Although he had more or less guessed the situation, he still had to feign ignorance.
Morgans acted as though he didn't know the relationship between them and opened his beak with a questioning tone:
"Do you mean Mr. Peter? I'm not sure if he's beside you right now. Would I have the honor of speaking with him?"
"What a pretender," Stussy muttered sarcastically as she pushed the man's arm aside.
"You two talk. That way, I can finally get a little rest."
She slipped back into the bed alone, making use of this rare truce to relax.
Peter felt a little irritated at first, but once he realized the caller was none other than Morgan's—that annoying bird—he calmed himself.
Indeed, he had once asked Morgans for help in exposing Kalifa's identity, but that had been done indirectly through Zala in the underworld. This was the first time they were speaking directly.
Peter said:
"So it's you… Very well. Since you helped me with a small matter, tell me—what is it you want from me?"
Morgans felt a pang of irritation, but he dared not show it. Instead, he forced a smile and said:
"Ah, Mr. Peter! Forgive me for disturbing you at such a late hour. But I wished to ask about that blue dragon that appeared in Rainbase. Of course, if you'd rather not answer, just pretend I never asked."
He spoke with extreme caution, afraid to touch upon one of this man's taboos—a man who had even bested Mihawk.
"So that's what he came for," Peter thought to himself, as did Stussy. With a faint smile, he replied:
"Your news really does spread quickly. Well, I also have something I want to discuss with you. As for the dragon… even if you didn't ask, the truth will reveal itself before long."
"So, what happened that day really does trace back to this man…"
At that moment, Morgans was certain Peter was behind the mysterious phenomenon.
Since Peter had no intention of revealing more now, Morgans dared not press further. But he couldn't help but wonder: why did Peter, in turn, want to reach out to him?
Yet it was obvious Peter wouldn't give a straight answer tonight. Instead, he stalled with a calm voice:
"All I can say is—it'll be news that shakes the entire world. But the time isn't ripe yet. When the opportunity comes, I'll call you and tell you everything."
Then he cut the line.
Morgans was left stunned, staring at the den-den mushi as the call ended, while Peter returned to enjoying his time with Stussy.
In his office, Morgans roared furiously:
"Damn it! Who do you think you are, you arrogant bastard?! How dare you cut me off before explaining yourself?!"
Crashes and shouts echoed as furniture shattered around the room.
One of the newspaper staff timidly approached and knocked on the door:
"Boss…"
"Get out! None of you concern yourselves with me!"
The employee backed away, terrified, not daring to utter another word.
Morgans raged for several minutes before finally calming down. Sitting there panting, just recalling the call made him grind his beak in frustration.
Sure, Peter had the right to be arrogant given his power. Even his claim of holding a world-shaking scoop was believable. But what truly infuriated Morgans was that woman, Stussy.
How could she use her beauty to climb into that man's bed?!
Now she had secured a powerful protector, perhaps even learned secrets he himself didn't know. How could Morgans stomach that?
"Calm down… That woman is no ordinary figure. Ever since her sudden rise in the underworld, things have been suspicious. Now she's found a strong backer. She's not someone to trifle with anymore."
Though he didn't know of her true identity as CP0, he had begun to doubt her origins. His wariness toward her now surpassed that toward anyone else in the underworld.
And his suspicions weren't misplaced. In Mariejois, the Five Elders were indeed considering seizing control of the World Economic Journal—and Stussy was very likely part of that plan.
But since she had boarded Peter's ship, returning to the World Government was no longer an option for her.
Morgans, however, was unaware of that. He remained paranoid, tapping his desk with his wings.
"Calm down… Even if she has other motives, right now she's busy pleasing that man. What matters more is Peter's so-called 'world-shaking scoop'… Could it be tied to the dragon?"
He tried connecting the dots:
The darkened skies… the dragon that granted wishes… a secret soon to be revealed… a role expected of him…
Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock.
"Impossible… Could it be that the scoop is about exploiting the dragon?!"
He leapt up, pacing the office with his massive wings spread.
"If that's true… this is incredible! Compared to a power that grants wishes, even the mightiest Devil Fruits are nothing but trash!
If my hunch is right, the entire world will be turned upside down!"
The more he thought about it, the more exhilarated he became. Morgans was never one for peace—he thrived on chaos.
The greater the upheaval, the more his paper thrived on breaking news!
He cried out in excitement:
"Yoshi! My blood is boiling! Even if the World Government comes after me, I'll gamble everything!
Don't disappoint me, O… God of Destruction!"
He burst into mad laughter.
Outside, the newspaper staff heard his howls and cackles. None understood what was going on, and they whispered among themselves whether their boss had forgotten his medicine today.
But among them was a spy from the World Government. Knowing that any abnormal behavior might conceal dangerous secrets, he immediately sent a report to his superiors.
And so the scene shifted to Mariejois, where the Five Elders were gathered in discussion.
After reading the report, Nasugoro adjusted his glasses and said to the others:
"As expected… Morgans didn't tell us everything. He must know something. I propose we apply direct pressure to extract the truth from him."
The others all nodded in agreement.
But Saint Ju Peter didn't just intend to support the idea—he had other thoughts in mind.
