I the King of bandits of the East Sea

Sig unexpectedly encountered Kuro, yet his heart didn't race noticeably, and his "Emperor's Engine" was slow to ignite.

"Come on, my inner fear, don't lose!"

Sig attempted to imagine his own weakness and the strength of his opponent.

Who was Kuro?

Compared to physical prowess, his cunning, patience, and ruthless nature left a deeper impression.

He was different from the reckless, violent pirates of the East Blue. To plot and seize the Kaya family's fortune, he could lay low for years as a butler. Even when later punched down by Usopp, he restrained himself from striking back.

So…

"He's just like me—a fellow master of acting. I can sense the aura of a kindred spirit."

Looking at Kuro's flawless smile at that moment, as gentlemanly as could be, a sense of nervousness began to surface in Sig's heart.

"That's right! Even though Kuro is pretending to bow his head now, he must be plotting some scheme to harm me!"

After this train of thought, the Emperor's Engine was finally slightly awakened, with faint, rhythmic thumping sounds beginning to echo.

A faint aura of pressure also started to emanate from Sig.

Sig was slightly startled internally but maintained a calm expression as he said flatly:

"Quite the coincidence."

This scene, falling into Kuro's eyes, made his face change subtly.

Who was Sig?

In a short time, he had made a name for himself across the East Blue, a man in the spotlight. He dared to take on the Celestial Dragons and yet continued to live freely—proving he had at least escaped Admiral-level pursuits.

Such a powerful figure refusing to respond to Kuro's friendly smile and, after a moment, suddenly exuding a faint oppressive aura…

"Unpredictable and dangerous—he's even more troublesome than I imagined. I can feel the aura of a fellow predator."

Kuro's smile became even more cordial.

But inwardly, he had already categorized Sig as a far more dangerous version of himself.

"Is this Sig-senpai's possession? Don't worry, we have no intention of interfering."

Kuro maintained his smile as he motioned for his subordinates to quickly set the box down.

"But Captain, they just attacked one of our men! Are we really going to swallow our pride like this?"

The pirate holding the box pointed at the unconscious crewmate on the ground, clearly upset.

"What nonsense are you spouting? This is Sig-senpai's property!"

Kuro's previously humble smile vanished as he shot the pirate a cold glare, instantly causing the subordinate to tremble.

"Y-Yes, sir!"

The pirate's legs shook slightly as he carefully placed the small vials and syringes back into the box, taking a few hesitant steps forward.

Whether due to nervousness or something else, the pirate tripped over a small rock after only two steps, falling face-first to the ground.

The box in his hands toppled with him.

Crack!

The crisp sound of glass shattering echoed.

The two vials broke instantly, spilling the hormone injections onto the ground.

"Damn it! What are you doing? You actually broke Sig-senpai's belongings!"

Kuro was the first to react. He swiftly stepped forward, and with a flick of his clawed hand, pierced through the subordinate's back.

"Captain…"

The pirate could only utter this single word before his pupils dimmed.

But Kuro didn't even glance at him. With a flick of his long claw, he discarded the body onto the ground, then turned his fearful gaze toward Sig.

"Sig-senpai, my subordinate broke your belongings. I've already executed him."

Cold sweat began to form on Kuro's back.

To think that due to the incompetence of one of his lackeys, he had now caused a conflict with a powerhouse like Sig.

In his desperation, Kuro had no choice but to kill his subordinate with his own hands, hoping it would appease Sig's wrath.

But whether it would actually calm down this unpredictable man, Kuro had no certainty.

As soon as he spoke, the rest of the Black Cat Pirates behind him started to react as well, breaking out in cold sweat.

"That idiot! Did he just piss off Sig-senpai?"

"Damn it! Even in death, he's causing trouble for us!"

The crew members nervously stared at Sig, some already gripping the weapons at their waists.

The atmosphere grew tense, like a taut bowstring ready to snap.

On the other side, watching the scene unfold, Sig felt a headache coming on.

"Was that necessary?"

Sig glanced at the corpse on the ground and murmured softly.

This comment caused Kuro's expression to stiffen slightly.

Damn it! Sig is clearly dissatisfied with how I handled things. Could it be that this won't be resolved so easily?

Kuro's eye twitched as he forced a smile onto his face.

"Sig-senpai, I assure you, it wasn't intentional…"

Sig blinked, staring at the faintly nervous Kuro.

Having possessed the ability of the Emperor's Engine for some time, Sig had a decent grasp of people's thoughts. He could somewhat guess what was going through Kuro's mind.

"No need to worry," Sig said in a low voice.

"This isn't something so irreplaceable. If it's broken, it's broken. I'll just ask a friend to send another batch over."

Hearing this, Kuro tilted his head, carefully studying Sig's expression and tone.

To his dismay, Sig's expression remained calm and inscrutable the entire time. As someone adept in scheming, Kuro couldn't discern whether Sig's words were genuine or not.

"Truly a troublesome and dangerous individual."

Kuro's expression slowly darkened.

He had clearly overheard Sig's subordinate claim that the contents of the box were rare and precious drugs!

This completely contradicted Sig's current claim that the drugs weren't important.

What did this mean?

Kuro's heart sank to the bottom.

If it were him in Sig's position, what would he do after another pirate ruined his belongings?

Say a few pretty words to lower their guard before playing with his prey…

But this time, he faced someone not just similar to him but stronger—Sig, who had turned him into the prey being toyed with.

"Is Sig-senpai really going to let me go?"

Kuro let out a bitter laugh.

He knew that against such a powerful enemy, the odds of survival were slim.

Perhaps only that one move—the strongest technique he couldn't even control—might offer a sliver of hope.

He leaned forward slightly, arms hanging loosely, and began to sway them back and forth.

This strange scene made the Black Cat Pirates collectively shiver, their faces turning pale.

"Why is the Captain using that move all of a sudden?"

"Run! He'll kill us too!"

Amidst the pirates' panicked cries, Sig's eyes narrowed slightly as a chill crept through his heart.

He knew Kuro's infamous move: Shakushi.

Once unleashed, its speed was so great that it became imperceptible to the naked eye, rivaling the Navy's Soru. The downside was its uncontrollability—even Kuro couldn't predict who he'd strike next.

Thump, thump, thump…

Amid the pounding heartbeats, the oppressive aura around Sig grew stronger.