After the Space Pirate gave the order—
Mio immediately began arranging affairs.
During his absence, Crow Island needed to continue operating normally. Someone had to manage everything in his stead—after all, he couldn't allow anyone to discover that he had left the planet and gone to the moon.
By the time all the arrangements were completed, it was already late at night.
At the same time, the Golden Ark was nearly ready for departure.
Standing on the golden deck, Mio looked up at the night sky and didn't waste a moment. "Mashi, I'll leave it to you."
"Okay, brother." Mashi nodded and walked toward the cabin.
Moments later, the sound of crackling thunder echoed from the interior, and the entire Golden Ark slowly rose, accelerating upward into the sky.
In the darkness, the ark's golden hull gleamed brilliantly. Blue energy—converted from Mashi's thunder—streamed from the rear like a blazing meteor.
Fortunately, no navy or World Government forces were currently active in the Black Crow Sea, so there was no concern about attracting their attention.
On deck, Mio and the others felt the strong wind whip against them as the ship surged upward, piercing through the clouds and heading straight for the moon.
"I wonder what the moon looks like," Robin said with curiosity. Originally, Mio hadn't planned to bring her—after all, she might struggle to adapt in an unfamiliar environment—but considering the likely existence of ancient ruins, he eventually allowed her to come.
"Don't expect too much. There's no beautiful scenery up there. It's just barren rock," Mio replied with a faint smile.
"Captain, how do you know?" Robin asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You'll see when we get there." Mio simply shrugged, choosing not to explain further.
The journey held little worth seeing. After all, this world wasn't Earth. The distance from the moon to the Blue Sea wasn't as far as people might imagine—though it certainly wasn't close either.
And unlike Earth, one could still breathe in space here. The air was thinner, yes, but not unbreathable.
As the night deepened, the group returned to their rooms to rest.
By around noon the next day, Mio and the others reappeared on the deck.
The moon now loomed large before them—immense and imposing, almost within reach.
With a flash, Mio appeared in the cabin.
Mashi looked at him with a pitiful face. "Brother, I'm so tired…"
"Just a little more, we're almost there." Mio patted his head reassuringly.
"Okay." Mashi nodded and continued channeling thunder to power the Golden Ark.
Roughly an hour later, the surface of the moon appeared in their view. Just as Mio had warned—it was barren, pocked with craters and devoid of beauty.
"Just like you said, Captain. Nothing pretty about it," Robin muttered as she looked at the dull, desolate landscape.
"We didn't come to sightsee," Mio chuckled, rubbing her head. His Observation Haki immediately spread out to cover a large area as he added, "We're here to find the king."
"But it's so huge… how are we supposed to find one person?" Robin frowned.
"Don't worry. We already have a target." Mio's eyes gleamed, and he turned to Lilith. "Tell Mashi to prepare for landing."
"Yes!" Lilith nodded and vanished.
Moments later, the Ark began to descend, landing on a vast stretch of land.
Mio turned to the others and smiled faintly. "So, who wants to catch them?"
His Observation Haki had picked up several lifeforms nearby.
"I'll go," Bai Feng volunteered, glancing in the direction of the aura. He could sense it too—strong, but not overwhelming.
"Alright. I'll leave it to you," Mio nodded.
If his guess was right, those nearby figures were the Space Pirates—unusual beings who, according to the original work, hailed from beyond the planet. But the details remained unclear. He'd wait for Bai Feng to bring them back and then interrogate them.
Without another word, Bai Feng leapt from the deck and vanished into the distance.
Taking advantage of the quiet, Mio stepped down from the Ark onto the moon's surface. With a light hop, he landed gently and murmured, "Same gravity as the Blue Sea. How strange."
It was likely one of the unique traits of this world—according to the One Piece special chapters, there was virtually no physical difference between the moon and Earth.
"Captain, this hole is so deep…" Robin's voice came from nearby.
Mio turned to find her crouching beside a massive crater. She leaned in slightly, peering down into the shadows. "It looks like it was blown open… and so do the others around it."
Mio flashed over to her side and studied the crater.
The jagged edges and impact markings clearly showed signs of an explosion. But why would someone blast so many holes into the moon?
A puzzled expression formed on his face.
Was it related to the king?
Mio didn't jump in. Instead, he waited.
Roughly thirty minutes later, Bai Feng returned—dragging two badly beaten figures, one in each hand, and dropped them unceremoniously before Mio.
"Fur tribe?" Erica muttered in surprise. The two captives looked humanoid, but with canine heads. Dressed in strange robes, they bore a strong resemblance to the Mink Tribe from Zou.
"Who are you people?" one of them asked hesitantly. Earlier, he had been arrogant, but after Bai Feng's brutal handling, he was now completely docile.
Mio looked down at them coldly. "I'm going to ask some questions. Answer truthfully, and you live. Lie or refuse… and you die. Understand?"
"Y-yes! We'll answer!" the other quickly nodded.
"You're pirates, aren't you?" Mio asked.
"Yes, we're pirates," they both replied without hesitation.
"Did you make these holes in the moon?"
At that, they hesitated.
Without saying a word, Bai Feng reached out with his right hand. A wind blade formed instantly, and with a flick of his wrist—slash—he severed one pirate's right arm.
"AHHHH!"
A scream erupted as blood sprayed from the wound.
The wounded pirate immediately cried out, "Yes! We made them! We blew open the holes!"
"Why?" Mio narrowed his eyes. "Why blast so many holes into the moon?"
There was no way this pirate crew would carve holes here for no reason…