Settling the Debt
"Hey! You've been running a dine-and-dash operation for three days now, haven't you?" Bellemere glared at Sig, who was again trying to dine and dash, in the tavern.
The owner of the tavern in Cocoyasi Village, on the other hand, awkwardly advised Bellemere to let it go—it wasn't the first time pirates had come to "eat for free," and as long as they weren't determined to plunder, people usually just tolerated it.
"Huh? The Shichibukai actually need to keep accounts? In my memory, the third-in-command of Silver Axe treats the local officials of the World Government and the Navy like watchdogs!" Sig deliberately used a smug tone to humiliate the Navy and the World Government in front of Bellemere.
"You..." Bellemere's eyes reddened with anger.
Hmm, if it were a member of another Shichibukai...
No, Bellemere would never stand up for any other pirates who were not to be trifled with. Even if she could win, she would not disrupt the peace of Cocoyasi Village. As an ordinary small village in the East Blue, it had its own way of survival. Hanging the pirates' corpses on the gallows at the dock might feel good, but for a village without any fighting power, it would mean certain annihilation the very next day.
The reason she treated Sig this way was because... Bellemere felt he was different and shouldn't act like a pirate!
Seeing Bellemere's eyes redden and on the verge of tears of disappointment, Sig maintained his "I'm just like this" expression, though he felt a little guilty inside.
Just then, someone burst into the tavern and shouted to Bellemere, "Something's wrong! The Twin Blade Pirates are here again to collect protection money... Genzo is dealing with them at the port, and things don't look good!"
"What? Didn't they just come here last month?" Bellemere exclaimed angrily.
The young man who came to see Bellemere was also taken aback—was he really that angry he was about to cry?
Sig downed his drink in one gulp, slammed it on the table, and then asked the innkeeper, "Does the Twin Blade Pirates have a bounty?"
The boss was startled, then whispered, "There's... Captain 'Mantis Jack,' with a three million bounty."
Sig pursed his lips, then stood up abruptly.
"What are you going to do? Wait a minute, that guy has connections with... the nearby naval branch..." Bellemere said, feeling deeply humiliated.
After applying for discharge and returning to his hometown, Bellemere discovered that the lower-ranking naval personnel in these four sea divisions were even more corrupt than those in the Grand Line!
"What's it to me?" Sig said nonchalantly.
Sig is still affiliated with the Sun Pirates!
In theory, Sig can "legally plunder other pirates," so how could a mere, remote naval branch in the East Blue dare to covet his own bounty?
Upon arriving at the port, they saw Genzo, with a windmill on his head, being forced to retreat step by step by several random pirates on the pier. However, his face still showed stubbornness, as if he wanted to argue with them.
Because the Twin Blade Pirates had bribed Captain Rat of the nearby Marine branch, they could come and collect protection money without the Marines interfering.
"Didn't you hear me? I know you paid last month, but our Captain is about to embark on a campaign in the Grand Line. After protecting you for so long, shouldn't we show our appreciation a little more?"
"But we really..."
"But what?" The other person grabbed Genzo by the collar.
As they got closer, Sig and Bellemere also heard their "reasons".
"See? Most pirates... are bastards like this!" Bellemere said sternly to Sig.
"Yeah, I knew that all along... but what's it to me?" Sig curled his lip in disdain.
Bellemere was speechless upon hearing this. "You!"
"Catching pirates is the Navy's job. It's the World Government that calls me a pirate. I'm just an easygoing person," Sig said nonchalantly.
To Sig to feel guilty about the sins of other pirates or about his own becoming a pirate is to overthink things.
The former has nothing to do with Sig, as for the latter... Sig initially only wanted to escape slavery, then he wanted to liberate more slaves, and now his goal is to kill Kizaru —before Sequence 7, Sig might have had doubts and wavering, but now...
Sig was very clear about what he had to do, and he didn't care how the World Government would define Sig for it.
There's probably no one in this world who can be a "Psychiatrist" at the Sequence 7 of PUA (Pick-Up Artist) techniques.
"You call this easygoing?" Bellemere's forehead was practically popping out of its head.
At that moment, Sig suddenly turned to look at her, his serious expression causing Bellemere to pause in surprise.
"Well, right now I'm just 'accepting' the World Government's way of addressing me. But when I stop being so accommodating... it'll be time to have a serious talk with the World Government about who the real 'thief' is!" Sig said seriously, his words sounding completely nonsensical to Bellemere.
Before Bellemere could react, Sig walked right past her.
His physique, which was definitely considered "big" in the Four Seas, quickly attracted the attention of the Twin Blade Pirates.
"Huh? Where are you from, bro?" Two random passersby were about to chime in, but Sig walked right past them.
Before they could even feel embarrassed or angry, Sig had already walked up to Captain "Mantis Jack," who was striking a pose in the back.
Seeing Sig's condescending gaze, Mantis Jack instinctively cowered, but then grew even angrier...
"Kid... find out whose land this is..."
As Mantis Jack spoke, he suddenly drew his twin swords, assumed a mantis stance, and slashed horizontally at Sig.
But in the next moment, before Mantis Jack could even understand what was happening, Sig stomped his head into the wooden planks of the pier, sending splinters flying.
A pirate ship moored not far away suddenly made a commotion, as if someone was about to push a deck cannon over.
However...
Sig then cupped his hands towards the sea in front of him, and then made a throwing motion— Sea Current Shoulder Throw!
It wasn't an "air throw"... As Sig exerted his strength, it was as if a giant sea monster had appeared. The Twin Blade Pirates' ship was first suddenly lifted up, and then a huge current of water swept from the bottom of the ship, directly capsizing the pirate ship on the sea surface!
Amidst gasps of alarm from the pirates on board, cannons and other items on the deck tumbled into the sea, followed by the pirates themselves falling in.
After advancing to Sequence 7, Sig can unleash his full power without transforming or using his Battle Suit, reaching a level similar to his previous peak state with "transformation + Battle Suit," easily capable of capsizing a pirate ship or two!
Amidst the stunned silence, Sig picked up the Twin-Blade Mantis and tossed it in front of Genzo: "Bring back the three million bounty for me. If the Navy branch asks... just say Siegfried traded it."