Day Five, Windmill Village Pier
On the pirate ship Red Force, which bore the twin-sword skull flag, most of the crew had already gathered on deck.
However, they didn't urge for departure. Instead, they leaned against the railings of the ship, looking toward the pier at the two figures standing there.
"This hat, I'll leave it with you for now."
"This is my most treasured hat. When you become an outstanding pirate, you must return it to me."
Shanks removed the straw hat from his head, crouching slightly to place it gently atop Luffy's head.
It should have been a touching scene, yet everyone, including Shanks himself, couldn't help but recall the similar moment from the tavern yesterday.
"I remember Mr. Sig also had high hopes for this kid, but he hurried off early this morning..."
Deputy Captain Benn Beckman leaned against the ship's railing, chatting with the crew about Sig.
"The sea is truly vast. Even in the remote corners of East Blue, there's such an incredible figure from the old era hiding here..."
"Speaking of which, Senior Sig seems much younger than Senior Rayleigh. It's a bit of a pity that he retired so early."
Beckman chuckled lightly and retorted,
"If he really took down over fifty great pirates from the old era, as the rumors say, would someone so active truly stay quietly in the remote corners of East Blue?"
In the mountains beyond Windmill Village, Sig led the mountain bandits briskly along the winding trails.
"Boss, why are we rushing back to the hideout in such a hurry?"
One of the bandits couldn't help but complain.
After drinking heavily yesterday, embarking on a long trek early in the morning—even for bandits familiar with the terrain—was no easy task.
"Shut up and do as I say. No more questions."
Sig's single remark silenced the grumbling bandit immediately.
After the events of yesterday afternoon, Sig's status in the eyes of the bandits had soared immensely.
"The boss is a powerful figure who once stood alongside the Pirate King. He must have his reasons."
"Could it be that rushing back to the hideout is part of some new plan? Maybe... raiding the capital of the Goa Kingdom?"
"I've heard recently that pirates have been spotted around the vicinity of the Gray Terminal. The boss has hunted down so many great pirates before. Do you think we'll get to see him in action again this time?"
The bandits whispered among themselves, speculating in secret.
Windmill Village belonged to the Goa Kingdom in East Blue, but its location was so remote that it was practically isolated from the royal city.
Similarly, Sig's mountain hideout was located deep in the mountains, far beyond the isolation zone.
However, Sig wasn't thinking about any grand plans. His only intention was to avoid Garp.
The longer he stayed, the greater the risk.
He had no interest in another heart-pounding "encounter" with Garp.
"Garp can't possibly stay in a backwater place like Windmill Village for long. As long as I keep a low profile and hide in the mountains for a while, everything should be fine."
As for escaping to sea to avoid Garp?
Currently, Sig was still a wanted man. Setting sail would only increase his exposure.
A thought occurred to him, and Sig re-equipped the KING character card.
At that moment, however, he suddenly felt something strange.
"Unequip... Equip..."
After trying several times, Sig pressed his hand against his chest, feeling his heartbeat, as joy slowly crept into his eyes.
Each time he equipped or unequipped the card, he could distinctly sense a faint but noticeable change.
When the card was unequipped, there was a subtle but fleeting sense of weakness. When he re-equipped the card, the weakness vanished entirely.
The source of this weakness was the heart!
"Is this a hidden effect of the King's Engine?"
"The self-proclaimed ordinary KING... could it be that he actually possesses an extraordinary heart?"
Sig was utterly stunned.
Thinking carefully, how could a human's heartbeat be so exaggerated, with its sound audible within dozens of meters?
Even top athletes couldn't sustain such high heart rates for long.
A regular person would have dropped dead from a heart attack ages ago.
If KING truly possessed such a powerful heart, then with proper training, could he eventually achieve something as absurd as manually generating an apocalyptic-level shockwave?
This speculation ignited Sig's excitement, and his heart began pounding faster—not from fear, but from exhilaration.
He glanced at the system panel.
After one night, the compatibility level of the KING character card had risen from 31% to 37%.
"If I spent more time with the Red-Haired Pirates, I might be able to increase the compatibility even faster..."
"If I pushed myself to face Garp, maybe the compatibility would skyrocket..."
When compatibility reaches 100%, Sig would unlock the King's Engine at full power—and a heart of unparalleled strength.
"Why not start training from today?"
As Sig felt the powerful beating of his heart, his mind wandered with wild thoughts:
"From today onward, 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10-kilometer run every day..."
"Who knows, maybe I can become a strong figure in this pirate world. Master the three types of Haki, smash bottles over Whitebeard's and Kaido's heads one after another, and usher in the era of the Great Mountain Bandit..."
An intense urge suddenly surged within Sig.
In this world of pirates, anything was possible. Even a weak boy like Koby could train himself into a Rear Admiral of the Navy...
"But today, we still have a long way to go. It will take time to reach the hideout, so there isn't much time to train."
After pondering for a moment, Sig adjusted his training plan slightly:
"I'll start tomorrow. 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10-kilometer run every day..."
While Sig was mentally calculating his plan, the bald bandit leading the way suddenly stopped in his tracks, almost causing Sig to bump into him.
"What is it? Lost your way?" Sig glared at him.
"No... Boss, I think I just saw a shadow flicker... Maybe I was mistaken."
The bald bandit rubbed his shiny head, looking a little confused.
"A shadow? Could it be... other bandits?"
Someone casually speculated, sparking a round of laughter among the bandits.
"Bandits ambushing bandits? That's just ridiculous."
"Our boss is the number one wanted man in this area..."
"Idiot, our boss's strength is way beyond just an 8-million bounty..."
The bandits bickered and argued loudly, showing not the slightest bit of fear.
After all, within their group was Sig, their figurative anchor of stability.
But their so-called anchor of stability was nervously scanning the surroundings.
"Hey, hey, don't tell me we've already been targeted by someone?"
Sig felt uneasy, and his heart began to beat slightly faster.