CHAPTER 64: The Desert Kingdom and a Royal Intrusion

The port city of Alabasta—Rapeseed Flower.

This was Mio's first destination upon reaching the desert kingdom. As the ship docked quietly on a remote beach, Mio and his crew made their way toward the city under the blazing sun.

After a brief stop in Rapeseed Flower, Mio quickly purchased a detailed map of the kingdom. With it in hand, he set his sights on the true objective: the capital city—Albana.

On the journey to the capital, Mio traversed several stretches of desert. Though he wasn't particularly hopeful, he kept an eye out for the Poneglyph—the ancient historical stone that Luffy and Zoro had once encountered here. However, luck didn't favor him this time. By the time he reached the capital, he had found nothing.

"Guess my luck's not as good as theirs," Mio muttered, kicking up a small cloud of sand in mild frustration.

In truth, he hadn't expected much. Finding a Poneglyph in the vast desert without a clue was like finding a needle in a haystack. The desert stretched endlessly in all directions, making such a search nearly impossible.

Still, Mio had to admit—if Crocodile had succeeded in his plot to seize Alabasta, things might have turned out very differently. This land, with its endless deserts and hidden secrets, was ideal for his sand-based powers. With enough time and without interference from the World Government, Crocodile might've truly become a force to reckon with.

Of course, that was all speculation. Even though Alabasta was no longer part of the Celestial Dragon bloodline, its royal family—the Nefertari—once had strong ties to the World Government. Maybe those ties still held influence?

Albana—Capital of Alabasta.

The capital city was even more prosperous than Rapeseed Flower. Merchants crowded the streets, stalls lined the roads, and people bustled about despite the sweltering desert heat. The dry air and the blazing sun made things uncomfortable, but the city still thrived.

Mio stood near the market square, a Den Den Mushi in his hand. He turned to his crew.

"Let's split up. Robin, stick with Erica and Lilith. Stay close."

"I understand, Captain," Robin said, nodding. Her identity was still a sensitive one, and she lacked the strength for solo exploration. Staying with Erica and Lilith was the safest option.

With that, the trio left together.

Warwick, as always, preferred solitude and disappeared into the crowd beneath a heavy cloak. His destination was obvious—the nearest liquor shop.

Mio, on the other hand, turned his gaze toward the distant royal palace. A smirk curved on his lips.

He had other plans.

At this point in the One Piece timeline, Princess Vivi hadn't been born yet, and King Cobra was in his prime. As for Crocodile, he was probably still in the Grand Line, likely seeking out Whitebeard in his reckless pursuit of power. That failure would eventually send him back to the first half of the Grand Line, where the war between the Four Emperors would calm down, and the Shichibukai system—the Seven Warlords of the Sea—would be established.

But that was all in the future.

Right now, Mio was heading to the palace to meet Cobra.

To the average person, storming a royal palace might sound insane. But to Mio, the king of Alabasta was nothing to fear. Though the country had hundreds of thousands of soldiers, none of them posed a real threat to him. If things went south, Mio could escape with ease.

Plus, Alabasta wasn't ruled by the Celestial Dragons. It was merely a World Government member state. And in this world, that meant their authority wasn't as absolute.

But most importantly, the tomb of the Nefertari royal family held a Poneglyph containing the location of Pluton—one of the ancient weapons.

The World Government didn't know this. If they did, they would've long since taken the stone back to Mariejois, and the Nefertari family would be under strict surveillance—or worse.

That's why Mio was confident enough to meet Cobra directly. As long as Cobra didn't try to kill him, Mio could use this secret as leverage.

And besides—Alabasta had no strong warriors. It was almost laughable that such a large nation didn't have a single powerful fighter worth mentioning.

"Maybe the World Government suppresses their development?" Mio muttered to himself, shaking his head.

He pushed forward into the heart of the capital. Soon, he slipped into a quiet alley and disappeared from view.

Fifteen minutes later…

Outside the grand palace of Albana, Mio moved stealthily.

When the palace guards turned away on patrol, Mio slipped inside.

The interior of the palace was vast, and he moved carefully through its marble halls. Though many guards were stationed throughout the palace, none of them were particularly strong. Compared to even basic Navy officers, these soldiers were weak. Avoiding their notice was child's play for someone like Mio.

As he strolled casually past luxurious halls and grand staircases, Mio glanced around, evaluating his surroundings.

"Even if this place lacks powerful people, it's rich in resources," Mio muttered. "They probably have quite a few Devil Fruits stored up. Maybe I should sneak into the treasury…"

He paused, tapping his chin in thought.

"…Nah. Business first. I'll just ask Cobra for one later."

Still, there was one issue—he had no idea where King Cobra was.

As Mio wandered deeper into the palace, looking for clues, he suddenly spotted a maid walking down a corridor. She wore the standard uniform of the kingdom's palace staff—colorful, exotic, and distinctly Alabastan. Like most palace workers in this world, she was beautiful, with a graceful figure and a delicate face.

Mio tilted his head.

"Guess I'll ask her."

In a flash, Mio appeared beside her. Before she could scream, he clamped one hand over her mouth and gripped her neck with the other, gently but firmly.

"Mmmph! Mmm!"

The maid panicked instantly, eyes wide in fear.

"Don't move," Mio whispered coldly. "Or I'll kill you."

Her entire body froze.

Seeing her compliance, Mio slowly removed his hand from her mouth and nodded. "Good girl. Now, don't shout. If you scream, and someone hears you, let's just say… I doubt you want your clothes stripped off and to be tossed into the slums, do you?"

The maid's face turned pale with terror. She frantically shook her head.

"Alright," Mio said, smirking. "Now, take me to King Cobra."

"I-I can't," the maid stammered, still trembling. "You're an intruder… I can't take you to His Majesty. What if you harm him?"

Mio wasn't surprised by her refusal. Calmly, he brushed his fingers down her cheek, speaking slowly and darkly.

"Listen… if you don't help me, I'll drag you out of here. I'm sure this country has its fair share of back alleys and dark corners, right? I'll strip you, chain you up, and leave you for the rats. Sound fun?"

The maid's eyes widened in sheer horror. She nodded rapidly, her voice shaking.

"I-I think His Majesty is in his study. But I don't know the exact location."

"Then take me to the study," Mio ordered, dropping his hand.

The maid hesitated for a second, then turned, her knees trembling as she began to walk.

Behind her, Mio chuckled softly. "So easy to scare…"