Speaking in a calm tone, he said:
"Such matters should be left to the CP agents. Our meeting here isn't for trivial phenomena.
Sengoku's plan for the public execution of Fire Fist Ace, and the marriage that binds two of the world's strongest figures—Charlotte Linlin and Mihawk… these are the true issues we must discuss tonight."
At his words, the expressions of the others hardened.
Saint Mars was the first to speak, seeing that none of the rest had broken the silence:
"Sengoku's plan is excellent. Knowing Whitebeard's character, once we announce Ace's public execution, it's impossible he'll sit idly by.
Now the real question is: how many forces should we deploy? Should we involve part of the Government's forces for support?"
But Saint Saturn instantly rejected the idea, slamming his cane against the floor with a snarl:
"There's no need. The Navy—those worthless dogs… If they can't deal with an old man like Whitebeard, then what's the point of pouring endless funds into them every year?"
Saint V. Nusjuro nodded in agreement:
"Indeed. The Navy has more than enough strength. If we gather a hundred thousand elite soldiers from branches worldwide, add Sengoku, Garp, the three Admirals, and the Vice Admirals… eliminating Whitebeard is guaranteed.
Rather than worry about the Navy and Whitebeard, we'd do better to consider whether we should intervene in the escalating conflict between Shanks, Charlotte Linlin, and Kaido."
At that, Saint Nasugran voiced his opinion:
"Shanks has already been brainwashed by Roger and no longer stands with us. In this situation, if we wish to profit from the clash of the three Emperors, our only option is to rely on the God Knights."
But Saint Saturn objected furiously:
"No. The Admirals guarding Mariejois will later be transferred to Marineford. If we send the God Knights away at this time, what if something happens to the Holy Land?"
Ju Peter also shook his head in disagreement:
"The Fisher Tiger incident has already humiliated us once… If something similar happens again, even Imu-sama might hold us accountable."
At the mere mention of Imu's name, silence fell. Everyone shrank back, and the chamber grew tense.
After a long pause, V. Nusjuro finally opened his eyes, his mind made up:
"Let's leave this matter for tomorrow. We'll consult Imu-sama together. If he approves sending the God Knights, we release them. If he does not, then watching the three Emperors fight until exhaustion does us no harm."
The other four pondered briefly, then Nasugoro spoke calmly:
"Agreed. Since the safety of the Holy Land is at stake, we cannot decide this ourselves."
Mars stroked his beard and added:
"No objections here. We'll present it to Imu-sama tomorrow."
With three of them in favor, Ju Peter and Saturn had no choice but to follow suit.
Once the general framework was set, the discussion shifted to other matters. Ju Peter's hand reached for a paper on the table: the wanted poster of the other Peter—the man at the center of the "wedding" incident.
Saturn noticed and glanced at the picture, the bounty, and the epithet given by the Navy. With a snort of disdain, he said:
"Tch… the epithet 'God of Destruction Peter'! How dare Sengoku grant such a title to a mere criminal?"
Saint Ju Peter showed no reaction. Stroking his neatly trimmed beard, he replied calmly:
"In terms of strength, he defeated Crocodile, then Mihawk, and can conjure tsunamis and earthquakes out of nowhere… I'd say the title isn't far from the truth."
Nasugoro spoke hesitantly:
"If the intelligence is correct, then yes—he's indeed a troubling foe. I still can't bring myself to believe the quake that struck the East Blue was caused by him alone. But even putting that aside, his victory over Mihawk alone is enough to draw the Government's attention."
Saturn scoffed:
"But in the end, he's still just a human… and yet he's granted a divine title? Disgusting."
He then looked at the bounty amount: 1,390,000,000 berries. Shaking his head in anger, he growled:
"Those fools in the Navy… They don't even know how to set a proper bounty. A man who defeated Mihawk cannot be valued at such a paltry sum!"
The others nodded in agreement:
"Indeed, the figure is far too low. But since he hasn't directly opposed the Government—beyond toppling two Shichibukai—we'll leave it as it is for now."
V. Nusjuro ended the discussion, rising to his feet:
"The meeting is adjourned. Return now. Tomorrow we'll go together to consult Imu-sama."
Nasugoro, carrying his legendary blade, replied:
"No need to remind me." He strode out, followed one by one by the others.
As they left, they exchanged a few short words:
"Did you notice Stussy hasn't sent back any reports lately? Perhaps she failed."
"Maybe… Let's wait a bit longer. Even if she wants to move, she'll need the right opportunity."
"True. Let's observe. If she succeeds, all the better. If she fails… finding a replacement won't be easy."
But none of them imagined that Stussy hadn't merely succeeded—she had far exceeded expectations.
The next morning…
Peter sat holding his waist in pain, while Stussy sat at the mirror applying her lipstick. She glanced back at him with a mocking smile and said:
"What's wrong? Can't keep up anymore? Naturally… juggling dozens of women daily would break even iron. To last several months straight is impressive enough. So if you need a rest, I'll understand."
Peter smirked coldly, moving his hand from his waist to his stomach:
"Don't flatter yourself… I'm just hungry. Even if it lasted a full year, it wouldn't be an obstacle for me."