If, previously, Sig's "Emperor's Engine" sound was closer to the rhythm of a heartbeat, at this moment, amplified several times by the loudspeaker, it truly sounded as if there were an engine within Sig's body, constantly emitting thunderous roars!
The moment this engine sound erupted, the situation changed dramatically.
The Celestial Dragon, Saint Charlos, who had been preparing to aim at Sig again, staggered and almost fell.
On his originally ferocious and hideous face, a hint of terror appeared.
"Saint Charlos! Danger!"
By his side, the group of bodyguards, who had been silently watching from the sidelines, suddenly had their expressions shift dramatically. With a swift motion, they immediately formed a human wall in front of Saint Charlos.
Some of them even drew their guns, aiming directly at Sig.
Behind them, Saint Charlos's face turned beet red with fury, and his hands trembled slightly, weakened by the shock from Sig. It seemed like he was both terrified and furious at being frightened. He roared:
"Get lost! Do you want to steal my fun?"
At these words, the bodyguards begrudgingly lowered their weapons but remained standing protectively in front of him.
Saint Charlos, meanwhile, with some difficulty, raised the cannon in his hands and braced it on the shoulders of the two bodyguards in front of him.
On the other side, aboard the pirate ship, Sig's face initially showed a hint of joy but quickly darkened again.
"Just the loudspeaker alone... it's still not enough…"
After the recent battle, Sig had understood that the range of the "Emperor's Engine" was limited.
Thus, before setting out to sea, while the bandits were hastily gathering supplies in the wooden hut, Sig had an idea and picked up the loudspeaker.
The loudspeaker had originally been purchased by their bald leader for shouting commands during training. This time, Sig had strapped it to his chest, positioning it right over his heart.
His spur-of-the-moment idea had proven effective, but it still wasn't enough!
Sig took a deep breath, his heart pounding relentlessly.
As expected, the Celestial Dragon came with a whole team of bodyguards, and some of them were likely highly skilled.
This meant that conventional attacks, such as gunfire or cannon shots, would likely be intercepted by the bodyguards, making death come even quicker!
Actually, Sig had another bold idea.
It wasn't just untested—compared to the loudspeaker, it was even more outlandish, absurd, and downright outrageous!
"It's time for the real performance to begin!"
"I'm the system-certified Best Actor. This time, I'll rely entirely on my acting skills! If King could pull it off, I should be able to do it too!"
Even though he was giving himself a pep talk, Sig had absolutely no confidence. The overwhelming tension was almost swallowing him whole.
Faced with Saint Charlos aiming at him again, Sig prepared for a desperate performance he had no assurance of pulling off!
With an expression as cold as iron and a sharp, blade-like glint in his eyes, his gaze locked onto the Celestial Dragon aboard the opposing ship!
"Secret Technique! Hell—Inferno—Matchless—"
A deep growl escaped his throat, amplified dramatically by the loudspeaker, echoing across the sea!
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!
Amidst the booming sound of the "Emperor's Engine," Sig's entire demeanor radiated an overwhelming intensity, like a volcano accumulating immense power before an eruption.
"Sig-boy, you're actually going to…"
Beside him, Ivankov was so shaken he could barely speak.
Standing right next to Sig, Ivankov could keenly sense Sig's awe-inspiring momentum, sending shivers down his spine.
He had initially thought that Sig simply planned to use Conqueror's Haki to knock out the Celestial Dragon and then retreat.
But the Conqueror's Haki had already been unleashed, and yet the Celestial Dragon hadn't fallen. Though Ivankov couldn't figure out why…
Now, looking at this overwhelming aura, Sig even pulled out a "secret technique"! He was clearly intent on killing the Celestial Dragon in front of the World Government's elite bodyguards!
Aboard the Celestial Dragon's ship, everyone felt as if they had plunged into an icy abyss.
The bodyguards shielding Saint Charlos suddenly felt a chill run through them. Under this terrifying aura, they could hardly move a muscle.
Saint Charlos's finger, which was already on the trigger, began trembling violently.
He only needed to move his finger slightly to fire the cannon, but at this moment, it was as if his finger no longer belonged to him—he couldn't control it.
Saint Charlos's vision blurred, and a tall figure in white suddenly appeared before him, kicking away the other bodyguards and standing directly in front of him.
"Saint Charlos, please step back."
A voice devoid of any emotion came from behind the white mask.
"CP0... I'm saved..."
This thought arose in Saint Charlos's mind, yet for some reason, the sense of dread and unease in his chest didn't diminish in the slightest!
Saint Charlos clutched his chest, his face gradually turning pale. The air seemed to freeze, suffocating him!
At the same time, seeing the CP0 figure appear, Sig's heart also trembled!
That attire, combined with that white mask, such a flashy look—it was most likely... CP0!
This was already the worst possible outcome. Not only was he up against a Celestial Dragon, but now CP0 had also appeared!
But… there was no retreat anymore!
The already roaring Emperor Engine let out another deafening blast, and Sig's aura surged dramatically once more!
He crossed his arms in front of him, palms facing inward toward each other.
The overwhelming, volcano-like energy had reached its peak, as if a terrifying, destructive force was about to erupt between his palms!
"Sig, sir!"
"Boss Sig!"
At this moment, countless people aboard the refugee fleet were startled by this terrifying aura and turned to look.
On the distant dragon ship, Revolutionary Army leader Dragon's eyes flashed with brilliance. The cadres beside him widened their eyes, their faces tinged with shame.
Could it be... he was about to do something they, the Revolutionary Army, didn't dare to do?
Was he actually going to… kill a Celestial Dragon?!
"Explosive... Heat... Wave... Cannon!"
With a loud roar, Sig thrust his palms forward!
An invisible, terrifying force exploded outwards, and in the blink of an eye, it seemed as though the Celestial Dragon's ship had been completely pierced—except, nothing happened.
Nothing at all.
The scene became unbearably awkward.
"Hmph!"
A disdainful snort came from behind CP0's white mask.
The aura just now had been so overwhelming that even he had been momentarily bluffed.
"So it was all just bluster..."
Before he could finish his sentence, a dull thud sounded behind him!
Saint Charlos collapsed heavily to the ground, his eyes vacant, mouth agape, and one hand still clutching his chest.
"Saint Charlos has fallen!"
"Damn it! How did he attack Saint Charlos?! CP0 was right there—did they fail to block it?"
"We couldn't even see how he attacked!"
"Doctor! Doctor!"
"Cardiac arrest! Begin emergency resuscitation immediately!"