Chapter 121: Crocodile's Invitation

Morgan stood in place, staring at his hands in surprise, then at the two bounty hunters lying on the ground, feeling utterly confused.

But deep down, for some reason, he felt a sense of satisfaction, similar to the time he had knocked out Garp with a single swing of his axe.

The feeling just now... it was pretty good...

"Ah—"

Before Morgan could savor the sensation, a scream rang out from nearby.

Sig's expression changed slightly as he glanced around.

The pedestrians on the street were all looking nervously in their direction. The scream had come from a female passerby.

When Sig and his fierce-looking subordinates turned their gaze toward them, the crowd grew even more nervous, quickly scattering to avoid them.

The old man who had been lying on the ground had also disappeared at some point.

"Crap, we've attracted attention too quickly."

Sig frowned slightly. He had wanted to keep a low profile, but now he had become the center of attention.

Fortunately, the street Sig was on was still near the harbor, where pirates weren't uncommon. Fights and disturbances weren't rare here, so the crowd didn't gather to watch, which would have made things even more troublesome.

"Boss, what should we do with these two?"

The mountain bandits, realizing the situation was getting out of hand, quickly picked up Johnny and Yosaku, who were still unconscious.

Sig felt a headache coming on and pulled the brim of his hood lower.

These two already knew his identity. If they woke up and reported Sig's presence to the Navy, it would be another headache.

"Should we just throw them into the sea?"

One of the bandits suggested.

Sig shook his head slightly. The two were unconscious, and throwing them into the sea would likely drown them...

"Take them back to the ship and have someone keep an eye on them. Move quickly and don't draw attention."

In the end, Sig gave the order.

Two of the bandits immediately hoisted Johnny and Yosaku onto their shoulders and ran off.

Meanwhile, Sig and the others pulled their hoods lower and quickly left the harbor area.

Not long after leaving the harbor, one of Sig's subordinates handed him an envelope.

"Boss, that old man who tried to scam us just slipped this into my hand."

Sig was slightly surprised. He weighed the envelope in his hand, then opened it.

Inside was an invitation.

After briefly scanning the contents, Sig's expression grew even more wary.

The letter was an invitation for Sig to join a secret organization called "Baroque Works," promising generous rewards.

Sig, of course, knew that Baroque Works was backed by one of the Seven Warlords, Crocodile.

An invitation from Baroque Works wasn't particularly surprising. The organization was always scouting for talented individuals to join.

In the future, even Zoro would receive an invitation from them.

Given Sig's current reputation and bounty, an invitation from Baroque Works wasn't shocking.

But the key issue was the timing.

Sig had just arrived in Loguetown, and Baroque Works had already sent an invitation... This meant that Crocodile had likely already discovered Sig's whereabouts.

"Once we're done in Loguetown, we should head into the Grand Line as soon as possible."

Sig grew more cautious and, following the town map, made his way to the old district of Loguetown.

Back when he had faced Garp, Sig had lied, claiming he was born in Loguetown and was an old friend of Roger's.

One lie required countless more lies to cover it up.

So, Sig decided to take a stroll and familiarize himself with the place where Roger had lived, to avoid slipping up in the future.

The group accompanied Sig as he wandered through the old district of Loguetown, stopping occasionally to chat with residents and have a drink at a bar.

Aside from the information Sig wanted about Loguetown and Roger, they also heard some interesting tidbits.

"I heard that a few days ago, the Navy fleet encountered a Sea King that came from the Calm Belt. They suffered heavy losses!"

"I heard that too. These past few days, Navy branches in Loguetown and the surrounding islands have been sending rescue ships..."

"No wonder it feels like the security in Loguetown has been worse lately..."

Stussy followed quietly by Sig's side, her expression calm, but her mind was filled with questions.

She was still thinking about what Sig had said to her when they first entered Loguetown.

"Why did Sig suddenly say those things?"

The last time Stussy had acted was when she had attempted to ambush Sig after parting ways with the Revolutionary Army. That had been a long time ago.

Since then, Stussy had been obedient, faithfully carrying out her duties as a cleaner, without a single misstep.

"Did something special happen recently that made Sig change his mind?"

Thinking about recent events, the only thing that stood out was the naval battle near the Calm Belt.

Stussy felt a chill in her heart. She recalled what Sig had said during the barrage of cannon fire:

"If even such a small matter requires my intervention, what use are you?"

During that naval battle, Stussy had done nothing but watch from the sidelines.

Perhaps those words had also been directed at her?

Was Sig no longer satisfied with just having her as a cleaner?

Stussy's mind raced with various guesses and speculations.

..........

Several hours later.

A coffin-shaped boat once again arrived at the harbor of Loguetown.

Dracule Mihawk, also known as Hawk-Eye, made no effort to conceal his identity. Carrying his black sword, Yoru, he stepped onto the docks of Loguetown.

His appearance immediately caused a stir.

"It's Hawk-Eye Mihawk!"

"The world's greatest swordsman!"

But no matter how much people whispered, Mihawk remained expressionless, walking calmly.

About ten minutes later, the Navy, having heard the news, finally arrived and began dispersing the onlookers.

Then, Vice Admiral Momousagi of the Navy Headquarters stepped in front of Mihawk.

"Juraquille Mihawk."

"Two days ago, you appeared at a critical moment during the naval battle, and now you've come to Loguetown... What are your intentions?"

Momousagi glared coldly at Mihawk, her voice icy.

"It was just a coincidence."

Mihawk's expression remained unchanged, his words brief.

As he spoke, he continued walking without pause, completely ignoring the Navy.

"Wait, when the Sea King from the Calm Belt attacked the Navy fleet, you not only refused to assist but also left immediately..."

Before Momousagi could finish, Mihawk interrupted her.

"That has nothing to do with me, unless the World Government plans to issue a mandatory summons."

After saying this, Mihawk continued walking forward, completely disregarding Momousagi, who was blocking his path.

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