'That guy, is he really planning to swallow up my newspaper? It seems his ambitions don't stop there.'
After giving his orders to the newsroom, Morgans carefully contemplated what Cyrus had just said on the snail.
Was full cooperation between the newspaper and the Hunter Guild a good thing?
It depended entirely on how you looked at it.
Compared to the World Economy News Paper with its vast information channels spanning the entire world, the newly established Hunter Guild was naturally still lacking in reach.
But Cyrus, the guild's president, had changed that situation through sheer personal strength.
As long as Cyrus was around, the Hunter Guild was bound to become a top-tier power on the seas.
Viewed from that perspective, an alliance between the newspaper and the Hunter Guild seemed quite reasonable.
Although their information network was incredibly impressive, the World Economy News Paper's actual combat power was considerably weaker.
Of course, this was something Morgans had intentionally arranged over the years; after all, if an organization with the best information channels also possessed overwhelming military power, the World Government wouldn't have allowed the newspaper to survive until now.
But the current situation was entirely different—the combat prowess Cyrus had displayed was simply unbelievable.
Morgans, who knew much about the Guild Master's history, found it utterly astonishing, yet that world-breaking power was undeniably real.
"In the future, the Hunter Guild might become a force rivaling the Marines, perhaps even surpassing it," Morgans murmured softly to himself. This was his honest prediction.
...
Mixed reports—both true and completely false—about Dressrosa began spreading rapidly across the seas.
Following the Mary Geoise incident, numerous forces across the globe were closely watching the World Government's response, and of course, they were keeping tabs on Cyrus as well.
Regarding the initial news released by the World Government—that Cyrus had brutally attacked Dressrosa and destroyed the innocent nation—many people actually believed it.
After all, in the perception of most people in this world, a powerhouse of Cyrus's terrifying caliber was someone who acted recklessly, and such wanton destruction was entirely common on these seas.
But soon after, the World Economy News Paper published a massive report that directly refuted the earlier claims.
The report even detailed the exact nature of the conflict between Cyrus and Doflamingo.
One account was thorough, covering both the process and the outcome with verifiable evidence, while the other was vague, emotional, and highly ambiguous.
When the two reports were compared side-by-side, the earlier one felt blatantly fabricated.
However, not everyone had access to the true report, and likewise, not everyone saw the World Government's propaganda publication.
Still, those who received both conflicting messages had a vague sense of dread.
They could feel that a sudden, looming, all-out confrontation seemed to be on the horizon.
...
In Wano Country.
Kaido slammed his massive gourd down heavily, his face flushed red—he was clearly drunk.
"Kaido-san!" King set down the newspaper in his hand and turned to look at the Emperor. "It seems the second version of the truth is more credible."
However, Kaido didn't seem particularly concerned with King's words.
"Doesn't matter. Whichever is true, it's affecting that bastard's deliveries," Kaido growled, his tone grim.
He was, of course, referring to the Artificial Devil Fruit trade with Doflamingo.
"We've tested the fruits we received earlier. How did it go?" Kaido grabbed his gourd again and took a heavy swig before asking.
"The effects are largely as described. They can indeed create ability users, though there are still major physical flaws—but it's acceptable," King immediately provided an answer.
"What does Queen say?" Kaido asked again after a moment of silence.
"They require a special substance to produce, and Queen isn't skilled in that area," King shook his head.
"What a damn mess!" Kaido's expression grew even darker.
Building the Beasts Pirates and turning all his subordinates into Devil Fruit users—that was Kaido's grand goal.
But genuine Devil Fruits were far too scarce, and even with Kaido's massive influence, obtaining so many was nothing but a pipe dream.
Doflamingo's Artificial Devil Fruits could help him achieve this dream, yet before their cooperation could even properly begin, it seemed Doflamingo was already unable to fulfill the trade.
Though furious, Kaido refrained from taking action this time.
While he might appear to be a mindless brute, he was, in truth, an incredibly cunning pirate.
Until he could accurately gauge Cyrus's true strength, Kaido wouldn't recklessly intervene.
After all, the nearly split Red Line was located right near the Sabaody Archipelago, and anyone who went there could clearly see the sheer devastation.
To put it simply, Kaido has no bottom line when it comes to self-preservation.
"Kaido-san, this person has now entered the New World. We might encounter him later, or he might come here directly," King reminded him.
Hearing this, Kaido frowned and gulped down some more alcohol.
"If he comes, my Spiked Club won't be weaker than his blade."
As Kaido spoke, he put down his gourd, grabbed his massive weapon, and swung it a few times to test the weight.
"I understand," King didn't say more after hearing this.
If a confrontation were to happen, it would be unavoidable, as they couldn't abandon everything here and evacuate Wano in advance without any concrete news of the other party's arrival.
....
A similar situation was unfolding on Whitebeard's ship.
However, this time, the Moby Dick had a notable visitor.
Red-Haired Shanks and Whitebeard sat facing each other on the deck.
"Gurararara, I never expected that little brat from Roger's ship back then would grow to this extent." Whitebeard clutched his massive bowl of alcohol and laughed heartily.
When Red Hair arrived earlier, he released his Conqueror's Haki, which was truly astonishing.
That level of Haki, with its sheer presence alone, could already physically affect the surroundings.
As he said this, Whitebeard recalled his past battles with Roger and couldn't help but sigh.
"People always change, especially after so many years." Shanks didn't mind the reminiscing, drinking from a bowl larger than his entire body.
"Gurararara, indeed, but the sea is never boring," Whitebeard laughed heartily upon hearing this.
"This era has produced you, and now there's Cyrus in Dressrosa."
Hearing Whitebeard mention Cyrus, Shanks was taken aback, his expression turning serious.
"There's a lot of news about the events in Dressrosa, with all sorts of conflicting situations, but it seems the sea will be very lively from now on."
"Indeed, but this time, he's really done something big again," Whitebeard observed, looking at the younger Emperor.
"So, Red Hair brat, what do you plan to do?"
"I can't interfere, and it's not convenient for me. I'm not confident about facing that person," Shanks admitted very frankly.
Clearly, he was completely open about the matter.
"Gurararara, hearing you say that makes me a little curious too."
"Curious?" Shanks frowned slightly upon hearing this, then shook his head helplessly. "That person is not to be provoked, and don't forget his original identity—Pirate Hunter."
Shanks reminded him of the danger, but Whitebeard clearly didn't care.
'A Pirate Hunter? But he doesn't seem look like one!'