from?
"Captain, who's this?" Robin asked with wide, curious eyes.
Erica and Warwick, on the other hand, didn't react much. They just continued doing their tasks—setting the table and bringing out the food.
"This is Lilith," Mio introduced with a smile. "She's going to be our partner from now on. Think of her like Erica or Warwick."
"Ohh, I see," Robin nodded, though her gaze continued roaming over Lilith with fascination.
Mio noticed and gently patted her head. "What are you looking for?"
"Well…" Robin hesitated. "Mr. Warwick is clearly a wolf, and Erica's an ant… so what is Lilith?"
It was a fair question. She'd heard about Mio's cultivation powers and his strange companions, and now Lilith's sudden appearance only made her more curious.
Also, Robin silently admitted something to herself: Lilith was so beautiful, it had made her heart skip a beat the moment she saw her.
Was it… love at first sight?
No… not love. Maybe just awe. Still, she felt something strange.
Mio didn't hide it. "She's a butterfly."
"No wonder she's so beautiful…" Robin muttered, as if everything suddenly made sense. Butterflies were naturally beautiful. It was only logical that one turned human would be breathtaking.
While Robin mulled it over, Erica brought out the food: grilled meat, piping hot and fragrant.
Although the wild boar had been devoured during their last battle, the ship still had plenty of supplies. And after fighting, the crew needed a lot of calories, so meat was the best option. Plus, it paired perfectly with alcohol.
And for Mio? Barbecue and wine made life feel complete.
After dinner, Mio helped Erica clean up, then walked out onto the deck and called out to Warwick.
"You're coming with me. If I get into trouble, drag me out of the sea, okay?"
Mio was ready to test it—whether his newly obtained [Replacement] skill made him vulnerable to seawater like a Devil Fruit power.
Warwick nodded, his fist clenched with confidence. "Leave it to Warwick!"
Mio narrowed his eyes a bit. "Why does that somehow make me more nervous…?"
Still, without hesitation, Mio took a deep breath and leapt into the sea.
Plop!
The sound of the splash echoed under the moonlit sky as he dove into the dark waters, with Warwick diving in right after him.
At first, all Mio felt was the cold of the sea soaking into his body. He held his breath and stayed still, waiting.
Then his eyes widened in joy.
"I can still move… I don't feel weak!"
Mio grinned, letting himself float to the surface. Then, spotting a bird overhead, he watched as a feather drifted down from the sky.
With a thought, he activated [Replacement].
In the blink of an eye, Mio swapped places with the falling feather, now hovering high above the sea, suspended in mid-air.
"Haha! This is amazing!" he laughed. "I can totally trick people into thinking I have a Devil Fruit power. That'll give me an edge in battle—nobody will expect me to swap places like this!"
With his powers intact and a new companion by his side, Mio couldn't help but feel more confident about the future. The sea was vast, but now… he had wings, both metaphorically and literally.
And with Lilith, Erica, Warwick, and the rest of his strange crew, Mio's legend was only just beginning.