"Breaking news! Breaking Big News Morgans for the New Year! Another Navy Vice Admiral has defected and has been arrested on the spot!"
"Naval inspectors cause trouble; the inspector 'Vice Admiral assassination attempt on the king of Affiliated Nation fails!"
"The Kingdom of Goa is currently engaged in slave trade. A slave-catching team involved attacked Celestial Dragons and has been apprehended by the Navy..."
Coo coo coo--
Cuckoo--
At the start of the new year, the atmosphere of Big News Morgans permeated the Grand Line and the East China Sea, in various towns and even on the open sea, and even the News Bird became a little more diligent.
The so-called "extra edition" refers to a newspaper or magazine that is temporarily issued.
In the world of One Piece, due to the inconvenience of transmission, even the WEC rarely releases "extra editions," but this time they made an exception for Shiryu.
After all, the news was too sudden. Morgans had already prepared to publish a "Naval Inspection Review Special Issue" after the New Year, summarizing the results of the naval inspections over the past six months.
Previously, this inspection was generally considered to have a very positive impact on the Navy.
Although Morgans does offer criticism in this "summary," Morgans skillfully strikes a balance, ensuring the Navy isn't dissatisfied while also avoiding the Spectator that the WEC is merely echoing his sentiments...
However, to Morgans' surprise, the major project he personally oversaw was completely wasted.
However, Morgans was not disappointed; on the contrary, he was quite excited—because the reason for the "waste" was that even bigger related news had emerged!
On January 1, 1516, Shiryu attempted to assassinate the King of Goa in the Kingdom of Goa, but failed. Simultaneously, an illegal slave-hunting crew attacked a Celestial Dragons's ship in Goa waters but was completely wiped out by the navy...
This news... what utter nonsense!
Morgans knew it was fake, but it didn't matter, because anyone with eyes could see what had happened; it was almost obvious.
An illegal slave-trading crew attacked a Celestial Dragons's ship? How could such an absurd thing happen...? Who doesn't know that the fat pigs of Mary Geoise are major slave traders?
In particular, at the same time and in the same location, Marine Vice Admiral defected.
Furthermore, considering the "good" relationship between the royal family of the Kingdom of Goa and Mary Geoise...
It's not hard to imagine that Shiryu discovered the Kingdom of Goa was supplying slaves to Mary Geoise, so he killed the slave-catching team. Then, when he tried to expose the crimes of the Goa royal family, he was subdued and arrested by the navy.
Even the Celestial Dragons' fleets might be drawn into it!
Of course, Morgans knew he was using clickbait—claiming "Celestial Dragons attacked" when in reality the Celestial Dragons weren't even there, and the attack was only on the fleet led by the Celestial Dragons' steward.
Otherwise, Shiryu wouldn't have been "arrested on the spot," but rather "killed on the spot" or "defected."
Because no Celestial Dragons were present, the Navy was able to minimize the impact, managing only to capture Shiryu.
Similarly, while Morgans didn't dare report the truth directly, he broke it down into two clearly suggestive news items and preemptively released an "extra edition" before the gag order came into effect.
Otherwise, although the WEC) nominally often contradicts the World Government, it wouldn't dare to openly cause trouble if there were a gag order in place.
This news was just too tempting. Morgans, who had been in contact with World Government and navies for many years, knew where the real bottom line was. He managed to report on it at the very last minute before the gag order was issued!
Originally, naval inspections didn't generate this much buzz. After all... the navy, everyone knows what they're like, and they do inspections all the time...
However, in the past six months or so, Shiryu and Momousagi have made this inspection quite different thanks to their strong abilities and sense of responsibility. Although it cannot be said that they have completely swept away the slump, it is clear that Sengoku is not just joking this time.
However, just as the inspection was gaining attention and about to conclude, this unexpected incident occurred...
Morgans has decided to release an "extra edition" to completely capitalize on this buzz!
Meanwhile, on a warship in the East China Sea, Sig and Momousagi stared at each other through an iron gate—a scene that had happened before, but Momousagi didn't know that it was Siegfried inside!
And unlike the time eight years ago, when Sig remembered Momousagi standing before him, so noble and aloof, standing ramrod straight, looking down at him who was locked up...
However, Momousagi is now kneeling on the ground, her hands gripping the iron bars, tears streaming down her face, confessing to Shiryu. Anyone who didn't know better would think Momousagi was inside!
Of course, Sig is still inside and Momousagi is outside; Sig is still the prisoner Momousagi is escorting.
However, now Siegfried sits Sig -legged in the prison with Shiryu's long face, his wrists handcuffed with Seastone Handcuffs, so the hand holding the cigar pretends to tremble.
Momousagi, meanwhile, kept talking outside, expressing her remorse...
Firstly, he felt guilty, realizing it was all his fault for insisting on going to the Kingdom of Goa, which led Shiryu "unable to resist" taking action;
Secondly, he blamed himself for being unable to do anything, and could only prevent Shiryu killing King Peter Nandcarnet of Goa before the situation escalated further;
Thirdly, he blamed Shiryu for not informing him beforehand, for choosing to do it alone, and... for staying behind!
Because she was too emotional, Momousagi seemed a bit incoherent. If Sig hadn't been so logical, he would have been completely confused by the jumbled things she was saying.
That's right. Sieg, in his Shiryu Sig, "couldn't help but take action" without Momousagi's knowledge. Oldest One, Momousagi only discovered the slave trade and didn't know that the Kingdom of Goa was the mastermind, nor did she know that the buyers came from Mary Geoise!
After Shiryu his move, Momousagi realized what was happening and naturally assumed that Shiryu was unwilling to pretend he hadn't seen anything, nor did he want to get involved, so he went to sabotage the slave trade on his own.
When Shiryu King Peter, Momousagi easily blocked him, and Shiryu didn't show any intention of running away afterwards. Otherwise... regardless of whether he was strong enough to escape, Momousagi would definitely have held back.
Sig doesn't need to use his mystical abilities to read Momousagi's mind; he can deduce Momousagi's current emotions simply from her expression and tone of voice.
He understood that all her guesses were exactly as he had planned, and there was nothing more to add, so he remained silent and continued smoking.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps approached. Momousagi immediately stood up and tried to compose herself, but because of her swollen eyes, she still didn't turn around right away.
The big-nosed man ran up from behind, shouting from afar, "Vice Admiral! Aokiji Admiral arrived..."
Upon hearing the word "Admiral," Momousagi's heart tightened, but after realizing it was "Aokiji," she relaxed slightly...