Words are a kind of magic spell that can sometimes unleash extraordinary power; the phrase “A beautiful woman swordsman just brought some meat” was enough to awaken three unconscious people. [TN: One Piece Episode 353. Usopp yells this to awaken Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji whose shadows had been stolen by Gecko Moria.]
And “big news” was a special attack against Morgans.
“No, the original layout won’t do. Make it a large-format thickened edition. These two pieces of news have to be published side by side to achieve the greatest effect.”
The information Solitaire had brought over had already slipped to the floor, the words “Garp Defeated” glaringly obvious.
Besides the written report, there was even a picture of Garp frozen in ice, though the specific details were absent.
“Defeated… missing… so that’s how it is, I get it now. The World Government wants to hide the defeat of their hero? What a clever scheme.
Attachan, how long ago did this news come out?”
“President, please don’t call me that to my face…
It’s already been out for a while. According to the organization’s assessment, it’s probably spread across most seas by now.”
“I see. These people aren’t completely beyond saving after all. Once our news is published, the impact won’t be nearly as good anymore.”
Morgans’ newspapers needed time to spread. Although he cooperated with Tesoro and the World Economy News Paper now had its own electronic section, the outside world’s stripped-down Rotom devices still weren’t very widespread.
Besides, the influence of physical newspapers had already become deeply ingrained. Even if the news were released through that channel, it would still be hard to achieve a decisive effect.
Once most people in the world had already accepted the idea that Garp encountered a shipwreck, even if Morgans released the information he received from Kaido, some people would still doubt it.
“President, then we…”
“Forget the photo. Only update the written report for this part. Say that Garp met with disaster in battle against pirates, and that his life or death is unknown.”
“Why? Wouldn’t the photo make it more convincing? Besides, news of Garp being captured should be more shocking than news of his death, right?”
“No, no, if this were a normal situation, then yes, being captured would be the better angle. But Marines already made the first move with their information.
If we announce that he was captured, then after our paper comes out, people will subconsciously think Garp was only caught by pirates because he was weakened after the shipwreck.
Although the Marine Hero still fell, the impact wouldn’t be strong enough.”
What Morgans described was exactly the effect Marine wanted. But after publishing newspapers every day and occasionally fabricating fake news himself, Morgans already had extensive experience with this sort of thing.
“Since Marine says Garp encountered a shipwreck, then I’ll believe Garp encountered a shipwreck. After all, that information already has the advantage of being first in people’s minds.
Hero Garp drifted into pirate territory, and after a bitter battle, exhausted all his strength, with his fate unknown.
A person’s desire to survive is terrifying. When facing the threat of death, people always fight with everything they have. Only a Garp like this can better highlight the enemy’s strength.”
Capturing someone alive is generally more difficult than killing them, but after being afflicted with a weakness buff, struggling desperately actually becomes more dangerous. Morgans also didn’t state things too definitively, instead choosing an open-ended conclusion of “life or death unknown.”
Besides, the headline next to it was Kaido and the others’ grand alliance.
Pirates certainly had many monsters among them, but throughout the years, Marines had always been the overlord of the seas. That fact had never changed.
Compared to pirates who fought independently, the Marines possessed unified command, something pirates could never match.
Kaido and others’ alliance had essentially gathered the pirates’ top-level forces together.
In the past, the seas had maintained a balance between the three great forces: Marines, the Four Emperors, and the Shichibukai.
But now, the seas were shifting toward a triangular struggle between Marines, pirates, and the Revolutionary Army.
“That’s enough. I think things here are basically settled. We should be heading back too… Wednesday! Are you planning to announce your resignation on your very first official workday?”
While Morgans and Vivi’s group rode the hot air balloon to Baphomet Island, the headquarters of the World Economy News Paper was also floating nearby. As a mobile headquarters, it never stayed in one place for too long.
“Sorry, President, just wait for me a little longer.”
Vivi had no intention of staying here. After conveying the message she wanted to deliver, she rejoined Morgans’ group.
Meanwhile, Kaido’s side still had many matters left unsettled, but the three of them couldn’t remain here forever. So Kaido left Red Hair and Charlotte Linlin each with an empty Rotom shell unit.
“If anything comes up, use this to contact me. We still have a lot left to discuss.”
