CHAPTER 63: The Rising Star and the Journey to Alabasta

"Let's become pirates too."

That was the first thing Bellamy said after seeing Mio's bounty poster. His expression was deadly serious.

…

In truth, Mio's new bounty caused a ripple effect across the seas.

This wasn't a small-time bounty of several million or even tens of millions. It was a whopping 100 million. While such an amount might be nothing compared to the New World monsters, for a newcomer to achieve such a number in such a short time was remarkable. Naturally, many people took notice.

New World.

On a massive ship shaped like a whale, the giant of a man known as Whitebeard took a deep swig from his gourd of Grand Line liquor. With a bounty poster in his other hand, he looked at the image and grinned.

"Gurarara! Another interesting brat. Reached this level just after setting out to sea, huh? Something must've happened in the shadows. That old war freak Sengoku wouldn't slap such a price on a rookie without a reason. Gurarara."

He took another hearty sip. "But he's still far from the New World. Hope I get to meet him someday. This era really is heating up…"

Somewhere on a desolate island.

Within a dark, ominous cave, Kaido sneered while holding Mio's bounty poster.

"A rookie pirate?" he said, the disdain clear in his voice. "He hasn't seen real terror yet. But…"

His attention shifted to another bounty poster—Warwick's. A glint appeared in Kaido's eyes as he looked at the werewolf's ferocious expression and scarlet eyes.

"Hahaha! When this kid reaches the New World, I want that beast on my crew!"

"Understood, Boss," one of his subordinates replied.

"But it'll take a while for them to make it this far."

"Oh, and Boss… I heard someone's coming to challenge you."

"Hm? Who?" Kaido asked, downing more booze.

"It's that Gekko Moria guy. Word is, he thinks he can take you."

Kaido chuckled, putting down his sake. "Good. Let him come."

Elsewhere in the New World.

Plenty of veteran pirates scoffed at Mio's bounty. They glanced at the poster, snorted, then tossed it aside, focusing instead on the chaos erupting across the sea.

Grand Line.

A small boat cut through the waves.

Onboard stood a figure clad in white, holding Mio's bounty. Her ripple-like eyes stared quietly at the poster. There was no emotion on her face, but a subtle glimmer flickered in her gaze.

After a long silence, she released the poster, letting the wind carry it high into the sky and far away.

Without doing anything else, the boat seemed to pick up speed on its own, surging forward as the white-robed woman whispered softly, "What a strange premonition…"

…

Mio, completely unaware of the attention he was receiving, was lounging on his ship, sipping rum while looking over the new bounty posters.

Two days had passed since they'd set sail again. His wounds had healed considerably, and he could now move freely without issue.

They were finally nearing Alabasta.

"Hanba, slow down a little. No rush," Mio called out.

Hanba had been tirelessly pulling the ship forward for days. During the day, the beast towed the ship at high speed, and at night, they'd drop anchor so Hanba could rest in the deep sea.

"Got it, Master!" Hanba's voice echoed back, still thunderous but far less overwhelming than before—Mio had made sure to coach him on volume control.

"Warwick! Let's spar. My body's going stiff after all this resting!" Mio shouted, cracking his knuckles.

He was eager to move, stretch, and fight. With Alabasta just ahead, there was no need to rush. Warming up with a sparring session was perfect.

"Coming, Master!" Warwick responded quickly, appearing in front of Mio in a blur and swiping his claw with a sharp sound that cut the air.

Mio grinned, leaning his head aside to dodge, then threw a punch in return.

Warwick met it with his own.

The clash of their fists generated a shockwave. Mio could feel Warwick's raw power—formidable, but just within his limit.

The two continued to exchange blows in a heated sparring match.

…

After their spar, Hanba resumed pulling the ship, gliding swiftly over the waves.

A few hours later, a massive landmass came into view.

"Is that Alabasta? It's huge!" Robin exclaimed with excitement.

"Yup, that's Alabasta," Mio said, smiling. "A desert kingdom—most of the island is covered in sand. It's also where a major theft incident took place in the past."

"Hanba, steer us toward a quiet, empty shore," Mio ordered. "We're pirates now—can't exactly dock at the main port without trouble."

As Hanba adjusted course, Mio clapped his hands, gathering the crew's attention.

"Alright, time to hand out money! If there's anything you guys want to buy, let me know. I'll give you the cash. And don't worry about expensive stuff—your captain's loaded!"

It was their first time visiting a proper kingdom since setting sail. Naturally, they had to enjoy themselves.

"I want to buy books!" Robin said with a bright smile, raising her hand.

"Me too," Lilith added quickly. "Books on medicine, if I can find any."

"I'll buy some booze," Warwick said, rubbing his chin.

"I want to check out some good weapons," Erica chimed in, eyes gleaming.

Mio nodded and laughed. "Alright. One million for each of you. If it's not enough, come find me. Spend it all. What's money for if not to use it?"

This wasn't his old world. There was no need to save for houses or cars. Here, money was for living.

After the distribution was done, the ship pulled up to the shore.

Mio disembarked and turned to Hanba, whose massive head poked out of the sea.

"We're heading into the city. Hanba, stay and guard the ship. We might be gone a few days."

"Understood, Master! I'll protect it with my life!" Hanba replied seriously.

Mio nodded with a satisfied smile.

With that, he and Erica made their way toward the nearest city, leaving the ship in Hanba's care.