World Economy News Headquarters.
"News! News! Isn't there a single damn story worth printing!?"
Inside his sprawling office, Morgans—the towering albatross-man hybrid and president of the World Economy News—slammed a feathered fist on his desk, eyes burning with irritation.
"Damn this so-called balance! Damn the World Government! Damn the Seven Warlords system!"
He paced back and forth, wings twitching in agitation.
Ever since the balance of power between the Navy, Warlords, and Four Emperors solidified, the flow of juicy headlines had dried up like a dead sea sponge.
Most of the Warlords were now running their own pirate kingdoms with legal pillaging rights. The World Government turned a blind eye.
The Four Emperors? Tucked deep in the New World, untouchable unless the Navy wanted a full-scale war.
And the Navy? Mostly busy chasing down penny-ante pirates that weren't even worth a quarter-page mention.
The grand age of pirates—the race for the One Piece, the spirit of daring and ambition—was fizzling out.
Morgans hated it.
"Anything good come in? Hmm? East Blue?"
His red eyes lit up as he scanned the incoming transmission from a regional correspondent.
Normally, the East Blue wouldn't even be worth a sneeze. It was known as the weakest sea, after all.
But this footage—these frames…
His eyes widened.
"What… is this…?"
The images flickered rapidly, almost like video.
A young man. Dark hair. Fierce eyes blazing red and black. The moment he unleashed—a blast of invisible power, red-black lightning crackling through the air.
BOOM!
"That's Conqueror's Haki… no doubt about it!**"
Morgans stood up so fast he nearly knocked over his desk.
A King's Will. In the East Blue!
And not just any Haki—this kid wasn't rampaging wildly like a rookie. He was controlling it. Precisely.
"HAH! HAHAHAHAHA! Yes! Finally! A story worth printing!"
A bold line from the report caught his eye:
"I am Lu En, the man who will stand above the sky—call me the Heavenly King."
Perfect.
Audacious. Arrogant. And with the power to back it up.
If some no-name idiot had spouted that line, Morgans would've tossed it in the trash. The sea was full of lunatics screaming about treasure and destiny.
But a Conqueror's Haki user saying it?
And one this young?
That was headliner material.
The last time he'd felt this excited over a newcomer was years ago—when a fiery young man named Portgas D. Ace burst onto the scene with his Flame-Flame Fruit.
That kid had potential. Morgans had made a killing off his early exploits…
…Until Ace joined Whitebeard, fell under his flag, and vanished into obedient silence. Boring.
But this Lu En?
He was different.
And not just him.
Another line in the intel lit up like fire in Morgans' mind:
"Captain of the pirate crew: Monkey D. Luffy."
Monkey D.— now that was a name Morgans knew well.
The same family as Monkey D. Garp, the Navy hero. And Monkey D. Dragon, the Revolutionary leader.
So this kid… Luffy… must be Dragon's son? Garp's grandson?
And he's sailing as a pirate?
With a Conqueror by his side?
Morgans licked his beak with glee.
A born rebel. A destined storm.
A D's grandson wanting to be Pirate King, and his very first crewmate calls himself "Heavenly King"? Setting himself as the counterpart to the Pirate King's right hand—Rayleigh the Dark King?
You couldn't write better headlines.
But he wouldn't rush.
Morgans knew how to squeeze a story for every drop.
First: Lu En.
That name. That moment. That King's Will.
He would light up the front page. Grab the world's attention.
Then—then—he'd start peeling back the curtain on Luffy.
"Print the photo. Run it across every island, every tavern, every port town and capital. Let the sea know…"
His voice boomed with laughter.
"The Heavenly King has arrived!"
His desk now held the shot in question—a perfect capture of Lu En, eyes blazing with red-black lightning, caught in the instant he unleashed his Conqueror's Haki.
Below it, printed in bold black type:
"I WILL STAND ABOVE THE SKY!"
A smaller sub-headline followed:
The emergence of Lu En — a new King rises from East Blue.
And tucked in the corner, in red ink:
First mate to a new pirate captain: Monkey D. Luffy. That name… sound familiar?
The News Coo birds were already in the air, soaring over seas and cities, delivering the front page that would reignite a sleeping world.
The sea was about to boil again.
And Morgans?
He was already preparing the next headline.
Author's Note:
A storm is brewing across the world, and Lu En's name is the first thunderclap. Stay tuned, and if you're enjoying the heat, leave a flower, vote, or comment to keep the waves rolling!