The three great pirate crews gradually began preparing for their return voyages. In this alliance, they had all more or less obtained part of what they wanted.
The next day, before Kaido and the others had even returned to their own territories, the newspaper of World Economy News Paper had already spread across the seas.
“200 Berry? Today’s newspaper is really expensive. Is there some huge news?”
In the first half of the Grand Line, known as Paradise, things were still far from peaceful today. But all that noise had little effect on most people; they merely repeated their usual lives mechanically.
Chaha was a farmer. Aside from farming, occasionally reading newspapers was his only entertainment, and the World Economy News Paper was the one he was most familiar with.
Morgans’ newspapers fluctuated in price depending on the content. The current base price was 100 Berry, and the increase usually didn’t exceed 138 Berry. A price of 200 per copy was extremely rare.
A few dozen Berry wasn’t much, so Chaha didn’t mind, letting the News Coo take the money.
Arriving at the chair beside his farmland, he wanted to drink a cup of strong tea like usual, but when he saw the newspaper’s headline, the teacup in his hand uncontrollably slipped to the ground.
Crash—
The exposed rocks on the ground shattered the teacup, but Chaha seemed not to notice at all. His body simply trembled nonstop.
“It’s over… is the end of the world coming…”
【Alliance of Demons — Beasts Pirates, Red Hair Pirates, and Big Mom Pirates’ Grand Alliance!】
Morgans had drawn the three pirate flags into the headline, while the image of Kaido and the others bumping fists occupied an entire page.
Baphomet Island’s other name was Demon Island, and under these circumstances, the word “demon” felt particularly fitting.
Most people felt not just shock, but even greater fear. The image of pirates had long since been established; they were nothing more than a bunch of villains.
Though Kaido and the others were feared Emperors of the Sea in the New World, in many people’s eyes, they were simply the leaders of villains. Now that the three greatest evil forces had joined together, how could ordinary people’s lives possibly improve?
Only the World Government could bring benefits. Only Marines upheld justice. That was their understanding.
Panic spread across the island. Some people even lost hope for the future, beginning to worry about how they should live from now on.
But in other seas, people’s reactions were different.
Within the Beasts Pirates’ territory, people who received the newspaper were already running around spreading the news.
“Governor-General Kaido has formed an alliance with Big Mom and Red Hair!”
“Rui-chan! Stop running around and get me a newspaper!”
On a winter island, a guard wearing a thick cotton hat stopped the newsboy rushing past and bought a newspaper from him. Sometimes News Coo only delivered newspapers to fixed locations, and secondary distribution became human’s responsibility.
“This is incredible. In that case, the New World should finally become peaceful, right? Who could possibly withstand these three joining forces?”
Living in the New World and surviving under pirates’ protection, they had long grown accustomed to this way of life and naturally held different views toward pirates.
Kaido himself didn’t manage the governance of his territories. The rules here were mostly enforced according to Arceus’ will, so the people within the Beasts Pirates’ territory didn’t reject the pirates at all. Instead, they supported their rule.
In the past, rookie pirates would occasionally invade their territory. In the guard’s eyes, once this alliance was formed, no one would be able to disrupt their island’s peace anymore.
“Stop dreaming. How could peace come from something like this? If you ask me, this is just the final calm before the storm.”
The guards discussed what the future would look like, while the pirate called Rui had already run off. Under the cold wind, his little face was red from the freezing weather, but as he looked at the pirate flag still fluttering proudly in the snowstorm, a sense of yearning arose in his heart.
He also wanted to join under that flag and sail the seas with those adults.
His environment had shaped him this way. From the day he was born, it was that pirate flag that had protected him. To him, Marines were the real villains.
Red Hair’s territory.
“Boss formed an alliance with Kaido and Big Mom.”
“Can they really be trusted?”
“Boss’ decision can’t be wrong, right? This way we won’t have to fight those two pirate crews anymore. That’s great.”
Most people’s reactions were similar. If Arceus won hearts by changing the islands’ environments, then Shanks simply helped the poor, using his flag to shelter countless people.
Not only civilians, but even the subordinate crews were filled with the old, weak, sick, and disabled. Without Shanks, they would have long since been abandoned by the sea and never had the chance to say such things.
Within Big Mom’s territory, meanwhile, most residents were still focused on worrying about the harvest.
