Chapter 18: The Unfathomable Mountain Bandit King

Sig took a deep breath, preparing himself mentally for his "stomachache" performance. His expression immediately twisted slightly.

Since his appearance was already fierce, to begin with, and now combined with the "strong character" vibe of a KING, this sudden contorted expression made him look even more savage and terrifying.

Sitting opposite him, Dragon was momentarily shaken.

'Sig's expression doesn't look very good. Is he angry?'

Dragon's face subtly changed as he hurriedly spoke:

"Mr. Sig, I offer my apologies for our earlier recklessness."

"But this time, we truly come with goodwill."

After speaking, Dragon immediately pulled a paper document from his coat and spread it out on the table.

"This is confidential information received by our Revolutionary Army's intelligence network in the capital of the Goa Kingdom…"

Sig skimmed through it and his eyes widened slightly.

His exploits as the so-called Bandit King Sig had alarmed the Goa Kingdom.

And that wasn't the end of it—even the Navy had been alerted and was planning to launch a siege against the Sig Bandit Crew!

Dragon then explained in a timely manner:

"Normally, matters involving bandits within the island's interior fall under the jurisdiction of the Goa Kingdom, and the Navy would not intervene."

"But, Mr. Sig, the timing of your actions this time is… quite coincidental."

"You happened to act just as the Celestial Dragons were about to visit. Because of this, the Goa Kingdom had no choice but to take it seriously."

"According to our intel, the Goa Kingdom made a proactive request to the World Government, asking the Navy to dispatch troops to assist…"

After saying this, Dragon fixed his gaze on Sig, carefully observing his facial expressions for any reactions.

The Revolutionary Army also had its doubts about this matter.

Some suspected that Sig was simply too reckless and high-profile, which had drawn the Navy's attention.

But Dragon himself believed Sig was deeply calculating and had an ulterior motive, deliberately drawing the attention of both the Goa Kingdom and the Navy.

As for the truth, Dragon intended to judge it with his own eyes.

Sitting before him, however, Sig remained unfazed, his expression showing no apparent change.

'The Navy… and the Celestial Dragons are visiting?'

Sig muttered to himself.

He suddenly recalled this particular arc from the original story.

'It does make sense…'

Sig finally spoke: "So the Celestial Dragons are coming, and they plan to deal with me, the so-called Bandit King, and then burn down the Gray Terminal? What a thorough 'cleansing plan.'"

"In this way, the most beautiful kingdom in the East Blue will be completely rid of any blemishes—no trash mountain, and no bandits."

Sig thought about the great fire depicted in the original storyline and sighed softly.

"Wait… burn down the Gray Terminal? Mr. Sig, is that information accurate?"

Dragon and his companions' faces changed slightly as they inquired.

"You didn't know?"

Without much thought, Sig recalled the events from the original storyline and began to speak:

"The royal family of the Goa Kingdom colluded with the pirate crew from the Pirate Bay, led by Bursam. They promised Bursam noble status and entry into the capital of the Goa Kingdom. This persuaded the pirates to act on their behalf, planning to set fire to the Gray Terminal…"

"In this way, the Goa Kingdom could shift the blame for the fire onto the pirates and remain blameless…"

"But those snobbish nobles—how could they possibly allow mere pirates to truly become nobles and mingle with them? Afterward, they'd undoubtedly turn on the pirates, shutting them out of the capital. Ideally, they'd also die in the fire."

Sig recounted the plot roughly based on his memory of the original story.

The expressions on the faces of Dragon and his group gradually turned grave.

It wasn't just because of the actions of the Goa Kingdom's nobles but also because of the man standing before them!

The Revolutionary Army was renowned for its intelligence-gathering abilities, with an incredibly impressive information network spanning all four seas.

However, when it came to this conspiracy within the Goa Kingdom, they were completely in the dark.

In truth, this made perfect sense.

The Gray Terminal wasn't just a garbage dump; it was also home to a large population of impoverished people.

If a fire were to break out, it would become a disaster shocking enough to shake the world.

If it were to be revealed that the Goa Kingdom's royal family colluded with pirates to carry out such an act, the kingdom's reputation would plummet. It might even spark uprisings among the people.

Given the gravity of the situation, it was almost certain that the pirate Bursam would keep the plan a secret, provided he had any sense at all.

But this raised a crucial question: If both sides were so cautious and careful, ensuring the information wouldn't be leaked…

How did Sig, the man standing before them, come to know about it?

Judging from his descriptions, he didn't just "know" about the conspiracy—he knew it inside and out!

He detailed the origins of the scheme, the specifics of the plan, and even what would happen after the event, including the Goa Kingdom nobles' plan to betray the pirates and deny them entry to the city. It was all so vividly and thoroughly explained.

Every point was logical and convincing.

This was clearly not fabricated information.

Dragon exchanged glances with Ivankov and the others, each feeling somewhat humbled.

This was critical intelligence, yet their Revolutionary Army, so proud of its intelligence system, had no idea about it.

Realizing this, Dragon and the others began to regard Sig with an increased level of respect and seriousness.

"Is this the result of the so-called 'Mountain Bandit King' Sig silently weaving his web within the lawless mountains of the Goa Kingdom?"

"Perhaps, within the confines of these mountains, Sig has already constructed an enormous intelligence network… Maybe, at least in the Goa Kingdom, his network is even stronger than our Revolutionary Army's."

"What's even more astonishing is that he's even anticipated the betrayal of the pirates after the incident. He understands the Goa Kingdom's nobles and royal family far better than we imagined!"

"Not only does he likely have spies within the Navy, but he must also have informants among the high-ranking officials of the Goa Kingdom. Otherwise, there's no way he could've acquired such confidential information!"

Thinking along these lines, Dragon's respect for Sig deepened, though he also felt a slight sense of embarrassment.

Their visit was meant to establish contact with Sig, offering intelligence about the Goa Kingdom's movements as a gesture of goodwill and laying the groundwork for potential future collaboration.

But now… had they overstepped?

If Sig truly possessed such a formidable intelligence network, he likely already knew about the Goa Kingdom's plans to raid the Sig Bandit Group.

The Revolutionary Army came with goodwill, intending to share critical intelligence with Sig… only for him to possibly already be aware of it. In fact, he even ended up providing them with an even more vital piece of intelligence!

The wooden cabin fell silent again, the atmosphere becoming somewhat heavy.

Dragon and his group were deep in thought, while Sig, on the other hand, seemed to sink into a gloomy mood, saying nothing.

The news that the Navy was planning a raid had left Sig feeling entirely out of sorts.

His original plan had been simple: to be a quiet recluse and live a low-profile life during the period when Garp was visiting Windmill Village.

But now it seemed he had already attracted the Navy's attention, making it impossible to keep a low profile.

Before long, the name "Mountain Bandit King," as the Goa Kingdom's most wanted criminal, might even reach Garp's ears.

'Wait… The Navy… Garp?'

At that moment, a terrifying thought suddenly crossed Sig's mind...