"Extra edition, issue an extra edition immediately!"
Morgan paced excitedly around the news agency, unable to sit still.
The Navy hero Garp had been defeated, and Loguetown, where the Pirate King Roger was executed, had been seized by Reddy, who had a 3 billion berry bounty.
When he first received this news, he couldn't believe his eyes. However, after urgently contacting his informants to confirm its authenticity, he was immediately thrilled.
Of course, Morgan automatically ignored the fact that Garp had retreated to rescue civilians.
That's just how news works—grabbing attention is the only thing that matters!
"Chief, what headline should we use?"
The entire news agency was caught up in the frenzy. Someone who had been struggling to come up with a headline for the extra edition raised their head and shouted.
Morgan grinned. "Of course, the more shocking the better... Hmm, let's use this one: 'Navy Hero Defeated, the Fifth Emperor of the Sea Declares War on the World Government.'"
The news agency staff exchanged knowing smiles.
This breaking news would surely shock the entire world.
...
"Declaring war on the World Government?"
As the extra edition was urgently distributed, people across the world were stunned.
After the initial shock, the public soon discovered another fact that was even harder to believe.
"The Navy hero Garp was defeated?"
Almost no one could accept this reality. It was too horrifying!
These two facts, which should have been impossible, became the front-page headline of the extra edition, plunging the world into panic.
This was the first time someone had openly declared war on the World Government.
Even the increasingly notorious Revolutionary Army had only targeted individual World Government-affiliated nations, never openly declaring war on the World Government itself.
Some refused to accept reality, but they couldn't deny the well-reasoned arguments in the extra edition.
Loguetown held special significance—it symbolized the World Government's control over the seas and was a key site demonstrating their authority.
Yet, the infamous scientist Reddy had publicly announced his takeover of Loguetown in front of everyone, even establishing three new laws.
This was like slapping the World Government across the face with a sandal.
"Why hasn't his bounty been updated?"
Some quickly noticed something odd.
The extra edition only detailed Reddy's defeat of Garp and his seizure of Loguetown, but it didn't mention any updates to Reddy's bounty.
Was it because the World Government hadn't yet decided on a new bounty for Reddy?
...
King's Plateau.
Doflamingo sat with his elbows resting on his knees, holding a freshly delivered extra edition. The smile had vanished from his face.
He considered himself audacious, but he had never imagined someone could be even more brazen than him.
Since his debut, he had hijacked the Celestial Dragons' tribute to secure his position as a Warlord, then leveraged his former Celestial Dragon status and the secrets he held to ensure the World Government would never pursue his crimes.
But Doflamingo had only ever operated in the gray area between black and white, never even considering something as terrifying as declaring war on the World Government.
"Hey, Doffy."
Trebol stood behind the sofa, his face filled with fear. "You don't think that guy will come after us for revenge, do you?"
Another executive, Diamante, calmly retorted, "He probably doesn't have time to deal with us right now. The Navy Headquarters won't let him off. Do you really think he can defeat the Navy's full force?"
"Exactly, he definitely doesn't have time to bother with us."
Doflamingo tossed the newspaper onto the table, spread his arms over the back of the sofa, and looked up at the ceiling. A sinister grin reappeared on his face.
"Of course, there's a good chance we might become his target."
"We have to make sure he doesn't have time to come after us."
The three top executives turned to look at Doflamingo, their eyes filled with anticipation.
In their hearts, the Young Master was the future king of the world. Whenever trouble arose, he always came up with extraordinary solutions.
From unifying the North Blue to scheming for the throne of Dressrosa... They refused to believe Doflamingo would fall here.
...
Whole Cake Island.
Big Mom stared at the newspaper in her hand, her expression dark.
Katakuri and her other children, seeing their mother's foul mood, couldn't help but feel uneasy.
"I've been surpassed."
Big Mom's face twisted into a grin that sent chills down her children's spines.
"Mom!"
Katakuri quickly stepped forward, trying to reason with her. "He's just a brainless fool. Even if he really did defeat Garp, there's no way he can withstand the Navy's counterattack."
"Katakuri!"
Big Mom's expression turned sinister as she glared at her most outstanding son. "Why didn't you bring him back back then?"
Katakuri replied calmly, "The situation at the time wasn't favorable for me..."
"Shut up!"
Big Mom shrieked. "You only need to follow my orders! I don't need you making decisions on your own!"
The other children, aside from Katakuri, grew even more panicked.
Everyone knew Big Mom was on the verge of exploding. At any moment, she might vent her fury by stealing the soul of some unlucky person.
"Mom, we can do this!"
The eldest son, Perospero, quickly stepped forward with a suggestion that turned Big Mom's anger into delight.
It was simple: enter East Blue ahead of time, wait from a distance for Reddy and the Navy to weaken each other, then launch a full-scale attack to reap the benefits.
"Mamamama... That's a great idea."
Big Mom was very pleased with Perospero's suggestion and reined in her temper.
The other children secretly sighed in relief, feeling much more at ease.
"Big Mom!"
Suddenly, a loud roar came from outside, its tone seemingly hostile.
Perospero and the other children immediately paled.
"Kaido!"
Big Mom stood up abruptly, grinning viciously. "I never thought you'd come looking for me yourself!"
With a thunderous crash, part of the castle was smashed open as a blue dragon flew in, transforming into a towering man.
"Did you ever think I might kill you?"
Big Mom sneered, stretching out her right hand.
Napoleon immediately transformed into a sword and landed in her grip.
At the same time, Zeus and Prometheus shifted into combat forms, floating behind Big Mom on either side.
"Mom..."
Katakuri, seeing Big Mom ready to fight without hesitation, hurriedly spoke up to stop her.
"Hmm?"
Big Mom coldly glared down at her most outstanding son.
"Let's form an alliance, Big Mom."
Before Katakuri could speak, Kaido impatiently cut to the chase. "I want that Dr. Reddy. You probably want the Giant race from him too."
"We can cooperate."
Not just Katakuri, but Perospero and the other children were stunned by Kaido's words.
This was the man known as the Strongest Creature in the world.
And he was actively seeking an alliance?
Big Mom scrutinized him suspiciously before shaking her head. "I never thought you'd take the initiative to propose cooperation. I overestimated you, Kaido."
Kaido didn't take offense, solemnly stating, "He defeated Garp."
At these words, Katakuri and the others were shocked once more.
Wait—
This couldn't be the real Kaido!
The so-called Strongest Creature, Kaido of the Beasts, couldn't possibly feel fear just because someone defeated Garp.
"I need someone to hold off the Navy for me."
Kaido truly feared no one. Over the years, he had been captured 18 times and sentenced to death 40 times, yet he was still alive and well.
All this time, he had wanted to ignite the greatest war the world had ever seen.
At first, Reddy's mastery of the Bloodline Factor technology had piqued his interest. But as Reddy developed the artificial Devil Fruit serum, Reddy's importance in his eyes skyrocketed.
He needed a powerful army.
And Reddy was the key to realizing his ambition.
That was why he had made the rare decision to come to Whole Cake Island to propose an alliance with Big Mom, completely unconcerned about damaging his reputation.
Kaido stared straight into Big Mom's eyes. "Hold off the Navy for me, and I don't mind sharing the spoils with you."