"W-Wait… wait, Your Majesty Nereus, I… I might not have heard clearly what you just said. Could you repeat it?"
Morgans blinked, then slapped himself hard across the face, starting to doubt whether his ears had deceived him.
Just moments ago, Morgans had been worrying about the lack of big news for the headlines these past few days. Who would have thought that the moment he turned around, explosive news would arrive at his doorstep?
The stinging pain on his face still made it hard for Morgans to believe. He casually pinched the shoulder of the person beside him, and only after hearing their pained cry did he confirm that this wasn't a dream.
"I said, no matter who it is, until someone brings that Hardinge's head before me, Fishman Island will close the seas. No vessel is allowed to pass, do you understand?"
"Y-Yes…"
The headquarters of the World Economy News Paper fell into complete silence. Morgans had just turned on the speaker function of the Den Den Mushi, and Nereus's voice echoed throughout the entire newsroom.
The scratching of pens and the rustling of pages had all disappeared. Aside from the voice coming from the other end of the line, the only sound left was Morgans's heartbeat, thumping like a King Engine. [TN: The "King Engine" is a rumbling sound that others claim to hear when King (From One Punch Man) readies for battle or when he is generally serious. ]
Judging by his expression, it felt as though his heart might leap out of his chest at any moment.
"However, Your Majesty Nereus, I personally believe that announcing such major news through a newspaper might not have the best effect. The World Economy News Paper has already gained some reputation across the seas.
If you're not in too much of a hurry, I can arrange a live broadcast for you, allowing you to personally announce this news. Then we can publish the newspaper afterward to supplement the details. It would have a better impact.
Of course, if you're in a rush, I'll immediately remove the current front page headline and publish this news right away."
Morgans knew very well what it meant to close the seas. Having struggled for years in the Underworld and now controlling a major newspaper, he understood just how terrifying Fishman Island's geographical position could be.
If Fishman Island were weak and simply hid in self-preservation, it wouldn't affect the outside world much.
But Nereus's power underwater was absolutely "invincible in the ocean." Morgans couldn't think of anyone who could defeat him in the deep sea.
Although Morgans still didn't know the finer details, one thing was certain. Nereus intended to force all the pirates of the Grand Line and the Underworld into doing something.
"A live broadcast? That works. It'll save some things from being unclear. I'll be waiting for you at Fishman Island."
Visual Den Den Mushi could already transmit images, and with the scale of the World Economy News Paper, broadcasting events to the entire world through Den Den Mushi wasn't difficult.
However, newspapers were still the mainstream means of information on these seas. After all, the public's channels for receiving information were limited. Households couldn't all receive such broadcasts.
The "live broadcast" Morgans referred to was essentially multi-layered relay—using a large number of Den Den Mushi to relay the footage continuously to other islands.
If he hadn't anticipated just how massive an uproar this event would cause, Morgans wouldn't have gone to such lengths.
"President, what do we do now?"
A reporter nearby saw Morgans hang up the phone and hurried over with an excited expression, his eyes filled with a kind of fanaticism.
If Nereus was an outlier among pirates, then Morgans was a madman in the world of journalism. The reporters who followed him all shared a passion for big news, and they could already smell the gunpowder hidden within this story.
"What else can we do? Notify all branch offices to prepare to receive the signal. Now… all hands, move out! Destination: Fishman Island!"
Huff… huff…
The headquarters of the World Economy News Paper began to transform. A massive hot air balloon emerged from the top, and under the pull of numerous News Coo, it flew toward Fishman Island.
Because what he did often offended others, Morgans had always operated in a guerrilla style, even his headquarters was designed to be movable at any time.
If speed were the priority, Morgans would have sent personnel from the Sabaody Archipelago branch to dive down directly. But he simply couldn't bear to miss such major news, and since Nereus seemed willing to wait a bit, he decided to head there personally.
While Morgans was making his way toward Fishman Island, the situation within Fishman Island itself presented an entirely different scene.
In recent years, the expansion hadn't been limited to just the academy island used for education, several camps for the Neptune Army had also been constructed.
Within these camps, aside from soldiers still out on patrol and a few who couldn't report due to illness, all remaining members had returned to their positions.
And the most direct thing they noticed was that the food standards over the past few days had improved, reaching a level usually only seen during festivals.
The Neptune Army had naturally already received Nereus's orders and had begun preparations in advance.
"So… it really is going to be war…"
Nereus's old subordinates from his time on Fullalead Island all knew what these changes signified. Before past major operations, things had always looked like this.
However, in the eyes of these veterans, there was no worry or fear, only excitement.
"R-Really… going to war?"
Although the Neptune Army had been reorganized for over three years, most of that time had been spent training. They had yet to experience any large-scale war.
To Nereus's old subordinates, even if they had gone through a few minor skirmishes, they were still just a bunch of greenhorns.
"There's nothing to be afraid of. Didn't we already say it? This operation will take place entirely in the deep sea.
Ten thousand meters below is our home turf. Seize the opportunity, accumulate merits; that's your path to promotion."
Several days later, Morgans arrived at Fishman Island. The moment he saw Nereus, he directed his reporters to begin preparing for the broadcast.
"Your Majesty Nereus, this timing is perfect, it's noon on Fishman Island. Both the first half of the Grand Line and the parts of the New World near Fishman Island are in daytime, so those who need to pass through will be the first to learn this news.
If you're ready, we can begin on our end."
Morgans rubbed his hands together, an eager expression on his face, as if fully prepared to witness this big news.
"Let's begin."
"OK, lights! Camera! Get everything ready, watch my signal!"
Morgans began counting down with his wings. As the Den Den Mushi's eyes lit up, this message from Fishman Island surged from the seabed to the entire world like an underwater volcanic eruption.
"Everyone, I am Nereus. I believe I'm not unfamiliar to you, especially to some of my 'old friends.'
Over the past three years, Ryugu Kingdom and the seas around it have remained relatively peaceful. However, not long ago, a reckless individual violated my ban and kidnapped one of my citizens at the Sabaody Archipelago."
At this moment, Nereus's tone was extremely calm, so calm that it sounded like he was stating something trivial. Only those who truly knew Nereus understood just how terrifying he was in this state.
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