the King of Pirates of the East Sea

"So that's how it is!"

"This is the spirit of the great Bandit King, Seeg! The boss is truly the boss!"

The bandits once again became excited, cheering amongst themselves.

Seeg, on the other hand, stood to the side, his scalp tingling.

"They've already drawn their swords..."

At this moment, Shanks, who had been sitting on the floor, patted the dust off his pants and stood up.

The corners of his mouth lifted ever so slightly, forming a faint, enigmatic smile.

His eyes, hidden beneath the shadow of his straw hat, were unreadable, but his tone remained calm as ever:

"Since the swords are drawn, stake your lives on it."

"After all, swords and guns aren't toys to be used for bluffing."

As soon as these words left his mouth, the atmosphere in the bar froze to an extreme.

Even the Red-Haired Pirates, who had been watching the scene unfold with amusement, now looked serious. A few even rose from their seats.

Since their captain had spoken, they could no longer sit idly by.

"Wait!"

At this critical moment, Seeg suddenly spoke up.

An uncharacteristic trace of joy appeared on his face.

Seeg's unexpected reaction caused even the members of the Red-Haired Pirates to pause momentarily.

Vice-captain Benn Beckman glanced at Seeg with a hint of surprise, thinking to himself:

"I originally thought this was just some insignificant small fry."

"But... is he actually excited at the prospect of battle?"

Beckman couldn't help but reassess Seeg.

Someone with such fighting spirit, even if weak now, might not remain insignificant in the future.

What Beckman didn't know was that Seeg's excitement and joy had nothing to do with confronting the Red-Haired Pirates.

It was because he had seen a chance to turn the tables.

Before him, a semi-transparent floating panel had suddenly appeared, and a voice echoed in his mind:

"Actor System activated!"

"Side reward unlocked: S-tier character card draw opportunity. Would you like to use it now?"

"My golden finger is finally here!"

While Seeg was overjoyed, he was also puzzled.

Why was it an Actor System?

This was a battle manga world! What use was an Actor System supposed to have here?

But when he looked at the system's detailed explanation, his excitement surged once more.

As long as he performed closely enough to match the character he was playing, he could gain the character's abilities!

And when the compatibility reached 100%, he would inherit all of that character's power.

For instance, if he managed to draw Vegeta from Dragon Ball, once his compatibility reached 100%, he would become a terrifyingly powerful star-destroying warrior!

"Use the S-tier character card draw opportunity immediately!"

Seeg mentally commanded with urgency.

The next moment, his consciousness seemed to leave the small tavern entirely, plunging into a vast and infinite starry expanse.

Looking around, countless stars twinkled, and he felt as though he were standing in the depths of the universe itself.

In front of Seeg, a golden card floated in mid-air.

"Is this some kind of premium gacha interface from a pay-to-win mobile game? Is this even fair?"

Seeg took a deep breath.

"This is my moment."

At the same time, the golden card began to flip rapidly amidst the starry sea.

Golden rays of light streamed from the card in delicate threads, spreading outward and illuminating the infinite expanse.

Seeg himself seemed to bathe in this radiant golden glow.

"Wow... a golden legend."

This was the system's guaranteed S-tier character card!

Seeg could already envision himself standing at the pinnacle of humanity, crushing the Four Emperors underfoot, punching Admirals into submission, and reaching the absolute peak!

As he awaited the reveal, the golden light finally dispersed, and the full image of the card appeared before him.

"This... why is it him?"

The moment Seeg saw the character on the card, he froze completely.

On the card was a figure whose appearance exuded an extreme sense of danger, carrying an overwhelming aura.

With sharp, cold features, a strong jawline, and blonde hair, the man bore three deep scars across his left eye that were chilling to behold—a character straight out of a power fantasy.

Character Card: KING

Quality: S-tier

Source: One Punch Man

"Ability: Emperor's Engine – The sound produced by a powerful heartbeat, known as the Emperor's Engine, strongly stimulates others' imaginations."

Sig: "......"

This wasn't how he imagined things would go.

An S-tier character card was supposed to be his ticket to instant godhood, stomping on the Four Emperors at light speed.

But what he drew was a comedic character with no actual combat ability.

"Uh... emmmm..."

"To be fair, yes, KING is indeed an S-tier character and even one of the top S-class heroes..."

Sig muttered to himself in frustration.

"But, System, are you sure this is the complete version of KING? The real KING should have another critical ability."

"For instance, summoning a stand-in like... Saitama!"

As a loyal fan of Peachy Network, Sig couldn't help but scream inwardly.

The system, however, didn't bother to respond.

"Equip character card: KING."

"Can KING's Emperor's Engine really turn the tide here?"

"This world isn't going to miraculously drop a bald, caped hero out of nowhere to save me..."

Sig felt incredibly nervous.

The next second, his consciousness snapped back to reality.

At this moment, only an instant had passed since Sig had shouted, "Wait!"

Inside the small tavern, the tense atmosphere was palpable, and the eyes of everyone from both sides were now focused squarely on Sig.

"Well, uh..."

Sig took a deep breath, his heart pounding uncontrollably.

He made a difficult decision.

Preserve his life. Admit defeat.

Looking at Shanks before him, he forced a friendly smile and said:

"Let's not fight. After all, someone like me could never be a match for a Four Emperor of this world."

The moment those words left his mouth, even Sig himself was startled.

The voice he just spoke with was completely unfamiliar—a low, resonant tone, full of power and cold severity.

The same words, spoken in this tone, took on a completely different meaning.

The most cowardly statement sounded like the boldest provocation.

It didn't feel like he was surrendering at all. It sounded more like a fully-leveled taunt!

The others realized it too, and every gaze in the tavern converged on Sig.

At this moment, the entire Red-Haired Pirates crew froze in place, their expressions darkening instantly.

A moment ago, they had been watching the drama unfold as spectators.

Even when the tension was at its peak, they had never regarded Sig as a serious opponent.

But now, after those words, every member's demeanor became deadly serious.

This was bad.

Benn Beckman, the vice-captain, frowned as he observed Sig closely, studying the bandit seriously for the first time.

As the second-in-command of the Red-Haired Pirates and their mastermind, Beckman couldn't let anything slip by.

"This guy, Sig, recognized us as the Red-Haired Pirates and still dares to provoke us?"

Looking more closely, Beckman noticed something else—Sig's demeanor seemed to have undergone a subtle shift.

Originally, Sig was just a generic tall thug, the kind you'd lose in a crowd.

But now, his expression had grown sharp and resolute, and the lines of his face seemed harder, more defined.

Especially the corners of his mouth.

When Sig spoke, the faint upward curve of his lips combined with his cold demeanor gave him a strange, mocking smile—a clear and unmistakable provocation!

And there was something else that deeply unsettled Beckman.

"What's with that thump, thump, thump sound I've been hearing since earlier?"

Beckman furrowed his brow, following the sound with his ears. Eventually, his gaze returned to Sig.

The sound was coming from him.