Chapter 324: Wanted: Marines! A Bounty on the Admirals!
The morning sun shone on the headquarters of the World Economic Journal.
"Faster, faster!" Morgans flapped his wings, personally supervising the workers in the printing factory. "You lot, stop dawdling! We've only got a hundred thousand copies left! Pick up the pace! They all have to be sent out before noon!"
The workers were drenched in sweat, the printing presses roared, and stacks of newspapers, still smelling of fresh ink, were quickly bundled.
"President, is this really okay?" his deputy, unable to watch any longer, sidled over and whispered, his face beaded with sweat.
"What's there to be afraid of?" Morgans glared at him and snorted. "You fool, haven't you adapted yet? You still think it's like before? Putting a bounty on those people… hmph, it's unprecedented, exciting! But this is the Curtain Call's territory! Do the CP agents dare to come and make trouble?! We don't have to run and hide like before, you fool!"
"That's not what I'm worried about, President!" A dark line appeared on the deputy's forehead. You're the one who hasn't adapted!
"You made the workers come in two hours early for overtime, and you've been yelling at them and swearing at them this whole time! You've violated two regulations in one go! What if the labor department finds out…"
Oh, right! Morgans was shocked. He slapped his forehead. "I almost forgot! Why didn't you remind me sooner!"
After gaining the protection of the Curtain Call, his two professions had gone in opposite directions. As a journalist, he was freer and more exhilarated than ever, churning out bombshell after bombshell. But as a boss, he was now much more restricted. No more randomly scolding or insulting the workers, and he had to pay overtime. He had even heard that they were in the process of setting up unions for all the various industries… all these rules and regulations were so annoying!
"I just got here…" the deputy said with a bitter smile. He leaned in and whispered, "But if you make up for it now, it's not too late. Just do this, and this…"
"Listen up, everyone!" Morgans immediately put on a friendly smile and shouted to the workers, "I was too excited just now, too hasty! You've all worked hard! Let's push through this last batch, and after these newspapers are sent out, everyone will get a three-day paid vacation in rotation! And, this month's bonus will be tripled!"
The workers cheered, and the tense, dissatisfied atmosphere was instantly gone.
"The President is wise!" the deputy said with a thumbs-up, relieved.
Morgans also wiped the sweat from his brow. Even he was having a hard time getting used to these new rules. He had heard that in some of the Curtain Call's affiliated nations, they were even trying to pass laws to limit the privileges of the royalty and nobility. He had no idea how those nobles could stand it…
Hmm? Morgans suddenly noticed that the printing speed had seemed to pick up. Strange. He wasn't yelling anymore, but the workers were actually more efficient now than when he had been constantly nagging them.
"President!" another subordinate rushed over. "We've received word from our branches in the four seas! They're all ready! The first batch of newspapers can be distributed in ten minutes!"
"Is that so? Excellent!" Morgans's attention was completely captivated. He flapped his wings and let out a triumphant laugh. "This is another masterpiece that will go down in history! Let the world tremble once again!"
Sunlight streamed in through the window. In the square, flocks of News Coos, their mailbags full, took flight, covering half the sky like a churning white wave. They flew into the morning sun, carrying the newspapers and the massive number of wanted posters to every corner of the sea—
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
"Kuzan has been spotted in the Curtain Call's territory? That kid, is he thinking of joining them? He always likes to surprise people," the Commander-in-Chief, now also serving as the Fleet Admiral, Kong, said, putting down the report he had just received with a snort.
"We can't be sure yet, Fleet Admiral," Akainu said from the sofa, a cigar in his mouth, his brow furrowed. "The New World isn't what it used to be. Most of it has fallen into the hands of the Curtain Call. Even the CP0 agents have a hard time infiltrating deep. We only have a sighting of Kuzan near the Galaxy Sea. It's hard to say what happened after that."
Kong's eyes narrowed in thought. Though he was nearly a hundred years old, for "that reason," he was still full of vigor, even more energetic than when he was young. Since taking over, he had been working for over ten hours a day. With the prestige he had accumulated among the older generation of Marines and his熟练, firm but fair methods, he had managed to stabilize the situation. Though the price had been steep, with a large number of Marines from the lower to the upper ranks choosing to leave, and their overall strength having taken a huge hit, to have stabilized the situation in half a month… he had a clear conscience. He had, after all, fulfilled the Five Elders' request.
But now, if even a former Admiral like Kuzan were to join the Curtain Call… it would undoubtedly be another blow to the prestige and morale of the Marine Headquarters! Do I have to clean up another mess?
Kong irritably lit a cigar, the smoke swirling before his eyes, his gaze growing darker. "Hey, Sakazuki, you're Kuzan's senior. You've fought alongside him for many years. You know him better than I do. Do you think he would make that choice?"
