"Even so…"
"This is still… a headline powerful enough to shake the entire sea!"
Morgans stamred as waves of emotion surged through him. His entire body trembled uncontrollably…
A sharp glint burst forth in his eyes, excitent laid bare without restraint.
Such a monuntal story—
Even in the decades since the founding of the World Economy News—
Had never appeared!
At this mont, when he looked again at the News Coo that had brought him this information—
There was no trace of his earlier irritation.
Pointing at the bird with his wing-like arm, he declared:
"Good! Very good!"
"To have obtained such a massive story—starting today, you'll be in charge of the Alabasta Kingdom and its surrounding seas!"
As his words fell—
Morgans pulled out a fresh newspaper sheet, grabbed a pen from his desk, and began writing furiously. Even as he wrote, he muttered to himself:
"A big story!"
"A story this big… how can I let those fools ruin it?"
"Right… the headline…"
"How about: Shocking! A mysterious powerhouse kills a Warlord of the Sea!"
"No, no! Not enough impact!"
"Then… Shocking! Gods truly exist in this world!"
"No, no! Or maybe…"
As the president of the World Economy News—
Morgans rarely wrote articles himself.
At most, he would review and revise important stories.
But sothing like this—
A story written entirely by his own hand—
Had only happened a handful of tis since the newspaper's founding decades ago!
And every single ti—
It had been a world-shaking headline!
…
At the Sabaody Archipelago—the gateway to the New World—
Inside a tavern—
An old man with long, white hair, a beard along his chin, and glasses, with a scar over his right eye, slowly unfolded a freshly printed newspaper that still carried the scent of ink.
As he flipped through it, he muttered in complaint:
"Tsk… why has the price of newspapers gone up again…"
"This old man can barely afford his drinks anymore…"
However—
Before he could finish speaking, his words caught in his throat.
"Shocking! The King Who Has Slain Gods Strikes Down a Warlord Again!"
The mont he opened the paper—
That eye-catching headline leapt into view!
His pupils contracted slightly as the silver-haired old man's gaze swept downward.
In just a few monts—
He had already read through the entire article.
"Interesting… truly interesting…"
"The so-called king's treasure, Enkidu… capable of slaying gods?"
"A King of Heroes whose strength surpasses even the Four Emperors?"
After a long pause—
The old man finally spoke, his cloudy eyes now filled with curiosity.
The contents of this newspaper—
Were simply too unbelievable!
Even he—
The right-hand man of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger—
The Dark King, Rayleigh—
Could not help but feel astonished.
Killing Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords—
That, he could accept.
After all, with his own strength, he could accomplish the sa.
The seas were vast—
The occasional hidden powerhouse appearing was nothing unusual.
However—
What the paper claid…
That this so-called King of Heroes possessed strength surpassing the Four Emperors—
And wielded a treasure capable of slaying gods—
That was far too exaggerated!
The Four Emperors—
Were acknowledged by countless pirates as the pinnacle of power in the New World!
In terms of strength, influence, and reputation—
They stood at the very top!
And yet—
Soone stronger than them had remained completely unknown until now?
That possibility—
Was incredibly slim!
As for the claim of slaying gods—
Even more impossible!
There were no gods in this world!
The concept of "gods" had originally erged as a way to describe Devil Fruit users before such powers beca widespread.
Even now, so still used that term taphorically.
If this "King of Heroes" spoke of slaying gods—
Then just how ancient was he supposed to be?
Or had he simply erged from so remote, isolated place?
"Ah, well… forget it…"
Taking off his glasses, Rayleigh wiped them with a cloth before putting them back on.
He lifted the cup on his table and drank deeply, a faint smile forming on his face as he spoke with amused detachnt:
"This old man is retired now…"
"I'll leave these headaches… to the Marines."
The Seven Warlords, though pirates with their own ambitions—
Were still recognized by the Marines as a powerful force aligned with them.
To so extent—
They represented the Marines' authority.
The defeat of a Warlord was already enough to damage that authority—
Let alone the death of one.
And the mysterious man who called himself the King of Heroes—
Even if the report exaggerated his strength—
Anyone capable of killing Crocodile…
Was at least at the level of a Marine Admiral!
To restore their reputation—
The Marines would have to put in quite the effort this ti…
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