With 48 hours left until Ace's public execution, the sun gradually rose, and the morning light filtered through layers of trees, shining on the muddy ground.
On the coast outside the forest on Nine Snake Island, Lina finished breakfast and walked out of the restaurant.
A set of white wooden table and chairs sat by the second-floor balcony. Franky had made them from Adam Wood, and they looked incredibly grand.
Flap! Flap!
He had barely sat down when a news-coo landed on the railing beside him.
He took out two coins worth one Chopper each and dropped them into the money tube hanging around its neck. The news-coo pulled out a newspaper with its beak, dropped it, and flew away.
It was a day-old newspaper. Since they were in the Calm Belt, the World Economic News Agency's papers were practically the only way to get news from the outside world.
Lina glanced over it. The headline was about the preparations Marineford was making for the coming war.
Of course, nothing valuable would be revealed. It was all scraps of information.
Things like military families on the island being evacuated to the Sabaody Archipelago for safety, Marineford opening a live broadcast of the public execution,
summoning Marine elites from around the world to Marine Headquarters, the Shichibukai lending their support, and Whitebeard being sure to be captured if he dared to come.
"They're making it sound like a propaganda campaign."
Lina skimmed through it and quickly lost interest, tossing it onto the table.
It did mention the Impel Down incident from three days earlier, but only in passing.
Sanji came out with two cups of coffee. He spotted the page Lina had just read, handed him a cup, and sat down in the chair opposite.
"The Impel Down incident, huh? Let's