Morgans: I Want All His Information Within Two Days!

Somewhere on an island in the Grand Line.

Dense flocks of seagulls flew back and forth above the island.

At the center of the island stood a massive building.

The building was shaped like a gigantic birdcage, with a spherical device atop it.

And on the main entrance inside the building, a string of words was boldly written.

[World Economic News Agency (World Economic Journal)].

This was Newspaper Island, the headquarters of the World Economic News Agency.

At that moment, in the editor-in-chief's office on the top floor of the headquarters.

"Not enough! It's not explosive enough!"

A giant albatross wearing a top hat and holding a cane slammed the sample newspaper in his hand onto the floor.

He was none other than the president of the World Economic News Agency, the underground king who monopolized public opinion and intelligence across the entire sea—the "Big News," Morgans.

"Look at what you wrote! The princess of the Goa Kingdom is engaged to someone. How is this boring rubbish qualified to be published? Our readers didn't subscribe to us to read this kind of thing!"

Spittle flew from his beak. "The Shichibukai! The Four Emperors! The mighty figures capable of influencing the world setting the seas ablaze—that's what people want to see!"

"B-but, President..."

The bald-headed reporter before him, his head covered in spittle, wore a bitter expression. "I submitted a report about the Shichibukai before, but you rejected it too..."

"Huh?"

Morgans raised an eyebrow and forcefully tapped the bald reporter in front of him with his cane.

"What kind of joke are you making!?"

"A fleet under the command of the 'King of Lizards,' Hanafuda, was defeated by a Supernova—that would indeed be enough for publication, but you're applying for the headline! The headline!"

He continued spraying spittle everywhere. "What was the recent headline? Why don't you take another look."

"It was the Celestial Gold Heist Incident. It was news about the Three-Army Martial Arts Tournament. Now that is worthy of being a headline!"

As he spoke, he clenched his wings in excitement, as though recalling the upheaval that had shaken the seas two months earlier.

And the person who had caused that upheaval.

"Do we have any information about Rooster?"

"The Editorial Department still has nothing. President, it seems Rooster went into hiding after that incident."

"Useless!"

Morgans forcefully tapped the bald reporter, whose head had already swollen with lumps, again, but he couldn't help sighing.

As a qualified journalist, he yearned for truly big news.

But even in this Great Pirate Era, genuinely explosive news remained rare.

"The Twelve Zodiacs. What a pity the government won't disclose any information about that organization to me. All I know is its name."

He muttered in a low voice, his words filled with regret.

As one of the underground kings who cooperated and maintained an understanding with the World Government,

although the Twelve Zodiacs was information temporarily sealed off by the World Government and the Navy,

Morgans could still obtain some related information through various channels, thanks to his connections.

But clearly, the name of an organization alone was nowhere near enough to be called a report.

"When will that Rooster show up again?"

Muttering to himself, Morgans returned to his desk and poured himself a cup of hot coffee. It was a famous variety from the West Blue, and he had taken a liking to it lately.

But at that exact moment—

"Bang!"

The door to the editor-in-chief's office was violently shoved open, and a young reporter rushed inside.

"Haha... ha..."

He clutched a telegram tightly in his hand, his voice distorted with excitement. "President! Big news! Big news!"

Watching this, Morgans merely furrowed his brow and thought, Young people really can't keep their composure.

"Calm down. I remember telling you during your orientation that, as journalists, you must remain steady and composed."

He lifted his coffee cup elegantly and took a sip. "Go on, what's the news!?"

"It's about the Shichibukai—the Shichibukai's Crocodile has been killed!"

"Pfft!"

And so, the "elegant" Big News sprayed a mouthful of hot coffee onto the bald reporter's head.

"P-President!?"

The bald reporter, his head covered in lumps and his face drenched in coffee, looked at Morgans with a bitter expression.

So much for being steady and composed.

Morgans ignored him, his enormous body suddenly leaning forward. "Killed? By whom? Bring it here. Cough, cough... Let me see!"

Only halfway through did he seem to remember that he was supposed to display the so-called "composure of a journalist," so he deliberately lowered his voice.

"Yes, yes!"

The young reporter hurriedly handed over the telegram.

Morgans took it and immediately began reading it.

But after merely glancing at the first line...

"Th-this is..."

His gaze instantly sharpened like an eagle's, and the coffee cup in his hand was crushed on the spot.

"Ah!"

The shattered pieces of the coffee cup struck the bald reporter's head again, making him cry out in agony.

But Morgans clearly couldn't hear him anymore.

Because Big News was now staring breathlessly at the top of the telegram, where there seemed to be an image captured from afar.

It was in the desert.

The traces left by enormous waves across the desert were still clearly visible—the colossal crater, the remaining pools of water, and the torrential rain falling from the sky. Even in the blurry photograph, the sight was terrifying.

The drastically altered landscape was enough to show what kind of fierce battle had taken place there.

But that was not the key issue. The key issue was—

At the very center of the photograph, Morgans could see two people.

One of them had already collapsed on the ground.

Morgans recognized him—the Sand Crocodile, Crocodile, one of the Shichibukai whose name resounded across the Four Seas.

But now, hideous wounds covered the body of this great pirate.

His body was riddled with frostbite and burns, and his left hand was nowhere to be seen.

That silently proved one fact—Crocodile was dead.

This alone was news enough to shake the seas.

But at that moment, to Morgans,

the person who had defeated him was the one who truly became the focus of his attention.

Because he had spotted that imposing Dragon Head Mask at a glance.

"Sea Beast Mask."

The feathers of Morgans's enormous wings stood almost completely on end. As one of the smartest people in the world, he immediately realized the possibility.

"Is he the Second Person of the Twelve Zodiacs!?"

The moment that thought crossed his mind, Morgans felt his heartbeat slipping out of control.

"Who is he?"

He instantly turned toward the young reporter again, his voice nearly a roar.

"We—we're not sure. For now, we only know that he defeated Crocodile. We'll need to wait for an investigation to learn the exact circumstances."

"Then go investigate immediately!"

Morgans abruptly turned around. The gale from his flapping wings swept up the mountain of documents piled throughout the office, sending them flying in every direction.

"The Shichibukai has been defeated and killed. The World Government will definitely send people to Alabasta. Before they seal off the information, obtain as much intelligence as possible. Whether it's true or false!"

"The Editorial Department, the Intelligence Analysis Group, the Independent Investigation Group... Everyone who's available, all of you go to Alabasta!"

"Three days. No! Two days—give me all his information within two days!"

"He's the subject of this issue's front page. It has to be him!"

And so, moments later, the entire headquarters of the news agency began to boil over.

Reporters rushed out of the editor-in-chief's office, while the ringing of Den Den Mushi continued without end.

The only one who remained in the editor-in-chief's office was Morgans, who savored the sound of the chaos below.

He flapped his wings like an elegant conductor.

"That's right, that's right! This is more like it!"

Laughter rang from his beak. "A peaceful sea is too boring, far too boring!"

"The Twelve Zodiacs."

He murmured the name of this organization, which was still entirely unknown to him.

But his instincts had already told him—

In the coming era that was about to run wild, this organization might become the center of everything.

It would bring—

"Countless... 'big news'!"