บท 22: Chapter 22 The Only Good News

"Bear, what kind of joke are you making? Even if that Sig BOY is so dangerous, assassinating a Celestial Dragon is too much! Does he want to attract an admiral?"

Hearing such a guess, Ivankov immediately found it unbelievable.

Burning the Terminal of Uncertainty or even overthrowing the entire Goa Kingdom was nothing compared to assassinating a Celestial Dragon.

The World Government had many allied nations, and the Revolutionary Army had overthrown more than one of them.

But assassinating a Celestial Dragon... Unless the Revolutionary Army wanted to wage a full-scale war against the World Government, it would never do something so reckless.

"Dragon, say something! Has Bear been interacting too much with the World Government since becoming a Warlord of the Sea, and has his hatred for the Celestial Dragons intensified? Is that why he thinks Sig BOY might assassinate a Celestial Dragon...?"

Ivankov rambled on, but Dragon remained silent.

Turning to look, Ivankov saw Dragon deep in thought.

"Dragon, you don't seriously think... Sig BOY would actually assassinate a Celestial Dragon, do you?" Ivankov asked, shocked.

Dragon said nothing in response.

Logic told him it was impossible.

However, when he thought of that hint from the so-called Bandit King Sig...

A true Bandit King wouldn't just aim to conquer the Holy Land Mariejois; they would strive to reshape the entire world, creating an unprecedented new era.

If that truly was Sig's grand ambition... Then assassinating a Celestial Dragon in the East Blue didn't seem so absurd.

"Let's keep observing," Dragon sighed lightly.

"It seems the Revolutionary Army must continue focusing its attention on Goa Kingdom."

Inside the mountain cabin.

After Dragon and his companions left, Sig sat alone, deep in thought.

"No more golden ticket... The situation's gotten much worse."

"The exact timing of the encirclement isn't even clear yet, but it's probably not far off."

Sig felt an increasing sense of urgency.

The Revolutionary Army's intelligence network was formidable, but it couldn't fully grasp all of the Navy's and the World Government's movements.

Standing up, he walked toward the door.

As he opened it, over 200 pairs of eyes stared at him, full of excitement and anticipation.

"Boss! The entire bandit crew is here! Please give us orders!"

A bald bandit raised his arm and shouted, and the 200 men echoed his call, a cacophony of roars like a mountain avalanche.

"Boss, have you finished discussing with the Revolutionary Army... I mean, the guests? Are we going to attack the capital of Goa Kingdom now?"

"Just give the order, Boss, and we'll storm the capital and crown you king!"

"Idiot! The Boss's goal is to become the Bandit King. Why would he care about being a mere king of Goa Kingdom?"

Sig rubbed his temples, looking at the overly excited bandits.

"You're all overthinking it. I have no schemes at all," Sig said earnestly, pressing his palm to his forehead.

"I didn't come to any agreement with the... guests. There's no form of cooperation, no plans whatsoever."

The bandits fell silent for a moment.

Before Sig could even breathe a sigh of relief, he was left speechless as he watched his men nod vigorously.

"The Boss is right! We haven't cooperated with the Revolutionary Army... I mean, the guests!"

"We have no plans. We've never seen any cloaked guests visit us."

"Exactly, it's a non-existent event... I mean, there's no such thing to talk about at all."

"But, Boss, if you have any secret orders, just let us know anytime!"

The bandits grinned knowingly as if they'd understood some hidden implication.

Sig fell into a speechless stupor.

If not for the imminent encirclement, he would've disbanded these insubordinate subordinates right away to keep a low profile.

But now that they'd attracted the attention of the World Government, laying low was no longer an option. Disbanding them would be akin to cutting off his own arm.

Otherwise, would the so-called Bandit King fight off an entire Navy fleet alone with just a series of wine bottles?

After a moment of silence, Sig finally issued an order:

"Rest up and prepare for a major battle. Keep an eye on any movements from the Navy and Goa Kingdom."

Then, as if suddenly recalling something, he glanced at the bald bandit nearby.

"And absolutely don't take any unnecessary actions. The Sig Bandit Crew doesn't need to expand further."

Hearing this, the bandits grew even more excited.

"A major battle! The Boss is planning something big again. He just can't reveal his target yet."

"The Boss's goal isn't just Goa Kingdom anymore. He's even eyeing the Navy! I knew following the Boss was the right choice!"

Looking at his overly enthusiastic subordinates, Sig had nothing more to say.

A strange frustration welled up inside him.

The plot had already deviated significantly due to his intentional or unintentional actions.

The World Government's attention, the Navy's intervention, the Revolutionary Army's early involvement... And these insubordinate subordinates.

This time, the chaos in Goa Kingdom would likely surpass the great fire from the original story.

"The only good news is that Garp's arrival has been delayed."

"Let's hope Garp keeps stalling until the encirclement is over."

Sig sighed softly.

The shimmering ocean reflected the sunlight, and aboard a battleship with a massive dog-shaped figurehead, Vice Admiral Garp's booming voice echoed:

"That damn Red-Haired Shanks wasted my precious time... I had a training plan for Luffy, and now it'll be delayed!"

Just moments ago, an order came from Navy Headquarters, instructing Garp to change his initial destination and return immediately.

Given the previous delay caused by pursuing Red-Haired Shanks, Garp had little time left.

Hearing Garp's reaction, the Navy officers around him let out a silent sigh of relief for Luffy.

"Vice Admiral Garp's grandson... Congratulations on dodging a bullet."

"What are you all mumbling about?"

Garp's ears perked up, and he yelled loudly:

"That's my grandson! Do you think I'd give up so easily?"

"But we're out of time... If we don't turn around immediately, we might not make it..."

One of the officers cautiously reminded him.

Garp clenched his fists but said nothing, recalling his recent encounter with the Red-Haired Pirates on the open sea.

At that time, Shanks had already parted with his iconic straw hat and expressed high hopes for Garp's grandson, Luffy...

"Even if I don't have time to personally train Luffy, I can't let him stay in that peaceful Windmill Village. Otherwise, who knows what kind of pirate might show up next!"

"It's better to leave him with the bandit Dadan. Bandits are much safer than pirates and won't lead him astray."

With that thought, Garp strode to the deck, his fists tightly clenched.

"Bring me some cannonballs!"