White Night had no interest in the trio's small actions.
He currently had more important things to attend to.
"Hey, you, come here." White Night waved at the pitiful-looking News Bird.
The News Bird flinched, its wings almost forgetting how to flap, and it scrambled and flew in front of White Night, its head lowered, looking ready to receive instructions.
Dragon's eyelid twitched, and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down.
He turned his head and mumbled a question to Garp beside him in a voice only he could hear.
"Boss Bai Ye, is he... always like this?"
Garp nodded seriously.
This kid had always been this bizarre.
Dragon's heart instantly sank halfway.
Garp seemed to feel that a single nod was insufficient to express his feelings, so he leaned closer and lowered his voice.
"You'll get used to it."
"Also, this kid is incredibly petty. Make sure you never offend him."
Garp's tone was unprecedentedly solemn, as if he were imparting a life-saving secret technique.
This was wisdom he had gained through blood and tears.
Dragon: "..."
Had the world finally gone mad?
Just as the father and son were having their intimate exchange, a shadow silently loomed over them.
Kizaru's signature lecherous big face had somehow crept closer again, his eyes squinting slightly beneath his sunglasses, and his ears perked up longer than a rabbit's.
'I see, so young man White Night is petty, huh? Then we absolutely mustn't offend him.'
Snap!
A crisp snap of fingers.
Under the astonished gaze of everyone present, the casual clothes White Night was wearing—which looked slightly thin in the sea breeze—vanished instantly.
Replacing them was a perfectly tailored, wrinkle-free, pure black suit and a snow-white shirt.
He casually slicked his slightly messy black hair back, and a pair of exquisite gold-rimmed glasses appeared out of thin air, resting perfectly on his nose bridge.
In just an instant, his entire demeanor underwent a drastic change.
He transformed from a seemingly harmless neighborhood youth into an elegant, mysterious, yet fundamentally dangerous refined scoundrel.
White Night raised his eyes and commanded the News Bird, which was trembling in place, from a position of superiority, "Fly higher. Shoot from below, upwards. Do you understand what a low angle shot is?"
"Coo?"
The News Bird's small head was currently filled with big question marks.
But it quickly snapped out of it.
The saying, 'Clothes make the man,' was something it truly grasped today. This human, having changed his clothes, had a terrifying aura that enveloped the whole bird... no, the whole person!
White Night ignored its confusion and instead pointed at the three people behind him who were stiff as statues.
"You three, step back. Don't block the shot."
His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable command.
Oh.
Garp, Dragon, and Kizaru instinctively took a few steps back, yielding the optimal stage to White Night.
Coo!
The News Bird nodded heavily, indicating that it understood the essence of the "low angle shot."
It fiercely flapped its wings, soaring into the air, its professional photographer's soul burning brightly.
Click! Click! Click!
Blinding flashes, accompanied by the crisp sound of the shutter, flickered wildly across the deck.
The News Bird transformed into an ace pilot, circling, diving, and banking sideways, capturing White Night's figure from every angle.
White Night stood with one hand tucked into his suit trousers pocket, the other resting casually on the ship's railing. The sea breeze whipped his dark suit jacket tails, making them flap loudly.
He wasn't looking at the camera; he merely tilted his face, his gaze distant as it was cast towards the horizon where the sea met the sky. The lenses of his gold-rimmed glasses reflected the shimmering waves.
An indescribable sense of mystery and narrative rushed forth.
"Not bad, keep that feeling." White Night's voice sounded faint, as if he were speaking to the News Bird, or perhaps just talking to himself.
He slowly turned around, facing the lens directly.
"Front view. Give me a close-up."
The News Bird flinched and immediately adjusted its angle, locking the lens firmly onto White Night's face.
White Night extended his right hand, joining his index and middle fingers, and gently pressed them against his temple, a subtle curve forming at the corner of his mouth.
The smile didn't reach his eyes, and combined with his refined scoundrel attire, it exuded a heart-stopping danger.
Click!
This photograph was perfectly captured.
"That's enough."
White Night lowered his hand and nodded contentedly at the News Bird.
Following White Night's satisfied nod, the News Bird acted as if it had received a great pardon and flapped its wings, preparing to escape.
After all, the human who had just been posing had an overwhelmingly terrifying aura.
It was just a little bird responsible for taking pictures and delivering mail; it couldn't handle this kind of pressure.
Such pressure should be left to the three tough guys behind him.
"Wait."
Just as the News Bird was about to fly away from the deck, White Night's cool voice sounded again.
The News Bird's body instantly froze in mid-air, forgetting to flap its wings, and it nearly plunged headfirst into the sea.
It stiffly turned around, looking at White Night in terror with its small black-bean eyes, uttering a pitiful "Coo... Coo?" from its beak.
Do you have any further instructions?
White Night walked slowly toward it, one hand in his suit trousers pocket, the gaze beneath his gold-rimmed glasses calm and unperturbed.
"The photos are good, but pictures alone aren't enough."
He extended his index finger and gently tapped the News Bird's small head.
"Do you know how to write a headline?"
"Coo?"
The News Bird was completely bewildered.
Write... write a headline? It was just a bird! Although it was professionally trained, its scope of work didn't include writing!
Seeing its bewildered expression, White Night knew he couldn't rely on it.
He sighed, feeling that he was truly worrying too much.
"I'll give you a direction." White Night lowered his voice significantly.
"It needs to be exaggerated, shocking, and make people unable to resist finding out what happened just by reading the title."
The News Bird tilted its head, and a spark of inspiration flashed in its black-bean eyes.
It seemed... to understand a little.
Exaggerated? Shocking?
It was as if certain genes within it had been activated.
The flame of creativity instantly ignited in the News Bird's eyes. It puffed out its chest and let out a rapid and loud series of "Coo-coos" at White Night!
Coo! Coo-coo-coo! Coo-coo coo-coo!
Its passionate posture made it seem like it was delivering an impassioned speech.
White Night watched it, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
"Shock! A God Descends Upon East Blue! Legendary Great Pirate Golden Lion Crushed, Three Top-Tier Experts Kneel in Worship!"
Watching the fierce flame of creativity burning in the News Bird's eyes, White Night's eyes lit up.
Hey, this stupid bird wasn't stupid!
He nodded contentedly: "Exactly, write it like that. Go, and let the world... be shaken."
"Coo-coo!"
Having received the final instruction, the News Bird's cry was exceptionally loud, filled with unprecedented motivation. With a flap of its wings, it turned into a white streak of lightning, instantly shooting into the sky and speeding towards the headquarters of the news agency, flying so fast that it left an afterimage in the air.
It was already impatient to spread this major news, enough to overturn the world's perception, across the Four Seas!
The next Legendary News Vendor King will be me!