"Jinbe!"
All of a sudden, Whitebeard's booming voice rang out with a hint of laughter, snapping Jinbe out of his thoughts.
"Old man, what is it?"
Although Jinbe was not formally a member of the Whitebeard Pirates, because of Whitebeard's long-standing protection of Fish-Man Island, Jinbe had long since come to regard him as his own father—no different from the rest of the crew.
And Whitebeard, naturally, was more than happy to have gained such a big, sturdy son.
Whitebeard chuckled and pointed toward the newspaper in Ace's hands.
During the brief silence just now, he had already finished reading the report about the Straw Hat Pirates and had vaguely guessed why the World Government had placed such an outrageously high bounty on them.
Ace hadn't explained things in detail, and neither Whitebeard nor the others aboard had ever pressed him for answers.
But judging from the miraculous medicines Ace had produced—and the explosive growth in his strength…
There had to be secrets hidden within the Straw Hat crew, secrets unknown to the world.
Perhaps the World Government had discovered this, which was why they were treating the Straw Hat Pirates with such gravity.
Thinking of this, Whitebeard suddenly burst into loud laughter.
"Gurarararara~!"
"Jinbe, you really ought to take a look at today's paper."
"I never thought that, after so many years, someone would do the same thing Fisher Tiger once did!"
"What!?"
At the sudden mention of his deceased elder brother, curiosity immediately surged in Jinbe's heart.
He reached out toward Ace."Ace, could you let me take a look at that newspaper?"
"No problem~" Ace chuckled lightly and handed over the paper that recorded his little brother's glorious exploits.
Jinbe took it and immediately began to read.
Before long, sheer shock spread across his face.
"Th-this… This pirate named Monkey Luffy—could he be your little brother, Ace!?"
After finishing the article, Jinbe looked up and asked.
"Correction—it's Monkey D. Luffy," Ace said proudly, then directly displayed the bounty poster in his hand.
"That guy really is my little brother."
"And his bounty has already surpassed the old man's—he's now the most wanted man in the world!"
"I see…" Compared to Ace's excitement, Jinbe remained outwardly calm.
Yet beneath that composure, his thoughts drifted back to the past—to the days when he had served as a subordinate in the Sun Pirates.
"The paper says the Straw Hat Pirates freed a large number of slaves and escaped from the Sabaody Archipelago into the deep sea…"
"If that's the case, there's a very high chance they're currently staying on Fish-Man Island."
With that realization, Jinbe suddenly stood up.
"Old man, I may need to leave ahead of schedule!"
"You're planning to check on the situation at Fish-Man Island, aren't you?"
As if seeing straight through him, Whitebeard smiled knowingly at Jinbe, then nodded.
"Ace's brother and his crew are indeed on Fish-Man Island right now."
"There's no real need to rush, but this works out fine~"
"We just happen to have a few things we'd like to deliver to the Straw Hat crew. You can take them along for us."
As he spoke, Whitebeard shot Marco a look. Marco immediately understood and hurried into the cabin.
Not long after, he returned, carrying an ornate chest.
Whitebeard smiled as he explained:
"The Straw Hat Pirates have done us a tremendous favor. We paid back a portion last time, but how could just two Devil Fruits ever repay a debt like that?"
"Coincidentally, we recently obtained two more Devil Fruits. You can take these to them for us."
Ever since Blackbeard betrayed his comrades over a Devil Fruit, such fruits had come to feel like cursed objects within the Whitebeard Pirates.
What had once been fiercely contested treasures were now things few wanted to touch.
Whenever they acquired a Devil Fruit, the first thought was to hand it over to a division commander—or directly to Whitebeard himself.
As a result, the Whitebeard Pirates had once again gathered two powerful Devil Fruits in a short period of time.
"So something like that happened…" Jinbe murmured in surprise after hearing Whitebeard's explanation.
He truly couldn't imagine what the Straw Hat Pirates had done to be described by Whitebeard as having rendered a "tremendous favor."
"I understand, old man. I'll see this mission through."
Realizing the seriousness of the task, Jinbe nodded and accepted it.
Not long after bidding farewell to everyone in the Whitebeard Pirates, Jinbe hugged the treasure chest to his chest and leapt straight into the sea, following the currents down into the depths.
Left behind, the Whitebeard Pirates continued to marvel at everything the Straw Hat crew had done.
…
…
"Wahahahaha! Big news—this is huge news!"
"Sir Red, how could you not tell me about something this big earlier?!"
"To think those trashy newspapers under the World Government snatched the headline first—what a waste!"
The scene shifted back to Fish-Man Island · Sea Forest.
A grand banquet was in full swing, celebrating Luffy's rise to the world's highest bounty and the massive increases in everyone else's rewards.
Partway through, however, Red was interrupted by a call he had fully expected. He stepped away to the edge of the festivities and began chatting with a Den Den Mushi.
