Laura Louise sat nervously in her office chair, deciding to organize her interview notes to calm her nerves.
In his previous life, William had heard American journalist John Brady say that experienced journalists should prepare ten minutes for every minute of interview.
Laura Louise followed this principle before her trip. A good character interview cannot be achieved through mechanical questioning alone. Although today was her first time meeting William in person, she had already gathered plenty of information and rumors about him.
William might know nothing about Laura Louise, but she was already quite familiar with him. She had organized a lot of information to effectively avoid any awkward situations or inadvertently angering William during their interaction.
Previously, Laura Louise's understanding of William was based on hearsay. Although he was said to be amiable, she wasn't sure if this was just flattery from others. She had seen the demeanor of kingdom nobles and influential figures before. Many believed that those in power must be broad-minded, but Louise knew that wasn't always the case.
Suddenly, the door was pushed open from the outside, and a young man strode in.
Upon hearing the sound, Louise quickly stood up. Before she could turn around, the man had already approached her desk, taking off his suit jacket and handing it to the attendant following him, who hung it on the coat rack.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," William said with a slightly apologetic smile.
At William's gesture, Louise sat down. Finally, she had the chance to closely observe the actual ruler of the Navia Kingdom, whose name she had heard but never seen in person.
Beneath his long eyebrows were sharp blue eyes, a prominent nose, and somewhat thin lips that gave off a resolute vibe when slightly pursed. His golden hair was tied back, making him appear extremely youthful, yet he exuded a confident, mature aura that came with holding great power.
"You don't need to apologize. I know you're very busy lately, and I'm already grateful that you could take time for our newspaper's interview," Louise said humbly.
"It's only right. Waiting for a beautiful woman is a privilege for men, and I shouldn't have taken the liberty to give up that privilege," William joked. He knew that mechanical interviews wouldn't produce appealing content. Seeing Louise's youth, he was concerned she might be nervous, so he actively tried to lighten the mood.
Louise smiled with pursed lips, "Isn't it said that making others wait is a privilege for women? How did it change?"
"Waiting for a lady to groom herself—isn't that a privilege worth enjoying?" William said, deliberately focusing his gaze on Louise.
Feeling a bit embarrassed under his scrutiny, Louise asked, "What are you looking at?"
"Checking if you're wearing makeup. Seems like you did a bit?" William wondered, furrowing his brows. "Naturally beautiful, it's hard to tell."
Louise was amused by William's serious observation, and her nervousness vanished. She had heard countless rumors and stories about him: some said he was brave and skilled in battle, others said he was generous, fair, and gentle, but none mentioned his witty remarks.
"Grooming isn't necessarily for someone else. Maybe it's just for one's own image when going out," Louise said casually.
"Waiting is miserable enough; can't one at least console themselves?" William chuckled. "Since it's your turn to suffer, ask away with your questions."
Louise was most curious about William's pirate activities and the truth behind the rumors of collusion with the Marines, but she suppressed her impulse and instead focused on questions about the textile industry's growth in Kalmar City, the stability within the kingdom, and other topics related to William's contributions and achievements.
Before organizing this information, Louise had been surprised. She had seen many countries and cities but hadn't expected such rapid development and peaceful stability in a nation governed by pirates.
This was a major reason Louise stayed in the East Blue for so long. As her investigation progressed, the more she learned about William, the more curious she became about the secrets surrounding him.
…
Cocoyasi Village welcomed a new group of visitors.
The warship carrying Aramis docked at a hidden private port outside the village, and he met up with Zangy before entering the village.
Zangy was one of the few aware of Aramis's identity, and he treated Aramis with great respect.
"Sir, why are you personally leading the team?" Zangy asked on the way.
Aramis smiled slightly, "The governor fears the Arlong Pirates might act against the two villages if they catch wind of this. These places will eventually become part of the Navia Kingdom, and their residents will be subjects under the governor's rule. He doesn't want too many casualties."
William wasn't too worried about the Arlong Pirates receiving news from the outside world. This group of fish-men maintained limited contact with outsiders, and what little contact they had was largely monopolized by William. Apart from continuing to oppress and extort the villages and draw sea charts, they had little interest in other matters.
William was more concerned about loose lips within Cocoyasi Village and Hoshia Town, which could lead to the Arlong Pirates taking desperate measures.
"How are the people in Cocoyasi Village and Hoshia Town now?" Aramis asked.
Zangy thought for a moment before replying, "They're restless and anxious, worried that we can't stand up to the Arlong Pirates."
Aramis exaggeratedly tilted his head back, showing a hint of amusement, "Not stand up to them? Those half-human, half-fish fools, played like pawns by the governor?"
"If the governor didn't want them around to spread fear, would they have survived this long in the East Blue?" Aramis mocked.
Zangy was silent for a moment before he couldn't help but ask, "Why does the governor want to keep these fish-men around and go to such lengths to plan for such a remote village like Cocoyasi Village?"
"Do you think the villagers of Cocoyasi Village suffer under Arlong's rule?" Aramis countered.
Zangy fell silent. The people of Cocoyasi Village had to pay exorbitant life-buying fees every month, with death being the only alternative. The most puzzling aspect of the Arlong Pirates was their collective punishment policy for those unable to pay, meaning if one person couldn't pay, the entire village would be destroyed.
The behavior of the Arlong Pirates was less about extorting and blackmailing the local residents and more about these racists simply finding joy in slaughter, using it as an excuse to destroy one village after another and then occupy new territories.
🔥 Want to read the next 20 chapters RIGHT NOW?
💎 Patreon members get instant access!
⚡ Limited-time offer currently running...
👉 [Join on - patreon.com/GoldenLong]
Everyone fears death, but ordinary people don't live under the constant threat of death like the residents under Arlong's rule do.