The maid led the way.
After turning a corner, they soon arrived outside a large, ornately decorated door.
"R-Right here," the maid said, trembling with fear.
"Thanks." Mio smiled faintly. His hand turned into a knife hand, and with a swift chop to the back of her neck, the maid fell unconscious. Her eyes rolled back, and she slumped to the floor.
Mio caught her before she hit the ground, dragged her to a nearby empty room, and carefully placed her inside. After making sure no one was around, he silently returned to the study door and pushed it open.
Inside, bookshelves lined the walls, filled with ancient tomes and documents. A man in a royal robe sat at a wide desk, flipping through a book. The scent of ink and old parchment filled the room.
Without lifting his head, the man asked, "What is it?"
But no response came.
Sensing something was wrong, the man looked up—and froze.
"It's you! The captain of the Black Crow Pirates!" King Cobra stood up from his seat, startled.
"Black Crow Pirates?" Mio raised an eyebrow, confused. Then, he chuckled. "So that's what they're calling us?"
"You… How did you get in here?" Cobra stammered, taking a step back.
Mio ignored the question and noticed a bounty poster and newspaper on Cobra's desk. He casually walked over and picked them up. While reading the paper, he nonchalantly placed a hand on Cobra's shoulder.
"Don't shout," Mio said calmly, his tone low and threatening. "You don't want anyone dying in this palace, do you?"
Cobra clenched his fists but didn't speak. He was a king, but more importantly, a protector of his people. If shouting would cost innocent lives, he'd rather stay silent.
Mio continued reading. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
Apparently, the Marines had decided to name his crew the "Black Crow Pirates." He hadn't even thought of a name yet, and now the Navy had just made one up for him.
"Figures," Mio muttered. "Do they name all pirate crews this way if they don't know the real one? Probably. They still gotta write something in the newspapers when the bounty gets over 100 million. Makes sense."
He scratched the back of his head. "Well, I haven't picked a name anyway, so I guess they saved me the trouble. 'Black Crow'… doesn't sound too bad. I like crows."
Putting the paper down, Mio turned his gaze back to Cobra. He withdrew his hand from the king's shoulder and took a seat on a nearby sofa.
"Since King Cobra knows who I am, that saves some time. Let's get straight to the point—are you interested in making a deal?"
"I don't make deals with pirates," Cobra replied sternly.
Mio raised his hands and shrugged. "That's a shame. I was trying to be polite. But if you insist… I don't mind adding a few more deaths to my name—dozens, or maybe hundreds? Your people, King Cobra."
His words sent a chill down the king's spine.
"What do you want?" Cobra asked, clenching his teeth.
"The deal is simple," Mio said, pouring himself a glass of red wine from the decanter on the table. He took a slow sip, savoring the taste. "I want access to the Nefertari royal tomb."
"Absolutely not!" Cobra's voice was firm. "That place is sacred. I can't let a pirate—"
Mio tilted his head and cut him off with a cold smile. "Are you refusing, Your Majesty?"
Cobra went quiet. His thoughts were racing.
Mio took another sip of wine, then slammed the glass onto the table with a sharp bang. The sound echoed through the quiet study, causing Cobra to flinch.
"I'm a pirate, King Cobra. I don't need your permission. I came here to avoid unnecessary trouble, not because I had to."
He leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "Or do you think the World Government doesn't know about the historical Poneglyph hidden in your family's tomb?"
Cobra's eyes widened in shock. "How… how do you know about that?"
"Not important," Mio replied smoothly. "What matters is this—what do you think the World Government will do if they find out there's a Poneglyph here? Not just any Poneglyph, but one that leads to Pluto, one of the ancient weapons capable of wiping out entire islands?"
He let the question hang in the air, his voice now a whisper filled with menace. "If they believe you're hiding the key to a weapon like that, what do you think will happen? Will they assume you're planning to overthrow them?"
Cobra felt his throat go dry.
Mio leaned back on the couch, crossing one leg over the other. His tone turned casual again. "O'Hara was destroyed for simply studying the void century. But you, you're sitting on a Poneglyph tied to an ancient weapon. The World Government won't care if you're a founding family or not. They'll crush you. No questions asked."
Cold sweat began to drip down Cobra's back.
Mio's gaze sharpened as he continued, "I don't want to destroy Alabasta. I don't care about ruling it, stealing your riches, or killing your people. But I do want that tomb."
Silence filled the room.
Cobra finally spoke, his voice low but steady. "You're threatening a king, you know that?"
Mio's smile widened. "I'm offering a king a way to avoid a disaster."
A long pause followed. Cobra looked down at the floor, brows furrowed in thought. After what felt like an eternity, he sighed heavily.
"Fine," he said at last. "I will take you to the tomb. But only you. No one else steps foot in there. If I see your crew anywhere near it, the deal is off."
"Deal," Mio said simply, standing up and extending his hand.
Cobra didn't take it.
Mio didn't mind. "Good. I'll come back tonight. Be ready."
Without another word, Mio turned and exited the study, leaving Cobra alone, standing in silent frustration and dread.