I the King of bandits of the East Sea

Sig ultimately did not hand over any kind of wolf fang sword cleansing solution to Usopp. For a seven-year-old child, it was still too dangerous.

However, when Sig was preparing to leave Syrup Village, Usopp asked a question that Sig did not expect:

"Uncle Sig, you've had so many experiences. So, does the giant goldfish the size of an island really exist?"

Hearing this, Sig was slightly startled. He glanced at the seven-year-old Usopp beside him, pondered for a moment, and nodded:

"It does exist."

"In the depths of the Grand Line, there truly are sea kings that feed on islands as their food..."

No sooner had he answered than Usopp's next question came:

"Then, Uncle Sig, you're so amazing; you've definitely defeated many sea kings, right? Just how big are they?"

Both Usopp and Kaya beside him had faces full of curiosity.

Sea kings, as creatures, are mostly found in the Grand Line and the Calm Belt regions. They are quite rare in the relatively peaceful East Blue.

For instance, the Sea King Sig had slain before—the Lord of the Coast—was a sea beast with a body length of dozens of meters. In East Blue, it was enough to stand at the top of the near-sea food chain.

In contrast, sea kings of the Grand Line range from hundreds to thousands of meters in length and are not uncommon.

Large sea kings residing in the Calm Belt often exceed 5,000 meters in length, with their size being no smaller than ordinary islands.

For Usopp and Kaya, two children who had never been out to sea, real sea kings were simply the stuff of legends.

But this question gave Sig quite the headache.

Had he boasted too much while drunk before?

As the "Mountain Bandit King" who had supposedly subdued fifty-six emperors, if he hadn't defeated a giant serpent long enough to circle the world, wouldn't that be considered a character collapse?

Could the first lie of Usopp's deck of cards already be coming to light here?

Sig's expression grew somewhat awkward, but he forced himself to remain calm and nodded:

"Of course. Sea kings? I've definitely slain them before."

That's right—the Lord of the Coast could barely qualify as a sea king.

So Sig claiming he had slain a sea king wasn't exactly a lie!

"Uncle Sig is so amazing..." Kaya's face lit up with admiration, her eyes practically sparkling.

Usopp's eyes brightened again as he pressed on with more questions:

"Then, Uncle Sig, how many sea kings have you slain? How big were they? Does East Blue have sea kings that big?"

The questions kept coming... Sig felt a headache brewing.

"Sea kings are incredibly rare in these waters, but it's not like they don't exist. I once killed a sea king the size of an island in East Blue."

"As for how many sea kings I've killed and how big they were..."

Sig gazed into the distance and said in a low voice:

"Do you remember how many slices of bread you've eaten?"

"Alright, that's enough questions."

Sig bid a brief farewell to Usopp and the others, then left Syrup Village, heading toward the location where his small ship was anchored.

As for the matter of sea kings, this was Sig's first attempt at telling a lie.

If it really came true, even if something went wrong, it wouldn't be much of a problem for Sig, who possessed the Li Jing card.

Probably. Maybe. Hopefully.

The boundless sea stretched endlessly, its waves rolling ceaselessly.

A total of five or six navy warships had surrounded the Black Cat Pirates' ship.

"Why did we have to encounter the Navy Headquarters' warships here...?"

The pirates were already in despair.

The battle ended quickly, or rather, their resistance barely caused a ripple.

After losing Captain Kuro, they were utterly powerless against the forces of the Navy Headquarters.

"So you're saying... you encountered the Mountain Bandit King Sig at Syrup Village?"

A tall woman with pink hair stood at the bow of the pirate ship, arms crossed over her chest, her brows slightly furrowed.

In front of her was a group of defeated pirates, confined behind interlocking steel bars. The entire Black Cat Pirate Crew was locked up tightly, unable to move.

"Don't try to lie to Tashigi."

The woman, who referred to herself as Tina, spoke calmly, her gaze fixed on the hypnotist Django, who had also been subdued.

Her pink hair was neatly parted, her red lips vivid, and she wore purple-lensed sunglasses perched on her nose, exuding an aura of elegance and authority.

Navy Headquarters Lieutenant Commander Tina was known as one of the rare beauties among the Navy officers, admired by countless colleagues within the Navy.

"It's true! Our Black Cat Pirates ran into Sig yesterday. Even if he's left Syrup Village by now, he definitely hasn't gone far," the hypnotist Django, now completely subdued, spilled everything.

From another large warship came a deep voice:

"So we've finally got a lead on Sig's whereabouts."

Rear Admiral Onigumo of the Navy Headquarters stood emotionlessly, towering above the surrendered pirates.

These small-time East Blue pirates might be a threat to the local Navy branches, but they meant nothing to him.

Capturing the remnants of the Black Cat Pirates was just a side task.

Onigumo and Lieutenant Commander Tina were here solely for Sig.

"Since we have an approximate location, all fleets, alter course, and head toward Syrup Village."

"If you locate Sig, do not engage. Simply report to me."

Onigumo issued his commands.

The Navy Headquarters' orders were for him to feign pursuit of Sig in the East Blue, forcing him to head to Loguetown, where Vice Admiral Momousagi had been waiting to take him down.

The forces led by Onigumo were nothing more than a diversion.

However, if they managed to capture Sig before he reached Loguetown, that would also be a significant achievement.

Onigumo wiped his long blade, his eyes cold.

For an ordinary bounty of two billion, the Navy wouldn't have mobilized such a large force.

But since the matter involved the Celestial Dragons, there was no room for error.

"Notify the surrounding Navy branches to dispatch their fleets and assist us in gradually tightening the encirclement."

As a Rear Admiral of the Navy Headquarters, Onigumo outranked everyone in the area. With the Headquarters' orders in hand, the surrounding Navy branches had no choice but to comply.

Of course, Onigumo didn't expect these branch officers to pose any real threat to Sig. As long as they provided support and intelligence, he would be satisfied.

The real strength lay in himself and Vice Admiral Momousagi, stationed at Loguetown.

The Navy made no effort to conceal its massive pursuit operation. In addition to the Headquarters' fleet, more than ten nearby Navy branches sent warships to patrol the seas around Syrup Village.

A net, spanning a significant portion of East Blue, was gradually forming.

The turmoil caused by this operation in the weakest of the seas—East Blue—became a nightmare for countless pirates.

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