A moment later, Morgans looked over the draft of the news article prepared by his editors and nodded in approval.
The headline read: "The World's Greatest Swordsman Duel! Who Won?"
In addition to the written report, the article included several on-site photographs.
One photo showed Sig standing on the execution platform, a faint smile on his lips as he looked down at the densely packed crowd below.
Another photo captured Sig and Hawkeye Mihawk standing on opposite sides of the square, facing each other in a tense standoff, with a large crowd of onlookers in the background.
"Good, let's go with this angle..."
"But since Sig has already entered the Grand Line, the title 'Mountain Bandit King of the East Blue' isn't quite fitting anymore."
"We can give Sig a more striking title, something that'll make headlines!"
"Sig calls himself the Mountain Bandit King, but now he's sailing the Grand Line and making waves on the seas. So why not call him... the Sea Mountain Bandit King!"
As soon as Morgans finished speaking, his eyebrows twitched, and he picked up the draft again, leaning in for a closer look.
"Is this woman one of Sig's subordinates?"
Morgans pointed to a blonde woman in the photo, standing at the edge of the open area.
He suddenly felt that the woman in the photo looked vaguely familiar.
"We checked. Her name is Stussy, and she is indeed one of Sig's subordinates."
"Stussy? Is it the same person?"
Morgans, the "News King," and Stussy, the "Queen of Pleasure," were both rulers of the underworld and had some connections.
However, upon closer inspection, the woman in the photo looked vastly different from the elegant, noblewoman-like Queen of the Underworld that Morgans remembered.
Her makeup, clothing, and overall demeanor were completely different.
The woman in the photo was beautiful but dressed plainly, looking more like an ordinary maid.
The Marines' new bounty posters, along with the World Economic Times, were quickly distributed across the five seas by news coos, spreading the news far and wide.
This major event in the East Blue had made Sig's name known to half the world.
A bounty of 400 million berries was no small amount. Even in the first half of the Grand Line, it was a figure that could be counted on one hand.
And Sig had caused this commotion before even entering the Grand Line.
"The Sea Mountain Bandit King Sig earned a 400 million berry bounty while still in the East Blue, doubling the highest bounty in the East Blue... What will happen when someone enters the Grand Line?"
"And what about this sudden appearance of Buggy? He's a former crewmate of the Pirate King? If it weren't for Sig, this former crewmate of the Pirate King would be the highest bounty in the East Blue."
"The World's Greatest Swordsman Duel! What really happened in Loguetown that day? Both Sig and Hawkeye claimed they lost? How strange."
"It's a shame I couldn't witness that battle in person..."
"Surely Sig lost, right? If he had won, he'd be the new World's Greatest Swordsman. How could his bounty only be 400 million berries?"
"That makes sense... But this Sig is definitely no pushover. I heard even one of the Warlords, Crocodile, couldn't do anything to him..."
Beyond Sig's achievements, the words he spoke on the execution platform stirred the hearts of countless people.
"The great treasure of the Mountain Bandit King of the East Blue! It's said he raided the Celestial Dragons' vault in Mary Geoise, and the wealth inside is enough to buy several countries!"
"Besides the treasure, it's also related to an Ancient Weapon capable of destroying the world and a national treasure of the Celestial Dragons..."
Whether it was the Ancient Weapon or the so-called national treasure of the Celestial Dragons, their existence was shrouded in mystery.
But after the events in Loguetown, this secret was revealed to the world through the exchange between Crocodile and Sig.
Many turned their attention to the Red Line, their minds filled with thoughts of digging for treasure there.
But even more pirates sneered coldly, silently committing Sig's name to memory.
This Mountain Bandit King, who had left behind a great treasure, was still alive and well!
"Another Piece? Who would be foolish enough to search the vast Red Line for a needle in a haystack? Isn't there a simpler method?"
"Capture Sig alive. Even without going to the Red Line, you can still claim a total bounty of 800 million berries!"
Sig's Another Piece, while making him the hottest topic in the world, did not usher in a so-called "Great Mountain Bandit Era."
Instead, it drew the attention of many powerful organizations and formidable pirates, all coveting the Celestial Dragons' national treasure or the Ancient Weapon.
This was the most vast and highest-altitude continent in the entire world.
At its center lay the Holy Land, Mary Geoise, home to the Celestial Dragons.
But beyond the Holy Land, there were vast areas inhabited by slaves, workers, craftsmen, merchants, and others who served the Holy Land...
This was the closest area to Mary Geoise, and in terms of public safety, it far surpassed the four seas.
The news of Another Piece didn't drive pirates to become mountain bandits on the Red Line, but it did stir the hearts of the Red Line's residents.
They watched as the World Government organized search teams to scour the mountains of the Red Line for the so-called treasure.
"There really was a theft over twenty years ago... Did the Mountain Bandit King really hide his great treasure deep in the mountains?"
"A man strong enough to rival the World's Greatest Swordsman wouldn't lie, would he?"
At first, they didn't believe it, but as the World Government went to such lengths, some began to change their minds.
Gradually, some residents abandoned their former lives and ventured deep into the mountains to become treasure hunters...
These illegal treasure hunters were, in the eyes of the World Government, no different from mountain bandits.
In the Red Line, small sparks of mountain banditry began to ignite.
Perhaps one day, these sparks would grow into a wildfire.
East Blue, one morning.
Shimotsuki Village, Isshin Dojo.
A furious girl's voice suddenly rang out in the Isshin Dojo.
The angry girl, Kuina, was holding a chainsaw, chasing a green-haired boy around the dojo.
"Zoro, did you touch my chainsaw without permission?"
"It wasn't me! I didn't do it!"
Zoro shouted, a wooden sword clenched between his teeth as he ran.
"You dare lie to me!"
Kuina pointed to the unmistakable bite mark on the chainsaw's handle.
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