SELECT 
  id_path 
FROM 
  categories c 
  JOIN category_vendor_product_count p USING(category_id) 
WHERE 
  p.company_id = 980

Query time 0.00059

JSON explain

{
  "query_block": {
    "select_id": 1,
    "cost_info": {
      "query_cost": "12.85"
    },
    "nested_loop": [
      {
        "table": {
          "table_name": "p",
          "access_type": "ref",
          "possible_keys": [
            "PRIMARY"
          ],
          "key": "PRIMARY",
          "used_key_parts": [
            "company_id"
          ],
          "key_length": "4",
          "ref": [
            "const"
          ],
          "rows_examined_per_scan": 27,
          "rows_produced_per_join": 27,
          "filtered": "100.00",
          "using_index": true,
          "cost_info": {
            "read_cost": "0.71",
            "eval_cost": "2.70",
            "prefix_cost": "3.41",
            "data_read_per_join": "432"
          },
          "used_columns": [
            "company_id",
            "category_id"
          ]
        }
      },
      {
        "table": {
          "table_name": "c",
          "access_type": "eq_ref",
          "possible_keys": [
            "PRIMARY",
            "p_category_id"
          ],
          "key": "PRIMARY",
          "used_key_parts": [
            "category_id"
          ],
          "key_length": "3",
          "ref": [
            "goimagine.p.category_id"
          ],
          "rows_examined_per_scan": 1,
          "rows_produced_per_join": 27,
          "filtered": "100.00",
          "cost_info": {
            "read_cost": "6.75",
            "eval_cost": "2.70",
            "prefix_cost": "12.86",
            "data_read_per_join": "70K"
          },
          "used_columns": [
            "category_id",
            "id_path"
          ]
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

Result

id_path
2/17
2/18
5/27
3/85
2/17/147
2/17/148
2/17/149
2/17/153
2/18/170
2/18/173
3/85/384
1575
1602
1603
1575/1604
1605
1606
1607
1608
1602/1609
1610
1602/1611
1602/1612
1575/2883
4871
10395
21099