Chapter 68: Kowai Ne

Brrrrring! Click!

"Moshi moshi, this is Morgans~"

In the dimly lit room, the corpulent albatross leaned back in his plush chair, his gaze fixed on the live video projected on the wall, his voice sounding quite relaxed.

"This is Photo Man!"

"Oh! Little Photo?"

Hearing the voice on the other end of the line, Morgans immediately perked up: "Have you finally come to your senses? Planning to jump ship and join me? I always said those Navy folks don't know a thing about photography. Forgetting to take off the lens cap? Such a trivial matter…"

"No, it's big news, Mr. Morgans!"

Photo Man's voice was brimming with excitement: "Exclusive news! Because, well, you're probably the only one who'd dare publish it…"

"Oh?"

Morgans immediately sat up straight. If this guy, who's traveled the world just to take photos of wanted criminals, was this excited, it must be huge news!

"Tell me more?"

"Jin Caesar, that wealthy merchant from the East Blue, do you remember him?"

"Oh… I do! The resource tycoon of the East Blue. Of course, compared to his wealth, his strength is the most surprising. He actually managed to clash with Doflamingo, though his whereabouts are quite elusive. I always had a feeling he wasn't exactly a law-abiding guy…"

"He just had a big fight with Kaidou! They ended up in a draw!"

"Gah—"

Morgans' voice abruptly cut off, his eyes bulging, and his feathers standing on end: "Which Kaidou? The Four Emperors' Kaidou? Caesar? That little brat? Do you even know what you're saying?!!"

"Yes, I was originally tracking Red Hair, but then the headquarters sent me a message, redirecting me to track Bartholomew Kuma, who had just entered the New World. But I ended up in Kaidou's territory."

"Though I couldn't get into Wano Country, luckily the Beasts Pirates treated me well and asked who I was there to photograph…"

"Get to the point!!!"

"Yes, yes! I said I was there to photograph Kuma, and they were disappointed. They thought I was there to photograph Caesar. That's when I found out that Caesar is actually one of Kaidou's top officers and the de facto ruler of Wano Country!"

"Wano Country, huh…"

Morgans' eyes gleamed with excitement: "Not bad, Little Photo… Just this piece of news alone is explosive enough."

"Right, right!"

Photo Man's voice was still brimming with excitement: "And I only just found out that Wano Country has ended its isolation. I was planning to go in and take a look, but around 10 PM, Caesar suddenly showed up on Oni Island and had a big fight with Kaidou!"

"Are you sure it was a fight? Not just a one-sided beatdown or something?"

"I was right there at the Beasts' headquarters! I promised Queen I'd take a photo collection of him, and that's why he took me there!"

"You really went through a lot…"

Morgans calmed his excitement and leaned back into his chair: "But do you know the reason for their fight?"

"According to Queen, Caesar was originally captured by Kaidou. He made a deal with Kaidou that he'd leave once he was strong enough to match him. Oh, and he's also Kaidou's son-in-law, and Bartholomew Kuma is his subordinate!"

"Kaidou's son-in-law? Bartholomew Kuma? Interesting…"

Morgans pinched his bird-like chin, his eyes flickering slightly: "So… knowing such damaging information about one of the Four Emperors, the Beasts didn't just kill you?"

"This... Queen said they've already formed an alliance, and Caesar will eventually make a name for himself across the seas. As long as we don't report nonsense, it's fine. Also, you need to do a feature on his research achievements..."

"Mm, the latter is the key point. But this news is indeed big enough, reliable! Alright, I agree to it!"

Morgans nodded in satisfaction. For a force at the level of the Four Emperors, even if they lose, it's usually just a minor setback.

Yes, that's how it should be...

Not only will it ignite public discussion, but it will also ensure the authenticity of the news. This is truly a major story!

Moreover, the emergence of a new powerhouse always means a new news hotspot!

"Alright, it's indeed a big story! Name your price! But you know, right? The most important thing..."

"I took over a dozen sets of photos. I can send you a few first!"

"Quick, quick, quick! Send them over right away!"

Morgans hurriedly got up, turned on the light, and fetched the fax Den Den Mushi. Soon, several photos were transmitted.

He flipped through them one by one, from their normal forms to their fruit forms, Kaidou hammering Caesar, Caesar slashing Kaidou...

