Sig looked around, his heart sinking completely.
At this moment, Sig was in the eye of the sandstorm.
All around him, a swirling wall of sandstorm encircled him, cutting him off from the outside world.
The sandstorm was incredibly dense, blocking out most of the light. Even though it was daytime, the surroundings were dim and gloomy.
What terrified Sig the most was that the storm was continuously shrinking.
The 100% Dodge ability, which had worked so well initially, had now been countered by Crocodile.
As the storm continued to shrink, there would be no space left to dodge, rendering Sig's evasion useless.
"I'm done for. This time, I'm really done for."
Sig's heart sank like a stone.
The outer wall of the sandstorm could easily pulverize rocks and destroy buildings, sharp as a blade. Sig had no intention of getting close to it.
Even the thought of approaching it triggered a warning in his instincts.
This instinctive warning was something Sig had gained after activating the Iruma card. It was a natural tendency to seek advantage and avoid danger, and it had kept him alive so far. He wasn't about to throw that away now.
Just as Sig's heart was sinking to its lowest point, a figure emerged from the wall of sand.
Crocodile, still with that cigar in his mouth, looked at Sig expressionlessly.
His first words left Sig stunned.
"Sig, let's team up."
Crocodile said this plainly.
Sig's heart skipped a beat, but his poker face was so well-practiced that he didn't show any outward reaction.
He maintained his calm demeanor, as if the surrounding sandstorm meant nothing to him, and replied in a low voice:
"Team up? Weren't you just helping the Marines to stop me from leaving?"
Crocodile's lips curled into a cold smile.
"Don't be ridiculous, Sig."
"Why would I ever team up with the Marines against you? The Marines are our eternal enemies."
"Besides, wouldn't it be more interesting for someone like you to enter the Grand Line? Why would I stop you?"
Crocodile took a drag from his cigar and spoke casually.
Sig fell silent for a moment, trying to process Crocodile's words.
"Don't worry, inside my sandstorm, the Marines outside won't be able to hear our conversation."
This made Sig give Crocodile a deep, scrutinizing look.
He had been deeply impressed by Crocodile's earlier display of anger, but now the man was acting as if nothing had happened, proposing an alliance?
Whether Crocodile had been pretending to be angry earlier while remaining calm inside...
Or if he had genuinely been angry but had now completely controlled his emotions and hidden them...
Either way, this display was enough to send chills down Sig's spine.
Another acting master, and a powerhouse at that.
But whether Crocodile's offer of an alliance was genuine remained to be seen.
Sig remembered that Crocodile didn't even think much of Doflamingo, claiming that the latter was only fit to be his subordinate.
"Could it be that Crocodile acknowledges my strength and believes that even this sandstorm can't contain me? Is he planning some other scheme?"
Sig's mind raced with thoughts, but on the surface, he calmly asked:
"What do you mean by teaming up?"
"Ancient Weapons, of course."
Crocodile grinned, a cold smile spreading across his face.
"I don't care if your Another Piece is real or fake, but what you said is exactly what that bastard Doflamingo has been saying."
"That bastard Doflamingo has been treating the Celestial Dragons' national treasure as some big secret, but now you've exposed it. I really want to see what kind of expression he'll have after this."
As soon as Doflamingo was mentioned, Crocodile's smile turned a few degrees colder.
"Sig, you seem to know a lot about the Ancient Weapons, don't you?"
When it came to secrets like the Ancient Weapons, Sig didn't know much. The more he said, the more likely he was to make a mistake.
If Crocodile saw through him and decided to turn hostile, Sig would truly be done for.
"Sig, how much do you know about the Ancient Weapon, Pluton?" Crocodile asked.
Hearing this, Sig thought carefully before replying:
"I've heard that Pluton is a ship, capable of destroying an entire island with a single cannon shot. It's considered a weapon capable of destroying the world."
"Pluton is said to be hidden somewhere in this world, and only those who can decipher the Poneglyphs can learn its location."
"Additionally, it's said that the blueprints for Pluton have been secretly passed down and are held by a certain shipwright..."
Sig gave some vague information, avoiding specifics.
But even these tidbits were enough to make Crocodile fall silent for a while.
"You do know quite a bit."
"Sig, I've already found the location of Pluton. It's connected to a certain kingdom in the Grand Line."
"How about teaming up with me to take control of Pluton?"
Crocodile spoke in a serious tone.
This made Sig narrow his eyes, his mind racing.
Did Crocodile really need his help? If it weren't for Luffy interfering and Robin's betrayal, Crocodile's plan to take over a kingdom would have succeeded without Sig's assistance.
"Is he up to something? What's Crocodile's scheme?"
While Sig pondered this, he saw Crocodile pull out an Eternal Pose from his pocket, using sand to float it over to him.
"This is an Eternal Pose pointing to the island of Alabasta, a kingdom in the Grand Line."
"Once you enter the Grand Line, I'll be waiting for you there."
Sig reached out and took the Eternal Pose, but he couldn't help feeling suspicious.
"Stop pretending, Sig."
Crocodile's words made Sig's heart skip a beat.
But before Sig could respond, Crocodile sneered and continued:
"You stood on the Pirate King's execution platform and revealed the Celestial Dragons' national treasure... A man like you, who thrives on chaos, don't tell me you're not interested in the Ancient Weapons?"
As he spoke, Crocodile raised the golden hook on his left hand.
"Or are you going to refuse my invitation and not cooperate with me?"
Crocodile's face was cold as he stared directly at Sig, waiting for his response.
Damn it, I bet five bucks Crocodile is up to no good. No way I'm going!
Though that's what Sig thought, on the surface, he nodded:
"Pleasure doing business."
Agreeing on the surface and then not showing up later—perfect!
However, Sig was also a bit surprised at how smoothly things had gone. Curiosity got the better of him, and he asked:
"Crocodile, are you planning to just back off and leave? People might think you couldn't handle me, which would damage your reputation."
As soon as Sig finished speaking, his heart sank.
Damn it, why did I have to ask something so risky?
If Crocodile gets the wrong idea, I'm done for again!