Chapter 704: There Is Always a Mountain Higher Than the Mountain
The World Economy News Paper, the largest news organization in the entire One Piece world, held a monopoly on news distribution!
Due to the unique geographical conditions and climate, relying on ships to deliver newspapers and such was a highly unreliable affair. Therefore, only the World Economy News Paper, which could tame messenger seagulls—known as News Coos—could deliver news promptly to all regions of the world. The people of this world had long been accustomed to obtaining newspapers from the News Coos to stay informed about current events each day.
Because of this, the position of the World Economy News Paper was unshakable by anyone.
The entire news organization employed tens of thousands of workers. Besides reporters scattered across the world, there was also a massive team of editors responsible for compiling news drafts sent in by reporters daily, continuously screening and comparing them, and finally selecting the most valuable news. This was then handed over to the printing factory workers for typesetting and printing into newspapers, which were finally distributed by an equally large number of News Coos.
Just the World Economy News Paper alone drove an industrial chain involving hundreds of thousands of people. It could be said that this was a massive media empire. Even the World Government could only impose limited supervision and control over them, unable to fully grasp them in their hands.
And Morgans, the president of the World Economy News Paper, was not just a big-shot figure. No matter where he went—whether it was to the territory of the Four Emperors or to the Holy Land Mary Geoise of the World Government—he was always a guest of considerable importance.
When Morgans returned from Whole Cake Island, he hurriedly made his way toward the headquarters of the World Economy News Paper.
Along the way, all the employees who saw him respectfully greeted him, but Morgans ignored every single one of them, charging straight into his office.
However, just before entering the office, he suddenly remembered something and called out to his secretary: "Has tomorrow's headline been decided?"
Like Morgans, his secretary also had the appearance of a large bird. In fact, Morgans and his kind belonged to a rare race in the New World—the Feather Tribe! Similar to the Mink Tribe, although they were human, they retained animal characteristics.
Morgans' secretary was a bird-woman with beautiful feathers. Judging by her slender build, she was undoubtedly female. Hearing Morgans' question, she quickly flipped through her memo and replied: "Yes, Mr. Morgans, the headline has been decided. It's absolutely explosive!"
"Oh? What kind of headline?" Morgans asked.
"Former Marine Admiral Black Arm Zephyr has left the Marines and formed a new Marine group called NEO! It's suspected to be related to the newly appointed Seven Warlords of the Sea, Buggy or Edward Weevil..." The secretary's eyes sparkled with excitement as she added: "This is definitely big news—perhaps even the prelude to a split in the Marines! This headline will surely shock the entire world!"
"Shock my ass!" Morgans suddenly cursed. "Cancel that headline!"
"Ah!?" The beautiful bird-woman secretary was startled and quickly asked: "W-Why!? Mr. Morgans, if this news doesn't make the headline, then no other news is worthy!"
Morgans proudly raised the Video Den Den Mushi in his hand and said: "Because I have even more explosive news here!"
With that, without further explanation, he directly instructed: "Leave tomorrow's headline spot open for me. This time, I'll write the article myself!"
Before the secretary could react, he slammed the door to his office shut and began writing his draft inside.
The secretary, left outside the door, stood stunned for a long moment before finally snapping back to reality. She hurried off to notify the printing department that the headline news needed to be changed.
But as she left, she was still astonished, because it had been a long time since she had seen Morgans, the president, personally write an article. What kind of explosive news could be worth such treatment from Morgans!?
The news of the temporary change to the next day's headline quickly spread like wildfire within the World Economy News Paper. All employees were speculating about what kind of news Morgans had brought back.
Given that Morgans had just returned from Whole Cake Island after receiving an invitation to Big Mom's tea party, almost everyone guessed that something must have happened to the Big Mom Pirates...
Fortunately, they didn't have to wait long. Morgans completed his article at lightning speed and passed it down.
The first editor to get the news draft glanced at the headline and stood frozen in place, dumbfounded.
Then, the other curious editors crowded around to take a look, and one by one, they too were completely stunned!
Morgans' news draft bore the headline: "Big Mom Killed! A New Emperor Born!"
It was a simple headline, but it made everyone who saw it gasp sharply! Because the amount of information contained within was simply enormous!
After recovering from the shock of the headline, everyone hurriedly scanned the content of Morgans' article.
The newly recruited Marine Admiral from the World Government's worldwide conscription plan, White Wolf Arest, had died on Whole Cake Island. The underground world's biggest red-light district queen, Stussy, turned out to be a member of the World Government's intelligence agency, CP0. The Dragon Hunter Pirates had gone to war with the Big Mom Pirates. And Black Dragon Ian, the former Seven Warlord of the Sea with a bounty of 1.2 billion Berries, had directly killed the original Four Emperor, Big Mom, in battle!
One explosive revelation after another was presented to everyone in the lines of Morgans' article, shocking the employees of the entire World Economy News Paper so much that they nearly foamed at the mouth and fainted on the spot!
"Th-This is huge!" Everyone who read the article trembled, their hands shaking as they stammered out these words.
Afterward, the employees of the entire news organization went into a frenzy, all springing into action!
"Hurry up! Get the typesetting done immediately!"
"Cancel all leave for everyone! Forget about releasing it tomorrow—get the news out now!"
"Make it an urgent special edition! Remove all other news scheduled for tomorrow's paper—leave only the headline spot for this!"
"Notify everyone that advertising rates for this newspaper will be tripled!"
"What!? They're angry about the price hike!? Tell them they can take it or leave it! There are plenty of people who want in!"
"Recall all the News Coos from around the world! Even if they're exhausted, they have to deliver this news overnight!"
To hell with Zephyr leaving the Marines, and to hell with the newly appointed Seven Warlords Buggy and Edward Weevil! Compared to the birth of a new Four Emperor, these pieces of news were utterly pathetic! Which one should be the headline? There was no need to ask!
The entire World Economy News Paper was swept up in a state of frenzy. That was the nature of news people—once they had some explosive scoop, they couldn't wait to let the whole world know in the shortest possible time.
The photos Morgans included in his article—a blurred image of Big Mom's death and the imposing, demon-like presence of Black Dragon Ian—sent everyone into overdrive. They poured their greatest passion into their work.
However, there were a few calmer individuals who quietly asked those around them: Wouldn't it be problematic to expose the death of a newly appointed Marine Admiral and the identity of a CP0 member in the news? What if the World Government came looking for trouble with the newspaper?
But the more experienced veterans disdainfully told them to let the World Government go to hell!
Although the newspaper was subject to World Government oversight, in this matter, as long as Morgans held his ground, even the World Government could do nothing to the newspaper!
Don't forget, the newspaper's headquarters were in the New World! The influence of the World Government and the Marines meant little there.
So that very night, the hastily produced newspapers rolled off the presses. Countless recalled News Coos, though looking reluctant, still carried backpacks full of newspapers and flew off into the night toward every corner of the world...
As a firsthand witness to the entire incident on Whole Cake Island, Morgans truly lived up to his nickname, putting all his effort into creating a "big news" story!