The tavern didn't look like much from the outside—run-down walls, a creaky sign, and flickering lights. But the moment Mio stepped inside, he was hit by a wave of heat, the smell of booze, and the loud, rowdy laughter of pirates enjoying their final night in port.
"Hahaha! Come on, drink up, then grab more booze—we're off to the Grand Line next, hahaha!"
"Hehe, what the hell's going on with the navy in Strait Town? They've gone nuts, locked down the whole port."
"What else? I heard the Devil's Son showed up in Strait Town. That's why martial law got slapped on so fast."
"Devil's Son? Ain't he only ten years old? But they say he's already got an 80 million bounty and is scary strong."
"Damn right. Escaped from the hands of a Buster Call, after all."
Mio scanned the room, his calm gaze moving through the drunkards and brutes. He glanced at Warwick, who silently pointed to a dimly lit corner.
Following his companion's direction, Mio spotted a pirate crew sitting around two tables—seven or eight members in total. But what caught his eye was someone small and cloaked among them. Too petite for a regular pirate.
Nicole Robin.
The name flashed in Mio's mind. A glimmer of interest appeared in his eyes as he stepped forward.
He had asked Warwick to locate Robin earlier. With Warwick's heightened senses and instincts, it didn't take long to confirm her presence in town. What Mio hadn't expected was for Robin to be traveling with a pirate crew.
As Mio approached, he caught fragments of whispered conversation.
"I don't know what the captain's thinking… taking in Nico Robin?"
"Heh, idiot. What do you know? With Nico Robin in our hands, we can milk 80 million from the navy. Eighty million!"
"Damn right. That's enough to party for a month straight."
"Tsk." Mio clicked his tongue softly, eyeing a pirate whose waist bore a single ear—an ear that clearly didn't belong there.
Robin's ability. The Hana Hana no Mi.
She'd embedded herself with this crew and was clearly using her powers to spy on them. Judging by the looks on their faces, she already knew what they were planning for her.
The pirate captain sat beside her, a burly brute with a grin full of alcohol and bad intentions. He raised his mug high, chugged the contents, then turned to the cloaked girl.
"Robin, you ain't gonna drink?"
"No," came the hoarse reply from under the cloak. It was hard to tell if that was her real voice or a disguise.
"Haha! Drink all you want! Captain's in a good mood today! Don't hold back!" the man laughed.
"Thank you, Captain. I will," Robin replied calmly, nodding.
The captain laughed again and turned away. Just then, Mio stepped up behind him.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" a pirate barked, noticing Mio.
The others quickly followed suit, including the captain, who turned, scowling. "Beat it, kid. Stay away."
He didn't want anyone noticing Robin's presence—too risky, too costly. That was all the captain could think about.
Mio smiled.
Without warning, a silver flash cut through the air. A cold blade pressed against the captain's neck, so quick and precise it left everyone frozen.
"If you don't want to die, shut up. Okay?" Mio said gently, his smile as harmless as ever.
Before the pirates could react, Warwick moved like a shadow. With a quiet crack, he snapped a pirate's neck cleanly. Blood sprayed—but in the dim corner of the tavern, hidden by noise and shadows, no one else noticed the sudden shift in atmosphere.
"Shut up," Warwick growled, his voice low and icy.
Bloodlust radiated from the werewolf's body. It wasn't the first time he'd killed, and his murderous aura wrapped around the group like a noose.
The remaining pirates paled, sweat dripping from their brows. All eyes turned to their captain, the one with a blade to his throat.
"G-Gulp…"
The captain swallowed hard, his body trembling as he nodded stiffly. "I-I got it…"
"Good boy," Mio said, smiling as he kicked the man's rear. "Scoot over."
"Y-Yes! Of course!" the captain stammered, quickly shifting aside.
Mio sat right between the terrified captain and the cloaked Robin. He leaned slightly toward her, lowering his voice.
Even with the tavern's noise, he could hear her breathing—shallow and tight with tension.
"Devil's Daughter, Nico Robin," Mio said with a soft chuckle. "It's nice to meet you."
"What do you want?" she asked nervously, trying her best to stay calm. Despite her age, Robin had seen the worst of the world—betrayal, fear, death. Her mind was sharper and more mature than most adults'.
"I'm not here to kill you, and I'm not interested in your bounty," Mio said simply. "If I wanted your head, I'd have taken it to the navy already. I'm not a pirate, and I don't have a bounty on me. No reason to cash in."
Robin exhaled lightly in relief, but her fingers beneath the cloak still twitched—ready to summon a hundred arms if needed.
"If not for my bounty… then what do you want?" she asked cautiously.
"I'm interested in your knowledge," Mio said without hesitation, his eyes gleaming.
Then, without warning—
Shing!
His blade twitched, and a thin red line bloomed across the pirate captain's throat.
The man froze, his eyes wide in shock. Mio gave him a light push, and the body slumped forward onto the table like he'd passed out drunk.
Warwick acted instantly. His claws gleamed, slashing through the other pirates. Mio followed with swift, clean strikes.
Blood sprayed. Blades flashed.
In mere seconds, everyone at the table was dead.
A few alert patrons in the tavern began slipping out quietly. Most were too drunk to notice the blood slowly spreading across the wooden floor.
Clang.
Mio sheathed Raikiri and turned to Robin, extending a hand.
"Want to leave the North Blue and find the Poneglyphs?"
Robin's breath caught.
"I'll protect your life and take you to them. In return, you translate them for me."
He smiled faintly, eyes unwavering.
"I think it's a fair deal. What do you think?"