I am the Bandit King of the East Sea.

Both emperors of the sea are arrogant, but now the Golden Lion has proposed to join forces, that is, to form a pirate alliance.

Whitebeard did not respond immediately, but instead gave Shiki a deep look.

"Shiki, if you wanted to rescue those prisoners, you could have done it ten years ago when you escaped Impel Down. Why wait until now?"

"And... what does this have to do with Sieg?"

Shiki raised his hand and downed a bowl of strong liquor in one gulp. He wiped his mouth, the smile still lingering in his eyes.

"Of course it's related to him."

The Golden Lion stood up, reached out, and the entire barrel of wine floated to his side. He grabbed it and swallowed the rest of the wine whole.

"Because the pirate alliance we formed wasn't just you and me... and also Sigurd."

Chapter 490 The Curtain of an Era

When Sigurd's name came out of the Golden Lion's mouth, Marco and the others could no longer hide their surprise.

"Sig?"

"Is Sieg involved behind the scenes in this matter?"

"Could it be that he has already formed a pirate alliance with Shiki the Golden Lion? When did this start?"

Because of the Angel-Angel Fruit, Higuma's name had long been remembered by everyone in the Whitebeard Pirates, including Whitebeard himself.

"Sig?"

At this moment, Whitebeard finally showed surprise. He was slightly lost in thought for a moment, then glanced at Golden Lion:

"Shiki, you're still the same as before. I'm afraid you've been planning this all along, haven't you?"

The great pirates who stood shoulder to shoulder with Roger in the old era each had their own strengths.

Whitebeard was powerful but had no ambition for conquest, while Roger desired freedom, adventure, and treasure.

To be honest, Shiki is a typical ambitious pirate. He is ambitious, cunning, and can lie low for ten or twenty years for a single plan. He is always a man who plans carefully before he acts.

The two steps that Shiki took upon his arrival—first offering a deal to heal his wounds, then proposing a pirate alliance—clearly didn't seem like something Shiki had come up with on the spur of the moment.

"Hehehe..." The golden lion, with a cigar in its mouth, laughed twice:

"Whitebeard, you've misunderstood this time."

"It wasn't me who had planned this all along, it was Sieg."

The golden lion's eyes were piercing as he continued:

"Sig's plan is indeed quite ambitious, and one part of it is called Global Advanced Martial Arts."

"And all I have to do is give him a push, otherwise... where would the Sixty Emperors of the Sea come from?"

"Sixty emperors?"

Whitebeard pondered this strange term. Although he didn't quite understand the Sixty Emperors, he could guess roughly what Shiki was planning.

Golden Lion's initial plan was to join forces with Roger, utilizing the power of the Ancient Weapons and Golden Lion's own strength to achieve hegemony and rule the seas.

Whitebeard had heard a brief explanation of Shiki's plans after escaping Impel Down.

The so-called Strong World Project is actually about spending twenty years cultivating ferocious beasts, then airdropping them to destroy the East China Sea and even the world, in order to take revenge on the Navy.

And now...

"You've abandoned your plan for a world of powerful beings, and instead want to unleash those great pirates to wreak havoc on the seas?"

"Or rather, is this a joint scheme between you and Sig?"

Whitebeard narrowed his eyes and guessed as such.

Shiki nodded slightly; he did not deny it.

"Give me an answer, Whitebeard."

"Although I hate to admit it, the Navy's power is indeed not weak... Whitebeard, do you think you can handle a few admirals now?"

Golden Lion finally brought his words to the forefront.

Whether it's escaping from Impel Down or challenging Marine Headquarters, Shiki has a lot to say. After all, he was defeated by Sengoku and Garp.

These words made Whitebeard begin to weigh his options.

To be fair, attacking Impel Down was not a rational choice, even for someone like Whitebeard.

If they want to escape unscathed and save the lives of more of their men, then joining forces with a powerful figure like the Golden Lion is the only way out.

Let alone teaming up with Shiki and Sigurd... Whitebeard and Buggy would even team up to increase their chances of winning.

