The night deepened.
In the hotel, after Mio checked everyone into their respective rooms, they each retired for the night.
Just as Mio was about to sleep, the Den Den Mushi on the table suddenly rang. Raising a brow in surprise, he picked it up.
"Doflamingo?"
It was indeed Doflamingo contacting him.
Without hesitation, Mio answered.
A distinctive laugh echoed through the line. "Fufufufufu… My friend, it's been a while."
"You're right, Doffy. What brings you to contact me now?" Mio asked, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
"No real reason. Just trying to keep our… relationship stable. After all, mutually beneficial interests are the foundation of good business, aren't they?" Doflamingo replied smoothly. "This time, I've got a little surprise for you."
"Sounds like you've acquired something interesting."
"Of course. Time's passed, and if I hadn't made gains, what face would I have to continue expanding in the Grand Line?"
"Then enough chatter," Mio said coolly. "Let's get to the point."
"Fufufufu, you've always been direct. Fine. Just tell me where you are. I'll have someone deliver it to you. As for what it is… well, you'll see for yourself."
"I'm in Alabasta, in the capital," Mio replied. "Now I'm really curious."
Doflamingo chuckled. "You'll be surprised. After all, you gave me quite the surprise yourself. I've finally gotten results from that little deal we made before."
Mio's eyes narrowed slightly. So Doflamingo was referring to Corazon. Did that mean he already knew?
A glint of thought passed through Mio's gaze. Then he grinned. "Oh? Are you preparing to act?"
"Act?" Doflamingo's tone grew deep and ambiguous. "That's family we're talking about…"
Before Mio could respond, Doflamingo added, "Anyway, I know your location now. We'll talk next time."
The line went dead.
Mio stared at the Den Den Mushi for a moment before muttering, "I wonder if the plot is beginning to change because of me."
It was an interesting thought. If things deviated, how would that affect someone like Law, one of the future Supernovas?
After a moment's reflection, Mio shook his head and chuckled. "Not my problem."
With that, he lay down and drifted off to sleep.
The Next Morning
Morning sunlight poured through the hotel window. By the time Mio got up, Erica and the others were already awake.
After washing up and having breakfast together, Mio asked Erica and the rest to remain at the hotel for the time being. Then he took Robin with him and headed for the palace.
Unlike the previous day, Mio didn't bother sneaking past the guards. He and Robin both wore cloaks and approached the palace gates openly. After a brief conversation with the guards, they quietly waited.
Soon, a soldier returned from inside the palace.
"Sir, His Majesty the King has granted your audience. Please follow me."
"Thank you," Mio nodded politely.
He and Robin followed the soldier through the palace. After a short walk, they arrived at a quiet room.
"His Majesty is inside. Please, go in," the soldier said respectfully.
Mio pushed open the door and stepped in with Robin.
Inside, King Cobra sat alone. At first, he was startled to see two cloaked figures enter. But then, recognizing Mio, he gave a slight nod. As for Robin, he quickly guessed that she must be the infamous "Devil's Child"—the sole survivor of Ohara.
Without speaking further, Cobra stood and motioned for them to follow.
They walked together through the palace grounds. The royal tomb wasn't far. After confirming no one else was around, Cobra finally broke the silence.
"Mr. Mio, may I ask you something?"
"Go ahead."
"How did you know that the Poneglyph in our family's tomb recorded the location of Pluto? Even I didn't know that."
Cobra looked genuinely puzzled.
He had known that the royal family was tasked with guarding a historical text, and that it was passed down since their ancestors helped form the World Government—but the actual content? That remained a mystery to him until Mio revealed it.
Mio smiled faintly and replied, "Your Majesty, sometimes knowing too much isn't a good thing. Don't you think?"
Cobra was stunned. Then he let out a soft, bitter chuckle. "You're right."
With that, he asked no more questions and silently led them to the royal tomb.
After a while, they arrived at the entrance. Cobra personally opened the passage and led them into the underground chamber. At the heart of the tomb lay a massive square stone—an ancient Poneglyph inscribed with unreadable symbols.
Robin's eyes instantly lit up. She walked forward quickly, placing her hand on the stone as she scanned each character with admiration and longing.
"You only have half an hour," Cobra reminded them. "I have an appointment today with a visiting Navy admiral."
"Navy?" Mio's eyes narrowed slightly. Could it be Gion—Momousagi? he wondered.
Still, he smirked and replied, "No worries. Half an hour is plenty."
Cobra let out a small breath of relief. At least Mio seemed reasonable—unlike many of the pirates he'd encountered.
Meanwhile, Robin had taken out a camera and was busy photographing the text. She also translated aloud as she went, sometimes jotting down notes in a small book whenever she found an unfamiliar section.
Time passed quickly. When the thirty minutes were up, the three returned to the surface.
As they walked, Robin leaned closer to Mio and whispered, "Captain, it really does say that Pluto's location is in Alabasta."
"Huh?" Mio raised an eyebrow in surprise but quickly hid his reaction. He gently patted Robin's head and turned to Cobra.
"King Cobra, we'll be taking our leave now. I'm sure we'll meet again in the future."
Cobra simply waved his hand, clearly hoping that wasn't the case.
Mio chuckled but didn't mind. As he turned to leave, a thought came to him. He turned back with a grin.
"Oh, by the way, Your Majesty… Is there a chance the Alabasta treasury has any good swords?"
Cobra's expression darkened instantly.
"No," he answered flatly.
"Ah, what a shame," Mio sighed, genuinely disappointed. He took Robin's hand and began walking away.
He had been hoping to find a quality blade for Erica.