Chapter 308: Screwing Over Red-Hair
"Can't sleep well?" Shane picked up the teacup and gently blew on it. "This is the heart of the Curtain Call's territory. What, are you afraid the Holy Knights will teleport in and grab you? Or do you want me to assign an officer to be your personal bodyguard?"
Morgans's eyes lit up. He nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes! You're so perceptive, my lord! I couldn't hide my little thoughts from you!" He rubbed his wings together and sidled closer. "You see, the World Government has a bunch of madmen hunting me all over the world. If a strong officer were stationed at the news agency's headquarters, it would not only ensure the safety of me and my colleagues but also give you more peace of mind, right?"
He emphasized the words "give you more peace of mind." Then he added with a chuckle, "Besides, I may be a coward, but I'm absolutely reliable! With your people watching me, how could I dare to have any crooked thoughts? From now on, your wish is my command!"
Shane glanced at Morgans's fawning expression, and finally couldn't take it anymore. He kicked him and said, "Just say what you mean. Stop playing these little games. What do you take me for?"
He knew exactly what Morgans was really thinking. The guy wasn't afraid of the World Government; he was afraid of him. He was afraid that Shane would get rid of him after he had served his purpose and take over the World Economic Journal. So he was trying to be proactive, using the lack of security as an excuse to ask Shane to send an officer to "supervise" him.
"Relax. You're still in charge of the World Economic Journal. You're the president. That won't change. Aside from your hidden branches around the world, which may need to cooperate with our intelligence department from time to time, everything else will remain the same, including your freedom of the press."
As long as he held the reins of public opinion, that was enough. He didn't need to be too controlling. In comparison, Morgans's joining them would fill the gaps in the Curtain Call's intelligence work. That was the most satisfying gain.
"In fact, as the Curtain Call continues to expand, it's inevitable that some opportunistic individuals with ulterior motives will infiltrate our ranks," Shane said, taking a sip of his tea. "Your news agency can serve as a watchdog. I need you to expose those parasites. And this kind of negative news is more likely to attract the public's attention, which will significantly increase your sales. It's a win-win for both of us."
Eh? Morgans was stunned. He couldn't believe his ears. Is he serious? A leader who wasn't afraid of negative press? In the past, that was unheard of. Even if he reported on a Marine base colluding with pirates, the World Government would send people to "have tea" with him and threaten him to retract the story.
"My lord… are you serious?" Morgans asked, trying to suppress his glee. "You're really allowing me to report on the negative news within the Curtain Call?" He's not going to get rid of me, he's not taking over, and he's even giving me more freedom of the press? This was ten times better than he had expected! Waaah, all that fear and worry wasn't for nothing! The good days are finally here!
"Of course," Shane said, putting down his teacup. "The Curtain Call is not the World Government. We don't need to hide things to maintain our rule. If there are parasites, we'll expose them. If there are problems, we'll solve them. That's the only way to last."
"However," he added, his gaze locking with Morgans's, "you can report, but it must be based on facts. If I find out that anyone is deliberately fabricating rumors just to get attention and boost sales…"
"I wouldn't dare! Absolutely not!" Morgans quickly waved his hands. "I, Morgans, swear on my professional ethics as a newsman, I will never allow my editors and reporters to make things up! All reports will be strictly verified!"
"Good. As long as you understand," Shane nodded. "As for sending an officer to supervise you, that won't be necessary. The Curtain Call is currently expanding its civil, legal, and supervisory departments. Soon, there will be a department to keep you in check. Of course, that department will also act according to the law. My promise of freedom of the press will not change."
Morgans nodded eagerly.
"In addition, the security issue you mentioned does need to be addressed," Shane mused. "Although this Maple Island is currently under the protection of the Garrison Corps' patrol teams, once it officially becomes the news agency's headquarters, that level of security will not be enough. We do need to further strengthen our defenses." He looked out the window and thought for a moment. "How about this: the Combat Corps will be adding four new divisions. The captains of these divisions will be the four former Marine Vice Admirals who have joined us."
Shane put down his teacup and looked at Morgans. "I'll have one of them stationed permanently on Maple Island, responsible for the security of the news agency's headquarters. As for who…" He thought for a moment. "Let's have Momonga do it. He's gentle and steady. He should be able to tolerate your jumpy, stubborn personality and get along with you."
That's right. Momonga, the man who had dared to lead the questioning of Sengoku, had, after leaving the Marines, decided to join the Curtain Call. Thanks to him, Shane had learned many of the details of what had happened in the conference room that day.
Morgans was overjoyed. "Momonga? He's known as one of the nicest guys in the Marines! I've actually dealt with him several times. You could say we're acquaintances. Thank you for your consideration, my lord!" Not only is he easy to get along with, but he's also one of the top-ranking Vice Admirals! And with the "Sky Shield Defense System" in their territory, he would finally have a sense of security!
Morgans rubbed his wings together, giddy with excitement. He suddenly remembered something and said with a chuckle, "By the way, my lord! Since you've been so generous, I can't hold back either. A while ago, my men captured some interesting things." He opened a secret compartment in his desk, entered a password, and pulled out several photos.
Shane took them, confused, and glanced at the first one. It was an aerial shot of the Red-Hair Pirates' ship… no, the new Red Force. It was anchored at sea, and in the corner of the photo, a giant mangrove forest could be seen.
