I the King of bandits of the East Sea

"Is the story already finished?"

On the windowsill, Kaya still seemed somewhat unsatisfied.

"It's finished. If there's another chance next time, I can tell you the story of the Mountain Bandit King fighting the Fifty-Six Emperors..."

"But for now, let's end the idle chat here."

Sig raised his eyes and glanced at Usopp:

"Usopp, don't you want to cure Kaya's illness? Step out for a moment. I need to speak with the patient alone."

"Really?"

Without hesitation, Usopp quickly climbed back over the wall and slipped away again.

Right now, Usopp had another thing he very much wanted to do, which was to compare the "Goa Kingdom Celestial Dragon Incident" in the newspaper with the story Sig had just told.

After Usopp left, Sig began to explain the matter of the healing hormones in brief.

"This is a medicine that stimulates vitality. Even when diluted a hundred times, its side effects still remain, damaging a portion of your lifespan."

"Your illness isn't too severe. Even without medication, there's no danger to your life. According to my estimation, for the next ten years or so, you'll likely remain in a chronically frail condition..."

Sig did not hold back or conceal anything. He directly explained the medication to seven-year-old Kaya, including its side effects.

Kaya immediately fell into hesitation. For a seven-year-old child, such a choice was indeed heavy.

"You don't need to decide right away. In fact, I'd even suggest you discuss it with your family. As for whether the medicine is truly effective, you can ask your family to observe the condition of Usopp's mother."

Sig didn't waste more words. After saying these things, he prepared to leave.

The decision to use the medicine or not lay in Kaya's and her family's hands. How they chose wasn't something he could control.

Right now, Sig had another important matter to attend to.

"Where exactly will Kuma's delivery land in Syrup Village?"

Leaving Kaya's home, Sig tilted his head to look at the sky.

Kuma had never been to Syrup Village before and couldn't accurately deliver the package, only ensuring it landed somewhere on this island.

Judging by the time, Kuma's delivery should be arriving soon.

As for retrieving the delivery, Sig had no intention of doing it personally.

While ordering a few subordinates around him to look up and search for any signs of the package, Sig also made a call to his ship, instructing over two hundred crew members stationed there to search the deck and keep an eye out for the incoming delivery.

...

At the same time, on the other side of Syrup Village's island, a pirate ship had arrived.

The captain of the Black Cat Pirates, Kuro, leaned against the railing on the deck, cleaning the blood-stained cat claws he wore on his hands.

"Damn it, it feels like we've been running into Navy warships quite often lately... such a hassle."

Kuro pushed his glasses up with the back of his hand, his mood slightly irritated.

The Black Cat Pirates had just repelled a Navy pursuit, but Kuro's spirits were far from high.

"That's because your bounty has increased again, Captain," said the deputy captain, the hypnotist Jango, chiming in.

"Yeah, it's already up to 16 million now! If it weren't for that Sig making such a big splash recently, you'd probably be the top bounty in the East Blue!"

The pirates on the ship were excited, cheering for their captain's increased bounty.

"A bunch of fools."

Kuro's eyes turned slightly cold.

A higher bounty only meant more attention from bounty hunters and the Navy—more trouble.

He let out a faint sigh.

"I just want endless wealth without needing to work and without being hunted. Is that such a wrong desire?"

As he mused, the pirate ship drew closer to the island of Syrup Village.

"Captain!" A sharp-eyed pirate lookout exclaimed, peering at the island through a telescope in delight.

"There's a luxurious mansion in this village—it must belong to someone rich!"

...

Moments later.

Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates, along with his crew, had landed on the island and were walking through a wooded area.

In the woods, Kuro could already see the outline of the luxurious mansion in the distance.

"Once this big score is done, I'll fake my death, wash my hands of piracy, and escape the Navy's pursuit..."

Kuro thought to himself leisurely.

But in the next moment, a sharp whooshing sound came from high above.

He looked up.

A translucent bear paw-shaped bubble was rapidly enlarging in his field of vision, descending from the sky and crashing down directly at him!

Boom!

After a muffled sound, Kuro took a breath and looked ahead.

In front of him, on the open ground, a massive translucent bear paw bubble had appeared. One of his pirates, unable to dodge in time, had been struck by the bubble and embedded into the ground, blood flowing from him as he lost consciousness.

"Who's attacking us?"

Behind him, the pirates immediately drew their weapons, looking around warily but finding no one.

The translucent bear paw bubble in front of them gradually dissipated, revealing a small box nestled within it, which landed steadily on the ground.

"What is this?"

A pirate quickly stepped forward, kicking the box open. He then suspiciously pulled out two syringes and two small vials from inside.

"Stop! That's a precious medicine!"

With a loud shout, Sig and his men finally arrived at the scene.

"Medicine?"

Kuro sneered, raising his eyes to look at Sig and his crew, his gaze cold.

"You attacked my subordinate, and now the medicine has fallen into my hands. Shouldn't..."

Halfway through his sentence, Kuro suddenly stopped.

He stared at Sig, and his originally cold gaze gradually turned blank.

"Sig, the Bandit King of the East Blue?"

"Captain Kuro of a Hundred Plans?"

Their eyes met, and both were momentarily stunned.

At this moment, the pirates behind Kuro also recognized Sig.

"It's Sig!"

"His bounty is close to 200 million! Including the bounty from the Grand Line, his total bounty is over 400 million—he's the top bounty!"

All the pirates' gazes changed as they stared blankly at Sig.

The first to react was Kuro.

The coldness in his eyes vanished, and his previously sinister demeanor gave way to a squinting smile:

"To meet Senior Sig in a place like this—it's truly a coincidence."

Kuro wasn't someone who liked unnecessary trouble and had no interest in pirate feuds.

But facing Sig, whose total bounty exceeded 400 million, he decisively chose to change his tone and lower his head.

Looking at this man who had instantly changed his demeanor and was now smiling slyly, Sig's thoughts stirred:

"Another actor, huh..."

He subtly placed a hand over his chest, feeling his heartbeat.

Thump, thump...

After recognizing Kuro, Sig's heartbeat only quickened slightly, far from the nearly chest-breaking, engine-like roar it had in the past.

"Am I truly becoming arrogant? Facing Kuro, with his bounty of 16 million, the Emperor's Engine isn't even kicking in..."