I the King of bandits of the East Sea

Morgan, holding his axe, stood beside the unconscious Johnny and Yosaku, his expression quickly shifting back to confusion.

This scene left Sig feeling a bit unsettled as well.

The first time Morgan had knocked out Johnny and Yosaku was at the docks of Loguetown, back when Sig still had Stussy, Kuro, and others by his side.

Yet, it was Morgan who had reacted first and taken action.

That alone was strange enough.

But the backstabbing that had just happened right under Sig's nose was even more bizarre.

Morgan, with his rudimentary skills, had almost managed to sneak up on Sig without him noticing.

This wasn't something that could be explained away by Morgan simply being addicted to sneak attacks.

After some thought, Sig could only come up with one explanation.

Morgan was the only person Sig had ever used a Possession Card on.

"Is the problem with the Possession Card?"

So far, Sig had successfully used three Possession Cards: the S-tier Morgan Card, the S-tier Cao Cao Card, and the newly acquired A-tier Iruma Card.

After some consideration, a thought flashed through Sig's mind.

The effects of the Possession Cards might not be as simple as they seemed.

The Extreme People-Pleaser ability from the Iruma Card had, in fact, left a lingering influence on Sig even after the possession ended.

This didn't mean Sig had become a pushover, but during the possession, he had agreed to Crocodile's invitation, and now he felt a subconscious resistance to going back on that promise.

As for the Cao Cao Card... well, Sig didn't even want to think about the side effects. Just the thought made him cringe.

After some deliberation, Sig directly asked the system and received this response:

"High-quality Possession Cards, depending on the compatibility between the card and the user, have a chance to influence the user and allow them to master the card's skills."

Reading this, Sig couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.

So, Morgan really has become the Axe Emperor...

Back then, the Axe Emperor Morgan Card had the abilities of Stealth Effect and Special Attack Against Garp...

"With General Morgan, I can defeat Garp..." Could this phrase actually come true in the future?

Sig gave Morgan a deep look, then turned his gaze to Johnny and Yosaku lying on the ground.

"If there's an Axe Emperor Card, why can't there be a Sword God Card and a Blade Saint Card?"

At this moment, Sig suddenly recalled the dream team he had once imagined.

Mountain Bandit King Sig, Axe Emperor Morgan, Blade Saint Johnny, Sword God Yosaku, Mountain Bandit Empress Dadan, Windmill Village Chief, Lord of the Coast...

Could these legendary figures from the East Blue, like Morgan, also have their own exclusive cards?

Thinking this, Sig suddenly felt a pang of regret for the Lord of the Coast, who had died by his sword...

For a moment, Sig even considered not heading to the Grand Line just yet and instead staying in the East Blue to collect more legendary figures.

Years later, these East Blue legends would gather under the banner of the Mountain Bandit King, making their names known across the seas...

But as much as he thought about it, Sig knew he couldn't turn back now.

He walked to the ship's railing and gazed into the distance.

In the distance, the outline of the Red Line and Reverse Mountain was already visible.

The Red Line was incredibly steep, like a sheer cliff face, stretching endlessly to both sides, cutting off the sea like an insurmountable barrier.

In the world of pirates, the Calm Belt and the Red Line almost perpendicularly divided the Grand Line from the four seas.

It didn't look like a natural wonder at all—it almost seemed man-made...

And yet, right in front of their ship, there was a waterway that led straight to the Red Line, with seawater surging upward, flowing against gravity toward Reverse Mountain.

At this moment, Sig's ship had already entered the high-speed ocean current leading to Reverse Mountain, making it impossible to turn back.

Attempting to reverse the ship now would be suicidal, likely resulting in a collision with the Red Line and the destruction of the ship.

Although Johnny and Yosaku had been forcibly brought on board by a twist of fate, they too had no choice but to continue into the Grand Line.

"Morgan, what are your thoughts now?"

"After taking the initiative to act several times, have you finally decided to abandon your dream of becoming a Marine?"

Sig asked.

These words brought a spark of life back to Morgan's previously blank expression.

He gripped his axe tightly and said in a low voice:

"As a traitor to the Marines, I can never become a Marine again."

"Just like you, Boss Sig, with your sword of justice and mercy, even though I've become a pirate, I will still uphold my path of justice."

As he spoke, Morgan glanced subtly at the bald man beside him.

The bald man was a veteran of the mountain bandits and one of the only two people on the ship with a former Marine background.

Morgan, who had once been Sig's enemy and had repeatedly tried to ambush him, had gradually transformed under the guidance of the bald man and the influence of the Possession Card. He had gone from a courageous Marine recruit to a righteous backstabbing knight...

Sig noticed the change in Morgan's expression and felt a slight stir in his heart.

He then gave the bald man a few instructions, tasking him with guiding Johnny and Yosaku.

In just a few words, the Red Line and Reverse Mountain grew closer and closer.

Finally, the bow of the pirate ship tilted upward, beginning its ascent up Reverse Mountain with the upward-flowing current.

The entrance to the Grand Line was almost within reach.

......

Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

In his office, Fleet Admiral Sengoku rubbed his temples, his emotions complex as he looked over the report in front of him.

The disastrous defeat of Onigumo's decoy fleet could still be somewhat explained away as an encounter with a Sea King.

But what had happened in Loguetown was impossible to cover up.

Too many people had witnessed Sig's actions firsthand, and Vice Admiral Momousagi's forces had been too focused on pursuing Sig to manage the onlookers.

This incident even made Sengoku secretly regret not taking Sig more seriously from the beginning.

As he pondered, a Marine officer knocked and entered, bringing a new piece of intelligence.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, this is CP's response."

After scanning the document, Sengoku's expression became thoughtful.

"The CP0 agents acted surprisingly quickly this time. They've actually already planted a spy close to Sig."

"The intelligence from Stussy seems credible."

The CP (Cipher Pol) intelligence organization was under the World Government's jurisdiction, not the Marines'. Even as Fleet Admiral, Sengoku had limited access to CP's classified information.

The intelligence Stussy had provided wasn't extensive.

She had been extremely cautious. After witnessing Sig's astonishing level of Observation Haki, she had immediately ceased all covert activities.

The intelligence the Marines had received was as follows:

Sig is not a Revolutionary, but he has a good relationship with the Revolutionary Army.

Before arriving at Loguetown's central square, Sig had deliberately wandered around the old town for a long time, suggesting he might have visited Loguetown many years ago.

The move Sig used to defeat Hawkeye could completely immobilize his opponent. This technique was even capable of controlling Stussy, who had fled several kilometers away...