Magic Valley Town—a place where pirates gather and spend money like water.
At this moment, Mio and his crew docked at the shore of Magic Valley Town. As soon as they disembarked, they were greeted by the sight of a bustling town filled with pirates.
These pirates, however, all turned to look at Mio and his crew with wide eyes of shock.
"Am I seeing things? That's the Black Crow Pirates!"
"You're not wrong! That guy is their captain—the one with a bounty of 100 million!"
"So strong. They've only been active for a short time, and he's already got a 100 million bounty. They must be seriously powerful."
The murmurs spread quickly, and as Mio led his crew forward, the surrounding pirates instinctively stepped back, clearing a wide path for them.
"Captain, you're pretty intimidating now," Robin whispered, walking beside Mio with a subtle smile.
Mio simply shrugged. "Well, we're still in the first half of the Grand Line. Bounties over 100 million aren't that common here. But in the New World, 100 million is just the entry level."
As he spoke, Mio stroked his chin and scanned the area. His gaze landed on a nearby pirate, and he approached him with a faint grin. "Can I ask you something?"
"Y-Yes, of course!" the pirate stuttered, startled by Mio's sudden approach and presence. His expression showed clear fear—he had no idea what this infamous pirate captain wanted from him.
"Are there any Devil Fruit users on this island?" Mio asked without hesitation.
"Devil Fruit users?" The pirate blinked in surprise at the question, but quickly nodded. "Yes! Yes, they're drinking in one of the taverns in town!"
"Thanks." Mio nodded with a smile, then gestured toward Hei Yan. "Go bring them back. Don't let them die."
"I know," Hei Yan replied with a nod before leaving the group and heading into town.
Turning to the others, Mio gave a few more instructions. "Robin, you stay with me. The rest of you, go look for a guy named Wenbran. We'll meet back at the port."
With quick nods, the crew scattered in different directions to carry out their tasks.
Mio and Robin then began walking toward the town.
To be honest, Mio wasn't entirely certain whether Wenbran was here. But the odds were decent. And if he wasn't…
Mio's eyes swept over the pirate ships docked at the harbor, and his lips curled into a faint smirk. Well, he had other ways to find him.
Upon entering the town, many pirates recognized Mio and immediately grew tense, their expressions filled with fear.
Walking beside him, Robin glanced around before asking curiously, "Captain, are we heading to Sky Island from here?"
"Yeah, that's right," Mio replied with a nod. "Sky Island is located thousands of meters above this area of the sea. If you want to get there, you have to ride the Knock Up Stream."
"What's a Knock Up Stream?" Robin asked, intrigued.
"A natural disaster," Mio replied casually.
As they talked, they came across a tavern. Without hesitation, Mio pushed open the door and stepped inside with Robin.
A wave of heat and noise hit them the moment they entered. The tavern was packed with pirates—most of whom seemed to belong to the same crew. As Mio and Robin walked in, a burly man near the door slammed his palm on the table and stood up.
"Hey! Get out! This is Big Sword Pirates' territory!"
"Eh?" Mio raised an eyebrow.
The man's gaze quickly shifted to Robin, and his eyes lit up as a vulgar grin began to form on his face. "This little—"
Schlick!
Before he could finish his sentence, a flash of cold steel sliced through the air. In an instant, the man's head was severed from his neck. Blood sprayed across the wooden floor.
Mio calmly shook Raikiri, letting the blood drip cleanly off the blade. "Don't say things you'll regret. Filthy words like that are better left unsaid."
Robin simply smiled, unfazed. She had spent years on the run, hearing far worse from scum. She was no fragile little girl anymore.
"You're my crew now—my partner. I won't let anyone insult you in front of me," Mio said, gently ruffling Robin's hair.
Inside the tavern, the atmosphere had shifted completely.
Following Mio's sudden and deadly move, every pirate in the room stood up, glaring at him with anger.
The man he had just killed was one of their crewmates.
Their eyes burned with fury—until some among them recognized Mio. Then their anger gave way to fear.
"Captain, should we catch him and—" one of the Big Sword Pirates whispered to their leader, a cruel glint in his eyes.
Before he could say another word, their captain, a tall, muscular man, unsheathed the massive sword on his back and brought it down—on his own crewmate's neck.
Blood spurted. The headless body crumpled to the floor.
The captain quickly approached Mio with sweat dripping from his brow. "Lord Mio, I deeply apologize for my men's ignorance. I've killed him. If you wish to drink, we'll leave immediately. Would that be acceptable?"
He bowed nervously as he spoke.
He had recognized Mio the moment he walked in. But he froze, panicked. A pirate with a 100 million bounty? Right here? He was so shocked he didn't react in time—and then one of his own men dared to provoke him. That idiot nearly dragged them all to the grave.
So he didn't hesitate to execute the fool on the spot.
"Alright," Mio said, nodding calmly.
Relieved, the captain wiped the sweat from his forehead as if he had just been pardoned.
"You heard me, boys! Move out! Don't cause trouble for Lord Mio!" he shouted, hurrying to leave the tavern.
The ones who knew Mio's identity quickly fled with their captain. The rest looked confused, but seeing their crew run, they followed.
In no time, only Mio and Robin remained in the tavern.
Mio re-sheathed Raikiri and led Robin to a quiet corner. He raised his voice slightly. "Boss, bring me a bottle of rum, three cherry pies, and… a glass of milk."
Robin rolled her eyes. "I've been drinking alcohol since way back."
"Drink less. Your body still has room to grow," Mio said with a grin.
Robin gave a small snort and didn't argue.
Soon, the tavern owner brought over their order. Robin sipped her milk while reading a book she had brought along.
Mio drank his rum and ate cherry pie in silence, quietly waiting.
Fifteen minutes later…
The tavern door creaked open.
Hei Yan stepped in, dragging behind him a bloodied, unconscious man. He tossed the man in front of Mio like a sack of meat.
"Master, this one's an animal-type Devil Fruit user. The Sheep-Sheep Fruit, Antelope Form."
The man was unconscious—clearly badly injured.
"Sheep-Sheep Fruit, huh?" Mio exhaled lightly. "Well, not exactly top-tier. Zoan types are generally underwhelming—unless they're Mythical Beasts."
Still, it was something.
Mio drew Raikiri once more. His figure flickered and reappeared beside the unconscious man in an instant. One clean strike—
Schlick!
"Congratulations on collecting human (antelope) genes!"