As the largest newspaper agency on the seas, the World Economic News Agency naturally has its own unique ways of obtaining news.
Where there is news, there are News Birds, especially in the New World—a region teeming with powerful figures—where a special breed known as the Dominant News Birds exists.
Unafraid of Conqueror's Haki, they are the finest journalists on the seas!
Not long ago, one such News Bird was drawn by the clash of Conqueror's Haki between Whitebeard and Kaido, capturing the entire scene of their conflict and the Azure Dragon forcing Kaido into retreat!
Soon, this footage landed in the hands of Morgans, the head of the news network.
World Economic News Agency Headquarters.
The office door was violently slammed open from the outside, the door panel crashing against the wall with a loud bang.
Morgans, who had been lounging with his legs crossed while handling manuscripts, was startled by the sudden noise.
His feathers bristled with anger as he screeched sharply:
"Fool! Who told you to barge in like this? Don't you know the rules?"
The reporter who had barged in seemed not to hear him at all, his face flushed red, eyes burning with near-fanatic fervor.
He rushed to the desk in a few steps, trembling as he raised an Image Transmitting Snail, his voice quivering with excitement:
"Boss, breaking news! A world-shaking event just happened in the New World. You have to see this!"
Morgans frowned, the anger he was about to unleash forcibly suppressed.
Recently, due to the Shadow Garden, major news had been breaking out all over the world.
Could it be that something as significant as the Celestial Dragons' assassination had happened again?
Skeptical yet curious, Morgans opened the Image Transmitting Snail.
The next moment, the snail lit up, projecting the recorded footage onto the wall.
The Image Transmitting Snail first showed Whitebeard and Kaido facing off at sea, their Conqueror's Haki clashing subtly, the atmosphere tense.
Morgans glanced at it, his face full of disdain as he snapped:
"I thought it was something big, but it's just a clash between two of the Four Emperors?
Whitebeard and Kaido have never gotten along. They face off every now and then—how is this breaking news?"
Just as he was about to lose his temper, the reporter smiled mysteriously and whispered:
"Boss, don't rush. The best part is yet to come."
As soon as he finished speaking, the footage abruptly changed.
On the Moby Dick, a figure shrouded in black lightning suddenly appeared, directly intervening in the standoff between the two legendary pirates.
Witnessing the sky split from two to three after the appearance of the man wearing the Azure Dragon mask, Morgans' sharp bird-like eyes suddenly contracted. He straightened up from his chair, his wings frozen mid-air.
His earlier casualness and impatience vanished without a trace.
The footage continued.
Soon after, the Azure Dragon and Kaido collided head-on, their Conqueror's Haki tearing through the heavens, the sea forcibly split into endless fissures.
Giant waves surged toward the sky, and the very world trembled!
Morgans stood completely frozen in place, his beak slightly agape, every feather on his body trembling uncontrollably.
He stared intently at the green figure forcing Kaido into retreat, his heart pounding wildly.
After a long while, he finally spoke in a trembling, excited voice, murmuring word by word:
"He has appeared... the fifth emperor of the seas... has arrived!"
What truly made his heart stop was that this newly emerged fifth emperor had an exceptionally unique identity.
He was merely a member of the [Shadow Garden]!
The more Morgans thought about it, the more terrified he became, his mind racing frantically.
A single member already possessed terrifying power on par with the Four Emperors...
Just how terrifying must the true strength of the Shadow Garden's leader—who had never truly revealed himself and was only known by the name "Shadow"—be?
In an instant, Morgans felt a chill run through his entire body, a reverence and fear stronger than even what he felt toward the World Government surging from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
He clenched his wings tightly, his voice hoarse and trembling: "This sea is truly about to change, more thoroughly than ever before!"
The next day, the World Economic News Agency published the story, and the world finally learned of the earth-shattering battle that had taken place in the New World the previous day.
Earth-Shattering Change! The Fifth Emperor Has Arrived! The Azure Dragon Emerges!
Kaido Flees in Disarray! A Monster Rivaling the Four Emperors Is Born in the New World!
The Shadow Garden Revealed! Its Members Possess Emperor-Level Combat Power!
New World, Whole Cake Island.
The usually lively and cheerful tea party was now unusually silent, with everyone staring intently at the newspaper they had just received from the news agency.
The headlines, which occupied almost every section of the newspaper, were exceptionally eye-catching, and their contents left everyone in disbelief.
Big Mom suddenly dropped the cake in her hand, her eyes fixed on the image of the figure who had split the sea and forced Kaido to retreat:
"How is this possible?! Kaido was actually driven away—that doesn't fit that brat's personality at all!"
Katakuri gritted his sharp teeth beneath his scarf, his pupils contracting sharply.
Even the usually calm him now wore an expression of grave seriousness:
"Mom, Kaido was indeed repelled by the Azure Dragon. Our assessment of the Shadow Garden was completely wrong.
Just the Azure Dragon alone could support an entire Four Emperors pirate crew. Their strength is likely far greater than we imagined!"
After a pause, he asked the question on everyone's mind in the Big Mom Pirates: "Mom, how should we approach the Shadow Garden from now on?"
Big Mom's mouth stretched into an exaggerated grin:
"Mamamama... What a strong kid. My children, spare no effort in searching for traces of the Shadow Garden. I want to invite them to my tea party and have them join my family!"
She scanned the room, her gaze lingering on her unmarried daughters: "As long as they are willing to join the Big Mom Pirates, they can choose any one of my daughters as their wife!"
The entire Big Mom Pirates erupted in an uproar!
Such an honor was unprecedented, yet now it was to be bestowed upon every member of an organization!
Faced with the waves of shock and astonishment from her children, Big Mom paid no attention, her expression remaining utterly unperturbed.
To her, forging good relations with the Shadow Garden was far more important than anything else!
Because in the Shadow Garden, she clearly saw the shadow of the Rocks Pirates from years past.
It was a terrifying force, one that even the World Government feared and trembled before.
...
Thanks to the World Economic News Agency's dissemination, the battle from the previous day quickly spread. However, Ivan, the protagonist of the incident, paid no heed to the ensuing uproar.
Under Robin's strange gaze, Ivan sat on the wooden boat, meditating with his eyes closed.
After the confrontation with Kaido, the recognition of some of the Templates he possessed had also greatly increased.
Now, compared to yesterday, his strength had undergone another tremendous change!
Such a terrifying rate of progress, if known by others, would surely shock the world!
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