Chapter 17: Chapter 17: A Conspiracy to Overturn the World?
Sig had already found himself trapped in a dilemma, and his heart couldn't help but sink.
Bang, bang...
The sound of the imperial engine reverberated through the mountains and forests, and a heavy, oppressive feeling suddenly spread, enveloping the entire area.
In an instant, everyone's face changed.
At this moment, no one paid attention to the cloaked figures, wondering if they were members of the Revolutionary Army.
Everyone's attention was now drawn to the oppressive figure ahead.
Sig's face showed no expression, neither joy nor anger.
He slowly spoke:
"If today's events are leaked, everyone will die."
His deep voice echoed through the air, and the blunt threat caused all the bandits to shiver.
However, they were unaware that Sig silently added a line in his heart:
'And I too will be hunted to death by the World Government...'
Sig's expression wasn't fierce; he appeared completely emotionless, making it impossible to guess his feelings.
His voice wasn't loud, and his tone didn't seem threatening, as if he were just stating a fact.
But the subtle oppressive feeling made all the bandits feel their minds go blank, as if their ability to think had been taken away.
It felt as if an extremely dangerous beast had locked onto all of them.
As long as they showed even the slightest hesitation or an unusual expression... they would be met with a thunderous strike from the beast!
Gulp.
Many people instinctively swallowed, their backs now drenched in cold sweat.
'We'll die, absolutely die!'
'Leaking the information, do you want to live that badly?'
'This pressure... it feels like even the slightest thought of leaking the information will be instantly seen through, right?'
'This is the authority of Bandit King Sig? I heard that just with his momentum, he made the bandit Gillman, who had a bounty of seven million, too afraid to even take action...'
"I originally thought this was just Sig Bandit Group boasting, but now it seems, it's the truth..."
Facing Sig at this moment, no one had the slightest thought of opposing him.
The entire area was dead silent.
After a long while, the sound of the imperial engine gradually weakened, and the terrifying pressure slowly disappeared.
Sig indeed didn't have any intent to threaten, he was merely stating a fact.
But it seemed that his new subordinates were all obedient.
"Good."
Sig nodded lightly, not speaking further, and walked into the house.
All the bandits breathed a sigh of relief, their expressions a mix of shock and fear as they watched Sig's back as he left.
This was their boss, Bandit King Sig!
Many of the newly joined bandits had initially been skeptical about the so-called "Bandit King" title and Sig's goal of plundering the royal city.
But after experiencing Sig's imperial engine and seeing the Revolutionary Army leader personally visit, all their doubts disappeared.
Nearby, Dragon and the others also had their expressions change repeatedly.
"Dragon, is this what you meant by the Conqueror's Haki that has reached the level where it produces sound effects?"
'This guy is too dangerous... He even uses Conqueror's Haki to intimidate his own subordinates? Isn't this going too far?'
Ivankov lowered his voice and said.
Dragon nodded slightly:
"Sig's mastery of Conqueror's Haki has reached an unbelievable level. Not only has he refined it to the point of producing sound effects, but he has even reached a meticulous and subtle level..."
"You see, these bandits aren't particularly strong, but Sig's Conqueror's Haki didn't make them lose consciousness. Instead, they endured the immense pressure while fully conscious."
At this point, Dragon sighed lightly:
'Perhaps he's dissatisfied with our earlier probing. We shouldn't have been secretly observing from the bushes…'
As he said this, Dragon glanced at the surrounding bandits.
Sig's figure had already disappeared into the wooden house, but the fear from earlier still lingered on the faces of the bandits.
'On the surface, Sig is disciplining his subordinates, but isn't this also a warning to us?'
'This is clearly an attempt to show us his strength.'
Dragon spoke in a low voice.
After whispering among themselves for a while, Dragon and his companions also grew more solemn and eventually followed Sig into the wooden cabin.
Meanwhile, the bandits outside the door showed no sign of dispersing. Instead, they gazed at the wooden house with complex expressions.
"Our boss, Sig, is inside, speaking as an equal to the most dangerous criminals in the world."
"Perhaps, within this tiny wooden house, a plan to overturn the world is being born…"
The bandits speculated among themselves.
...
Inside the wooden cabin, Sig and Dragon sat facing each other, while Bartholomew Kuma and Ivankov occupied seats to the side.
Both Sig and Dragon were tall, imposing figures with fierce appearances, and at this moment, neither of them showed much emotion.
The atmosphere in the cabin was heavy.
'It seems Sig isn't very welcoming of my sudden visit… Understandable. My actions were a bit abrupt,'
Dragon thought to himself, sensing the tense mood in the air.
The earlier display of dominance left Dragon and his companions feeling somewhat unsettled.
"Sig is a dangerous individual, deeply cunning—a ruthless man who would use Conqueror's Haki to reprimand his own subordinates."
Dragon pondered how to open the conversation, hoping to ease the atmosphere and convey the Revolutionary Army's goodwill.
What Dragon didn't know was that Sig was simply nervous, nothing more.
Looking at Dragon's fierce and intimidating expression across from him, Sig's breath caught slightly.
'Why did the Revolutionary Army come to find me? And why did Dragon personally bring the Okama King and Bartholomew Kuma here?'
These are some of the most dangerous criminals in the world! Sig had no desire to associate with such perilous figures.
'First Shanks, now Dragon… What is going on?'
'What do I do? What do I do?'
'I originally thought that if I could fool the Yonko Shanks, Dragon wouldn't be much harder to deal with!'
'I've overestimated myself!'
Sig was in turmoil.
Red-Haired Shanks, after all, was rather easygoing—so much so that he barely seemed like a pirate. He wouldn't even get mad if an ordinary person poured wine on him or broke a bottle over his head.
As one of the Yonko, standing at the pinnacle of the pirate world, Shanks could still spend time in a remote village like Foosha and bond with someone like Luffy.
But… Dragon was different!
Dragon rarely appeared in public. He was entirely a shadowy, behind-the-scenes figure, akin to a final boss. Sig knew very little about him and couldn't guess what he was thinking at all.
So… What now? What should I do?
Got it!
After agonizing deliberation, a flash of inspiration struck Sig, and he came up with a brilliant idea!
'I'll just say I suddenly have a stomachache! Dragon will definitely understand. Whatever it is, we can discuss it another day!'