Sabaody? Shane frowned but said nothing and moved on to the next one. It was also of the Red Force. A massive, demonic figure with two horns had landed on the deck and was fighting Red-Hair and his crew. In the bottom left corner were the coordinates and a note: "70 nautical miles from Whole Cake Island." Shane's eyes narrowed as he continued to flip through them.
"You've probably figured it out," Morgans said. "The first photo is from the Sabaody incident, the second is from the War of Whole Cake Island, and this third one was taken during the North Blue hunting game. Every time the Curtain Call makes a big move, the Red-Hair Pirates mobilize their entire crew and try to intervene."
"The first time, they didn't make it. The second time, they were stopped by that madman Kaido. And the third time…"
"…they got lost and ended up at Impel Down?" Shane held up the last photo, a strange look on his face. In the photo, the above-ground part of Impel Down was visible, and the Red-Hair Pirates' ship was docked at the entrance, the deck empty. He had to admit, the reporters of the World Economic Journal were skilled. Not only could they fly, but they could even take pictures in the Calm Belt.
"That's right!" Morgans added quickly, afraid Shane wouldn't believe him. "My reporter bribed the Marine soldiers who were sent as reinforcements and got some inside information. Apparently, that Red-Hair guy was following a Vivre Card, and after wandering around Impel Down for a while, he realized he was in the wrong place. He was so angry he roared your name and then cut the above-ground part of the prison in half with one slash!"
A Vivre Card? The first thing that came to Shane's mind was the mysterious Vivre Card that had been on Jack back in Blackstone City. After Beckman had secretly stolen it, they had assumed it was Jack's. Was that how Red-Hair and his crew were tracking them? It had worked the first two times, which meant that during the Sabaody incident and the War of Whole Cake Island, the owner of the Vivre Card had been nearby. And the third time, they were in Impel Down, which was why Red-Hair got lost. Strange. Who is the owner of this Vivre Card?
Shane shook his head. It didn't matter. He looked at the photos, his eyes narrowing. Red-Hair… Why was this guy following him around, trying to interfere with his plans? It was annoying! He remembered their conversation in the tavern, and he snorted. Is this guy still clinging to the idea of maintaining the status quo and waiting for Nika to appear? If he wanted to believe in fate, in the drums of liberation, that was fine. He couldn't be bothered. But if he dared to get in his way, to force his will upon him… then he wouldn't be so polite!
Shane tossed the photos back. When he looked up again, his expression was calm. "Good work, Morgans. I appreciate the sentiment. If your men find anything else like this in the future, be sure to report it to me immediately." This was an unexpected gain. If he hadn't been so sincere, this old bird probably would have never handed over this information.
"Of course, my lord. But you must take this matter seriously," Morgans said, still worried. "That Red-Hair guy may have the lowest bounty among the Yonko, but that's only because he's young and hasn't had time to build his territory. His strength is immeasurable and should not be underestimated. Also, it is said that he has some unclear relationship with the higher-ups in the World Government. Maybe…"
"Maybe he's colluding with the World Government to plot against me?" Shane shook his head. "You're overthinking it. It won't come to that. As for the relationship, he is indeed from a Celestial Dragon family."
HA?! WHAT?!!! Morgans's eyes went wide. The coffee cup he had just picked up clattered to the floor. "Y-you're not joking, are you? Red-Haired Shanks is a Celestial Dragon?!" He was so shocked he stammered, "M-my lord, are you sure? If this news gets out, the entire New World will explode!"
"The Figarland family. His father is that new member of the Five Elders. But that guy cut ties with the Holy Land a long time ago. He's an honorable man and is ashamed of his Celestial Dragon heritage, which is why I said you don't have to worry about them colluding." Shane glanced at Morgans. "As for whether you report it or not, that's up to you."
Would he not report it? What a joke. This was the most professional reporter in the world. Whether it was for the sake of his professional duty to expose the truth, or from the perspective of a capitalist boss looking to make a profit, it was certain that this story would soon be on the front page, perfectly timed to coincide with the world's current disgust and hatred for the Celestial Dragons.
Hmm, that feels much better. Red-Hair's first three attempts to interfere had all failed and hadn't caused him any real damage, so he couldn't just tear him a new one to his face. But since he was secretly trying to annoy him, he might as well annoy him back.
"Alright, that's all for today," Shane said, standing up and stretching. "We've said what needed to be said and arranged what needed to be arranged. You just focus on running the news agency. In a little while, after the World Government has worked so hard to clean up the mess with public opinion, I have another big gift for them. I'll be in touch."
More big news?! Morgans, who had been wracking his brain about how to dig up more dirt on Red-Hair, lit up at those words. Good, good, good! To have big news just fall into his lap like this… he was starting to think that being forced onto the Curtain Call's ship was a blessing in disguise!
"Farewell, my lord!" Morgans said, bowing respectfully.
"Yeah, see you around," Shane said. As he left, he glanced at the windowsill, where a small sea otter in pajamas was snoring in the sun. It was chubby and quite cute. It also looked a little familiar. Does the World Economic Journal have pets like this? He didn't think much of it and, with a wave, left the second floor.
In the room, after Shane's figure had disappeared down the stairs, Morgans let out a happy laugh and excitedly dialed the number on his desk Den Den Mushi. "Get all the department heads in here for a meeting! We're striking while the iron is hot! We're going to run another huge story on the Celestial Dragons!"
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