I am the Bandit King of the East Sea.

From the past to the present, Sig has undergone numerous self-hypnosis sessions.

Although the outcome remains the same, the memories of the training will return after the shadow clones disband, and the entire training experience will be repeated.

But from the perspective of willpower...

There is no fundamental difference between the three worlds: Sigma in the parallel world trains himself, Sigma in the parallel world receives training, and Higuma in the One Piece world is trained by Zephyr.

A steadfast will is merely a standard requirement, a basic requirement, on this vast ocean.

This threshold isn't very high; there are plenty of people who possess domineering abilities on the high seas.

But Sigurdsson's self-hypnosis is like setting up obstacles for himself; the subconscious desire to escape lies deep within his heart, so his threshold is much higher than that of ordinary people.

As for the problem with the Japanese bear... in hindsight, there are reasons that can be found.

While Higuma doesn't possess Armament Haki, he does exhibit Observation Haki and Conqueror's Haki based on Shanks and Usopp's cards, but not Armament Haki. This is unusual.

Having witnessed Sun Bear's arduous training, Zephyr had no doubt that Sun Bear was stuck on the threshold of willpower, a blind spot.

Therefore, the reason why Higuma failed to master the last type of Haki remains a mystery to this day, and Zephyr also finds it difficult to understand.

One cannot truly deceive oneself.

Comedy characters can use clever tricks, like Buggy the Clown, Mr. Satan from Dragon Ball, or King from One-Punch Man, to become powerful figures in the eyes of the world, enjoy praise, and become heroes who save the world.

However, comedic characters are different from truly strong individuals who possess both inner strength and physical and mental fortitude.

Unwavering resolve is a hallmark of the strong.

It's also domineering.

Usopp is a timid and cowardly ordinary person.

But when Usopp confronts his inner cowardice and picks up the slingshot, he transforms into the Great Usopp, radiating power, realizing his dream, and becoming a brave warrior of the sea.

Domineering?

This was just a side effect.

When the Heavenly King descends, Sig will still be invincible during his invincibility period. As long as he stands still, he will not die.

But he sought a way to save more people, soaring into the sky to face the Heavenly King. After enduring repeated physical torture within seconds, the self-imposed shackles deep within his heart were shattered.

He struggled so hard to cross this basic threshold.

“Sig, you seem to have a problem.” Roger laughed, as if he had noticed something.

"Then let me ask you, what is your dream?" Roger turned his back and played the role of a dream mentor.

“Of course, it’s about living a peaceful life,” Sieg replied without hesitation.

"That was a quick answer..." Roger clicked his tongue in amazement. He exchanged another glance with Rayleigh, both of them somewhat puzzled.

To live a peaceful life?

Is it appropriate to say that Siegfried just fought a Marineford War that directly led to a split within the Navy?

"Why would you want to live a peaceful life? It doesn't seem like it, does it?" Roger asked, shaking his head.

This time, Sieg didn't answer immediately.

He fell into deep thought.

Yes... why do I have to live a peaceful life?

He stood there for a long, long time, lost in thought.

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind; his powerful mental strength allowed him to see into people's hearts.

A thought flashed through his mind, and he suddenly froze, realizing something.

The shadow clone Higuma was created after the Seven Emperors' Coffin-Carrying Incident on Kenzan Island.

When Sigurd and Sun Bear split into two and each took on a different role, it wasn't just the shadow clone that was hypnotized, but also Sigurd's original self.

I hypnotized myself more than once.

..............

Several days after the Sword Mountain Island incident, the Mountain Bandit King returned to the world. The bounty on Higuma, who had just come back from the brink of death, reached 18 billion, second only to the Four Emperors, making him one of the most wanted people on the high seas.

This means that the storms Sieg will face in the future will only intensify.

At that moment, he stood in front of the full-length mirror in the captain's cabin and took out the hypnosis ring once again.

"As long as I hypnotize myself into living a peaceful life, and then when I wake up again... maybe just like last time, everything will be over, the process will be ignored, and I will eventually live a peaceful but boring life."

