I am the Bandit King of the East Sea.

"That bastard Doflamingo treated the news of the Celestial Dragons' national treasure as some kind of big secret, but now you've exposed it. I really want to see what kind of expression he'll have after this."

Crocodile's smile turned cold at the mention of Doflamingo.

"Sig, you seem to know a lot about ancient weapons?"

Sieg simply nodded slightly:

"good."

Sieg didn't know much about the secrets of ancient weapons either, and the more he said, the more wrong he would be.

If Crocodile sees through his plan and turns on him, Sig will be truly finished.

“Sigurd, how much do you know about the Ancient Weapons, Hades?” Crocodile asked.

Upon hearing this, Sieg considered for a moment and said:

"I've heard that Pluto, the god of the underworld, is a ship, powerful enough to destroy an island with a single shot, and is considered a weapon capable of destroying the world."

"Pluto, the god of the underworld, is said to be sleeping in some corner of this world, and only those who can decipher the Poneglyphs can know his whereabouts."

"Furthermore, it is said that the design blueprints for Hades were secretly circulated and came into the possession of a certain shipwright..."

Sieg said something ambiguous, without going into details.

However, even this information alone left Crocodile silent for quite a while.

"You do know quite a lot."

"Sigurd, I have found the whereabouts of Pluton. It is related to a certain kingdom on the Grand Line."

"How about joining forces with me to bring Hades under our control?"

"Crocodall said in a deep voice."

These words made Sieg narrow his eyes, and he couldn't help but ponder them.

Crocodile needs to join forces with him? If it weren't for Luffy's interference and Robin's betrayal, Crocodile's plan would have been enough to steal the country, and he wouldn't have needed Higuma's help at all.

"Is he planning something? What scheme does Crocodile have up his sleeve?"

While Sieg was pondering this, he saw Crocodile pull a Log Pose from his pocket, lift it up with yellow sand, and fly it to Sieg's front.

"This is a permanent record pointer on an island in the Grand Line where a kingdom called Alabasta is located."

"I'll be waiting for you when you enter the Grand Line."

Sieg reached out and caught the record pointer, but couldn't help feeling suspicious.

"Stop pretending, Sig."

Crocodile's words sent a jolt through Siegfried.

However, before Sieg could speak, Crocodile said with a cold laugh;

"You revealed the Celestial Dragons' national treasure on the execution platform in One Piece... Don't tell me a man like you, who thrives on chaos, isn't interested in Ancient Weapons?"

At this point, Crocodile raised the golden hook in his left hand.

"Or are you saying you're not going to refuse my invitation and not cooperate with me?"

Crocodile stared coldly at Sieg, awaiting his response.

Damn it, I bet five cents that Crocodile will definitely cause trouble, I'd rather die than go!

While thinking this in his heart, Sieg nodded outwardly:

"Pleasant to work with."

Just agree on the surface, then don't show up later—perfect!

However, Sieg was also somewhat surprised that things had gone so smoothly, and a sense of curiosity arose within him, prompting him to ask:

"Crocodile, are you planning to just give up and leave? If you do, people will probably think you can't do anything to me, which will damage your reputation."

As soon as Sieg finished speaking, his heart skipped a beat.

Damn it, why did I have to ask such a stupid question?

If Crocodile has a sudden change of heart, then I'm doomed again, aren't I?

Chapter 135 A Gift of Fate

"Crocodile, are you planning to just give up and leave? If you do, people will probably think you can't do anything to me, which will damage your reputation."

After hearing what Sieg said, Crocodile looked at Sieg expressionlessly and took another deep drag on his cigar.

"reputation?"

He grinned, revealing a mocking smile.

"What's the point of that kind of thing?"

"A revered hero? A despised villain? Or a loser defeated by other pirates?"

At this point, Crocodile seemed to remember something and paused for a moment.

"What's wrong with becoming a hero or a villain if you can obtain ancient weapons?"

Crocodile spoke indifferently, letting out a cold laugh, instantly revealing his ruthless and domineering nature.

