Secretary Gull

The sea in the Calm Belt was as calm as a blue mirror.

Only two enormous venomous sea snakes were huffing and puffing as they hauled a grand ship adorned with ornate carvings.

The toxins covering their bodies kept the countless Sea Kings lurking beneath the tranquil surface at bay.

"Snake Princess!"

"I managed to get a newspaper! Would you like to take a look?"

Hancock, lounging atop the scarlet python, merely rolled her eyes.

"I have no interest in newspapers."

"Boa, if you really have so much free time, count the plundered goods again."

She folded her arms, her exquisite face half-buried in them, her figure languid.

"But the News Coo said it was the last copy off the press and refused to sell it no matter what."

"I had to beat him up before I could snatch it."

Boa sounded aggrieved.

"You snatched it?"

"Then bring it here for me to see. It's spoils of war, after all."

Hearing that it had been stolen, the languid Snake Princess perked up a little. She stretched her graceful body slightly, and her alluring, foxlike eyes made the Nine Snake Pirates' crew stare in spite of themselves.

Everyone appreciated beauty, regardless of gender.

Salome ingratiatingly held the newspaper in her tail and presented it to Hancock.

She read slowly.

She only glanced over the newspaper's most eye-catching headline, about the Marines freeing the slaves.

Her expression didn't seem to change at all.

"It's all such boring stuff."

"I can't get excited about any of it."

Hancock rolled her eyes again, looking utterly indifferent.

Of course, that was just how Hancock saw it.

For a moment, Salome, her body marked with scarlet patterns, felt as if Snake Princess was about to split her in two.

Could you please not squeeze my hand so hard while you're holding it?!

Charles Lang was seething at the World Economic News branch office.

"How can the World Government interfere with the newspapers?!"

"We want freedom of speech!"

"They're scared, that's what! They definitely are!"

His own article had been banned. How could he possibly stand for that?

"The president has already agreed to this."

"The newspaper from three days ago was the last batch printed by the printing department."

A News Coo wearing gold-rimmed glasses pushed them up. Unlike the usual News Coos, his attire made it clear that he was special.

He was the Secretary Gull among the News Coos!

"I don't agree!"

Charles Lang was still shouting.

"Isn't this the Big News the president has always pursued? Did he take money from the Marines to do this?!"

The Secretary Gull's narrow eyes tightened behind his gold-rimmed glasses.

"Charles, know your place."

"If your article hadn't actually been any good this time..."

"Your slander of our great Underground Emperor, Morgans, just now would be enough to get you sent to Printing Island to work for a year!"

The threat of Printing Island immediately cooled Charles's hot temper.

"The Marines won't get away with this for free, either."

The Secretary Gull spoke unhurriedly.

"In exchange for suspending our reporting, we'll have exclusive rights to cover this public execution."

"Now that's Big News on a global scale!"

Exclusive rights to report on the public execution!

Charles's eyes lit up again.

He'd mainly been shouting because he felt his great work had been treated unfairly, not because he cared about justice.

Now that another opportunity had been placed before him, he naturally let go of his anger.

"The Marines are planning to make a big spectacle of this. They intend to broadcast the execution live on islands across the various countries."

"Sabaody Archipelago is no exception."

The Secretary Gull had more to say.

"More importantly, we'll be able to report directly from the battlefield!" His gaze burned with excitement.

No deep insight was needed. Just the name Whitebeard was enough to make anyone realize what a massive event this execution would be.

Reporting on such an event was enough to make a gull excited!

"What about that photographer? The president said he wanted to give him a reward."

"Arne?"

Hearing that they'd secured exclusive reporting rights, Charles no longer cared about the news being banned.

He'd expected as much when he'd exaggerated his reports.

If a reporter on the Grand Line didn't have a few articles banned, could he really call himself a reporter?

He went out and asked around.

The rookie reporter Arne had become a rising star at the branch office.

Charles had generously equipped him with a valuable camera Den Den Mushi. Small and portable, it was an essential item for any well-known reporter.

But the fellow seemed to be holding something.

Charles didn't pay it much mind. After a brief chat, he returned to the Secretary Gull.

"That guy has a really interesting request!" He clicked his tongue.

"Oh?"

"He wants to put a screen up at Marineford so they can watch the live broadcast too. Gah gah gah! Does he want those Marines to watch themselves being broadcast? How interesting!"

The Secretary Gull instinctively furrowed his brow, unable to figure out what the request meant.

But it shouldn't be difficult to arrange.

After all, they'd just agreed to the Marines' demand to suspend the news.

"Fine. I'll pass it on to Lord Morgans!"

"Remember, the public execution is in seven days."

The Secretary Gull flapped his wings and glided out through the branch office window.

Then he landed and raced off along the ground.

"That News Coo has left. They should agree to my request."

Arne murmured to himself.

"Heh heh heh, this is an essential part of the plan."

In his hands, he held another hand, one that looked like it belonged to a parasite, complete with ears and eyes.

Apparently, the person staying in the Solitary Confinement Room was still restless.

"Keep developing your career. You seem quite interested in this profession."

Buggy figured his initial advice must have worked.

Having an interest was best. A reporter was a very useful tool.

People in this world didn't seem to have experienced the power of public opinion yet.

Or perhaps the power of sensational stories.

Arne, whose thoughts had been seen through, blushed and stammered,

"Please don't forget, I'm still your navigator."

"You're a Navigator Candidate." Buggy hopped over to the window and corrected him.

A navigator was a vital position on a ship. He had to choose carefully.

"Fine, fine. A candidate."

"Just don't forget, that's all."

Arne watched with a slightly helpless expression as the strange hand sprang out the window with a pop.

Before long, it had disappeared into the crowd.

From the direction it had gone, it seemed to be following the same route as the Secretary Gull.

He rubbed his head and picked up his camera Den Den Mushi.

He planned to interview a friend he'd recently met.

The cute fellow had a bounty of 100 Beli!

Arne felt that interviewing people like him was much easier than interviewing other pirates.

Besides, they always had plenty to talk about when it came to their bounties.