"It's over! This time we've actually provoked the King of the Bandits in the Lawless Zone!"
Suspended in Baldy's grip, Sabo and Ace exchanged a glance, both feeling a chill run down their spines.
In front of them, the tall figure of Sig strode forward, his face expressionless. His icy gaze swept over their faces before he coldly uttered their names.
"He even knows our names? This is really bad."
Sabo's young face turned pale, his heart racing nervously:
"I've heard that anyone who dares defy this Bandit King gets their head forcibly shaved bald and then has some kind of buff applied until they die. Although I don't know what 'buff' means… it's probably some kind of torture…"
Both Sabo and Ace were only ten years old at this time. Facing the most infamous outlaw in the Lawless Zone, the top bounty target, they couldn't help but feel anxious.
"Boss even knows these two little brats from the Terminal of Trash?"
The bandits around them were visibly surprised.
Sig neither confirmed nor denied it. His gaze swept across the scene, briefly lingering on the bruised and battered bandits before finally landing on Baldy. There was a trace of surprise in his eyes.
Even he hadn't expected that this bold Baldy would one day bring him two "experience packages."
"Speak up. What happened here?"
"Were you guys beaten up by these two kids?"
Sig's expression was calm, though inwardly he was thrilled.
"Boss, these two brats are well-known troublemakers near the Terminal of Trash. They specialize in robbing and ambushing lone hooligans and thugs…"
"A couple of days ago, one of our lone bandits was actually mugged by these two kids."
"So, I brought a few people to teach these two a lesson."
Baldy explained, a bit embarrassed.
Bringing a group of mountain bandits to ambush two ten-year-old kids and still ending up with several of their own beaten black and blue was undeniably humiliating.
"I see… You guys got thrashed by these two kids."
Sig nodded thoughtfully.
Ace and Sabo were three years older than Luffy at this point. These two had spent their days dealing with the hooligans and scoundrels around the Terminal of Trash. Whether in terms of mental maturity or fighting ability, they were far ahead of Luffy.
Still, Baldy's group consisted of seasoned bandits with bounties, and they had numbers on their side. It wasn't surprising that Ace and Sabo got caught in a sneak attack.
As Sig remained silent, Baldy seemed to grow nervous, fearing he might be reprimanded. Hastily, he kicked open a nearby chest.
Inside the chest, there was an assortment of coins, jewels, and what appeared to be dubious antiques, nearly filling it to the brim.
"But Boss, this time we made a little profit. These two brats turned out to be pretty loaded. They must've been scavenging treasures around the Terminal of Trash for a while…"
The bandits began pulling items out of the chest one by one, clicking their tongues in amazement.
There were intricately crafted jars and trinkets, a variety of jewels, and most notably, a large quantity of coins.
"Not sure about the authenticity of the antiques and jewels, but together, this stuff is probably worth over a million berries…"
Watching the bandits rummaging through the chest, Ace and Sabo began to panic. They struggled desperately against their bonds:
"This is our pirate ship fund! You can't take it!"
But the two kids were tightly bound and couldn't break free.
"Pirates? You guys want to become pirates too? Ace?"
Ignoring the tense atmosphere, Luffy ran up to the tied-up Ace.
Ace stared coldly at the kid who was two or three years younger than him. He had already recognized this little guy from their previous brief encounter.
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy. I've already let go of that time you spat at me. That's the generosity of a great pirate."
"Since you guys want to be pirates too, let's be friends!"
With a bright grin, Luffy flashed a big smile at Ace, his mouth nearly stretching to his ears. The stark contrast between his beaming face and Ace's dark, tied-up expression was striking.
"You two brats, planning to become pirates?"
The long-silent Sig finally spoke. He stepped forward, observing the tied-up Ace and Sabo with keen interest.
The tall figure loomed before them, casting a shadow that engulfed the two children.
Sig's face remained expressionless, but his eyes betrayed a faint glimmer of curiosity.
"So this is... the Bandit King..."
Ace's heart tightened with tension, yet he stubbornly lifted his head, refusing to back down as he locked eyes with Sig.
"What if we are?" Ace replied coldly, his face defiant.
Sabo, held in Baldy's other hand, struggled slightly, seemingly worried Ace would provoke Sig.
Sig remained silent for a moment. He could clearly sense the blatant hostility emanating from the two children.
It seemed like turning these two kids into experience bags would take a bit more effort.
"Untie them," Sig ordered calmly.
Without a moment's hesitation, Baldy used a small knife he carried to cut the ropes.
Ace and Sabo, on the other hand, were momentarily stunned. Once they processed what had happened, they immediately pushed back a few steps, snatched up the steel pipes lying on the ground, and glared warily at Sig and the others.
This wooden cabin was Sig's base of operations, home to over two hundred bandits, with the most dangerous one standing right in front of them.
Even after regaining their weapons, the two felt far from safe.
"I've done nothing. You can leave," Sig said with a glance at the open chest nearby.
"You can take your pirate funding too. I wouldn't stoop so low as to steal from kids."
His tone was indifferent as he turned away, showing no further interest in the pair.
The bandits were equally baffled, but they dared not question Sig's authority and reluctantly stepped aside to clear a path.
"Though I'm not sure what's going on, Ace, let's go quickly. This place is dangerous," Sabo whispered, his voice low, as he hurriedly grabbed the nearby wooden chest.
Ace, however, didn't move, his face cold as he demanded:
"Sig the Bandit King, what are you trying to pull?"
"Hey, Ace!" Sabo, one hand still holding the chest, tugged urgently at Ace's shirt. His anxiety was evident.
With his back turned, Sig's lips curled slightly into a faint smile. He replied in his deep voice:
"There is nothing... that can stop a man from heading toward the sea."
This response took Ace by surprise. But before he could dwell on it, Sabo forcibly dragged him out of the cabin, the two quickly disappearing into the night.
"Are they really gone?"
Moments later, Sig, hands clasped behind his back, strolled leisurely out of the wooden cabin.
Night had fallen, and the surrounding forest was shrouded in darkness. There was no trace of the two children.
"Never mind. Their hostility is too strong—unlike a certain other kid, they're not so easily fooled. It's normal... if anything, that kid is the real anomaly."
Sig felt a twinge of regret, but he didn't dwell on it.
From the shadows, Ace crouched on the trunk of a nearby tree, one hand gripping his steel pipe, his wary eyes fixed on Sig.