I the King of bandits of the East Sea

Sig glanced at the dreamless, disheartened Stussy, then at the card displayed on the light screen. A plan was already forming in his mind.

This was in the bag.

Everything was within his calculations.

Sig turned his head and said solemnly to Dragon:

"Previously, your Revolutionary Army attempted to return this gift to me."

"A gift I've given—how could there be any logic in taking it back?"

After finishing these words, Sig turned to look at Stussy:

"Stussy, I'll give you a choice now."

"Will you become my subordinate? Will you swear loyalty to me?"

"If you refuse, I won't interfere any further. I'll leave this matter for the Revolutionary Army to handle."

Sig asked with a smile.

He had already set the stage perfectly for the card to take full effect.

After all the things he had just done to Stussy, there was no doubt that he had left a shadow in her heart.

By framing it as giving her a choice, the actual option he anticipated was only one—to refuse!

Sig had deliberately mentioned the gift to Dragon, as a gesture to the Revolutionary Army, implying he had no intention of interfering further.

At the same time, these words were also meant for Stussy to hear, to deliberately guide her toward refusing.

As long as she refused, Sig would keep his word, and Stussy would temporarily return to the Revolutionary Army's hands. But once the card's effect kicked in… that was another story entirely.

If the card failed the validation check and its effect didn't activate… well, that was still a decent outcome.

Sig wouldn't gain a powerful subordinate like Stussy, but it would be akin to passing the blame for CP0's actions onto the Revolutionary Army. It would be as though Sig had specifically helped the Revolutionary Army interrogate Stussy, resolving a troublesome issue for them.

In this outcome, Sig would earn the Revolutionary Army's gratitude with minimal risk.

Either of the two anticipated outcomes would be a win.

After saying these words, Sig waited expectantly for Stussy's response.

Stussy, who had already lost her dreams, now had dim and lifeless eyes.

What was once like a clear and radiant sapphire now resembled a dust-covered glass bead.

But after hearing Sig's words, her eyes flickered slightly.

To agree and become the subordinate of this man who had cast a shadow over her…

Or to refuse and become a captive of the Revolutionary Army, with Sig promising not to interfere further.

From the earlier events, Stussy had realized one thing:

It wasn't Ivankov's hormone powers that were terrifying—it was Sig himself.

No matter how she looked at it, staying away from this man seemed like the correct choice.

But… would things really be that simple?

A certain resolution formed in Stussy's mind. Her face turned slightly pale, and she lowered her gaze as she said to Sig:

"Mr. Sig, I am willing to swear loyalty to you."

She agreed?

Sig's brow furrowed immediately, shock and confusion threatening to overwhelm him.

"Why isn't this going as I predicted?"

In his expectations, there were two possible outcomes:

Stussy refuses, the card's effect activates, and she becomes Sig's subordinate.

Stussy refuses, the card's effect fails, and Sig parts ways with her, gaining the Revolutionary Army's gratitude.

But… why did it turn out like this?

Sig's expression darkened as his gaze fell on the system's light screen.

The Iron-Bone Integrity card had not activated; the usage count was still the same as before.

On the surface, this seemed like the best possible outcome—Sig had gained Stussy as a subordinate without consuming the card's usage count.

But without the card's influence, there was no way Sig could trust verbal loyalty from someone like Stussy.

Damn it. This was a world-class spy, one of the sharpest minds out there. Even tricking her temporarily with abilities like King's Engine or 100% Catching Blades Barehanded would already be difficult enough. Keeping her close long-term? A disaster waiting to happen.

If the Iron-Bone Integrity card's effect had been active, Sig could have trusted this new subordinate. But now? Absolutely not.

This wasn't the best outcome—it was the worst possible one!

Sig's heart sank. The sense of security he had just felt vanished in an instant.

Why? I calculated everything perfectly—why did it end up like this?

"Stussy, what are you thinking? Listen to your heart! Don't make a choice you'll regret for the rest of your life!"

Sig's voice reverberated through the cabin, low and heavy, carrying a palpable displeasure.

Thump… thump… thump… thump…

At the same time, a muffled and powerful heartbeat echoed faintly.

"I… I want to swear loyalty to you, Mr. Sig."

Stussy's pupils quivered slightly as she looked at Sig, confused by his reaction.

Seeing this, Sig narrowed his eyes, a suspicion crossing his mind.

Damn it, had he gone too far with the layered tactics he used to traumatize her earlier?

Did Stussy now think this choice he offered was another trick?

Like, if she refused, there'd be another sudden punishment?

"Don't worry, there are no tricks this time. This has nothing to do with what happened earlier."

Sig said this seriously.

"Mr. Sig, I truly want to be your subordinate. It would be my honor!"

"I've long wanted to shed my CP0 identity. I don't want to continue serving the World Government and the Celestial Dragons—it's just that I've never had the chance."

"After meeting you today, Mr. Sig, I've finally seen the light. You've given me hope for a fresh start."

Her words sounded heartfelt and sincere. On the surface, there was no trace of falsehood. There were even tears gliding down her cheeks, making her seem genuinely emotional.

The pair of blue eyes that had dulled earlier now appeared to shine with renewed hope.

No matter how one looked at it, she seemed like a repentant soul who had seen the light and returned to the right path.

But to Sig, this sight only made his heart sink further.

"I..."

Sig felt like a bone was stuck in his throat, unsure of what to say for a moment.

This woman was indeed dangerous!

Her acting and disguise techniques had reached such a level that Sig couldn't discern any flaws at all.

For a split second earlier, Sig had almost believed her.

"I... I refuse your loyalty. Anyway, you must refuse to become my subordinate."

"Come on, repeat after me... I would rather die outside, jump into the sea and drown, than willingly become Sig's subordinate!"

After holding it in for a long time, Sig finally forced out these words with a stern face.

"This..."

Stussy seemed startled by what Sig had said, her whole body trembling slightly.

The light that had just reignited in her eyes now seemed on the verge of extinguishing again.

"Sig-boy, enough is enough."

Beside them, Ivankov, who had been silent for a while, finally couldn't hold back anymore. His large face took on an unusually serious expression.

"There's no need to keep finding reasons to torment her. While she may be our enemy, the interrogation and torment she's already endured should be sufficient, no?"

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