"I told you, I don't understand what you are saying," Mio said calmly.
"It doesn't matter," the old voice came from the Den Den Mushi. "Now, you should have thought about it, right? Black Crow, tell me your answer."
"Is it important to answer such a thing? We may join forces once in the future, but we will always be enemies, right? Or do you think you can pardon me as a pirate? Live in peace with pirates? I don't think you are interested in this."
"That being said, we are always friends before the overthrow, aren't we?"
"Then let's contact each other when we are about to take action. Your identity makes me a little disgusted. I don't want to have too much contact with you," Mio said as he curled his lips and hung up the Den Den Mushi without waiting for a reply.
Then he put the Den Den Mushi in his pocket, took a swig of wine, and his eyes showed a thoughtful glint.
"This old guy… is interesting. He can hide so deeply. I wonder if Im knows about it. If not, then D-1 is really capable."
Mio's gaze gradually deepened as he murmured to himself.
The water in this sea runs truly deep.
…
Three days later.
Near the New World.
An island port.
The Black Glory began docking, preparing to replenish supplies and perform coating at this island.
However, the moment Mio stepped onto the port, his brows furrowed.
"What a strong smell of blood," Erica said softly, her eyes locked on the eerily quiet town ahead. It was far too silent.
"Did some brutal pirates arrive here before us?" Robin murmured. It seemed likely. The massacre was evident—only those fanatically bloodthirsty pirates would cause this level of carnage.
"Whatever. Let's just go have a look," Mio said, clicking his tongue as his Observation Haki swept across the island. He began walking toward the town without hesitation.
Lilith nodded lightly but sighed. "Sir, it seems we'll need to head to the next island for coating."
"Ah, now that you mention it, I suddenly remembered we're running low on wine," Mio said, scratching his head with an exaggerated sigh. "And the next island is quite far from here…"
Time was precious, and this was a serious waste.
As they conversed, Mio arrived at the town's entrance.
He looked at the wall, then at the blood and corpses littering the streets. His gaze turned cold.
"But fortunately," he said lightly, "we've found the 'murderers' who wasted our time."
Before them, amidst the blood and debris, stood two figures.
One was short, the other tall and round.
The short one was an elderly woman in bright, gaudy clothes, slathered in makeup and lipstick. She clutched a pile of Baileys, grinning in delight as she counted her loot.
Beside her stood a tall, burly man in a suspender top with golden hair and a massive broadsword similar to Whitebeard's. A crescent-shaped mustache curled beneath his nose, resembling Whitebeard's signature look.
"Mom, someone's coming," Weibull said, tugging at the old woman's sleeve and staring at Mio.
"Who is it? Just kill them. Perfect chance to grab more Baileys," Miss Bakin snapped irritably. She turned toward the source of the presence—and then froze.
The moment she saw Mio, her eyes widened in panic.
"Mr. Black Crow! What a coincidence… I didn't expect to meet you here," Miss Bakin said with forced enthusiasm and a flicker of fear in her eyes.
Edward Weibull.
Miss Bakin.
Mio recognized them both instantly.
One claimed to be Whitebeard's son.
The other claimed to be Whitebeard's old lover.
Miss Bakin's strength was average—Mio could sense that. What she had was cunning, decisiveness, and a venomous mind.
Weibull, on the other hand…
He was truly powerful.
Even without clashing, Mio could sense the sheer force and pressure emanating from him. He possessed a rare, gifted physique and overwhelming brute strength.
"You just said you wanted to kill me, right?" Mio looked calmly at Miss Bakin.
"Ah, slip of the tongue, hahaha! If I'd known it was you, Mr. Black Crow, how could I say such a thing?" Miss Bakin said hurriedly, smiling nervously. She was arrogant, but she knew who not to provoke.
She might've once sailed with Whitebeard, but even then, she hadn't dared to approach him too closely.
In the original history, she only started using Whitebeard's name after his death.
And now, facing Mio—the newest Emperor—she was terrified.
Her instincts screamed at her to flee.
Without hesitation, Miss Bakin grabbed her stolen Baileys and forced a smile. "Since you're here, Mr. Black Crow, I'll take my leave now. No need for me to get in the way. Weevil, let's go."
She turned to leave—
But before she could take another step, Lilith appeared in front of her, blocking her path. Her voice was cold and composed.
"The gentleman never said you could leave."
Bang.
With a sharp thud, Lilith lashed out with a swift kick.
Miss Bakin was launched through the air and landed in front of Mio, coughing in pain.
"Mom!" Weibull shouted, panicked. He glared furiously at Lilith. "You bad guy! You hurt Mom—Weevil will kill you!"
An intense, violent aura burst from Weibull.
It was shockingly similar to Whitebeard's.
But far inferior in substance and technique.
Rumble!
Weibull raised his massive blade and charged at Lilith, slashing down with all his strength.
Lilith merely tilted her head to dodge the swing and countered with a whip-like kick, sending Weibull crashing beside his mother.
He groaned on the ground next to her, dazed.
Mio looked down at them both and said calmly, "I came here to resupply and get the ship coated for our return to the first half. Because of you two killing everyone in this town, now we have no wine and have to go to the next island for coating."
His voice darkened.
"And frankly, that really pisses me off."