"Master, that man was incredibly strong," Lilith said seriously as she walked to Mio's side, fear lingering in her eyes. The image of a tornado being shattered by a single punch kept replaying in her mind.
It was a truly shocking sight.
"It's only natural," Mio replied with a light smile. "After all, he stands at the top of the power pyramid in this sea. That's the kind of existence I expect you to reach one day."
Of course, whether or not she could achieve that would depend on the potential of the beings she trained.
Effort alone wasn't enough.
"The strongest in this world… are they really that powerful?" Lilith muttered. Her expression grew resolute. "Don't worry, Master. Lilith will definitely become stronger."
Not just Lilith—Erica and the others had also been shaken by what they'd seen.
The memory of that overwhelming strength played again and again in Erica's mind. If someone like that came after Mio, would she be able to protect him?
The answer was painfully clear: No.
"No matter how strong the enemy is… Master must not die," Erica thought with fierce determination. Her emotions surged, and in the next instant, an overwhelming aura burst out from her body, sweeping across the surrounding sea.
Little Robin turned pale instantly, nearly fainting from the pressure.
Surprised, Mio turned to Erica. "That was Haoshoku Haki? Did you just awaken it?"
Startled by his voice, Erica snapped back to herself. The aura quickly faded. She nodded, then shook her head. "I'm not sure. I just… remembered that feeling."
"That's good," Mio said, a proud grin forming on his lips. "Try to hold onto that feeling. Get used to it. Master it."
"I will, Master." Erica responded with a determined nod.
With the tension passed, the crew resumed their training.
Even Robin, who rarely trained seriously, had joined in. She might not become a frontline fighter, but she at least wanted to be strong enough to survive and not become a burden.
Meanwhile, Mio sat at the bow of the ship, a bottle of rum in hand. As he sipped, he calmly worked on creating life cards, his mind drifting back to the earlier encounter.
Thinking about Garp's appearance in the East Blue made him chuckle. "Ace…"
At this point in the timeline, Garp wouldn't have returned to the East Blue unless something incredibly important had happened. The Navy Headquarters wouldn't have allowed him to leave the New World otherwise.
That left only one possibility in Mio's mind—something Garp valued more than anything.
Ace's birth.
Despite their enmity, Garp and Roger shared a strange, unspoken bond, forged through countless battles at sea. Garp likely took custody of Ace and brought him back to the East Blue himself.
That would explain his sudden appearance.
And if Ace was really aboard that warship, then Garp wouldn't risk an all-out fight. Not here. Not now. Not when the warship's destruction could mean the death of an innocent child.
Which meant Mio was safe for now.
"Seems I was right," he murmured. "Ace is on that ship."
On the sea, unless one encountered a top-tier monster like Garp, Mio was confident in his ability to hold his own—or escape. Few others could match his adaptability.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he returned to crafting the life cards, occasionally calling out, "Hanba, don't stray too far. Circle the island and find a good hidden spot near Gunkan Island."
He still had business to take care of—the Millennium Dragon.
Training could wait, but the dragon's genes couldn't.
"Understood, Master," Hanba's voice echoed up from beneath the sea.
Following his command, the ship began circling Gunkan Island from a distance, avoiding attention and waiting for the right time to move in—avoiding another encounter with Garp's warship.
Two hours later, the ship found a good hiding spot near the island's edge, and they docked.
"Who wants to come with me to find the Millennium Dragon?" Mio asked, turning to face his crew.
"Is it alive?" Robin asked with interest.
"Of course it's alive. Why would I bother if it were dead?" Mio rolled his eyes.
"Then I'll go." Robin nodded quickly, eyes shining with curiosity. A living Millennium Dragon was more than enough to excite her.
Erica and the others, however, chose to stay behind and continue training.
As for Hei Yan—he was busy eating.
Chunks of grilled Sea King meat vanished into his jaws. Every bite seemed to visibly strengthen him. Thanks to his Gluttony ability, Hei Yan's power increased rapidly after every meal. Unfortunately, the ability had an upper limit—otherwise, he might have already reached admiral level through eating alone.
"Alright then," Mio said, issuing orders as he jumped off the boat. "Guard the ship. If anyone comes near, kill them."
Robin followed right behind, holding a camera in her hands.
Gunkan Island
Mio and Robin began their trek through the island.
Robin kept herself busy snapping photos of the scenery, while Mio had his Observation Haki active, scanning for threats or signs of the creature.
Although the range of his Haki was limited, it had grown significantly—now covering nearly 30 meters.
"Captain, are we trying to catch the Millennium Dragon?" Robin asked while clicking another picture.
"Nope," Mio answered flatly. "That would be a waste of food. We're here to kill it."
Robin looked stunned. "Kill it? But why?"
Mio reached over and gently ruffled her hair. "Why worry about the reason? It'll be useful, that's all that matters."
"Hey! Don't mess up my hair!" Robin slapped his hand away and pouted at him.
But to Mio, even her angry face looked adorable.
Gunkan Island wasn't particularly large, but it wasn't small either. The two wandered around for nearly an hour without finding what they were looking for—the cave from the original story.
Given that nearly two decades had passed, Mio wasn't entirely sure if the Millennium Dragon was still here or not.
"Captain, I think I found a cave. Not sure if it's the one you meant, though," Robin said as she closed her eyes and formed hands from her Hana-Hana Fruit to scout ahead.
"Where is it?" Mio asked immediately.
Robin pointed in a direction. "That way."
Without hesitation, Mio scooped her up and dashed forward. "Let's go!"