Until he reached the last few photos, seeing the thousand-meter-long fire dragon and the Flame Clouds surrounding Caesar, Morgans paused slightly.

"Zoan awakening? No wonder he can compete with a monster like Kaidou. Let me see, those most valuable ones..."

Click—

The fax suddenly stopped, and Morgans was instantly furious: "Alright, alright, I get it! As soon as it's daylight, I'll transfer the money to you! It's not like this is our first time working together!"

Buzz—

The fax machine reacted again, and a few more photos came through.

Looking at the intertwined fire dragon and black wings in the photos, along with the blood splattering across the sky, Morgans instantly felt a rush of excitement and bolted out of the room.

"Heh... Hahahaha! Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful! A major story! This is definitely a story that will shake the seas! Everyone, get up and work overtime!!"

...

In the blink of an eye, two days later.

Newspaper Gulls carrying the latest issue of the newspaper, filled with the scent of fresh ink, flew across the seas.

"The Birth of a New Top Power! A Battle of Equals! The Birth of the Strongest Pirate Alliance!"

The most prominent on the front page was the photo of Caesar and Kaidou colliding in the sky.

Morgans was clever; he didn't release the photo of Kaidou bleeding in the sky, after all, Kaidou only took a hit, he wasn't dead.

His headquarters was a hot air balloon pulled by seabirds. Others might not be able to do anything about it, but Kaidou, a monster who could easily roam at altitudes of ten thousand meters, was definitely the one he feared the most.

The New World, Dressrosa.

Doflamingo looked at the newspaper in his hand and let out a low laugh: "Fufufufu... A pirate alliance? Taking control of Wano Country while also breaking free from Kaidou's control. Most importantly, he's only eighteen. What a terrifying monster!"

"So, Doffy, what should we do from now on?"

Diamante's face showed a hint of worry: "That Caesar's personality is too aggressive. He's probably not an easy guy to deal with. Plus, with Kaidou in the mix, they might set their sights on us."

"Don't panic, Diamante..."

Doflamingo flipped through the newspaper: "I know you're anxious, but right now, it shouldn't be us who are most worried. It's not our turn to deal with such matters yet, fufufufu..."

The Navy, the Four Emperors, the World Government...

None of these parties would be willing to see an alliance of pirates on the level of the Four Emperors emerge.

From Doflamingo's understanding of these groups, the Navy was probably already in a state of panic.

Among the Four Emperors, Whitebeard and Red Hair likely wouldn't make any moves, but Big Mom would definitely not sit still.

The World Government wouldn't care about the threat posed by pirates—that is, unless the pirates in question were the Beasts Pirates, which had already begun to resemble a nascent political entity. More than just a pirate crew, they were akin to a national army, now possessing the capability to threaten the World Government's rule.

This was something the World Government, which had dealings with them, should be well aware of.

In a few years' time, the conflict between the two would likely explode.

In comparison, his Dressrosa was merely on the same shipping route as Wano Country. At most, he'd have to cede some interests, which wasn't a big deal.

As he expected, at Navy Headquarters, in the conference room...

Around a long table, a gathering of high-ranking Navy officials had convened.

"Jin Caesar! A native of Loguetown in the East Blue, he went missing at the beginning of the year. A few months later, his businesses were taken over by Kaidou's subordinates. He reappeared in Dressrosa, where he fought Doflamingo to a standstill..."

"A standstill? Hahahaha..."

As soon as Sengoku finished speaking, a burly old man beside him burst into laughter.

"Wasn't it just that the flamingo brat backed down too quickly?"

"Quiet, Garp!"

Sengoku's face darkened: "Although it seems now that this battle was highly exaggerated, it still demonstrates Caesar's threat! This guy is only eighteen years old! You should all know what that means!"

"Eighteen years old and already challenging the Four Emperors? Kowaii~"

Opposite Garp, a tall man in a yellow suit with a somewhat sleazy appearance lounged lazily in his chair, his long legs crossed, looking with interest at the documents before him: "These rookies nowadays are all as strong as monsters."

"Don't underestimate him, Borsalino. This kid is a genuine monster."

Beside him, Akainu in his red suit snorted coldly: "He's also a dangerous piece of trash..."

"No, it's not that absolute."

Sengoku adjusted his glasses: "The authenticity of Morgans' news is questionable, but based on the available intelligence, it's certain that this guy was indeed captured by Kaidou."