This matter didn’t really have much to do with them, and no one would drag them into war anyway. After all, most of this pirate crew’s fodder forces were made up of Homies.
There also weren’t many pirates capable of harassing Big Mom’s territory, but in the end, everyone still felt the future would become more stable.
For them, yearly food production was what mattered most. If they learned that Big Mom’s eating disorder had been cured, that would be the moment they truly celebrated.
East Blue, Goa Kingdom, Foosha Village.
Originally, this was just an ordinary seaside village, an obscure corner even within the Goa Kingdom, yet more than one troublesome figure had emerged from this place.
“Shanks actually joined this alliance?”
“What about that brat Luffy? There hasn’t been any news about him lately. How’s he doing now?”
The windmill creaked as it spun, driving the millstone below to grind grain. Inside the village bar, the villagers laughed and chatted as usual, while Makino held a baby in her arms, using bounty posters to familiarize the child with some famous people.
But when the opposing headline on the newspaper was read aloud, the bar fell silent in an instant.
【Fall of the Hero — Marine Hero Garp, Life-or-Death Unknown!】
“Wasn’t it said yesterday that Mr. Garp encountered a shipwreck? What’s going on?”
“His fate’s unknown in pirate territory… the newspaper didn’t say he was dead, right? Mr. Garp couldn’t really…”
Morgans’ half-true, half-false fabrication successfully deceived ordinary people. Naturally, people from Garp’s hometown began to worry. Amid the noisy bar, even the baby started crying.
“What are you panicking for?! ‘Life-or-Death Unknown’ means he’s not dead yet! That’s the man who created countless legends, you don’t need to worry about him!”
The village chief’s words seemed to calm everyone down, but no one noticed the lingering trace of concern still hidden in his eyes.
Island of White Soil — Baltigo.
As the headquarters of the Revolutionary Army, this island carried the hopes of many people. Inside the headquarters’ meeting room, Dragon and the others were analyzing recent operations while also reading the information in the newspaper.
“The most vicious pirate, huh. Dragon, your title of Worst Criminal is about to be stolen away. Looks like the World Government’s attention has shifted away from us a little.”
“It won’t. As long as they haven’t completely overthrown the government of the kingdom, the World Government’s stance won’t change. Pirates are the Marine’s greatest concern, but not the World Government’s.”
The World Government had always intentionally controlled the number of pirates, using pirate chaos to maintain its own rule. Compared to the Revolutionary Army, what pirates were doing now really amounted to nothing.
“How confident of you, hee-haw! But Dragon, the contents of this newspaper…”
“I saw it. He’s still alive.”
“A Vivre Card? But he is your father. Should we…”
“Right now is the critical stage of the revolution. We only barely managed to find this opportunity. Once we fail, we won’t get another chance. Even if he truly stands in my way, I’ll find a way to defeat him.”
Dragon’s expression showed no change at all, as though Garp was nothing more than a stranger.
As an old acquaintance, Ivankov knew Dragon wasn’t heartless. He had simply placed these matters after the revolution in his priorities. Since even Dragon wasn’t saying anything, there was no need for him to worry.
“Our previous operation succeeded. Judging from the current information, according to that kingdom’s king, Marines said Kizaru would come support them, which was why they held the royal palace.
Looks like the disappearance of their reinforcements may have been because these pirates drew away their attention.”
“Their alliance is our opportunity. Marines cannot ignore such a terrifying alliance. We need to accelerate our plans while taking advantage of this chance, but we cannot be careless in the slightest.
Up to now, not a single member of the God’s Knights has appeared. The true revolution… hasn’t even begun yet.”
“Mm. Kuma has already recovered now as well, which is excellent news for us. Also, Koala and Hack have returned from Fish-Man Island. They’ve got new information to report too.”
The Revolutionary Army’s instincts had already detected the approaching chaos, and they were beginning to position themselves accordingly.
On the seas of the New World, pirates had also split into two factions.
One side believed this alliance was unstoppable and that the future Pirate King would inevitably emerge from among them, so they wanted to join under one of the alliance’s banners.
The other side believed this alliance would obstruct their future. From now on, the seas would be ruled by those people, so they had to act before the alliance became truly stable.
Meanwhile, aboard the Sunny, the miserly Nami had just bought this expensive newspaper.
“Luffy!”
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