Chapter 13: UnderCurrents Stirring

Thud!

Gillman's legs gave way, and once again, he collapsed to the ground.

This time, it wasn't Sig's Emperor's Presence that intimidated him, but the sheer grandeur of his ambition that shook him to the core!

In the world of pirates, the Celestial Dragons had been mythologized as descendants of the Creator, as if they were a different species entirely from common folk.

For ordinary people, the idea of resisting the Celestial Dragons was inconceivable.

But Sig's goal… was far beyond mere resistance against the Celestial Dragons—it was to completely overthrow the Celestial Dragon families occupying the Holy Land of Mariejois!

"This man… he's an extremely dangerous figure who wants to overturn the entire world!"

Suddenly, he recalled the brief exchange he'd had with Sig on the mountain path a few days ago.

Back then, he had boasted to Sig about his grand ambition.

But that so-called ambition amounted to nothing more than dominating the East Blue and becoming the so-called Bandit King of the East Blue!

'Sig… I finally understand the difference between the two of us...'

Gillman muttered to himself.

Strength.

Aura.

Vision.

In all aspects, the disparity was like night and day!

While Gillman's sights were still set on the East Blue, thinking himself far-sighted, Sig's gaze had already reached the summit of the world!

"This… this is the true grandeur of a Bandit King!"

"To be able to serve under the Bandit King is my honor!"

Gillman declared resolutely.

The bald bandit nodded knowingly, his gaze turning toward another mountain peak in the distance.

"Well then… come with me."

"We'll take the next mountain together."

Sig's bandit crew, along with Gillman's group, were already among the most formidable forces in the bandit circles.

Now that Gillman had submitted, Sig's crew quickly expanded into one of the most powerful forces in the surrounding regions.

However, neither Gillman nor the bald bandit showed any intention of stopping.

Day after day, they continued conquering mountains and visiting towns.

As time went by, the numbers in Sig's bandit crew grew rapidly, like a snowball rolling downhill.

And this bandit crew, flying the banner of a would-be king, naturally drew the attention of many hidden observers.

The royal palace of Goa Kingdom.

At this moment, the king was holding a meeting with his ministers in the grand hall.

"Recently, in the lawless area of the quarantine zone, there's been someone who calls himself the Bandit King. He's been quite active…"

One of the ministers brought up Sig's activities.

Immediately, another minister scoffed disdainfully.

"Just a mere bandit, and he dares to call himself king?"

"A bandit from the lawless zone isn't worth discussing. No matter how active he is, what can he possibly do?"

The Goa Kingdom, praised as the most beautiful country in the East Blue, held that reputation only within its city boundaries.

This was a nation with a strict segregation system. The noble district, the commoner district, and the lawless zone were almost completely isolated from one another.

The city's trash was dumped outside the city walls, forming vast mountains of garbage known as the Gray Terminal.

But it wasn't just trash—the Gray Terminal was also the final refuge for many impoverished people.

Windmill Village, where Luffy grew up, was located in a remote part of the commoner district.

And the Terminal of Uncertainty, as well as the mountains where Sig and his followers resided, was the true lawless zone.

The Goa Kingdom had always turned a blind eye to this part of the kingdom, exerting no control whatsoever, erecting high walls to completely isolate the city from the lawless areas.

To most nobles, the lawless area's bandits could make as much noise as they wanted, and they wouldn't care in the slightest.

The vast majority of nobles wouldn't even set foot in the lawless zone for their entire lives.

So, when someone mentioned the name of the Bandit King Sig, not a single person showed any concern.

"No... Sig, the bandit, deserves attention! According to our intelligence, the goal of Sig's gathering of forces is to raid the capital of the Goa Kingdom!"

"What?"

"A mere bandit dares to set his sights on the capital of the Goa Kingdom?"

"Outrageous, utterly arrogant! Completely insane!"

The ministers were all stunned, yet there was also a faint undercurrent of worry.

They were well aware of the true capabilities of the Goa Kingdom's military forces.

After the high walls were built, the kingdom's army had essentially become a city security force, dealing mostly with petty thugs and delinquents. They rarely encountered bloodshed.

The truly dangerous criminals were all cast into the lawless zones, banished beyond the high walls.

"Not only that, but the timing right now is too sensitive. Our Goa Kingdom absolutely cannot let this slide!"

"Otherwise, this bandit force might create obstacles for our upcoming Great Purge Plan!"

One minister proposed this suggestion, and the other noble participants fell silent for a moment before agreeing.

"All things considered, indeed."

"We must act before the Celestial Dragons' visit and completely eradicate this scourge from the Goa Kingdom!"

"The honor of our Goa Kingdom must never be sullied by a mere bandit!"

The nobles were indignant and enraged.

The visit of the Celestial Dragons was a tremendous opportunity and honor for a remote East Blue nation like the Goa Kingdom, one that could not be marred.

"In that case... act now, and eradicate this so-called Bandit King!"

The king made his decision.

"It's just that... our kingdom's army is mostly focused on maintaining order in the city. The bandits are strong, and venturing into the lawless zone to eliminate this so-called Bandit King is far too difficult…"

"Then submit a request to the World Government and have the Navy intervene. This concerns the visit of the Celestial Dragons, so the World Government cannot ignore it."

"Agreed."

"Seconded."

"Seconded..."

......

A small town in the Goa Kingdom.

"Dragon, why are we using our precious intelligence resources on mere bandits?"

"Intelligence resources are invaluable. Across the East Blue and even the Grand Line, there are far more worthy matters to focus on!"

Revolutionary Army Commander Emporio Ivankov questioned Dragon.

Ivankov, the King of Kamabakka, had an incredibly striking appearance, with a face so large it was intimidating, an exaggerated purple afro, long eyelashes, dramatic dark eye makeup, and lipstick.

Originally, the Revolutionary Army had planned some activities in the East Blue, but Dragon suddenly decided to redirect the Revolutionary Army's intelligence resources in the East Blue to focus on the Goa Kingdom.

Given that the Revolutionary Army's power was not yet significant, every bit of intelligence capability was extremely precious. Many of the officers believed focusing on a bandit leader was a waste of effort.

"Sig is no ordinary bandit," Dragon replied simply, his face devoid of expression.

"He's certainly not ordinary… According to the latest intelligence, Sig has declared himself the Bandit King. Recently, he has been extremely active in the mountains of the lawless zone, rapidly becoming a major power in the area!"

"This so-called Bandit King Sig's actions have already caught the attention of the Goa Kingdom…"

A Revolutionary Army officer placed a stack of documents on Dragon's desk.