"Morgans' news is just one side of the story. We can't fully determine the relationship between him and Kaidou, nor his exact status. Coincidentally, there's currently a vacancy among the Warlords of the Sea, so if you encounter him, it wouldn't hurt to test his attitude first."

"Ara ara, this young man looks quite handsome..."

Beside Garp, Kuzan examined Caesar's photo. In fact, among these people, he was the one who knew Caesar best.

Over the years, he had been 'investigating' Nico Robin. From the moment Caesar approached Robin, Kuzan had already thoroughly investigated Caesar.

From industry to daily life, including those Navy officers who had once accepted Caesar's favors and taught him how to train, it was not hard to see Caesar's thirst for strength.

Therefore, he had a pretty good idea about Caesar's purpose for setting sail—the Devil Fruit!

But after that, the two of them disappeared.

He seized an opportunity to capture one of Marco's subordinates, but the other party also had no idea where Robin had gone. All they knew was that Caesar had been captured by Kaidou, but only Caesar had been taken.

After that, Kuzan even made a special trip to Sleepy Hollow Town, but he didn't get the results he wanted either.

And now, the other party had finally appeared on this vast sea!

"His fashion sense and hairstyle don't seem like those of a pirate. As expected of someone from a wealthy merchant background, he's quite meticulous. He looks like the type who would be popular with the ladies."

Kuzan looked quite intrigued: "If there's any news, I'll go check it out myself. Even if it doesn't work out, I can at least learn a thing or two about dressing up..."

"Huh? You? Since when did you become so diligent?"

Garp glanced at him in surprise, casually picked up Caesar's photo, and examined it carefully for a while before suddenly slapping the back of his head.

"Ah, come to think of it, I think I've seen this kid before..."

"If you've seen him, why didn't you say so earlier!!!" ×N

Everyone roared in unison.

Sengoku's face darkened: "You've seen him? Was it in the East Blue?"

"Hmm... It's definitely this kid, no mistake!"

Garp narrowed his eyes: "A few years ago, when I went home to visit my grandson, I ran into this kid's ship. That guy actually came up and tried to bribe me, asking me to be his bodyguard!"

"After I refused, he had the audacity to say that this was the norm for the Navy in the East Blue—bribery and corruption, colluding with pirates. He said I was just putting on airs, that even the so-called Navy Hero didn't dare to deal with a few fishmen who were terrorizing the villages, and that true justice could only be found in the Revolutionary Army..."

As Garp spoke, he suddenly slammed the table: "That damn kid! Every time I think about it, it makes my blood boil!"

"And then?"

Sengoku's expression also darkened slightly. Corruption within the Navy branches was not uncommon, but hearing it from the mouths of the people still made him feel ashamed.

"Then I took swift action and wiped out that group of evil fishmen. After that, the kid's opinion of the Navy changed drastically, and he even asked me for advice on how to train..."

Garp laughed heartily, speaking with pride: "Seeing how sensible he was, I taught him a few simple moves. He's a talented kid. If he joined the Navy, he could definitely become a Vice Admiral by the time he's around thirty!"

"A Vice Admiral? With that kind of strength?"

Kizaru tilted his mouth, then raised his hand and looked around with a smug expression: "Of course, I'm not questioning any of you, though~"

Then just shut your mouth!

Everyone present silently cursed in their hearts.

"Hmm... My judgment isn't wrong. That kid was only about fourteen or fifteen at the time, around the same age as my grandson. He had a few followers of similar age. Although his strength was decent, his talent couldn't compare to those natural monsters."

Garp rubbed his chin: "But back then, he wasn't a Devil Fruit user. After training with me for a few days, he returned to Loguetown."

"According to the intelligence, Caesar had never displayed any Devil Fruit abilities before leaving Loguetown, and he also never ventured into dangerous waters."

After a long silence, Vice Admiral Tsuru suddenly spoke up: "This explains why they would suddenly take the r

isk of heading to the New World—the Devil Fruit!"

Kuzan nodded slightly, as he shared the same thought.

"Strength, huh..."

Kizaru was somewhat surprised: "If it were me, I definitely wouldn't have the courage to make such a decision. Abandoning everything to run off to such a dangerous place like the New World, and yet he actually succeeded! Kowai ne~"