'The Emperor's Engine has really activated... but can it actually fool the Red-Haired Pirates?'
The dull and powerful sound of his heartbeat was enough to make Sig feel the presence of the Emperor's Engine.
Yet, his nerves were still on edge.
At the same time, he suddenly felt a sharp, blade-like gaze pierce through him.
Instinctively, he turned to look—and his eyes met the furrowed gaze of Benn Beckman.
'Benn Beckman? The smartest man in the Red-Haired Pirates…'
Sig couldn't stop the chill running down his spine.
'Benn Beckman is the brains of an Emperor's crew. If he sees through my bluff…'
'Damn it, our eyes just met. What do I do now?'
The instant their gazes locked, a cold sweat broke out across Sig's back.
Beckman's sharp gaze was so intense, it felt like a blade slicing through Sig's skin. It sent a wave of goosebumps over him, and he instinctively wanted to look away to avoid the stare.
'No! I can't look away!'
'If I break eye contact, Benn Beckman, with his intelligence, will immediately figure out I'm just bluffing!'
Sig's inner voice screamed as he clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging painfully into his palms to maintain his composure.
'I… I have to say something to change the subject…'
Sig wanted to open his mouth, but his nerves had him locked up. He couldn't get a word out.
Just maintaining eye contact with Benn Beckman was taking all his energy; he couldn't spare the strength to speak.
And his heartbeat was only getting louder.
This scene, however, looked entirely different from Benn Beckman's and the others' perspectives.
Thump, thump. Thump, thump! Thump-thump-thump-thump!
The dull and powerful sound of his heartbeat suddenly grew several times louder, echoing through the entire tavern.
The sound, like a drumbeat of war, grew heavier, louder, and faster, making it hard for anyone to catch their breath.
'This sound… is it some kind of Devil Fruit ability? Is this bandit ready to fight our crew?'
Benn Beckman's pupils contracted sharply, and a bead of sweat formed on his forehead.
The moment Sig's gaze landed on him, Beckman's heart skipped a beat, as if a ferocious beast had locked onto him, its deadly presence palpable. Goosebumps erupted all over his body.
Especially the sound of the Emperor's Engine—it tightened Beckman's nerves to the breaking point.
'Is it just my imagination? Why do I feel like this man, Sig, is extremely dangerous?'
'But this is the weakest sea—the East Blue. How could someone of this level possibly appear here?'
The thought flashed through Beckman's mind.
He discreetly glanced at the other members of the crew, and the scene he noticed made his shock deepen.
Yasopp, the sniper; Lucky Roux, one of the core officers; and even the rest of the crew—all of them seemed on edge as if facing a mortal threat. Many were instinctively tightening their grip on their weapons.
Their reactions made one thing clear: they too were feeling the overwhelming pressure radiating from Sig.
'They've sensed it too. So it's not just my imagination…'
'But what kind of man, with this level of presence, would be in a tiny tavern in the East Blue?'
Benn Beckman was utterly baffled.
Their captain, Red-Haired Shanks, had mastered his Conqueror's Haki to the pinnacle. In the entire world, only a handful of people could stand against it.
And yet, even Shanks' Conqueror's Haki had never once brought such immense pressure to their crew as a whole.
Thump-thump! Thump-thump-thump-thump!
In this tiny tavern, every other sound seemed to fade away. All that remained was the thunderous, storm-like pounding of Sig's heart.
Sig's figure seemed to swell infinitely in their eyes, growing to the size of a mountain, bringing an unstoppable, overwhelming force that loomed before them.
'What kind of monster is this…?'
Benn Beckman's thoughts churned with confusion.
Sig was equally nervous inside.
'This is terrifying… too scary… Did I just blow my cover?'
As Sig locked eyes with Benn Beckman, cold sweat broke out on both of them simultaneously.
Finally, a voice broke the deadlock.
"Hey… Bandit, do you know me?"
Shanks asked curiously, his tone tinged with surprise.
Hearing Shanks' voice, Sig's heart filled with joy, as if a savior had appeared.
'It seems I fooled Benn Beckman just now. Finally, I don't have to keep staring at him…'
Sig struggled to maintain his stern expression, pretending to calmly and naturally shift his gaze toward Shanks.
At that moment, Benn Beckman and the others all heaved a collective sigh of relief.
"Red-Haired Shanks, of course, I know who you are…"
As Sig spoke, his mind was racing at lightning speed.
'It looks like I successfully tricked Benn Beckman earlier.'
'Now that I'm dealing with Shanks, I can definitely avoid blowing my cover too!'
'Come on, you've got this! I'm the legendary Bandit King, the system-designated Oscar-worthy actor!'
After a moment of deliberate silence, Sig moved his gaze away from Shanks and turned it toward the glass of liquor in his hand.
After all, he had no desire to engage in another "death stare" match, this time with Shanks.
Maintaining a serious expression, Sig allowed a trace of reminiscence to flicker across his gaze as he began to perform.
"Who would've thought… Roger, that guy, actually entrusted his straw hat to a mere apprentice back then?"
His voice remained low and deep, but it carried a subtle hint of nostalgia.
These words made Benn Beckman and the others' hearts pound violently once more.
'Damn it! The implications of those words were just too heavy!'
'This man, Sig, doesn't just know our captain… he knows Roger too!'
Benn Beckman's mind was in turmoil as countless thoughts surfaced. He was desperately trying to piece together who Sig truly was.
Knowing both Shanks and Roger and being aware that Shanks had once been Roger's crew member was one thing.
To someone of truly high status, this wasn't exactly a secret.
But… to also know that the straw hat Shanks now wore was passed down to him from Roger?
'Could it be… this man knows that secret held by the World Government? About Roger's straw hat?'
Benn Beckman's heart pounded furiously as he was startled by his own terrifying speculation.
In the deepest depths of the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, atop the highest peak of the Red Line, there lay an enormous straw hat.
And the Pirate King, Roger, had also cherished a straw hat as if it were a treasure—one that he later handed to Shanks, then just an apprentice whom Roger saw as his successor.
Why did Roger surrender himself?
What does the massive straw hat in Mary Geoise symbolize?
Why did Roger wear a straw hat, and why did he pass it down to Shanks?
Was it the decay of morality or the distortion of humanity?
These were among the greatest mysteries of the entire world!
Yet Sig's words seemed to imply…
That he understood all of it.
'Who in the world is he?'
Benn Beckman was almost crushed by the weight of this monumental question in his heart.