Chapter 37: Morgans: Within Two Days, I Want All His Information!
On the Grand Line, a certain island.
Dense throngs of pirates were coming and going above this island.
At the center of the island stood a colossal building.
The building was shaped like a giant birdcage, and at its top was a spherical device.
On the main entrance inside the building, a string of characters was boldly written.
[World Economic News Agency (World Economic Journal)]
This was "Newspaper Island," the headquarters of the World Economic News Agency.
At this moment, inside the chief editor's office on the top floor of the headquarters.
"Not enough! Not explosive enough!"
A giant albatross wearing a top hat and holding a cane slammed the sample newspaper in his hand heavily onto the floor.
That was the president of the World Economic News Agency, an underworld kingpin who single-handedly manipulated public opinion and information across the entire Grand Line — "Big News" Morgans.
"Look at what you've written! Princess of the Goa Kingdom and a commoner's love affair?! How can such boring content qualify for a report? Readers don't subscribe to us to see this kind of stuff!"
Saliva sprayed from his beak: "The Seven Warlords of the Sea! The Four Emperors! Powerful figures who can shake the world and ignite the Grand Line — *that's* what people want to read!"
"But, but President..."
The bald reporter in front of him, sweating profusely, had a bitter expression: "I submitted a report about the Seven Warlords of the Sea before, but you rejected that too..."
"Ha?!"
Morgans raised an eyebrow, and slammed his cane forcefully on the bald head in front of him.
"What kind of joke are you playing?!"
"'Toad King' Huaben's subordinate fleet was defeated by a Supernova" — *That* is enough to report, but you wanted it as a *headline*! A *headline*!"
He continued to spray saliva: "What was the latest headline? Don't you want to take another look?"
"It was the 'Sky Gold Robbery Incident,' it was the information about the 'Three-Army Maneuvers' — *those* are worthy of being headlines!"
As he spoke, he gripped his wings tightly in excitement, as if recalling the turbulent Grand Line of two months prior.
And the fellow who caused all that turmoil.
"Any news about 'Drunken Chicken'?"
"The editorial department still has no relevant information, President. 'Drunken Chicken' seems to have gone into hiding after that incident."
"Worthless!"
Once again, he slammed his cane hard on the bald head, which now sported a large bump, but Morgans couldn't help but sigh.
As a qualified journalist, he yearned for truly big news.
But even in this Pirate Era, truly explosive news was still rare.
"The Twelve Star Generals... Unfortunately, the World Government won't disclose information about their organization to me; I only know the organization's name."
He muttered, his words full of regret.
As one of the underworld kings with cooperation and tacit understanding with the World Government.
Although "The Twelve Star Generals" was information temporarily sealed by the World Government and the Marines.
But Morgans, leveraging his connections, could still obtain some related information through his channels.
It was just very obvious — the name of an organization was not nearly enough to be called a "report."
"When will that 'Drunken Chicken' reappear?"
Muttering this to himself, Morgans returned to his desk and poured himself a cup of hot coffee — this coffee was a famous brand from the West Blue, and he had grown fond of it recently.
But it was precisely at this moment.
"Bang!"
The door to the chief editor's office was violently thrown open, and a young reporter rushed in.
"Ha... ha..."
He clutched a telegram in his hand, his voice somewhat distorted with excitement: "President! Big news... Big news!"
Watching this scene, Morgans furrowed his brow, silently thinking that young people just couldn't contain themselves.
"Calm down a bit. I remember telling you during orientation — as a journalist, you must be calm and graceful."
He gracefully held his coffee cup and took a sip: "Speak, what's the news?!"
"It's the Seven Warlords of the Sea — 'Crocodile' of the Seven Warlords of the Sea has been defeated and killed!"
"Pfft!"
And just like that, the 'elegant' Big News Morgans's mouthful of hot coffee sprayed onto the bald reporter's head not far away.
"Pr-President?!"
The bald reporter, head covered in a bump and face dripping with coffee, looked at Morgans with a bitter expression.
What happened to being calm and graceful?
But Morgans ignored him, his massive body suddenly leaning forward: "Defeated and killed?! By whom?! Quickly bring it to me... *cough cough*... let me see!"
Halfway through, he seemed to remember his supposed "grace as a journalist," so he tried to lower his voice.
"Yes, yes!"
The young reporter hurriedly handed over the telegram.
Morgans took the telegram and immediately began to read it frantically.
But with just a glance...
"This... this is..."
His gaze instantly sharpened like an eagle's, and the coffee cup in his hand was crushed on the spot.
"Ah!"
The shattered coffee cup fragments once again hit the bald reporter's head, causing him to let out a miserable shriek.
But at this moment, Morgans was clearly oblivious.
Because "Big News" Morgans was now breathing heavily, staring at the very top of the telegram, at what appeared to be a scene captured from afar.
It was in the middle of a desert.
The traces left by a colossal tsunami on the desert were still clearly visible — that enormous deep pit, the lingering water, and the torrential rain pouring from the sky, even in the blurry photograph, still shocked people.
The completely altered terrain was enough to demonstrate what kind of fierce battle had taken place there.
But the key to the problem wasn't here, the key to the problem was...
In the very center of that photograph, Morgans could see two people.
One of them was already lying on the ground.
Morgans recognized the other person — one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, renowned throughout the Four Blues, "Desert King" Crocodile.
But at this moment, this great pirate had brutal wounds all over his body.
His body was covered in traces of frostbite and burns, and his left hand was already gone.
That silently declared a fact — Crocodile was dead.
This was already news sufficient to shake the Grand Line.
But at this moment, for Morgans...
The person who defeated him was truly the core focus of his attention.
Because he saw at a glance the majestic dragon-head mask.
"Sea Beast Mask..."
Morgans's huge wing feathers almost stood on end — as one of the smartest individuals on the Grand Line, he immediately realized the possibility.
"Is it the second person from the [Twelve Star Generals]?!"
At this thought, Morgans felt his heartbeat become somewhat uncontrollable.
"Who is he?!"
He instantly looked at the young man again, his voice almost a roar.
"Not, not certain. Currently, we only know that he defeated Crocodile; the specific details still require further investigation..."
"Then go investigate immediately!"
Morgans suddenly spun around, and the furious wind generated by his colossal wings lifted the mountain of documents piled in the office, scattering them everywhere.
"A Warlord of the Sea has been defeated and killed! The World Government will definitely send people to Alabasta — before they seal off the information, gather all the intelligence you can. Regardless of whether it's true or false!"
"Editorial Department, Intelligence Analysis Team, Independent Investigation Unit... Everyone who is free, get to Alabasta!"
"Three days... No! Two days — within two days, I want all his information!"
"This time's headline, it can only be him!"
And so, a moment later, the entire World Economic News Agency headquarters erupted into a frenzy.
Reporters rushed out of the chief editor's office, and the ringing of Den Den Mushi was incessant.
And Morgans, the only one remaining in the chief editor's office, enjoyed listening to the chaotic sounds from below.
He flapped his wings, like an elegant conductor.
"That's right, that's right! This is what I'm talking about!"
Inside his beak, he let out a hearty laugh: "A calm Grand Line is too boring, too boring!"
"The Twelve Star Generals..."
He murmured this organization's name, which was still unknown territory to him.
But his intuition had already told him.
In the upcoming turbulent era, this organization might be the very core of everything.
It would bring...
"Countless... 'Big News'!"
(end of chapter)