After leaving Loguetown, Morgans' eyes burned with a storm of emotions fear and fury, tangled together like storm winds. He feared Ezra's power, yet his anger flared at the man's unreasonable dominance.
After all, who wouldn't be furious? Who could calmly accept being forced into servitude just like that without reason or warning?
And Morgans wasn't some ordinary pawn. He was one of the few beings in the world who could contact the Five Elders directly.
The more he thought about it, the more his feathers bristled with rage. His mind made up, Morgans spread his wings and soared toward the Holy Land Mary Geoise.
"Ezra D. Vale... I'll make sure you suffer for this!" he hissed under his breath, fury blazing in his eyes.
In no time, the red earth continent loomed beneath him. Morgans landed at the golden gates of Mary Geoise, straightened his tie, fluffed his feathers, and strode into the sacred city.
Inside, he quickly spotted Fleet Admiral Kong seated behind his desk, scanning reports with a stern expression.
"Well, well," Kong said with mild surprise, glancing up. "What brings you here, birdman? I thought you were too busy stirring up the world with your newspapers."
Though Morgans had dealings with the World Government, it was rare for him to personally visit Mary Geoise. Despite his influence, deep down, even Morgans harbored fear toward this place the seat of the world's power.
Still, he kept his usual composure, bowing slightly in his refined, gentlemanly manner.
"Fleet Admiral Kong, I need an emergency audience with the Five Elders," he said firmly.
Kong frowned. The look in Morgans' eyes wasn't that of a schemer it was that of a cornered animal. Something serious had happened.
"Very well," Kong said after a pause. "Come with me."
"Much appreciated, Fleet Admiral."
The two walked through the opulent corridors of Mary Geoise, their footsteps echoing off the marble floors. On the way, Kong finally asked, "What exactly happened?"
Morgans exhaled sharply, trying to steady his nerves. "I was betrayed... by a marine!" he spat, feathers bristling.
He launched into a dramatized retelling of everything Ezra had done to him his words dripping with exaggeration and outrage.
"Can you believe it, Fleet Admiral? That monster forced his will into me treated me like a pawn! Tell me, is that something a marine should do?!"
Kong listened quietly, though the faint crease forming on his brow betrayed his thoughts.
Morgans didn't notice. He was too caught up in his tirade.
But Kong... Kong had seen the way the Five Elders reacted whenever the name "Ezra D. Vale" came up in their reports. He had seen the flicker of tension in their eyes the unease of men who feared something even above their authority.
Shaking his head, Kong sighed silently. Poor Morgans had no idea what kind of fire he was flying into.
Moments later, they arrived at the great hall of the Five Elders.
Before Kong could even announce him, Morgans pushed past and burst through the doors.
The sight of the five figures seated before him the rulers of the world was enough to make any mortal tremble. But Morgans, consumed by his anger and humiliation, didn't care.
He fell to his knees, bursting into tears so loud and dramatic that even the ancient chamber seemed to echo his sobs.
"Lord Elders! You have to help me! I've been wronged!" he wailed, feathers trembling.
"Enough, Morgans," one of the Elders snapped, frowning. "Compose yourself and explain."
Sniffling and hiccuping theatrically, Morgans began recounting every detail of his ordeal the encounter with Ezra, the fiery pain, the forced contract, the humiliation.
As he spoke, the Elders' expressions subtly shifted. At first confusion, then surprise... and finally, shock.
When Morgans finished, he looked up hopefully, waiting for sympathy. But all he saw were the Five Elders exchanging uneasy glances.
"That's him!" Morgans exclaimed, slamming a winged hand on the table. "That marine! Ezra D. Vale! He he's ##@￥!!??"
Before he could finish, one of the Elders moved faster than the eye could follow, clapping a hand over Morgans' beak.
"Enough!" the Elder hissed, eyes darting toward the shadowed corners of the room.
Did this fool have a death wish?!
If Imu-sama heard even a word of this bird's rambling... they'd all be in trouble. Speaking ill of that boy in the Holy Land itself was like lighting a torch in a powder room.
Morgans squawked in confusion, muffled beneath the Elder's grip. "Mmph?! Mmph mmph!?" (What's going on?!)
"Quiet!" another Elder whispered harshly, pressing a finger to his lips.
Slowly, Morgans fell silent, blinking nervously. As he studied their faces more closely, he noticed something strange something terrifying.
The Five Elders... looked nervous.
Not irritated, not angry but genuinely anxious.
Morgans' feathers stood on end. "Wait... they're afraid?"
"But why? Aren't I talking about a marine?!"
His mind whirled. Could it be that Ezra D. Vale... was more than he seemed? Some hidden connection something even the World Government feared?
A grin began to creep across Morgans' face. His fear slowly gave way to exhilaration.
This... this was big news.
He coughed lightly, regaining his composure. "Ahem... well, Lords of the Council," he said smoothly, "surely I deserve some sort of explanation?"
One Elder scowled. "Explanation? What makes you think you're entitled to one?"
But Morgans wasn't easily intimidated. His cunning mind was already spinning.
"Perhaps you've forgotten our arrangement," he said carefully. "I've kept the Government's secrets, avoided publishing certain... scandals. I've even helped you bury truths that could shake the world."
The Five Elders said nothing, but the silence confirmed his words.
"So," Morgans continued, "if you want my cooperation to continue... then I only have one question."
He leaned forward, eyes gleaming with both greed and curiosity.
"Who exactly is Ezra D. Vale? What is his connection to the World Government?"
The chamber fell into a heavy silence. The Five Elders exchanged uneasy glances again, their expressions unreadable.
It wasn't hard to guess that Morgans had sniffed out the truth but saying it aloud could endanger everything.
Finally, a faint, disembodied voice echoed through the hall. It was soft, cold, and impossibly distant yet every word made their spines stiffen.
"You may tell him... but only a little."
The Elders froze, recognizing the unmistakable voice of Imu.
As the oppressive presence faded, one of them exhaled slowly and turned back to Morgans.
"Morgans," he said gravely, "once you know the truth... don't regret it."
Morgans puffed out his chest, forcing a confident grin. "Regret? Hah! I'm Morgans the man who reports the truth to the world! I never regret knowing the news!"
But deep in his heart... a flicker of unease had already begun to grow.
Whatever secret the Five Elders were about to reveal it was something that could change everything.
Something far beyond even Morgans' wildest headlines.
_______________________
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