the King of Pirates of the East Sea

From afar.

Dragon silently observed the situation surrounding Sig, his expression blank.

His perception was exceptionally sharp; even at such a great distance, he could clearly hear the exchange of words between the two sides.

"It seems I've wasted my time."

Dragon muttered softly to himself.

A man who didn't even have the courage to make a move against bandits, surrendering outright, was not worth his attention.

He turned to leave, taking a step away.

Bang, bang, bang, bang...

But just as he took his step, the sound made him pause instantly, prompting him to turn back with a doubtful look in his eyes.

The low, resonating sound echoed through the forest.

In that moment, the expressions of all the bandits blocking the path changed drastically.

"He's going to make a move!"

Someone shouted loudly, their voice full of panic.

Immediately, over a dozen glittering blades and the dark muzzles of guns were pointed directly at Sig, who was now just a step away from them.

All it would take was a simple thrust of a blade or the pull of a trigger, and Sig would be splattered in blood.

However...

No one swung their blades. No one pulled their triggers.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang...

The blades pointed at Sig trembled slightly. The guns aimed at him remained frozen in place, their triggers unmoved.

At this moment, Sig, in their eyes, seemed like an incomparably dangerous beast. Even as he approached slowly, step by step, the immense pressure he emanated made it nearly impossible to breathe.

"No... I can't shoot... I'll definitely die if I do..."

The same thought crossed every single one of their minds as beads of sweat as large as beans rolled down their foreheads.

As Sig took a step forward, they took a step back.

The encirclement gradually broke apart, like stones splitting the flow of water. What was once a gap large enough for one person to pass through quickly expanded.

In no time at all, the encirclement had completely collapsed. Everyone had retreated to the sides of the road, seemingly making way for Sig, who continued to walk forward.

Only one person remained standing in the middle of the road—the burly bandit leader, Gillman.

"Sig!" A loud roar broke the tense silence.

The burly bandit, towering at over two meters tall, raised his long blade high, glaring furiously at Sig.

"What did you do? Are you mocking me?"

Sig paused his steps momentarily and looked seriously at Gillman.

"Not at all," Sig replied in a low, steady voice.

Then, he clenched his previously open palms into fists.

At that moment, everyone's gaze was locked onto Sig's fists.

"He's really going to make a move... We're doomed!"

"Boss is finally going to attack!"

Amid the mixed gazes of the two groups, Sig clenched his fists tightly and then made a slight downward motion with them. The gesture was akin to a cheer:

"Keep it up. I wish you the best in becoming the Bandit King of the East Blue."

"And don't forget to spread the word: I am already your defeated opponent."

The deep tone of his voice, coupled with the echoing sound of the King's Engine, was engraved into their minds.

Those two sentences seemed to treat Gillman as though he were utterly insignificant.

"You... Are you looking down on me, thinking that even if I spread the word that I defeated you, no one would believe it?"

"You're insulting me!"

The burly bandit gritted his teeth, his face flushed red with anger. Yet, his hands trembled uncontrollably.

With a loud clang, the long blade fell from the burly bandit's hands, hitting the ground.

He looked down at the blade on the ground, then at his still-trembling hands. His eyes had lost all their light.

Facing Sig, who had approached without so much as a weapon, he couldn't summon the courage to swing his blade.

As that thought crossed his mind, the burly bandit felt all the strength leave his body. His legs gave out, and he slumped to the ground, a vacant look on his face.

Not only him, but the other bandits also began collapsing one after another, falling limply to the ground.

A hint of surprise flickered in Sig's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and calmly walked past them.

After him came his subordinates.

Sig's bandit followers puffed out their chests, walking past with straight backs, their eyes forward but with a faint smirk tugging at their lips.

This scene was also observed from afar by Dragon, who watched intently.

"There's no mistake! That's the one-in-a-million kingly potential—Conqueror's Haki!"

"He cannot simply be an ordinary bandit. What on earth is Sig planning, hiding in such a remote kingdom in the East Blue?"

Dragon's expression grew increasingly grave.

However, another question lingered in his mind.

"His Conqueror's Haki... it feels a little strange."

Dragon had encountered more than one user of Conqueror's Haki in his lifetime, but among these powerful individuals, Sig gave off an unusually distinct and peculiar impression.

He thought of some legends from across the seas.

When trained to an advanced level, Haki could manifest effects unique to the wielder's talents.

Those who mastered Observation Haki to its peak were said to foresee the future or even perceive people's hearts.

Similarly, those who mastered Conqueror's Haki to higher realms could exert tangible pressure that physically destroyed their surroundings.

Recalling the strange "Emperor's Engine" sound, Dragon entertained a bizarre speculation:

"Could it be that when Conqueror's Haki reaches a certain transcendent level, it even... comes with sound effects?"

An hour later, Sig and his men arrived at a mountain hideout.

To call it a hideout was generous—it was merely a slightly larger wooden cabin nestled in the woods.

Sig showed little concern for the bandits they had encountered earlier.

In contrast, his subordinates were bursting with excitement.

"Did you see that? That's the difference between a fake Bandit King and the real Bandit King!"

"A hulking 2.3-meter-tall brute? In front of our boss, he's just a trembling fool who couldn't even lift his sword!"

"I thought I'd finally get to see the boss in action today, but I was wrong. Maybe there's no one in the entire Goa Kingdom worth our boss making a move..."

Sig cast a wordless glance at his overly animated subordinates.

He was starting to understand how King must have felt.

No matter what he did, there were always people who would attribute bizarre meanings to his every action—be they his subordinates or his enemies.

Irritated, Sig shook his head slightly and muttered in a low voice:

"Quiet."

One word immediately silenced the bandits' chatter, plunging the room into a tense hush.

But in the next moment, the bald bandit enthusiastically chimed in:

"Exactly! Everyone, quiet down—the boss is about to announce the next plan of action!"

His statement immediately sent the bandits into a frenzy.

"The boss's plan? Let's storm the capital city of the kingdom!"

"I heard there are pirates showing up near the harbor. We've got to show them who's really in charge here!"

"Hey, your ambitions are too small! Our boss is going to be the Bandit King!"

"Boss! No matter what order you give us, we'll follow you for life!"

The bandits were practically raring to go, fists clenched, ready to dive headfirst into their next mission.

Sig was silent for a while before he finally spoke:

"Then, your next mission is... to monitor Windmill Village and the Navy's movements."

"Specifically, keep an eye out for any news regarding Vice Admiral Garp. Aside from that, you're free to act as you wish."

Having said this, Sig ignored the stunned expressions on the faces of his subordinates and walked into the cabin.

All he wanted was to stay holed up in the mountains until Garp left quietly.

During this time, the lower his profile, the better.