On the deck of the Moby Dick.
The captains of the Whitebeard Pirates were all there, drinking and laughing. When they saw Mio coming, many even raised their drinks to greet him.
Whitebeard returned to his seat. There was no one around him now, not even a nurse.
Mio sat cross-legged in front of Whitebeard, and at that mont, a sharp sound sliced through the air.
Mio raised his hand and caught the object—it was a massive wine gourd.
"Here's the wine for you," Marco said with a smile, then went back to drinking with his companions.
Gulp, gurgle...
Mio uncorked the gourd, took a few gulps, wiped the wine from the corners of his mouth, and looked at Whitebeard.
"Tell . You deliberately stopped . What do you want to see for?"
Mio didn't believe this was a re coincidence. Obviously, this old man had co to find him—otherwise, he wouldn't have stood at the edge of the ship and invited Mio aboard. The only mystery was what Whitebeard wanted.
"Gurararara, kid, it's not good to be so impatient," Whitebeard chuckled after downing so sake.
Mio curled his lips. "I've got things to do."
"Alright," Whitebeard smiled helplessly, shaking his head before his gaze turned distant, nostalgic. He slowly began to speak. "I ca to ask you for a favor."
"A favor? From ?" Mio blinked, then gave a mocking smile. "Are you kidding? With your strength, you need my help? What are you planning, taking down the World Governnt?"
"Gurarara, of course not. And even if we tead up, we couldn't destroy the World Governnt."
Before Mio could reply, Whitebeard continued in a deeper tone.
"The favor I want isn't sothing imdiate. It's for the future."
"Wang Zhi has appeared. And if he's back, it ans other old monsters will resurface. Do you know why a powerful guy like Wang Zhi didn't form his own pirate crew right after Rocks was arrested?"
"Why?" Mio asked.
"Because they were waiting," Whitebeard exhaled, eyes clouded with mory. "There were many more than just a few of us in the Rocks crew. There were plenty who remained loyal to Rocks. Even after his arrest, they tried to rescue him. Wang Zhi and the rest were simply waiting to see if a rescue was possible. When it beca clear that Rocks wouldn't be saved, they started pursuing their own ambitions."
"And now, clearly, they can't wait anymore."
"The sea is about to get a lot more chaotic."
Whitebeard's voice held a hint of unease.
After all, they had once sailed on the sa ship. He knew just how powerful those people were.
And there were many of them.
"How does this relate to the favor you want from ?" Mio asked coldly.
"Of course it's related." Whitebeard gave a hearty laugh. "Kid, I'm Whitebeard. I'm not afraid of anything... but I am afraid my sons will suffer. I can protect them now, but who knows about the future?"
Mio's eyes narrowed. He understood.
"So you want to look after your sons if sothing happens to you?"
"Surprised, aren't you?" Whitebeard said with a grin.
"Sowhat," Mio admitted, taking another sip of wine. He knew Whitebeard would die in the future, but that was still more than a decade away. Could the old man already sense his own demise?
"I know my body well. The Tremor-Tremor Fruit gave great strength, but the battles I've fought left plenty of internal injuries. They haven't surfaced yet, but it's only a matter of ti." Whitebeard's voice was calm. "Besides, with the title of 'World's Strongest Man' hanging over , there are plenty who resent it. They've been hiding in the shadows, waiting for to slip."
"I believe I'm invincible—but I still need to leave a path open for my sons."
For Whitebeard, the only thing that truly mattered on the sea was his family—his sons.
Hearing that, Mio gave a slight nod.
Whitebeard was right.
The title of "World's Strongest Man" might sound glorious, but if you weren't strong enough to back it up, one day, it would beco the reason for your downfall.
Perhaps due to the butterfly effect brought by his arrival, events were shifting out of their original course. Old monsters were stirring.
Even Whitebeard was starting to feel uneasy.
If not for the people on his crew, he wouldn't be afraid.
But he had bonds, and bonds always ca with weakness.
Still, Mio sneered and raised the corners of his mouth in response to Whitebeard's request. "You know, I don't do things that don't benefit ."
"What do you want?" Whitebeard asked, laughing, and took a sip of wine. "As long as it's not too outrageous, I, Whitebeard, can pay the price."
"Let's talk about it when the ti cos," Mio said vaguely, shaking his head as he downed the last of his wine.
There wasn't much in the Whitebeard Pirates that interested him.
Not many things they could give.
But Whitebeard's life, and Marco's, had value.
Jozu's, too.
Their Devil Fruits were worth sothing.
But asking for those now would only make him an enemy of Whitebeard.
So naturally, Mio wouldn't say it.
"Anything else? If not, I'm leaving," Mio said indifferently.
"Gurararara, that's all," Whitebeard laughed and waved his hand. "I know you've got important business. Go."
"Tch."
Mio stood up and suddenly threw a punch toward Whitebeard. He didn't get close, but the sheer pressure behind the punch was terrifying.
"Don't get cocky, Whitebeard."
With a curl of his lips, Mio turned to leave without hesitation.
But as he walked away, Whitebeard raised his voice behind him. "Boy, I know your ambition—but be careful. The World Governnt isn't simple. And my forr captain... isn't dead yet."
"I knew that already. You don't need to remind ," Mio said casually without turning back. He jumped off the Moby Dick and landed back on his own ship.
Rocks?
Just another fallen relic of the past.
If Mio could defeat the World Governnt, he could defeat Rocks.
And by then, who knew if Rocks would even still be alive?
"Set sail. Let's move on," Mio ordered.
The Black Glory was already prepped. It imdiately raised its sails and resud its course.
Ahead of them, many pirates had already gathered—pawns strategically placed by Doflamingo, all awaiting the arrival of the Navy.
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