World Economy News Paper – Mobile News Bureau.
President's Office.
Morgans, one of the great figures of the underworld, sat upright at his desk, his expression brimming with excitement as he gazed at the bounty poster before him—Bacardi Maude's latest bounty.
In just a single day, Maude's bounty had skyrocketed from 500 million to 1.98 billion beri.
The world was in shock.
Even for someone as well-traveled and experienced as Morgans, this was an unprecedented leap in bounty value.
"Impressive as always, Bacardi Maude… To think you alone could shake the world, a world that has remained stagnant and predictable for nearly two decades."
A glimmer of light flashed in Morgans' eyes.
Ever since the newspaper agency had decided to allocate massive resources to Maude's story, their sales had skyrocketed without any signs of slowing down.
But if there was one decision Morgans considered his most brilliant, it was entrusting an important role to Turkey Dada.
"This is a golden opportunity to make headlines! No way we're passing this up!"
Unable to contain his excitement, Morgans reached out and picked up a Den Den Mushi.
"Tell Dada to come here."
"Yes, sir."
A voice responded from the other end.
A few minutes later…
With an air of confidence, Dada swung open the office door and strode in.
"President Morgans, are we rushing to publish two consecutive editions?"
Dada closed the door behind him with a swift motion, his eyes gleaming as he looked at the seated Morgans.
"That's right. And we're using a double-front page layout, filling even the back cover with nothing but reports on Maude."
Holding up Maude's bounty poster, Morgans declared with a radiant expression—uttering the words that would never change for the rest of his life:
"After all, this is BIG news!"
"Oh… President Morgans, you truly are a genius."
Dada's eyes practically sparkled as he admired the photo of Maude on the poster.
Morgans looked at Dada, his eyes shining like camera flashes. With solemn authority, he said:
"I'm leaving this important task to you, Dada."
"I won't let you down!"
Dada instinctively straightened his posture, barely able to contain his excitement.
Morgans nodded and asked, "So… have you thought of a headline?"
"Of course!"
Dada lifted his chin slightly, his face flushing with enthusiasm as he spoke in a tone filled with absolute reverence:
"This new era… will be named after Bacardi Maude!!"
"Uh… That's your sensational headline?"
"No, no, that's just my honest personal sentiment."
"…"
"Oh, by the way, President Morgans, the World Government has been pressuring us to manipulate the narrative in their favor. So… even if we don't comply, should we at least tone things down in the upcoming reports?"
"If I told you to tone down the reports on Maude, would you listen?"
"Not a chance."
Dada shook his head without hesitation.
This was his life's work.
Morgans sighed, resisting the urge to slap Dada across the head.
"We are a legitimate newspaper agency. No need to worry too much. Besides… we're helping the World Government and the Marines divert attention elsewhere."
"Understood, President Morgans!"
Within a single day, Maude's newest bounty poster spread across the world.
And shortly after…
The World Economy News Paper, the biggest news agency, did something unprecedented—they published two consecutive editions, both entirely dedicated to Bacardi Maude.
...
New World – Wano Country – Onigashima.
CRASH! CRACK!
The sound of objects shattering and smashing echoed from a sake-scented chamber.
The tremors were so intense that they caused slight earthquakes across the island.
The sheer magnitude of the disturbance left the Beasts Pirates members utterly petrified.
Even from a distance, they could clearly feel Kaido's rage.
And who could blame him?
That damn Red-Haired Shanks had ruined Kaido-sama's rare moment of high spirits.
But that wasn't the worst part—Joker had died in the Battle of Marineford.
Doflamingo had been crucial in supplying the crew with Artificial Devil Fruits (SMILEs) through their black market deal…
Now, who knew what kind of impact this would have on the future of the Beasts Pirates?
"Kaido-sama is still furious, huh?"
One of the Three Calamities, Queen the Plague, waddled toward the open courtyard just outside Kaido's chamber.
Beside him stood his fellow Calamity, King the Wildfire.
"The latest newspapers and bounty updates have only fueled his anger."
"What newspapers and bounty updates?"
Queen's triple chin quivered as he frowned in confusion.
King shot him a cold glance.
"You idiot… Is your head still filled with that courtesan, Komurasaki?"
Queen responded seriously, "Hey, even Kaido-sama is captivated by that woman. It's not unreasonable for me to think about her, right?"
King's eyes turned even colder.
"…So, what's the deal with the newspaper and bounty updates?"
Sensing King's reaction, Queen swiftly changed the topic for his own survival.
Not far away, a Beasts Pirates crew member walked up and handed Queen a newspaper and Maude's bounty poster.
Queen casually took them and skimmed through the contents—only for veins to suddenly bulge across his forehead.
"A new Emperor? How arrogant… Wait a second, wasn't this the guy who took down Doflamingo?"
"Yes."
"No wonder Kaido-sama is so pissed off."
Queen crumpled the newspaper and bounty poster in his thick fingers, his voice laced with killing intent.
"I remember… two years ago, this bastard also stole that Ancient Zoan—Triceratops Fruit from us, didn't he? If we had gotten that Devil Fruit, we could've had another Tobi Roppo by now."
"…"
King remained silent.
Queen's gaze darkened as he held up the crumpled bounty poster and suggested:
"How about we ask Kaido-sama for permission to send Jack and the Tobi Roppo to eliminate Bacardi Maude?"
Among the Three Calamities, Queen and King had critical roles to fulfill, so they rarely left Wano.
Even during the Marineford War, they had accompanied Kaido, only to turn back after encountering Red-Haired Shanks' crew.
For major assignments, they usually sent Jack the Drought, or in some cases, the five Tobi Roppo, who ranked just below the Three Calamities.
Now, for this one individual, Queen was suggesting sending Jack along with all of the Tobi Roppo.
This showed just how seriously he regarded Maude.
After a brief silence, King finally responded:
"Right now, our bigger priority is confirming whether the Donquixote Family can still supply SMILEs without Joker. If they can't…"
Faint embers ignited from King's shoulders.
Queen's expression subtly shifted.
"You're here. That saves me the trouble of finding you."
Just then, a young girl's voice drifted from Kaido's chamber.
Queen and King turned toward the sound, only to see a petite girl in a floral kimono, her face covered by a white paper mask with painted eyes.
"Bao Huang, with your ability, 'finding' us wouldn't be an issue anyway."
Queen scoffed at the girl.
Bao Huang shook her head slightly and said in a calm tone:
"An ability only has value when used in necessary situations. Hmm… Kaido-sama is calling for you both."
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