"Golden Lion, joining forces with you is no problem, but... what's the deal with Sig? Does he know his background?"

Whitebeard and Shiki were rivals for many years, and they knew each other inside and out. As for Higuma...

These words made the Golden Lion's momentum falter; he really didn't know how to answer this question.

"So you really don't remember Sig either, Whitebeard?" Golden Lion narrowed his eyes.

Sig is a very mysterious person, with too many secrets.

He seems to have a good relationship with the retired crew members of the Pirate King, and even paid homage to Roger by creating a seemingly legitimate "anotherpiece".

All indications suggest that he seems to come from the same old era as Whitebeard, Golden Lion, and others.

Strangely, neither Whitebeard nor Shiki knew anything about Sigurd's past and had any impression of him whatsoever.

If such a person truly existed in the old days, even Whitebeard and Golden Lion would surely remember him.

"In the end, this is just a pirate alliance. Why bother with his past?"

Ultimately, the Golden Lion was only mentioned in a vague and ambiguous way.

"Then let's make a scene."

Whitebeard and Golden Lion sat facing each other, raising their sake bowls and drinking them down in one gulp.

However, a doubt about Sig's existence gradually took root in their hearts.

.......

"It feels as if I'm witnessing the grand curtain of a new era slowly rising..."

At the edge of the ship's railing, a pirate with a black and white panda face couldn't help but sigh, his tone filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"Two pirate emperors... perhaps three. The mere announcement of this three-way pirate alliance would tremble the world, not to mention the plans of the old man and his crew..."

The panda-faced rookie pirate was breathing a little rapidly.

"Could these three people, working together, possibly overturn the ocean?"

Just then, a pair of hands gently patted his shoulder.

"You're new to the crew, aren't you... young man? Pirate alliances aren't as simple and superficial as they seem. Before the word 'alliance,' there are pirates." Marco had somehow appeared behind the panda-faced pirate.

Seeing the confusion in the panda-faced pirate's eyes, Marco smiled:

"A pirate is a pirate."

"From beginning to end, our only companions have been the other members of our pirate crew."

"Looking at the fight between Golden Lion and Old Man, you don't think they were just having a friendly sparring match, do you?"

Marco smiled and shook his head:

"If Dad really falls behind, Golden Lion won't hold back. This could turn into a fight to the death at any moment."

"I don't know much about Sig, but his alliance with the Golden Lion is probably in this situation as well."

"And the same goes for pirate alliances."

"So, put away that childish idea in your heart. Piracy is not child's play."

"To truly regard allies as partners you can entrust your life to is to die."

After listening to Marco's meaningful words, the panda-faced pirate nodded in deep agreement.

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

Fishman Island in the New World.

Queen Otohime is very proactive.

On that day, news of Queen Otohime's return, bringing with her the signatures of the world's nobles agreeing to establish friendly relations between the Fish-Men and humans, spread throughout the entire Fish-Man Island.

Chapter 491 The mantis stalks the cicada

With King Neptune's help, news of Queen Otohime receiving a friendly autograph from a Celestial Dragon, and her speech the following day, quickly spread throughout Fish-Man Island.

"The Celestial Dragons have actually changed their minds?"

"How is this possible? When have the Celestial Dragons ever bowed their heads?"

"No... if it's Lady Otohime... maybe it really is possible..."

After all, those were the Celestial Dragons, the world's most arrogant nobles!

The fish-men and mermaids throughout the island were all discussing this matter.

Before Queen Otohime, there was truly no one who could gain the trust of the Celestial Dragons.

Day two.

In the plaza of Fishman Island, Queen Otohime, as always, prepared to begin her speech.

This time, however, the number of residents gathered in the square far exceeded any previous number.

The square was packed with people.

Even Queen Otohime, who had given countless speeches, was deeply moved.

She gazed intently at the crowd before her, feeling the endless, surging voices of hearts echoing from all around.

"I sensed it... they were hesitant, confused... the Celestial Dragons' signatures truly hold the hope of reopening the closed doors in their hearts..."

Queen Otohime couldn't contain her excitement, and then began her speech...