"I think you're blaming the wrong person here, President Morgans."
Listening to Morgans' grievance-filled complaints, Red replied with a calm smile.
"It's not that I didn't want to give you the scoop first."
"I simply didn't want to get you—my excellent partner—killed."
"After all, the information we currently possess… if you were to broadcast it outright, you and your reporters would likely face the World Government's most severe manhunt."
"You know exactly what I'm talking about."
This time, Red wasn't dodging the issue at all. He was genuinely worried that Morgans would be targeted by the Five Elders because of such reporting.
After all, Morgans controlled a method that could rapidly construct a global communication network—something the Straw Hat Pirates neither possessed nor were likely to possess for a long time.
For a talent this special, Red not only wanted to protect him, he had even considered recruiting Morgans into the Straw Hat Grand Fleet.
Public opinion warfare, after all, was a terrifying kind of war.
Unfortunately, given the cards they currently held, Red couldn't think of anything that would truly appeal to Morgans' unique desires.
So for now, his plan was simple: keep feeding Morgans big stories and slowly build goodwill.
"I see."
After hearing Red's explanation, Morgans nodded, accepting the reasoning for not being given the scoop first.
But in the very next moment, his eyes sharpened with resolve.
"Still… while I appreciate your concern, Sir Red, aren't you underestimating me a bit?!"
The Den Den Mushi representing Morgans suddenly looked fierce.
"Do you know who I am?!"
"I'm a man who aims to become the King of News!!!"
"Yes, I might exaggerate a little in my articles and headlines sometimes—but I'm nothing like those scum who twist facts and spread rumors for power and money!"
"My entire life is dedicated to reporting the truth!"
"So if you really have some earth-shattering news, Sir Red, then bring it on!"
"I'll make sure it spreads across the entire world within a single day!!!"
Fwoosh—!!!
Red wasn't sure if it was his imagination.
But in that moment, he could almost see a blazing fire of fighting spirit burning within the Den Den Mushi representing Morgans.
"As expected of you," Red thought to himself.
The corners of his mouth curled upward as he sighed inwardly.
"Since you want a big story so badly… then I'll grant your wish."
With a shift in thought, Red spoke into the Den Den Mushi.
"Very well. Since you're that determined, I'll give you a major piece of news for free."
"President Morgans—have you ever heard the legend of the World Government's Empty Throne?"
"The Empty Throne?" Morgans' eyes flashed as he quickly recounted what he knew."I've heard of it… Supposedly, eight hundred years ago, the twenty kings who founded the World Government personally created a supreme throne, symbolizing the center of the world, and placed their treasured weapons around it."
"However, those twenty kings established a rule: no one would ever sit upon that throne—representing equality among nations and a vow never to give rise to tyranny."
The legend of the Empty Throne wasn't widely known among commoners, but among the upper echelons of nobility it was common knowledge. As someone who controlled the flow of information, Morgans was naturally well aware of it.
Just as he was wondering why Red had suddenly brought up the Empty Throne, Red chuckled softly.
"I didn't expect President Morgans to be so well-informed."
"But…"
"Regardless of whether the twenty kings originally built the Empty Throne for peace and equality, the intelligence I possess indicates…"
"The Empty Throne is not without a master!!!"
"Above even the Five Elders—the highest authority of the World Government—there exists a being who truly rules this world!!!"
"And the Five Elders address that being as—'Master'!"
"That being's name is—Saint Imu of Nerona!!!"
"Based on my deductions, this individual known as Imu has likely existed since the very founding of the World Government eight hundred years ago—and has held absolute control over it ever since!!!"
"!!?"
Red's rapid-fire revelations about Imu left Morgans utterly stunned.
Before he could even react, Red continued:
"I can guarantee that everything I've just said is precise, real information."
"There—you have the intelligence now. As for how you turn those few sentences into concrete newspaper copy, that's up to you, President Morgans."
"Come on."
"Let me see what you're capable of."
"Don't disappoint me, President Morgans."
"I've got plenty more fascinating stories waiting for you to report."
With that, before Morgans could ask another question, Red hung up the call.
At the same time—
Somewhere in the skies of the New World, inside the airborne headquarters of the World Economy News Paper, carried aloft by a flock of albatrosses—
Morgans stared at the abruptly disconnected Den Den Mushi, a slow smile spreading across his face.
"Is this a test for me, Sir Red?!"
"Interesting—this is far too interesting!!!"
"I accept your challenge!"
"The supreme ruler—Imu, is it?!"
"Don't worry. Before long, I'll make sure the entire world knows of this being's existence!"
Morgans never doubted the authenticity of Red's information.
After so many years of cooperation, there was at least that much trust between them.
And on that very day, every hidden base of the World Economy News Paper received an urgent directive from headquarters—
This headline must go to print as soon as possible!!!
(End of Chapter)