Chapter 239: Arrival at Alubarna
When Sig saw the news, he was completely dumbfounded.
"What's wrong with this world? I clearly labeled it as fake news, why would anyone still believe it?"
Unlike before, this time Sig had directly labeled the Angel Fruit as fake news for entertainment purposes only.
Logically, it should have been the same as the previous Multi-Fruit ability, the Grilled Skewer Fruit, and no one should have taken it seriously.
But now it seemed...
"What? I'm a Face Face Fruit user?"
"What? I'm also a Grilled Skewer Fruit user?"
"What? The Angel Fruit is related to the One Piece?"
"What? I ate the Angel Fruit, so I'm the only Multi-Fruit user in the world?"
"..."
A series of absurd speculations completely overwhelmed Sig.
Sig felt that the world's news media industry had undergone dramatic changes that no one had expected.
Even he himself hadn't anticipated so many messy speculations from others.
This had completely deviated from his original plan.
Sig's original expectation was for the fake news of the Angel Fruit to become a new hot topic, diverting attention from the Rainbase City sandstorm incident. And it worked, the Angel Fruit became a more explosive, hotter topic. Now, few people were discussing the Rainbase City sandstorm incident and Crocodile. But he never expected that his name would be linked to the Angel Fruit. Not only the Angel Fruit, but even the previous fake news, the Grilled Skewer Fruit that Sig had randomly made up, was now believed by many people.
"How did I become the world's only Multi-Fruit user, the strongest ability user in history?"
Sig took a deep breath, his heartbeat accelerating slightly.
This joke had gone too far....
He had originally prepared this huge burden for Blackbeard.
The result... the burden was created, but somehow, he ended up carrying it himself?
His reputation, on the contrary, had become even more prominent with the news of the Angel Fruit...
"How can I prove my innocence?"
Sig fell into deep thought.
Unlike the previous slander about him being a lolicon, which was published by only one newspaper and easily addressed with Stussy's help, the current situation was beyond Sig's control. Too many media outlets had made related speculations; it was impossible to undo! Not even Morgans could control this public opinion, let alone Sig. The World Government wasn't a viable option for a retraction either.
"What should I do? Release another big news story to try and overshadow the Angel Fruit?"
Sig had a headache, feeling that this wasn't a good solution. What if things spiraled out of control again?
Sig temporarily shelved the idea of further reckless actions and focused on the wanted poster:
"Bounty... One Billion!"
Sig counted the zeros repeatedly, making sure he wasn't mistaken. His heart pounded.
"Don't panic, soon I'll enact my grand plan, change my identity, and start fresh!"
As Sig comforted himself, a familiar virtual panel appeared:
"Achievement Task: Bounty of One Billion achieved. Reward: One random card draw."
Sig's panic subsided; it was time for his favorite activity. "A person's dreams never end. Maybe I'll draw an invincible card!" Sig still yearned for invincibility.
Before he could initiate the draw, another prompt appeared:
"Achievement Task: Bounty of One Billion achieved. Reward: One random card draw."
Two... two draws?! Sig's eyes widened.
Without hesitation, he focused on the familiar star sea. Stars twinkled, converging into two cards: one bronze, one shining gold. Two draws!
Maybe someday I'll save up for a ten-draw! Sig felt a surge of hope. As he focused, the cards flipped: The bronze card depicted a familiar, ordinary short sword. The gold card showed a blurry figure shrouded in mist, constantly shifting in appearance: a burly man, a child, a cunning middle-aged man... The face remained obscured, lending an air of mystery.
Sig focused on the bronze card first:
Item Card: Sword of Self-Destruction
Quality: C-rank
Ability: Inflicts minor damage on oneself, disguised as a new or fatal injury.
"It's the Sword of Self-Destruction again?" Sig wondered. This was his first duplicate card, and it was an item. What's the use? Could he dual-wield them for double the self-harm? Maybe with a Berserker card, I could become a dual-wielding whirlwind of self-destruction... Amidst his rambling, a system prompt appeared:
[Duplicate cards can strengthen the original card.]
"Really? Card strengthening?" Sig was stunned, then he materialized the other Sword of Self-Destruction. In the starlight, they merged, forming a new card:
Item Card: Sword of Self-Destruction
Quality: C+-rank
Ability: Inflicts minor damage on oneself, disguised as a new injury, fatal injury, or death.
A +1 treasure? "I get it," Sig realized. "The Sword of Self-Destruction... is this my treasure?" Like Sanji's training in the Kamabakka Kingdom, which honed his Observation Haki and Moonwalk, Crocodile's imprisonment likely held a hidden benefit. Crocodile, enduring even harsher conditions than Sanji due to his Devil Fruit weakness and Seastone cuffs... he must have become incredibly powerful! Sig imagined Crocodile's ordeal. After the call, Sig remained deeply moved. Crocodile's secret explained his unusual behavior! It all made sense!
Shocking! Crocodile's secret is this! Sig even considered writing an exposé himself.
"I know Crocodile's secret. But to be safe, I need two plans for when Ivankov arrives." As Sig pondered his next move, his ship approached Alubarna's port, where Cobra's men awaited.
.......
In the Alubarna Palace, Cobra listened to his ministers' reports:
"Your Majesty, Rainbase City's reconstruction is proceeding smoothly... thanks to the hero, the damage is limited..."
"Also, the citizens propose a statue of the unnamed hero, based on the newspaper photo." A minister presented the iconic image of Sig holding a girl, his back to the crowd. They respectfully avoided using Sig's name, referring to him only as "the hero."
"Hmm?" Cobra interrupted, "A statue for a wanted criminal like Sig could be problematic." He wanted to stop it but recalled Sig's heroic stance in Rainbase. "Fine, build the statue, but obscure the faces. Neither Sig nor the girl should be clearly identifiable." Public sentiment and funding were behind the project, so Cobra allowed it. Hidden behind a pillar, six-year-old Vivi listened intently, her curiosity about the heroic Sig piqued. A hero who saved a city... how amazing... Vivi fantasized.
Suddenly, an official rushed in, "Your Majesty, the unnamed hero... he's arrived at the port!"
"He's here?" Cobra exclaimed, rising from his throne. "We must welcome him... but discreetly, given his status..." He turned to Igaram, "Igaram, welcome the hero to the palace on my behalf." Cobra commanded. "Prepare a feast! Alabasta will not forget its hero."
......
An hour later, Igaram discreetly escorted Sig to the palace. Cobra hosted a grand feast to express Alabasta's gratitude. Amidst the merriment, Sig's face flushed with wine. He wasn't here for the feast or the gratitude; he had a purpose.
My request might be a bit much for Cobra... he might refuse. Sig drank more, feeling the warmth, and wondering how to broach the subject.
"We are eternally grateful to Sig-san. You saved not only Rainbase but the entire country." Cobra expressed his sincere gratitude, realizing the true scope of Crocodile's threat.
"Don't mention it. I'm just a bandit, not a hero." Sig burped, his mind racing. But I do have a small request...
Cobra was moved. He wouldn't refuse a chance to repay Sig. "Please speak, Sig-san. You are Alabasta's hero. We will do our best to fulfill your request." Cobra, also slightly drunk, readily agreed.
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