Shanks cut short further doorstep chatter, leading Sige back into the tavern before revealing the Den Den Mushi's message.
"Garp...is coming to Windmill Village?" Sige's pupils contracted sharply, his carefully crafted stoicism cracking for a split second.
"Indeed." Shanks chuckled, swirling his ale. "Now you'll have another drinking companion from the old era. Though I'll pass - getting targeted by the Navy's Hero sounds tedious."
The casual remark ignored how effortlessly Sige had name-dropped Roger and Garp earlier.
Sige inhaled deeply through flared nostrils, digesting this thermonuclear revelation.
Has Luffy's military training timeline accelerated? No...
A more visceral panic seized him as he recalled earlier events - placing Shanks' straw hat on the boy's head, actively encouraging piracy.
Would Garp blame me for corrupting his grandson?!
Impossible. I'm just some rando bandit! Shanks is Luffy's destined mentor!
Me? Ha! I'm but an extra!
This internal screamed monologue coincided perfectly with-
"Shanks! Shaaaaanks!"
Luffy's voice pierced through like a poorly timed punchline. The boy tugged at the Yonko's sleeve with rubbery arms already stretching from his stolen Devil Fruit power. "Take me tomorrow! I wanna be a pirate!"
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Shanks raised an eyebrow. "Not eager to see Grandpa?"
The boy paled comically. "Grandpa's gonna navy-train me! I’ll be a mountain bandit first!"
Sige's eye twitched as Luffy suddenly swiveled hopeful puppy-dog eyes toward him.
Why look at me?! Your pirate messiah is the red-haired alcoholic!
"Even banditry's better than navy crap!" Luffy crossed arms defiantly.
Sige: "..."
My act poisoned his worldview. Garp will skin me alive.
Now fully hyperventilating:
Thud! Thud! THUD!
The Emperor Engine roared unprompted, its war-drum cadence shattering the night's calm.
Damn KING card side effects! This isn't fear - it's glitching!
First Mate Beckman's head snapped toward the sound. Though quieter than before, the oppressive heartbeat carried tangible weight.
"Why's his aura spiking now?" Beckman's hand drifted toward his flintlock as crewmates exchanged wary glances.
"Typical Boss!" The bald bandit exclaimed, radiating fanboy energy. "Already hyped to battle the Navy Hero!"
Garp's legacy resonated even among East Blue's backwater bandits. Nods of worshipful awe spread through Sige's crew.
Red-Hair Pirates joined the delusion:
"What a tragedy we'll miss this historic clash," Yasopp lamented, clutching his heart.
"Legends colliding unseen..." Lucky Roo mourned through a chicken leg.
Sige's eyelid spasmed as his gaze locked onto the bald instigator.
Cue the denial symphony.
"I'm not...That's not..." His growl channeled grizzly bear vocals.
"We understand," Beckman interjected smoothly. "Priorities demand our departure."
Understand? You understand NOTHING!
Mentally screaming: System! Disable this cursed heartbeat!
[Character Card: KING unequipped]
Silence crashed like felled timber.
Beckman stiffened as Sige's chiseled features softened into generic bandit mediocrity. The suffocating pressure vanished mid-breath.
Control that precise...
This explains his anonymity. A shadow slipping through history.
For the first time in years, Benn Beckman's analytical mind met an unsolvable equation. He glanced at Shanks now challenging Luffy to an arm-wrestling match.
"Captain...perhaps we should witness this destined duel before departing?"
——
Crew Chatter
Newbie Bandit: "Did Boss just..."
Bald Prophet: "Suppress his conqueror-level aura to play harmless? SHEER GENIUS!"
Red-Hair Grunt: "That casual shape-shifting...He's a veteran of a hundred shadow wars!"
Sige's Inner Reality:
[Panicked Chibi-Sige runs in endless mental hamster wheel]