"Here is your bounty. A total of 10.5 million," a marine officer said as he handed over a bag of Bailey to Mio at the entrance of the naval sub-base on Cazorla Island.
In addition to the two pirate heads with million-Bailey bounties, Mio had also brought several others worth hundreds of thousands. It was a decent haul.
After taking the bag, Mio turned around without another word and began walking toward the town, Warwick and Erica silently following behind, both cloaked to avoid attention. Erica, still new to the world after her transformation into a human, looked around in fascination. Everything was novel to her—crowds, buildings, shops—it was all part of a world she had never seen before.
Before long, the trio arrived outside a weapon shop and stepped inside.
The shop owner, a chubby man with a round face, was hunched over an account book. He looked up at the sound of the door and smiled broadly, clearly in a good mood.
"Welcome, sir. Looking for weapons?" he asked cheerfully.
"Yes," Mio nodded. "Bring out the good ones if you have them."
The fat shopkeeper clapped his hands and nodded eagerly. "Of course! While my store may be small, I still have a few exceptional blades. My late father was a blacksmith—his forging skills were top-notch. It's a shame I didn't inherit his talent."
While chatting, the shopkeeper walked into the back room. The weapons displayed outside were basic, meant for customers without much coin. The real treasures were stored inside.
Mio's interest piqued. He hoped to find a sword worthy of his growing strength.
Soon, the shopkeeper returned with several swords in his arms, placing them gently on the counter.
"These were all forged by my father. They may not be ranked among the famous Grade Swords, but they're close in quality."
Mio picked one up, slowly drawing the blade from its sheath. A glint of cold steel flashed in the shop's lighting, and he tested its balance. Holding the new sword in one hand and his old one in the other, he brought them together with a clang.
The old blade shattered on contact.
Mio's eyes lit up, a pleased smile spreading across his face. "Not bad at all."
"As long as you like it, sir!" the shopkeeper beamed. He could practically smell the profit.
Mio turned to Erica and handed her one of the swords. "Try it. See how it feels."
"Okay," she replied softly.
A strand of silver hair slipped from beneath her hood, momentarily catching the shopkeeper's attention before he respectfully looked away. Erica swung the sword experimentally a few times. After testing its weight and handling, she gave a satisfied nod.
"It's good."
Hearing that, Mio turned to the shopkeeper. "I'll take three."
"That'll be 1.5 million Baileys," the man said instantly—five hundred thousand per sword. Reasonable, considering the quality.
Mio paid the fee and left the shop, weapons in hand, with the shopkeeper reluctantly seeing off one of his best sales in weeks.
But after only a few steps, Mio noticed something odd—the street had grown strangely quiet. Erica tugged at his sleeve, pointing ahead with her small hand.
Mio looked up and saw why.
A group of people was walking toward them, and in the middle stood a tall man with blond hair, wearing a flamboyant pink feather coat, dark sunglasses covering his eyes, and his hands in his pockets. He carried himself with arrogant confidence.
"Doflamingo…" Mio muttered under his breath. "Didn't expect him to show up so soon."
Despite the naval base on the island, not even the Marines would dare to confront Doflamingo recklessly. His strength and influence were well known, especially in the North Blue. The man had little to fear from a mere sub-base.
Doflamingo, sensing Mio's gaze, turned his head slightly. His eyes behind the glasses flicked across Mio and his cloaked companions, pausing briefly on Erica.
A sinister grin curled across his lips.
"Fufufufu… interesting," he chuckled darkly. "To think someone like that would appear here in the North Blue…"
Without pausing, Doflamingo turned and walked off in a different direction, his entourage following.
Mio exhaled lightly and smiled. "We'll meet again later."
He had come to this island partly to make contact with Doflamingo, but now wasn't the right time. Doflamingo was under the surveillance of both the Navy and the World Government. Any open contact would draw unnecessary attention—and Mio wasn't ready for that kind of spotlight just yet. He still needed to find Vegapunk.
So, for now, he'd wait.
Just as Mio and his group were leaving, Doflamingo's voice rang out behind him. "Sekka. Let's add a few new guests to tonight's banquet."
"I understand, Doflamingo," replied a thin man with snake-like features. Sekka glanced once more at Mio's back before vanishing into the crowd.
…
Later that afternoon, back on the ship, Mio stood on deck with his new blade in hand, training with focused swings.
Nearby, Erica practiced too, dual-wielding two new swords. She clearly adored her new weapons, her strikes sharp and fluid.
Suddenly, the two tentacles beneath Erica's cloak twitched. She swung both swords at once, sending two silver energy slashes shooting into a nearby direction.
There, a figure somersaulted into the air, dodging the attack at the last second.
"Tch. No wonder Dover wanted you invited," a sharp, nasal voice commented. "You're stronger than you look."
Mio stopped his training and narrowed his eyes. "State your purpose."
Sekka emerged from the shadows, arms crossed. "Dover has invited you to a banquet tonight. He said you're welcome to join."
With a flick of his wrist, an envelope shot through the air like a blade.
Mio reached out and caught it effortlessly.
When he looked back up, Sekka had already disappeared.
Opening the envelope, Mio found a formal invitation inside. The event was scheduled for 10 p.m. that evening—not in town, but somewhere deeper inland, near the island's coast. It was clear that this would not be a casual gathering.
Mio smirked and closed the invitation.
"Things are about to get interesting."