CHAPTER 79: The Gene of the Millennium Dragon and the Calm Before the Storm

Upon arriving at the cave, Mio had already sensed the presence of the Millennium Dragon deep within through his Observation Haki. Without wasting time, he and Robin ventured inward.

Not long after entering, they laid eyes on the massive creature. The dragon appeared ancient—exactly as described in the legends. As its name suggested, the Millennium Dragon was believed to live for centuries, possibly even up to a thousand years. However, due to its sheer size, this one had entered the cave long ago and now lacked the space to turn around or leave. It was trapped—an eternal prisoner of its own body and surroundings.

When it noticed Mio and Robin, the beast raised its head weakly and let out a warning roar.

Robin dismounted from Mio's back and took out a camera to begin documenting the creature.

Mio stared at the dragon, his expression calm. "No need to roar. I came here for you."

"Roar!" The Millennium Dragon bellowed again.

Mio rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I figured. I can't understand you anyway."

Still, he didn't stop talking.

"You're trapped here. You'll live out the rest of your days alone until you finally die of old age. It's a slow, painful death. I'm just giving you a faster way out."

With that, Mio drew Raikiri from his waist. The dragon, too weak to resist and too large to move freely, stared at him. A glimmer of emotion flickered in its ancient eyes—was it pleading?

But Mio's expression didn't change.

"I'll send you off first. If there's a next life, maybe don't wander into caves you can't leave."

As his voice fell, Mio raised his blade.

Slash!

The black sword aura enveloping Raikiri flared as the strike landed. Blood sprayed. The head of the Millennium Dragon dropped to the stone floor with a heavy thud.

Robin sighed, helpless. "Captain, you're so cruel."

Mio shrugged. "Sometimes, cruelty is a necessity. How else do you survive in this world?"

Robin nodded. "That's true."

At that moment, a system prompt appeared before Mio's eyes.

"Congratulations! [Millennium Dragon Gene] collected!"

[Millennium Dragon Gene]: A dragon gene from the world of One Piece. Considered a powerful species among wild beasts. Has an extremely long lifespan. Its dragon bones contain medicinal properties that can prolong human life.

Mio rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So the legends were true—its bones really are useful. But as I expected, it only prolongs life. Immortality's still out of the question."

After all, if immortality were so simple, everyone would chase dragons for it.

So far, the only known method of achieving eternal life in this world was the Perennial Youth Operation—the ultimate ability of the Ope Ope no Mi.

Mio stared at the dragon's massive corpse and muttered, "Well, since the bones are valuable, might as well play butcher."

Without hesitation, he walked toward the body with Raikiri in hand.

Robin raised an eyebrow. "Captain, what are you doing now?"

"Taking the bones. They'll come in handy."

Robin turned away, not particularly eager to watch the gruesome scene unfold. She wandered deeper into the cave to kill time.

When she returned, Mio was carrying a massive bone over his shoulder. The stench of blood clung to him like a second skin.

"Can we go now?" she asked, pinching her nose.

"Yeah. I need a shower. I can't even stand the smell of myself right now," Mio replied, nodding.

The two left the cave and headed back to the ship.

Upon returning, Mio handed the dragon's keel to Warwick, instructing him to wash it. Then, he went off to bathe and told Hanba to set sail for Rogue Town.

There was nothing left for them in the East Blue—it was time to return to the Grand Line. Mio's planned route would follow a predictable yet critical path: Skypiea, Water 7, then the Sabaody Archipelago, before plunging straight into the New World via Fishman Island.

Of course, that journey would take time.

He also planned to visit Impel Down before reaching Sabaody.

Freshly bathed and dressed, Mio returned to the deck. His eyes swept across the crew—some were training hard, others relaxing. Robin, as usual, was buried in a book.

"Looks like Garp really left an impression on them," Mio muttered with a soft chuckle. The battle with Garp had sparked something in all of them—even in him. The adrenaline, the pressure… It made him hungry for strength.

