The sun shone warmly across the deck.
Sami lay alone in a reclining chair, squinting at the drifting white clouds above, feeling a little dissatisfied.
"These guys… Aldo, Marcus—every one of them ran off to the island to have fun and didn't even invite me!"
Not far away, under a sunshade, several crew members who had stayed behind to guard the ship were gathered together.
They leaned their heads close, whispering excitedly.
"Did you see it? A Celestial Dragon went on another tour! Front-page headline of the World Global News!"
"Which country's unlucky this time?"
"Shh—keep your voice down!"
"Roger Pirates are going absolutely crazy! Damn, their bounties are rising way too fast!"
"Rising fast? Can it be faster than Rocks? I'm his die-hard fan!"
"Oh please, when was the last time anyone heard anything about Rocks? If you ask me, the most popular right now is the Kuja Pirates' vice-captain, Shakky! That's a true unreachable beauty."
"Shakky?! She's my idol! I spent a fortune to get one of her limited-edition battle photos! Though… it's only a back view…"
"What?! You have Shakky's photo?! Let me see it! I swear I'll return it tomorrow!"
"In your dreams! That's a family heirloom!"
Sami was drawn by the commotion and walked over.
"What are you all yelling about? If there's something interesting, let me see too."
He casually picked up a newspaper from the wooden crate they were gathered around.
It was today's freshly delivered World Global News.
(A fictional newspaper—at this point in time the World Economy News Paper has not yet appeared.)
World Global News:
An official newspaper issued by the World Government, distributed across the Four Seas and the Grand Line.
Among all newspapers currently in circulation, it has the largest distribution and is regarded as the most authoritative.
Sami unfolded the thick paper.
A massive headline and photo immediately filled his vision.
"Kingdom of Vahalan Celebrates the Visit of Celestial Dragon Saint Antikos! Nationwide Celebration in Grand Splendor!"
In the picture, a Celestial Dragon wearing a transparent bubble helmet raised his hand casually.
Before him, the kingdom's king knelt in perfect submission.
The article used lavish language to describe the extravagant welcoming ceremony and the people's "spontaneous cheers," overflowing with admiration for the "World Nobles."
Sami's brow twitched slightly.
He flipped the page.
Second page.
Third page.
Several pages in a row followed the exact same tone.
"Marine G3 Branch, Under the Brilliant Leadership of Vice Admiral Candidate Garp, Successfully Eliminates the Giant Axe Pirates, Safeguarding Sea Routes and Justice!"
"Benefits of World Government Member Nations: Marine protection, legal trade, cross-sea navigation, participation in the World Council…"
"The Tragedy of Non-Member Nations: chaotic seas, rampant banditry, declining livelihoods—joining the World Government is the only path forward!"
He flipped a few more pages.
Finally, something slightly different appeared.
"The Ruthless Roger Pirates Sighted Again! Their cruelty toward civilians and destruction of order are beyond measure. Citizens are urged to stay vigilant while the Marines intensify pursuit."
…
Sami flipped faster and faster.
The pages rustled loudly.
More than ten full pages.
Almost everything followed the same pattern:
Official propaganda.
Praise for the World Government and Marines.
Condemnation of pirates.
And endless comparisons between member nations and non-member nations.
"Ugh."
He finally lost patience and tossed the thick newspaper back into the crate.
"Boring as hell!"
"It's all sugar-coated nonsense. After all these years, this paper still doesn't have anything new worth reading."
"How could that be?" one sailor protested. "I think it's pretty good."
Sami snorted.
"These newspaper people really don't know what readers actually want to see."
"A Celestial Dragon taking a walk gets two whole pages of praise?"
"Other than how grand the ceremony was, what's there to see?"
"Shh—Captain!"
One of the younger sailors who had been arguing about the photos earlier suddenly turned pale.
He hurriedly lowered his voice and glanced around nervously.
"P-please keep it down! Those are World Nobles! If someone overhears you…"
"I honestly don't get it," Sami said, scratching his head.
"Did I say anything wrong?"
"You know their reputation just as well as I do."
"They travel somewhere and the entire population has to kneel. Then the newspaper praises them."
"That's just the truth."
"Do you really think they have a good reputation?"
"Captain! Please, stop talking!"
Sami raised an eyebrow and looked at the sailor.
"You seem… especially afraid of them."
The sailor swallowed nervously.
After gathering his courage, he spoke.
"When I was a kid… I saw a Celestial Dragon pass through my home island."
His eyes turned distant, as if recalling something he didn't want to remember.
"They didn't look strong."
"Honestly… they even looked ridiculous."
"But when you're standing by the street and see them riding on the backs of slaves…"
"And they look over the crowd like they're looking at insects…"
"You'll understand what it feels like."
His voice began trembling.
"They don't need any reason to execute someone."
"Their existence is the reason."
"Your life. Your dignity."
"All of it depends on their mood."
"One wrong look, one wrong word… and you're guilty of disrespect."
"And then… everything's gone."
"When they pass by, everyone has to kneel."
"You can't even lift your head."
"Marine officers and government officials surround them everywhere."
"The air itself feels frozen."
"You know they're wrong… but you can't even bring yourself to feel angry."
"There's only fear."
"I'll never forget that feeling."
"The order and power they represent make resistance feel impossible."
"It's… terrifying."
Sami listened silently.
Of course he knew exactly what the Celestial Dragons were.
He knew even better that beneath those ridiculous bubble helmets lay a suffocating system of privilege and hierarchy.
To overthrow them…
The thought flickered through Sami's mind.
But it was not something he could say aloud.
His crew didn't have the courage for that kind of conversation.
He looked at the pale sailor in front of him and the uneasy expressions of the others.
This fear—born from the very top of the world's power structure—
couldn't be dispelled with a few words.
In the end, Sami simply reached out and firmly patted the sailor's shoulder.
"Alright."
"Stop thinking about it."
"Just remember this—right now you're on the Swordfish."
"You're on the ship of the Jellyfish Pirates."
He paused and looked at the crew.
"Out on this sea…"
"We follow our own rules."
Just as the mood on deck turned slightly tense—
Aldo's unmistakably loud voice shattered the silence.
"Boss! We're back!"
Sami looked up.
Aldo and Marcus walked in front, followed by several officers and crew who had gone ashore for entertainment.
Every one of them wore the satisfied expression of people who had thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
And beside Aldo—
There was a stranger walking with them.
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