Adrian stepped aboard the Shark Ship.
"Boss, Morgans says he wants to speak with you personally," Lucci reported. "Not sure what you want to do…"
For days, he'd been sending the photos—the photos—across the sea via News Coo. The shots of Adrian defeating the world's Greatest Swordsman, Dracule Mihawk, were sensational material. And this time, Morgans took the bait properly.
This wasn't a small scoop—this was a world-shaking headline. As the man who built the World Economic Journal into the number one newspaper on the seas in just over twenty years, Morgans would never ignore prey this big.
Adrian picked up the receiver of the Den Den Mushi.
"Morgans insists on speaking to me personally? Did he have a disagreement with my subordinates?" Adrian asked lazily.
"Hardly," Morgans' excited voice crackled through. "But I did want to speak directly with the man who defeated the world's strongest swordsman—the new World's Number One."
Adrian smirked.
The World Economic Journal's analysts had searched every record they could find based on the photograph of Adrian's face. They found nothing. Not a trace. That alone was enough to obsess Morgans: an unknown man rising from nowhere to defeat Mihawk? The headline practically wrote itself.
"What do you want to talk about, exactly?" Adrian replied. "This is our first time speaking. I doubt we have much to discuss."
"Is that not a bit cold, sir?" Morgans asked.
"I don't owe you warmth," Adrian said plainly. "Especially when we have no relation."
"Now that's not entirely true, is it?" Morgans pressed. "Your subordinate sent those photos to my paper. Surely that means you want me to be the one to spread your name. That makes us partners… doesn't it?"
Adrian's tone cooled, razor-sharp.
"Morgans… you must be thinking far too highly of yourself."
Silence.
"This world doesn't only have your newspaper," Adrian continued. "If you don't publish it, I'll simply send it to someone else. Don't delude yourself into believing that without the World Economic Journal, the world loses its news."
Morgans' beak clicked shut at the other end of the line.
Adrian was right—and Morgans hated that he was right.
Morgans wanted to curse. That handsome brat had found his pressure point instantly. Did he think Morgans didn't realize he was drooling for this headline? A no-name defeating Mihawk? It was the type of story he could exaggerate into legend.
Just like he once inflated Straw Hat Luffy into "the Fifth Emperor."
Adrian wasn't being arrogant—he was simply correct. Morgans needed this story more than Adrian needed his newspaper.
After a long moment, Morgans finally spoke again, his tone much more… restrained.
"Let's not make things difficult. I believe we can still have a pleasant conversation… yes?"
Adrian answered simply, "Good."
A beaten lion.
"Well then," Morgans continued, recovering some enthusiasm, "I'm curious—how does a man like you appear out of nowhere? A 'nameless' warrior cutting down the world's number one swordsman… it's enough to shake the seas."
He leaned forward on his end, eager.
"So could you share some… details? Background? Power? Anything. It'll make the article more compelling—and when it goes out, your fame will ignite across the world."
Adrian laughed quietly.
"So after all that circling around, that's what you wanted? Information?"
He chuckled with mild annoyance.
"You should've said so earlier. I'm not stingy. If you want some details, I don't mind giving you a few."
Morgans nearly choked.
This monster really was impossible to handle.
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