"Interesting little girl," Rayleigh chuckled, his eyes full of amazement.
Truly… a powerful ability.
The elemental powers of thunder and fire, combined with the massive physical attribute boosts brought by the fantasy beast system itself, made Rayleigh think that if this little girl was properly trained, her future potential would be terrifying.
"A glass of whiskey, two glasses of milk," Xia Qi said as she came over with a tray, placing the whiskey with ice in front of Mio and giving the milk to Mashi and Robin.
Mashi glared at Rayleigh before taking a sip of milk.
"You didn't just come here to see me, did you?" Rayleigh asked with a smile, looking at Mio.
"Seeing you was one purpose. But there's another reason too," Mio shrugged, picking up the cold whiskey and taking a sip. The refreshing coolness immediately spread through his body.
"Speak," Rayleigh encouraged with a smile.
Mio didn't hesitate and got straight to the point. "I mainly want to understand the current situation in the New World."
Although Doflamingo could provide some information, it wouldn't be detailed. After all, while Doflamingo had some development in the New World, it wasn't extensive enough. His intelligence network could gather surface-level information, but for deeper insight, it had to come from Xia Qi, the real intelligence expert.
Hearing this, Xia Qi smiled and took a drag from her cigarette. "Normally, I'd charge for intelligence, but for you, little Mio, I'll make an exception."
"Please stop calling me that," Mio said, twitching his mouth helplessly.
Xia Qi ignored his protest and continued. "The New World is currently calm, but it's only the calm before the storm. Whitebeard has already ascended the throne, and although he could have expanded his territory, his character prevented him from doing so. As a result, many ambitious pirates have had time to breathe, and many who originally intended to join Whitebeard have instead aligned themselves with other pirate groups."
"Who are the main contenders for the throne now?" Mio asked curiously.
"Originally, it was just Kaido, Charlotte, Poken, Saiya, and Shanks," Xia Qi explained, looking at Mio. "However, after the incident at Impel Down, several more contenders have emerged. In short, the New World is about to enter a truly turbulent period."
"Kaido and Charlotte were both members of the Rocks Pirates. Even though they were trainee members, their strength is not inferior to that of the Navy Admirals. Poken and Saiya are a bit weaker than Kaido, but both command massive fleets filled with strong subordinates. Shanks is the weakest on paper, but he's extremely good at hiding his true strength."
Poken and Saiya.
They were characters who hadn't appeared in the original story.
But Mio wasn't surprised.
This was a real world after all. If only Kaido and a few others vied for supremacy, what would be the point of competition?
Thinking about it, anyone capable of becoming a contender for the throne would naturally be extremely strong.
"In addition, there are many other big pirates with ambition," Xia Qi added. "Although they're not strong enough to become emperors, they are constantly seeking opportunities. Battles happen in the New World all the time, mainly between big pirates who are trying to kill each other, absorb each other's crews, and expand their power."
Xia Qi took a puff of her cigarette, exhaled smoke rings, and said slowly, "Because of what happened at Impel Down, the situation in the New World has grown even more complicated. Especially you—the main culprit behind the Impel Down incident—you've drawn the world's attention. News of your arrival at Sabaody Archipelago will soon spread. Once you enter the New World, you'll become the center of attention."
"This kind of thing doesn't matter," Mio grinned, completely unconcerned. "The more enemies, the faster we grow. Besides, this is the perfect opportunity to gather strength, isn't it? Many big pirates are desperate for such a chance but haven't found it yet."
"Kaido seems especially interested in your crew. You need to be careful," Rayleigh reminded him.
Although they had only just met, Rayleigh had a favorable impression of Mio and felt the need to offer a reminder.
Mio shrugged and laughed. "If he really comes after us, I won't be the one dealing with him directly."
"By the way," Mio said suddenly, scratching his head and putting down his glass. "Mr. Rayleigh, could you coat our ship for us?"
"You little rascal," Rayleigh laughed. "So that's the real reason you came here. Everything else was just a setup for this request."
"How could you say that? I'm not that kind of person," Mio said innocently, spreading his hands.
"Alright. Tell me the location of your ship, and I'll make arrangements," Rayleigh nodded. "However, you'll have to stay on Sabaody Archipelago for a while. Once the Navy finds out you're here, they won't let you reach Fishman Island easily."
"Such a pain," Mio muttered. He downed the whiskey in one gulp and slammed the glass onto the table. His tone remained calm. "I knew the Navy had sharp noses, but I didn't expect them to sniff us out this quickly. Real bloodhounds."
No sooner had he finished speaking—
Bang!
The wooden door of the bar was pushed open.
Standing at the entrance were a Navy non-commissioned officer and a sailor, a bounty poster in hand, their eyes fixed on Mio.
"Captain of the Black Crow Pirates, Kurokawa Mio, and your crew members Nico Robin and Mashi—your journey ends here," the non-commissioned officer declared.
Mio didn't even look at them. Instead, he turned to Rayleigh, stood up slowly, and smiled. "Looks like I'll have to trouble you. Sorry about that. As for the ship…"
He scratched his head and pulled out a pen, casually writing down the location.
Seeing that Mio was completely ignoring them, the sailor at the door grew angry and was about to shout again—
When suddenly, a surging black domineering aura erupted from Mio, overwhelming the room.
The non-commissioned officer's pupils widened before rolling back, and white foamed at his lips.
One after another, the Navy soldiers collapsed to the ground, fainting instantly.
"This is it. I'll leave the rest to you, Mr. Rayleigh," Mio said, handing over the note. He then looked at Robin and Mashi. "Let's find a temporary place to stay."
Not intending to linger, Mio placed a Den Den Mushi on the counter, turned, and left the bar with Robin and Mashi.
Rayleigh pocketed the slip of paper with the Black Glory's location written on it. Looking at the unconscious soldiers at the door, he couldn't help but shake his head.
"Not a bad display of Conqueror's Haki… but leaving all these Navy soldiers lying here is going to be a bit troublesome."