Chapter 19: To Be Honest, I Want to Beat Up Your Dad

The moment this thought arose, Sig instinctively sat up straight.

Calculating the time, Garp should more or less be arriving at Foosha Village.

Could it be… that Garp, who was likely already near the waters of the Goa Kingdom, had been temporarily summoned to lead a unit here?

In an instant, Sig's heart pounded wildly, terrified by the horrifying notion forming in his mind.

Garp?

Hadn't he retreated into the depths of the mountains precisely to keep a low profile and avoid drawing Garp's attention?

Could it be… that he had inadvertently drawn Garp's attention ahead of time?

At this moment, Sig truly panicked!

Thump thump! Thump thump! Thump thump thump thump!

The rapid, drum-like rhythm of his heart resounded abruptly in the wooden hut, and an overwhelming oppressive atmosphere surged like a tide.

Sitting opposite him, Dragon and the others also suddenly changed their expressions.

This immense pressure was several times stronger than what they had felt outside the house earlier!

They hadn't expected Sig to have such a reaction.

"Was our warm gesture met with a cold shoulder? Is Sig planning to act against us?"

Dragon and the others felt inexplicably shocked and angry, their hearts instantly raising their guard.

Yet, in the next moment, they heard Sig's low voice ask:

"I want to know, is the one leading the Navy unit this time… Iron Fist Garp?"

Hearing this, Dragon and the others were slightly taken aback.

They hadn't expected to hear Garp's name at this moment.

"As of now, we in the Revolutionary Army haven't obtained confirmed intelligence, but it's very likely not him," Ivankov replied:

"Although the turmoil you've caused is significant, Sig-san, it still hasn't reached the level where the Navy would summon that naval hero."

"For the World Government, incidents of rebellion in allied nations are nothing new. Such situations are typically handled by naval units dispatched from bases in the surrounding seas."

Though Sig called himself the Bandit King of the Goa Kingdom, at the end of the day, his group was still a bandit crew that had only recently grown to just over 200 members.

Even in the East Blue, which was considered the weakest of the seas, there were several pirate crews with higher bounties and greater strength.

Normally, the rise of such a bandit crew wouldn't attract much attention from the Goa Kingdom. It was only because this coincided with the arrival of the Celestial Dragons that the Navy had been alarmed.

Beside him, Bartholomew Kuma explained further:

"Iron Fist Garp's ship was originally heading toward Goa Kingdom's Foosha Village."

"However, a few days ago, Garp's ship happened to encounter the Red-Haired Pirates in a certain sea area. They then pursued them for about a day, which delayed their journey slightly…"

"Shanks? You're truly a wonderful person!"

Sig felt a surge of emotion, nearly moved to tears. He let out a long breath of relief. On the surface, however, he maintained his poker face, giving a slight nod:

"I understand. So this matter hasn't reached the level of alarming Iron Fist Garp? That's good."

When these words were spoken, Dragon and the others immediately noticed that the intense, drum-like "engine" sound eased up, and the oppressive atmosphere dissipated just as quickly.

This abrupt change left the three of them puzzled.

Had they said something particularly significant just now?

Why had Sig suddenly displayed such intense hostility, only for it to fade so quickly?

Dragon and the others were high-ranking members of the Revolutionary Army who had encountered countless powerful figures and authority holders.

For example, Bartholomew Kuma himself was a king.

Yet, Sig's behavior still left them deeply puzzled. They couldn't begin to guess what Sig was thinking.

Since entering the hut, Sig's expressions had hardly shown any fluctuation. He remained poker-faced, devoid of any body language that could be read.

In this regard, Sig was undoubtedly the most difficult type of person to deal with at the negotiating table.

Such individuals were extremely composed and wouldn't be swayed by any information. Their lack of body language left others without a clue to work with.

Bartholomew Kuma was also one such person. However, there was a distinct difference between him and Sig.

Sig was not entirely rational. During their dialogue, he had suddenly unleashed immense pressure, only to promptly retract it.

From this, it seemed as though he was also a volatile individual, prone to sudden bursts of emotion.

"Wait a minute, didn't Sig just ask about… the Navy unit and Garp…"

Upon realizing this, Emporio Ivankov's face changed. He carefully reconsidered Sig's earlier words.

"...This matter isn't significant enough to alarm Iron Fist Garp? Very well."

On the surface, Sig appeared relieved that Garp hadn't been alerted, but there wasn't a shred of relief on his face. His expression remained utterly blank.

There was something else that was deeply unsettling.

As soon as he finished that sentence, the suffocating pressure immediately dissipated.

"Could it be that Sig-boy wasn't planning to attack us at all... but just the mere thought of Garp possibly arriving stirred his fighting spirit so strongly that he couldn't contain it?"

"And after we denied that possibility, Sig-boy completely lost interest?"

Ivankov exchanged a glance with Bartholomew Kuma, noticing the latter's grave expression. Clearly, they had reached the same conclusion.

At this point, the truth was as clear as day.

Why would Sig, who had remained hidden in the Goa Kingdom for so many years, suddenly act so high-profile during the sensitive period of the Celestial Dragons' visit? Why consolidate the bandits' forces, attracting the attention of both the Goa Kingdom and the World Government?

Many of the Revolutionary Army's officers assumed Sig had simply acted impulsively.

But now, Ivankov understood.

When Sig asked if Garp was coming, his overwhelming fighting spirit almost made them think he was about to attack them.

Upon learning that Iron Fist Garp wouldn't be leading the naval forces, Sig immediately reined in that surging fighting intent.

Clearly, Sig didn't intend to make a move against the Revolutionary Army at all. He intended to target Garp!

This was a trap.

Sig's true target might very well be the naval hero, Iron Fist Garp!

His high-profile actions of late were likely all designed to attract the World Government's attention and lure Garp, who was stationed in the East Blue, to come personally.

Perhaps once Garp arrived, Sig's hidden plans would unfold—like dozens of Yonko-level figures emerging from the mountains to ambush the trapped Garp.

Or maybe Sig himself possessed exceptional strength and was confident he could defeat that legendary Marine.

"Dragon..."

Ivankov and Kuma simultaneously glanced at Dragon, who was standing beside them, their expressions complicated.

Sig's target—Marine hero Garp—was none other than the biological father of their Revolutionary Army leader...

Ivankov was left speechless, while Dragon's expression became so complex it bordered on bizarre.

Even though Dragon and Garp belonged to two opposing factions, they were still father and son.

Was Sig, in Dragon's presence, essentially declaring, "I want to beat up your dad?"

This situation was simply...

The key issue was that Dragon and Garp's familial relationship was still a closely guarded secret!

Dragon could only struggle to suppress any fluctuations in his emotions, pretending to be utterly indifferent to avoid letting Sig notice anything unusual.