"Sigurd, I've given you the Log Pose. We'll meet in Alabasta within a month. Don't break your promise."

After saying this, Crocodile's body turned into sand once more, transforming back into specks of dust.

Then, the massive sandstorm that had enveloped Sig began to dissipate, and sunlight gradually pierced through.

Sig remained silent, still pondering Crocodile's words.

Crocodile said more than a decade later that he would not team up with anyone.

Then, during the Marineford War, he helped Luffy soar to great heights, and each time he made a move, he had a different reason.

He also said that he would not trust anyone and did not need any subordinates.

Then, after Mr. 1 was defeated by Hawkeye, he angrily confronted Hawkeye, and later led Mr. 1 to break into the New World again.

However, this is more than ten years later, and Siegfried can't figure out what Crocodile's personality and thoughts are now.

Sig instinctively felt that this crocodile with the air of a ruthless tyrant was probably up to something.

As for breaking the promise?

Sieg chuckled inwardly.

Can something as trivial as "cuckooing" be considered breaking a promise?

The thought had just crossed his mind when a strange feeling suddenly arose within him, like a fishbone stuck in his throat.

It was as if there was a voice inside me constantly rejecting my own cooing thoughts.

Sig's expression changed slightly.

Crocodile's invitation was what Iruma, this overly kind-hearted man, considered a "request," so he couldn't refuse?

Damn it, I've been screwed over by this damn system again...

Sieg suddenly remembered a sentence.

Every gift of fate comes with a price already marked in secret.

For a game like "Silly Sculpture System," do all the seemingly powerful cards come with inherently terrible attributes...?

The thought of having to face Crocodile in the future sent chills down Sieg's spine.

Alabasta is a desert kingdom; if Crocodile were to turn against Siegfried there, it would be very dangerous...

As I pondered, the sandstorm outside had subsided, and sunlight began to shine again.

Sig remained standing in the same spot, his expression unchanged throughout, and he showed no signs of injury.

Crocodile, who reappeared, had half of his body turned to sand and flew away into the distance, completely ignoring the surrounding Marines.

All that remained was a ruin, swallowed up by the sandstorm, and Sig standing amidst the ruins.

This scene clearly shows that even the powerful attack just now was completely ineffective against Higuma, and in the end Crocodile gave up the attack and retreated on his own initiative.

"Is the power gap between Higuma and Crocodile really that big?"

Momousagi's expression changed repeatedly; she no longer had the energy to hold Crocodile accountable for the destruction he had caused to the town.

The strength that Sieg displayed made her feel extremely troubled.

The previous duel with Hawkeye was impressive, but the Navy hadn't really figured out the intricacies of it.

But when facing Crocodile, Sieg demonstrated an astonishing ability to evade attacks... something every Marine could see clearly.

Bang bang bang bang...

The familiar, dull heartbeat rang out again.

The naval personnel watching from a distance broke out in a cold sweat and took two steps back in unison.

They saw Sig emerge from the dissipating sandstorm as if nothing had happened, without even glancing at them, and walk away.

This time, the panic in the hearts of these sailors had grown so strong that it completely overwhelmed their previous anger.

"Lieutenant General Gion, what do we do? Should we continue the pursuit?"

Momousagi cleaved Stusi back with another sword strike, her eyes flashing as she glanced at Stusi.

If we continue to harass Sieg and actually force him to take action, the consequences could be very serious...

Continuing to fight the Sig fighter jets is extremely risky, and Momousagi has already obtained some intelligence from Stussy.

"Continue the pursuit, but... prioritize your own safety and avoid unnecessary sacrifices."

Momousagi said something with a hidden meaning.

These words finally made the Loguetown naval personnel understand after a moment's thought, and they felt relieved.

"East Sea Mountain Bandit King, don't even think about leaving like this!"

"We will absolutely not let you reach the Grand Line like this!"

The navy men roared in anger, but this time they only followed far behind Sig and his men, occasionally firing a few sniper shots from behind.