Chapter 141: The New Bounty

When unsure about something, just blame it on an unknown Devil Fruit; this is not a clever analysis.

But beyond that, Sengoku could no longer think of a reasonable explanation.

"Then, who could Sig's other identity have been more than twenty years ago? Sengoku, tell us what you think."

Kong seemed to have his interest piqued by Sengoku and pressed for more.

"More than twenty years ago, that was the era when Roger and Whitebeard were active. Sig lived under another identity during that time, but later contracted a serious illness, so he could only lie low quietly. Only after the serious illness was cured did he begin to secretly contact Roger's old crew..."

Sengoku murmured, not making an immediate judgment.

And at this moment, a nearby Marine officer's face suddenly flushed red with excitement:

"Admiral Sengoku, I've thought of a possibility."

"Could this Sig's former identity be the Pirate King Roger? Is it just that he faked his death, successfully diverting our Marine attention?"

"And the real Roger, having deceived everyone, only began contacting his old crew after his serious illness was cured?"

Sengoku looked at the speaking Marine officer, somewhat stunned.

"Your imagination is truly strong."

Sengoku placed a hand on his forehead, speaking somewhat helplessly.

Pop.

Unnoticed, Garp's snot bubble had already popped. He opened his eyes and interjected:

"That's absolutely impossible. You underestimate the Pirate King too much. Would Roger stand by and watch his old crew and widow be captured by the World Government?"

"If you keep speculating like this, there will be no end to it...."

Sengoku glanced at Garp, but his heart jolted.

He really couldn't refute this.

He was known as the Wise General, but facing this pile of contradictory intelligence about Sig, he truly felt at a loss, only able to make various unreliable hypotheses.

Why, regarding matters concerning Sig, do they always fall into some kind of strange loop of thought?

Sengoku and the others temporarily gave up on delving deeper.

Because an official from CP0, carrying news from the Holy Land's Celestial Dragons, visited Marine Headquarters.

"Why haven't the Marines released Sig's new bounty poster yet?"

The man in the white suit frowned and urged.

"There are many suspicious points about Sig's identity, and it hasn't been fully investigated yet... For example, the intelligence provided by your CP0 contradicts the results of our Marine investigation."

"Why don't you have that spy already by Sig's side transmit some more credible intelligence?"

Kong, folding his arms, offered this explanation.

"You actually question the credibility of our intelligence?"

"Hmph, this piece of intelligence was already an unexpected boon, and you actually want more?"

"She is our CP0 undercover agent, not your Marine informant."

"Our spy will not easily transmit intelligence again; the risk is too great. What she needs to do is just lie low quietly and fully gain Sig's trust."

"Wait for the right opportunity to arise, and then give Sig a surprise."

The man in the white suit flatly refused Kong's request.

CP and the Marines have cooperated before.

For example, the great pirate who once contended with Roger and Whitebeard, World Destroyer Byrnndi World, was because a CP spy successfully infiltrated, leading to his downfall at a critical moment and his capture and imprisonment.

It's rare for a spy to have infiltrated Sig's side, so CP0 wants to repeat their old trick.

"The family of Celestial Dragon Saint Charlos is taking the matter of Sig's Great Treasure very seriously! They have already had the World Government organize investigation teams to search for Sig's treasure all over the Red Line."

"You Marines cannot delay any longer."

The man in the white suit had no intention of talking further with Kong and the others. Leaving these words, he departed.

Only Kong and Sengoku remained seated where they were, their expressions somewhat subtle.

"The Celestial Dragons have truly gone mad. For an 'anotherpiece' whose authenticity is still unknown, the Celestial Dragons are going to such great lengths..."

Kong's mood was momentarily complex.

No matter how many suspicious points there are about Sig's identity, no matter how difficult it is to discern the truth of 'anotherpiece'... as long as it has alarmed the Celestial Dragons and convinced them, the outcome is already determined.

"Have the intelligence room determine Sig's bounty. Be careful with the bounty determination; we cannot repeat the mistake made with Roger... Also, continue investigating matters concerning Sig."

Kong ordered thus.

As the Marine Fleet Admiral, how could Kong not know that a pirate's bounty has already come to be seen as a symbol of their strength and status?

The authenticity of 'anotherpiece' is still unknown. If the Marines set too high a bounty here, it would be tantamount to endorsing Sig.

Before Sig's true identity and the authenticity of 'anotherpiece' could be ascertained, Kong could only make such a choice.

......

In the days following the Loguetown incident, news about the Mountain Bandit King Sig's Great Treasure 'anotherpiece' spread like wildfire.

But strangely, the Marines' reaction was slow; they remained silent during these days.

Various powers had been waiting for the Marines to make a statement, and that moment finally arrived.

World Economic Journal Headquarters.

"President! The Marines have finally updated Sig's bounty poster!"

A reporter, waving several bounty posters, knocked on the door of President Morgans' office.

Morgans reached out, took the bounty posters, glanced at them a few times, his gaze somewhat complex.

"The legendary great pirate Captain Buggy, former crewmate of the Pirate King, bounty two hundred million."

"East Blue's Mountain Bandit King Sig, bounty four hundred million, alive only."

"And for Sig's Great Treasure 'anotherpiece', anyone who knows its location can receive a four hundred million reward..."

Setting Buggy aside for now.

Sig's bounty poster, and the reward money for that treasure, the specific numbers are quite subtle.

Alive only, yet the reward for the Great Treasure is also the figure of four hundred million.

"It seems that in that Holy Land vault theft case, something truly important was indeed lost..."

Capturing a great pirate worth several hundred million alive, the difficulty is much greater than killing them.

At the same time, the well-informed Morgans had actually already heard about the World Government organizing search teams to look for the treasure within the Red Line.

"Going to such great lengths, yet the bounty is lower than expected... Could it be that something truly important was lost from the Holy Land's vault?"

"The Celestial Dragons don't want the world to know of its existence, so they set such a bounty?"

Morgans narrowed his eyes, his heart shaking inwardly.

During the Goa Kingdom incident, he had only thought Sig was a newcomer worth paying close attention to.

But now it seems, Sig has truly given them too many surprises....

"What are you standing around dazed for? The World Government's stance is out, so next up, it's our Big News time!"

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