Dragon narrowed his eyes and quickly skimmed the documents on the desk. Even his usual hard, icy expression shifted with visible emotion.
"It's not just stirred up Goa Kingdom… it even made Goa Kingdom dispatch the Navy?"
"Higuma's moves are too big. Is he being impulsive?"
Dragon was puzzled. It didn't match what he thought he understood about Higuma.
He'd only seen Higuma once—from far away—but after that, Dragon had conducted a deep investigation. The impression Higuma left on him was unforgettable.
According to Dragon's intelligence, Higuma was extremely low-profile and patient—someone who always acted quietly from the shadows.
His strength was supposedly absurd to the point of the unbelievable. Rumor said he had personally defeated fifty-six legendary great pirates…
"Higuma is scheming, immensely powerful, and yet he's hidden in Goa Kingdom for years. He must be plotting something enormous!"
"But why, of all times, is he suddenly so active? Why stop lying low and even draw Goa Kingdom and the Navy's attention?"
Dragon couldn't make it add up.
Just then, another officer pushed the door open and rushed in.
"Chief! Important intelligence on Higuma!"
The officer was panting, cheeks flushed with excitement.
"Oh? Let me see."
Dragon read carefully.
Ivankov, standing beside him, leaned in with that massive head too—clearly curious.
The report was short, but the information contained inside made both Dragon and Ivankov's faces change instantly.
"Hee-haw! Now I get it!"
Ivankov spun on one foot in his red high heels. If the room had been any bigger, he looked like he might've broken into ballet on the spot.
"Dragon, I'll admit it—Higuma-boy really is worth watching! Just for that ambition alone!"
"His goal is the same as ours—he wants to attack Mary Geoise, the Holy Land, and overturn the Celestial Dragons and the World Government's rule!"
Ivankov was practically vibrating as he spoke.
"Yes…" Dragon murmured, and for once his calm voice carried heat. "Now it all connects. It makes sense."
Even Dragon—always composed—looked as if his eyes were shining.
It was the light of conviction.
Learning Higuma's ideals stirred something in him, and he spoke with rare feeling.
"Higuma's recent actions aren't reckless. This man is finally preparing to bare his fangs."
"Goa Kingdom and the Navy's attention? This is a man who wants to flip the world over. For a true King of Bandits, that level of attention is nothing more than the starting line."
Dragon drew a deep breath. He was… excited.
The world's most heinous criminal, Monkey D. Dragon, felt as if he'd found his own kind.
In the world of pirates, the Celestial Dragons stood above all. Not only commoners—even most pirates, scum, and criminals who ignored the law didn't dare harbor the slightest thought of resisting them.
Dragon understood that better than anyone.
That was why, for so many years, he'd traveled the world and operated from the shadows—building the Revolutionary Army with his own hands, quietly weaving a colossal net over the globe—and in doing so became known as the world's most heinous criminal.
And Higuma?
What he'd done was, in truth, very similar to Dragon.
He also moved behind the scenes—only Higuma hid even deeper.
Like a snake in the grass, the trail was faint, the line running for a thousand miles.
This was a man who had lived through the Rocks era, the Roger era, and now this Great Pirate Era.
He had once stood shoulder to shoulder with the Pirate King, personally sent countless legendary pirates into Impel Down—yet remained hidden behind the curtain of the age, unknown to all.
And now… was it finally time for him to step onto the stage?
"Higuma… I really want to sit down and talk with this man."
"His target is the Celestial Dragons too. If we can bring him into the Revolutionary Army—or at least form an alliance—he'd be an enormous asset to us."
Dragon spoke softly. His interest in Higuma deepened.
It was the recognition between shadowy "final bosses."
"Dragon, you'd better think this through…"
Ivankov said seriously.
"He wants to be the King of Bandits. For all we know, that means overthrowing the Celestial Dragons and then crowning himself king. That doesn't match the Revolutionary Army's goal."
Dragon pondered it.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
"As for whether we turn on each other… we can talk about that after the World Government falls."
"Higuma is definitely worth trying to contact…"
Dragon stood from his chair, casually picked up the paper report, and the corner of his mouth lifted.
"Perfect timing. We already have an important piece of information about him."
.....
While the name "King of Bandits Higuma" stirred undercurrents in Goa Kingdom and drew the attention of many factions…
The center of the storm—the culprit in everyone's eyes, Higuma himself—was living peacefully.
His life had no waves at all. It was so steady that even Higuma found it a little surprising.
During this time, Higuma had been deliberately avoiding his underlings, trying to train up his Emperor Engine heart.
And the results left him in a pretty good mood.
That day, after finishing a 10-kilometer run, Higuma was walking back to the hideout.
He reached up and felt his heartbeat.
With the Emperor Engine's effect, Higuma now had a powerful heart.
Even during higher-intensity physical exercise, his heart rate could remain stable for long periods—meaning his stamina was genuinely good.
As for the raw strength of his body—his limb strength—that was still far weaker by comparison.
Of course, he'd only just started training. A few days wasn't going to produce some miraculous improvement.
"Morning, boss."
"Higuma-boss."
"Boss."
Along the mountain path, bandits with headscarves kept greeting him.
Higuma simply nodded in response.
He was fairly satisfied.
"Smacking that show-off bald guy a few days ago actually worked."
"These past few days, they've barely bothered me with nonsense like 'raiding the royal capital'…"
Higuma's impression of his subordinates improved a bit.
"Perfect. Absolutely perfect. The underlings are obedient, and life is stable."
"My plan is working."
Facing the mountains, Higuma felt quietly gratified.
"As long as I hide in the mountains and keep a low profile, whether Navy Hero Garp comes or not has nothing to do with me."
He continued down the mountain road, calm and content.
"Morning, boss."
"Mr. Higuma."
"Higuma-boss…"
The closer he got to the hideout, the more bandits he ran into.
By the end, Higuma couldn't help the thought creeping in.
"Do I have this many underlings?"
He was genuinely confused.
These past few days, whenever he trained, he'd deliberately avoided his own men to keep his "big shot" persona from collapsing—so he really hadn't paid attention to what his crew looked like anymore.
Higuma narrowed his eyes, grabbed a passing bandit by the arm, and sized him up.
This bandit was a full two meters tall—noticeably taller than Higuma, who was one-ninety—and built like a brick wall, broad-backed and thick-waisted.
A physique like that was rare even among bandits.
"Are you really one of my men?" Higuma asked, looking up at him. "Why do you look so unfamiliar?"
(End of Chapter)
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