This might help him, just as he had endured the arduous training in the naval training camp, to overcome the challenges ahead... Sig suddenly recalled his initial thought.

In front of the full-length mirror, the man looked at himself with a bewildered expression.

"...How many times have I hypnotized myself?"

"........."

"That's not important. Hypnosis isn't permanent for me; I'll wake up sooner or later."

"I must live a peaceful, boring, and wealthy life... 1, 2, BINGO!"

The man in the mirror looked slightly unfocused for a moment, then his expression hardened.

He put away the hypnosis ring, clenched his fist, and muttered to himself in the mirror:

"I am determined to live a peaceful, boring, and wealthy life, and no one can stop me."

..............

It's as if he's branded himself with a mental imprint, and from then on, the idea of ​​"living a peaceful, boring, and wealthy life" has taken root in Sieg's mind.

The process is not important, the result is what matters... So even if it means distorting your will, you must achieve your initial wish!

From then on, increasingly extravagant ideas began to emerge in my mind.

"If we build two hundred Hades ships, we can live a peaceful life!"

Unbeknownst to him, Sig began to seek the power of the ancient weapon Hades, just like Barrett and Crocodile had done before.

Until now.

Sig's pupils contracted slightly, and a fine layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

When he suddenly realized that he had hypnotized himself, the hypnosis he had set up was broken.

The magic has vanished.

When the hypnosis ended, Sieg did not live a peaceful life as he had imagined years ago.

Compared to the Mountain Bandit King's resurrection ten years ago, the Mountain Bandit King's fame is now even greater, standing shoulder to shoulder with the resurrected Pirate King at the top of the sea.

He was caught in an even bigger vortex, and still couldn't escape it.

"Sig?"

"Sig, so what are your plans now?"

Roger and Rayleigh's voices broke Sieg's reverie.

"I'm planning to take Ace to see Rouge; Rayleigh intends to take Luffy as his apprentice," Roger said.

"And what about you?"

"Me?" A hint of confusion flashed across Sieg's face, but it quickly turned into determination.

"I want to live a peaceful and uneventful life."

Roger was taken aback.

This sounded like an irrelevant answer, but Sieg's expression was quite serious.

A peaceful life is hard-won.

The twists and turns along the way were beyond Sieg's expectations, but now he has embarked on the path of the mountain bandit king and there is no turning back.

A secluded life like Rayleigh's is impossible for Sieg.

For powerful Yonko like Whitebeard, who reigned over the New World for decades, the Navy didn't do much to them, allowing them to live a relatively peaceful life.

And this is the future that Sieg envisioned.

The Navy is currently divided and pirates are rampant, facing both internal and external troubles. Given the reputation and achievements of the Mountain Bandit King, the Navy cannot afford to act rashly.

So for now, Sig can at least live a relatively peaceful life like Whitebeard's—but that's only relative.

Even Whitebeard, if the Navy had a chance, would have been forced to participate in the Marineford War, and would have ended up in a trap, besieged, and died on the battlefield.

If he possessed the power of Whitebeard, he could live a more peaceful life.

If we go a step further and break through to the level of a true mountain bandit king, then we can live a peaceful life, right?

"You asked me what my plans are next..."

Sieg looked at Roger and said in a deep voice:

"Coach Roger, teach me how to be domineering, I want to become stronger."

Upon hearing this, Roger and Rayleigh both gave strange looks.

"What are you talking about...? Where would I have anything to teach you?" Roger raised his hand to his forehead.

Rayleigh's gaze sharpened, filled with a myriad of emotions:

"Even now, are you still not satisfied with your current power? Just how much power do you want to pursue before you're satisfied? Do you really want to transcend dimensions?"

Sieg paused for a moment, then chuckled.

He spent his entire life lying and covering up lies.

They're either covering up a lie, or on their way to doing so.

But what is the biggest lie told by the bandit king?

Did he kill all fifty-six emperors one bottle at a time?

Is it the great treasure that the world has been searching for, another piece?

Was it he who fought the fifty-six emperors to the point that the infinite earth was shattered, the galaxy collapsed, and even the Great Dao was obliterated?

Is this a long-term, well-planned scheme with hidden clues?