Because of the "Gold in the Sky," Mio had to accelerate his journey and head toward his destination sooner than planned.
Fortunately, Walu Island was still along the way. He decided to stop by and check it out.
One day later.
Evening.
Mio's ship slowly approached the port of Walu Island.
At a glance, he could already see a sea of pirate ships docked ahead. Each ship had pirates guarding it. In a place like this, if no one stayed behind, you could bet the ship would be long gone by the time you returned.
"Warwick, you stay on the ship. If anyone comes aboard, just kill them," Mio ordered coldly.
After receiving a grunt of acknowledgment from Warwick, Mio left the ship with Erica by his side and headed toward the nearby town.
Along the way, they passed groups of pirates—some rough and violent-looking, others more laid-back.
Many pirates eyed each other—and Mio and Erica—with questionable intent. Some stared a bit too long, but quickly turned away. Whether they thought Mio and Erica weren't worth the trouble, or sensed something dangerous about them, was unclear.
As the pair stepped into the town, they were immediately greeted by chaos.
Two groups of pirates were brawling in the middle of the street, weapons clashing and blood splattering across the dirt. Around them, a crowd of pirates had gathered, cheering, betting, and enjoying the scene like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Keep going, don't be afraid, bastard! I bet 500,000 on you to win, don't let me down!!" one pirate yelled.
Mio raised an eyebrow at the spectacle and sighed. "It's really lively here."
He looked around casually, searching for a tavern. All he wanted was some good wine before leaving.
Erica, on the other hand, glanced around cautiously. The tentacles hidden beneath her cloak swayed slightly. She frowned and spoke in a soft voice.
"Erica doesn't like it here."
"Huh? Why not?" Mio asked curiously.
"There are too many people plotting against Master," she replied, her sharp eyes scanning from one shady figure to the next.
Mio paused, then chuckled lightly. He reached out and gently patted her head. "Don't worry. If they really do try anything, they'll be the ones regretting it."
"Yeah," Erica nodded.
They soon found a tavern and walked inside.
A wave of heat and noise hit them immediately. The place was packed with pirates—dozens of them—drinking, laughing, and shouting.
The moment Mio and Erica stepped in, many heads turned.
One burly pirate stood up, frowning, and barked, "Hey! This is our turf. Get outta here!"
"Just buying some wine, then we'll leave," Mio replied calmly.
The man blinked, stunned by Mio's indifference. Anger flared across his face as he reached behind his back, grabbing for his weapon—ready to teach Mio a lesson.
But in the corner of the tavern, a slender man lounging with two hot girls on either side casually raised his voice.
"Let them buy their stuff and go. No need for trouble."
He was the captain—Anderson. Relaxing with a drink in hand and two beauties beside him, he wasn't interested in causing a commotion. More importantly, he had a feeling those two who just entered weren't ordinary.
The burly pirate clicked his tongue but obeyed. "Tch. Since the boss said so, fine. Buy quick and scram."
He sat back down and resumed drinking.
Mio shrugged and led Erica to the counter. "Two barrels of wine," he said to the bartender.
Behind the counter, an older man nodded and waved a younger worker to fetch the barrels. Leaning in, he whispered to Mio, "Young man, those folks are with the Giant Lizard Pirates. You'd best take the wine and leave fast—before something bad happens."
A rare kind soul, it seemed.
But Mio paused, a strange look flashing across his face.
"Giant Lizard Pirates?" he asked.
The old man was briefly taken aback, but nodded. "Yes. Their captain has a bounty over 30 million. I heard they're heading to the Grand Line soon."
"I see. Thanks," Mio nodded politely.
But internally, Mio's mind began racing.
The Giant Lizard Pirates… he remembered seeing their bounty posters. Their captain, Anderson, was an Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit user. A rare breed—far more powerful than common animal-type users. His full title was Ancient Lizard Anderson.
In the North Blue, Anderson had a decent reputation. Notorious, but also followed by many.
Originally, Mio hadn't planned to engage with any Devil Fruit users until he reached the Grand Line, where they were more common. In the North Blue, Devil Fruit users were far rarer. But here was an opportunity too good to pass up.
He wanted to know—would the genes of a Devil Fruit user be different from a normal person's?
Would they be altered by the fruit?
He was curious. And curiosity, for Mio, was often the first step to violence.
Unlike regular folks, who hesitated to attack Devil Fruit users without provocation, pirates were the opposite. Most would fight over the smallest insult.
In this sense, Mio was somewhat like Luffy—the original protagonist of this world. He didn't attack without a reason. Not out of honor, but out of habit. It felt wrong to strike without cause.
But unlike Luffy…
Mio knew how to create a reason.
With a casual smirk, Mio turned and began walking step by step toward Anderson's table.
Anderson, the slender man with girls on either arm, was teasing them and laughing. Every now and then, he took a sip of wine fed to him by one of the women, clearly enjoying himself.
Several of his crewmates sat nearby.
One of them noticed Mio approaching and stood up, glaring.
"The hell are you doing, kid? Get lost!"
Anderson frowned as well, irritated. Was this brat trying to drink with them or what?
Then, in the blink of an eye, everything changed.
Mio didn't speak. He simply unsheathed his weapon and slashed.
A silver arc of light cut across the air.
A deep gash split the chest of the pirate in front of him. Blood spurted out violently. The man collapsed with wide eyes, unable to believe what had just happened.
"Why are you yelling so loudly?" Mio asked coldly. His eyes narrowed with feigned irritation.
"I was wondering how I'd find a reason, and you gave it to me just now. I hate people who shout at me. The most in my life."
Whether that was true or not…
Only God knew.