"Sure enough, the reason this guy was so slow to arrive was because he went to find a woman first!"
"I was wondering why he was still nowhere to be seen even though the arrest warrant had been reinstated..."
"And... that little William supposedly can turn invisible, he really is..."
"I had this suspicion before, as did those members of the Big Mom Pirates!"
Lucky Roo and Yasopp, among others, were whispering amongst themselves.
"I have no interest in your private life! I mean... you can deliver a letter to Captain Whitebeard on your way," Beckman said sternly.
"Huh? Deliver a message? Me?" Sig also pulled a long face, looking like, "I'm such a high-ranking official, and you want me to deliver a message?"
Don't think I don't know. Shouldn't I just find Little Brother with a bounty of tens of millions to deliver the message? Was it really necessary for me to go personally?
"Of course it's not an ordinary letter, it's a 'challenge'!" Beckman corrected.
Sig was taken aback, then looked at Shanks and said, "Boss, the Big Fool is trying to use someone else to do his dirty work..."
"Haha, don't worry, my words were very mild." Shanks clearly already knew about this.
Sig:???
Shanks then explained, "To be precise, it's not a challenge, but... I want to bring the other three Captain together for a real talk."
At this moment, Sig also remembered Morgans's old bird "prophecy" - that there would definitely be a real "ranking battle" among the Four Emperors, at the earliest in six months and at the latest in a year.
Now, half a year has already passed...
Sig already knew the inside story from Hakunnos six months ago. After a few words of discussion, Big Mom and Kaido started arranging a "ceasefire" so that they could each go back and consolidate their own territories!
Clearly, the two of them had made a private agreement before the four-party meeting.
After all, Kaido knew Big Mom when he was 15 and she was 24. In fact, the Mythical Zoan Fish-Fish Fruit that Kaido possessed in his Azure Dragon Form was given to him by Big Mom when the Rocks Pirates disbanded.
Although the two later fought and clashed, even turning against each other over territory, they always had a foundation for cooperation, unlike Whitebeard and Shanks.
Shanks didn't care about these things before, and continued to explore and search for treasure everywhere. However, as time went by, the situation in the New World became clearer and the problems became more and more apparent.
The Four Emperors...
Morgans's point is valid; it is indeed a possibility for the New World. However... if someone lacks the strength, at least Kaido, Big Mom, and even Whitebeard wouldn't mind becoming one of the three Emperors, two Emperors, or even the sole Emperor!
The "Four Emperors" will definitely have another small-scale gathering...
As long as their respective top-tier combat forces can hold out, there won't be any more major battles. However, if they can't hold out, then the concept of the "Four Emperors" can be put to rest!
"This kind of thing... why not just let Whitebeard do it?" Sig said matter-of-factly.
If there absolutely has to be one person who steps forward to invite the other three parties... then it has to be Whitebeard!
After all, he's the oldest, most senior, and most famous; he's still quite capable and his skills haven't completely worn out yet. It's only natural that he should be in charge of this matter, isn't it?
As for Shanks...
Everyone was already dissatisfied with him, and now this Big Fool guy actually suggested a meeting initiated by Red-Hair and his crew? And Shanks actually agreed?
"Of course we have our own purposes," Beckman reminded Sig.
Instead of offering a hint, Shanks stated it directly. "That's right, don't forget our ultimate goal... territory doesn't matter, but... we need to be able to sail the Red Voss freely in the New World!"
Sig:...
In fact, Sig already understood the meaning when Beckman reminded him.
Simply put, the Red-Hair gang has an additional demand—the right to explore freely!
Otherwise, it would be quite difficult for him to travel around the New World in the future. Shanks can't just go wherever he wants and fight the other three emperors, can he? There wouldn't be any time for adventure then!
And...
If everyone truly accepts the status of the "Four Emperors," then isn't it rather unfair to the Red-Hair Pirates, who have absolutely no need for territory and whose landholdings are indeed quite small?
Shanks may not need it, but to show respect for a king, a few other privileges aren't unreasonable, are they?
Simply put, it is...
Please give me Shanks, some face. From now on, aside from your core areas, when my Red Voss goes on expeditions, I'd appreciate your assistance!
With this demand in mind, the Red-Hair Pirates needed to establish this "staff," so... at Beckman's urging, Shanks decided to initiate this meeting of the Four Emperors.
Sig didn't know if Beckman was this reckless in the original timeline...
It's not entirely impossible, after all... Beckman is the only first mate in the story who is described as "comparable to the Captain".
"Comparable to the Four Emperors" doesn't necessarily mean they are the same as the Four Emperors. Just like "not weaker than" doesn't necessarily mean they are "weaker than". However, they have one thing in common with the Four Emperors - such an evaluation must be supported by a sufficiently impressive record of victories!
At the very least, they should be able to temporarily hold off the Four Emperors before they can be considered "on par" with the emperor, right?
Of course, with Sig joining the team, Beckman will definitely become more reckless. If Beckman and Sig can both "temporarily block" the demands of a king and the Red-Hair Clan, things will be even more stable!
Although it's not officially a challenge, given Shanks's "status in the underworld," sending such a letter to the other three would make people think, "You're pretty arrogant, kid." So, a "Little Brother with tens of millions in bounty" would definitely not be up to the task.
"There's no need for me to go to Whitebeard's... Uh, okay, I'll go."
Sig thought about it and realized that going to Kaido or Big Mom seemed even less reliable.
Siegfried "disappeared," and Vladimir "disappeared" as well. Moreover, given that Big Mom knows the connection between the two identities, it's best to assume that Kaido already knows.
As for BigMom...
If Sig goes alone, his personal safety is certainly guaranteed, but other aspects of his safety are not guaranteed at all!
In comparison, Sig and Whitebeard got along relatively well.
Sig believed that the Whitebeard man, being so amiable, surely no longer cared about him stroking the Whitebeard's face. Besides, Zieg had even delivered Miss Buckingham (who might have been his wife's) book to him; shouldn't the Old Man remember his favor?
Even more conflicted than Sig's feelings was those of Ace, who stood to the side...
"I mean... you guys really don't believe I can succeed in this challenge, right?" Ace asked with an awkward expression.
When he just said he wanted to challenge Whitebeard, Shanks and the others all said things like "You can do it," "We believe in you," and "The future belongs to you young people"... but actually he was planning to invite Whitebeard to a meeting?
Do you even respect me Ace? Are you trying to fool a child?