I the King of bandits of the East Sea

"Marine warships... Marine warships again, how many days has it been?"

Sig stood on the deck, using a telescope to look far into the horizon where the sea met the sky. In the distance, he could faintly make out a few warships, his brows slightly furrowed.

Not long after leaving Syrup Village, their ship had been targeted.

These warships had never attempted to attack Sig's ship. They always kept a cautious distance, trailing from afar.

"Boss, the latest newspaper!"

The bald-headed man grabbed a newspaper from the news bird, quickly skimmed through it, and then ran over with excitement.

Sig glanced at the newspaper, his heart growing heavier.

"Another pirate crew with a bounty of over ten million has been wiped out by Oniguma."

The Marines were making no effort to conceal their actions. They had even proactively published the information in the newspapers, which, carried by news birds, had spread across the East Blue in just a few days.

Every day, the newspaper would report which pirate groups Oniguma's fleet had captured in the East Blue.

"Is the Navy publicizing this operation because of pressure from the Celestial Dragons? Or is it simply to intimidate the pirates of the East Blue?"

Sig didn't have the energy to ponder the answer.

In the few minutes he spent reading the newspaper, the ship erupted into a commotion again.

"Boss, when are we going to deal with this arrogant Oniguma?"

"Boss, should we head to the Grand Line already? This sea is too weak for you."

"Boss Sig, those warships following us—why don't we turn around and blow them up?"

The bandits were itching for a fight, showing no signs of fear.

Sig rubbed his temples and didn't respond, placing his hopes on Kuro, known as the "Hundred Plans."

"Kuro, what do you think?" Sig probed.

Kuro pushed his glasses up with a hand wrapped in layers of bandages, revealing a confident smile.

"Judging by the Navy's encirclement, their intentions are quite clear—they want to lure us into the Grand Line. That leaves us with three options."

"First, turn back and engage the Navy head-on, directly crushing their main fleet with brute strength."

"Second, play along and enter the Grand Line."

"And third..." Kuro narrowed his eyes and smiled, "Ignore the Navy's scheme and sail straight through the Calm Belt."

Sig shot Kuro a blank look.

"Coming up with a strategy like crossing the Calm Belt—does Kuro truly think I have that kind of power, or is he testing me?"

Although Kuro currently appeared loyal, Sig remained wary of this man who was skilled at acting and scheming.

Crossing the Calm Belt was never an option for Sig.

On the surface, Li jing's swordsmanship might be capable of handling large Sea Kings that lack hands.

But the Sea Kings in the Calm Belt came in all shapes and sizes, each one more bizarre than the last. If they encountered one with pincers or tentacles, Sig reckoned he'd be the one kneeling.

As for turning back to fight the Navy fleet... That was equally risky.

The only method Sig currently had to suppress Oniguma was his "Hundred Tries Hundred Wins, Bare-Handed Blade Catching." Even if he succeeded in suppressing Oniguma, he would end up immobilized.

The Navy fleet's cannons were plentiful. A few stray shells, and Sig would still be done for.

"So, what's your suggestion?" Sig asked again.

"For us, entering the Grand Line might actually be safer than staying in the East Blue," Kuro replied.

Kuro's words left Sig slightly stunned.

Kuro continued, "The Grand Line is a sea of unpredictable weather. Even the Navy struggles to carry out large-scale operations there."

"In most cases, the Navy deploys powerful elite officers to chase pirates, rather than conducting large-scale operations like this one that could sweep through half the East Blue."

"With Boss Sig's strength, there's no need to fear the Navy's elites. It's the small fry of the East Blue that are more annoying."

Kuro's words immediately reminded Sig of the "Battle of Edd War." Back then, the Flying Pirates led by Golden Lion Shiki suffered heavy losses due to an unexpected storm.

"That... makes some sense," Sig muttered to himself.

Truthfully, he wasn't too keen on heading to the dangerous Grand Line—at least not yet.

But the East Blue was no longer safe for him.

At that moment, a system notification sounded in his mind. A virtual screen quickly unfolded before him.

"Mission triggered."

"Mission: The Beginning of Legend."

"Mission Objective: Enter the Grand Line."

"Mission Reward: Skin Ability Unlock."

The ridiculous system wanted to trick him into entering the Grand Line?

What's next, a mission to reach Laugh Tale after entering the Grand Line? And then a mission to conquer the entire world?

Sig instinctively wanted to refuse, but when he saw the mission reward, his interest was piqued.

The so-called "skin ability" allowed Sig to change his appearance to match that of the character cards in his possession.

When compatibility with a character card reached 80% or higher, a perfect simulation could be achieved.

This meant his appearance, voice, and other traits would become indistinguishable from the original character.

Currently, Sig had three character cards: KING, Li jing, and Usopp.

KING's card had already reached 78% compatibility, just a step away from perfect simulation.

At this thought, Sig couldn't help but touch his face.

"If I switched to KING's face, wouldn't I finally regain at least some of my previous life's good looks?"

It wasn't just about appearance. If KING's face were combined with the Emperor's Engine, Sig felt it would be far more effective than his current generic look.

Moreover, with a new face, he could completely shake off his current identity as a wanted criminal.

This reward was indeed tempting.

Besides, heading to the Grand Line seemed like the only option left for Sig.

"In that case, there's only one answer—set course for the Grand Line."

Sig finally gave the order, directing the ship toward Loguetown, near the entrance to the Grand Line.

"We're finally heading to the Grand Line!"

"The boss's grand plan is finally reaching this stage, huh?"

Amidst the cheers of the bandits, Sig's expression shifted subtly.

He walked to the bow of the ship and looked out over the sea, activating Usopp's card to use Observation Haki.

In the distance, a pirate ship appeared on the horizon.

Pirate ships weren't unusual. With the Navy's encirclement tightening, Sig had been encountering them more frequently over the past few days.

However, the pirate ship ahead, flying a red-nosed skull flag, caught his interest.

"Adjust the course slightly. Head toward that ship," Sig ordered.

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