"Hmph."

Mio exhaled, then drew Raikiri again and began his own solitary training session.

Four Days Later — Rogue Town

The journey from Gunkan Island to Rogue Town wasn't short, but not overly long either. After four days, they arrived.

Rather than docking at the busy port, Mio directed the ship to a secluded shoreline. Rogue Town was a key transit point between the East Blue and the Grand Line. The Navy presence was considerable—nothing the Black Crow Pirates couldn't handle, but Mio preferred to avoid unnecessary trouble.

"Come on, come on, time to divide the cash," Mio called out, waving everyone over.

"Warwick, go stock up on supplies and drinks. Here—two million Berries. Load up."

"Robin, Lilith—you both wanted books, right? Is one million enough?"

"Kuroken… Food again? Ugh. Rogue Town doesn't exactly have gourmet stuff, but fine, take a million too. Just don't blow it all on candy."

Erica, interested in checking out the local weapons, also received a million Berries.

As for Mio himself, he pocketed one million Berries and hopped off the ship.

He was heading for the execution platform—where Gol D. Roger had once met his end.

Everyone dispersed to explore the town.

Unbeknownst to Mio, news of the Black Crow Pirates' recent activities had already reached the ears of the Navy Headquarters.

Marine Headquarters — Sengoku's Office

Sengoku sat buried beneath a mountain of paperwork. A frustrated sigh escaped him as he rubbed his temples.

"That damn soldier said Kong's on vacation… Damn, I wish I were."

Buru buru buru.

The Den Den Mushi rang.

Sengoku answered, and Garp's unmistakable voice came through. "Yo, Sengoku! I'm heading back to the New World. You got any orders?"

"Garp, you bastard! Are you eating senbei again?!"

From the receiver came the sound of relentless crunching. "Hahahaha! Damn right I am. Envious, aren't you?"

"I'm deducting your salary this month."

"Hey! Why?!"

"To buy my own senbei."

"Can't you just use your own damn money?"

"I do what I want."

"You bastard."

Despite their bickering, the two were old friends, and the insults were more affectionate than serious.

After venting a bit, they got down to business.

"I ran into that rookie pirate crew you mentioned."

"In the Grand Line?"

"Nope. East Blue."

"What?" Sengoku's eyes widened. "They should be in the Grand Line by now."

"I thought so too. But they're in the East Blue, and they're strong. Real strong. Not like rookies at all. They've got potential—and they're dangerous."

"Then why didn't you capture them?" Sengoku asked, confused. He knew Garp's strength. Few in the world could challenge him.

"They've got two members who are absurdly effective in naval combat. If we fought, my warship would've been sunk. Not worth it."

"Lilith, I assume?" Sengoku guessed. The new recruit files mentioned her.

"She's one of them. The other is a giant-looking brute—might be a descendant of Oars. Could be a hybrid with a Sea King, honestly."

Sengoku groaned. "Great. In a few years, another emperor candidate…"

"Want me to go after them now?"

"No." Sengoku immediately shut the idea down. "Head to the New World. That place is a powder keg right now. We need you there more than ever."

"And the Black Crow Pirates?"

Sengoku's eyes narrowed. "We'll intercept them before they enter the New World. Cut them off early, before they mature into a real threat."

With Whitebeard largely inactive, the rest of the New World was in chaos. Kaido, Big Mom, even Red-Haired Shanks—all were caught up in the war for dominance.

Despite the Navy's best efforts, they still lacked solid footing in the New World. Their bases were constantly destroyed. Only the G5 branch had endured—and that had cost them dearly.

The pirates fought each other, sure—but whenever the Navy got involved, they all united against the Marines.

Worse still, some islands saw pirates as protectors. They trusted them more than the Navy. Without a stronghold, the Marines had no leverage.

That had to change.

"I'll hurry back to the New World," Garp replied, his tone serious for once.