"…" Akainu was silent for a moment. "That guy has always been lazy and indecisive. But now that he's left the Marines, I wouldn't be surprised by any choice he makes. After all, people change, don't they?" When he said the last sentence, he paused and looked up at Kong. It was Kong, but it didn't seem to be the "Steel Bone" Kong of the past. Though he was still sitting in the Fleet Admiral's chair, wearing the uniform, the white "Justice" coat, and had an imposing air… Akainu felt that the Kong who had spent so much time in the Holy Land was very different from the one in his memories. The faint, decadent smell about him was more like that of the old men in the Chamber of Authority.
Is it real? Or is it just my own dissatisfaction at him swooping in and taking the Fleet Admiral position that's making me see things? Akainu looked away and extinguished his cigar.
"Speaking of which, when Kuzan left Headquarters, I warned him," he continued, his face impassive. "If he dared to join Shane, he would be an enemy of the entire Marine force, and I would personally clean house. Fleet Admiral, if the news is confirmed, will you give me that chance?"
"If the news is confirmed, then the Curtain Call's top-tier strength will be even more terrifying, Sakazuki!" Kong's brow furrowed in annoyance. "In that case, we will have to be even more cautious! We can't just rashly go to war in the New World as you previously suggested! If we lose, the price will be unbearable!" He had always considered himself a hawk among the Marines, but this Sakazuki… how had he become even more aggressive than him?!
"But…" Akainu was about to say more when a frantic knock came from the office door.
"Come in," Kong said coldly.
"Fleet Admiral! Urgent news!" a staff officer burst in, his face pale, clutching a newspaper. "The World Economic Journal… they… they…"
"Get to the point!" Akainu roared.
"Yes, yes…" the staff officer trembled, holding out the newspaper. "Fleet Admiral, they've collaborated with the Curtain Call and have released this to the whole world…"
On the front page was a bold, black headline—
[A HISTORICAL FIRST! THE TRUE VILLAINS OF THE WORLD GOVERNMENT AND MARINE HEADQUARTERS, THEIR WANTED POSTERS REVEALED!]
CRASH!
With the sound of a chair being violently overturned, Kong shot to his feet, unable to maintain his composure. He strode over and snatched the newspaper.
RUSTLE~
A stack of wanted posters fell from the newspaper. The officer scrambled to pick them up, but Akainu's hand shot out and took them. Akainu's face grew darker with each poster he flipped through. Unlike the ones issued by Marine Headquarters, these wanted posters not only had a photo and a bounty, but also several lines of text detailing their so-called crimes! For example—
[FLEET ADMIRAL OF MARINE HEADQUARTERS, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF 'STEEL BONE' KONG!]
[A LOYAL DOG OF THE WORLD GOVERNMENT, A LOYAL SLAVE OF THE CELESTIAL DRAGONS, CONDONED THE MARINES' PARTICIPATION IN GENOCIDE AND NUMEROUS MASSACRES!]
[A MOUNTAIN OF BLOODY DEBTS AND CRIMES!]
[BOUNTY: ฿5,500,000,000! DEAD OR ALIVE!]
—
[MARINE ADMIRAL, 'AKAINU' SAKAZUKI!]
[A LOYAL DOG OF THE WORLD GOVERNMENT, A LOYAL SLAVE OF THE CELESTIAL DRAGONS, PARTICIPATED IN NUMEROUS MASSACRES, DESTROYED OHARA, SHELLED A CIVILIAN EVACUATION SHIP.]
[A MOUNTAIN OF BLOODY DEBTS AND CRIMES!]
[BOUNTY: ฿3,500,000,000! DEAD OR ALIVE!]
—
[MARINE ADMIRAL, 'KIZARU' BORSALINO!]
[A DOG AND SLAVE WHO, IN HIS PAINFUL STRUGGLE AND INDECISION, COMMITTED NUMEROUS ATROCITIES, PARTICIPATED IN NUMEROUS MASSACRES.]
[THOUGH NOT THE MAIN CULPRIT, HIS CRIMES CANNOT BE ESCAPED!]
[BOUNTY: ฿3,000,000,000! DEAD OR ALIVE!]
—
[MARINE ADMIRAL, 'GREENBULL' ARAMAKI!]
[THE MOST LOYAL DOG OF THE WORLD GOVERNMENT, THE MOST LOYAL SLAVE OF THE CELESTIAL DRAGONS, WORSHIPS THE CELESTIAL DRAGONS AS TRUE GODS, CONSIDERS THE LIVES OF CIVILIANS IN NON-AFFILIATED NATIONS TO BE WORTHLESS.]
[BOUNTY: ฿2,500,000,000! DEAD OR ALIVE!]
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