OPKOTW: Chapter 363/365

Chapter 363: Morgans’ Concerns

At the beginning of the year 1518 in the Sea Circle Calendar, two months had passed since the Summit War at Marineford. Chaos in the New World was gradually spreading, yet neither Shiki nor Charlotte Linlin—two of the most crucial figures—had made their moves.


The Revolutionary Army had taken center stage, the Seven Warlords of the Sea were scavenging for opportunities, and even some up-and-coming pirate crews had begun to show promise. Among them was "Fire Fist" Portgas D. Ace, who was steadily making a name for himself.

Near the Red Line, a ship adorned with a bird-shaped figurehead and a curved horn sailed toward the port of Mariejois.

Onboard was a man well-known in the underworld— Morgans, the one who controlled the world's media narrative.

This birdman had started his career by clinging to the World Government's coattails, but over time, the World Economy News Paper had grown powerful enough to dominate the information industry.

Eventually, Morgans' ambition swelled—he wanted to be the "King of News." He published whatever he wanted, whether it should or shouldn't be reported. The World Government had tried to suppress him multiple times, but after laying low for a while, Morgans would always bounce back.

However, at this moment, Morgans' eyes were dull, and his expression was somber, as if he had encountered a difficult problem.

He hadn't originally planned to visit Mariejois. Despite being the president of the world's leading newspaper, Morgans preferred to keep a low profile and rarely set foot in places like this.

But this time, he had no choice.

He had been summoned by a major figure, someone who made even him, a self-proclaimed "big shot of the underworld," feel insignificant.

That man was none other than Saint Donquixote Claudius.

Morgans had no idea why Claudius was looking for him. Over the years, the two had barely interacted. The only person from Claudius' circle who had any dealings with him was Stussy.

She and Morgans were both influential figures in the underworld, and in a sense, they were also in the same line of work.

One ran Happy Street, and the other ran a global news network. But at their core, both were in the intelligence business.

"President, we're almost there," one of Morgans' subordinates approached him and reported.

Hearing this, Morgans lifted his head slightly, nodded, and remained silent, his face still clouded with worry.

"President? What's on your mind?" The subordinate, sensing an opportunity to curry favor, asked with concern.

Morgans glanced at him, sighed, and muttered, "I'm wondering if I've offended that Highness over the years..."

Then, without explaining further, he waved a wing dismissively, signaling that he didn't want to be disturbed.

Despite his appearance, Morgans wasn't actually a birdman, he was a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user.

This revelation had initially surprised Claudius, who had assumed Morgans was a mutated Mink or some other bird-like race. But in reality, Morgans was human.

It was Stussy who had shared this information with Claudius. Morgans had consumed a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit, the Albatross-Albatross Fruit, Model: Albatross.

Not only was he a Zoan-type user, but he had also awakened his abilities, allowing him to stay in his hybrid form permanently. Unlike the failed Awakenings seen in Impel Down's Jailer Beasts, Morgans retained full intelligence, making him a perfectly Awakened Zoan user.

As for his combat strength, Stussy hadn't tested him, but she suspected he wasn't weak. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to pull off so many major scoops and travel to so many dangerous places for firsthand reports.

That said, he clearly wasn't that strong either, if he were, he wouldn't have bowed to Big Mom in the past, nor would he be afraid of Claudius now.

If this were Kaido, would he obediently come to Mariejois just because Claudius summoned him?

Well… maybe.

But if Kaido did show up, it would most likely be for a fight, not a conversation.

At this moment, Morgans was deeply unsettled.

Although he had never personally interacted with Saint Claudius, he had gathered enough intelligence over the years to form a clear image of him.

The first impression Morgans had of Claudius was "always victorious."

Since his rise to power, there had never been a single instance of defeat under his name.

An ordinary person might assume this was due to media control or propaganda, but Morgans, as a journalist, had extensive intelligence networks. He knew better—Claudius' winning streak was real.

The second impression was that Claudius thrived on chaos, a trait that resonated with Morgans.

Claudius hated calm seas. The moment stability threatened to settle in, he would stir things up again.

This was evident in how he disrupted the Big Mom Pirates, and more recently, how he orchestrated the destruction of the Whitebeard Pirates.

The third impression was that Claudius had an insatiable ambition and an iron will—his actions always reflected boldness and dominance.

And the final point—Morgans simply could not predict what Claudius was thinking.

For the entire journey, Morgans had been racking his brain, trying to figure out if he had done anything to provoke His Highness.

If not, then why had Claudius suddenly summoned him to Mariejois?

Was there some big news Claudius wanted leaked?

Or… was he trying to take control of the World Economy News Paper?

This seemed like the most plausible explanation.

And if that were the case, Morgans had spent the entire trip agonizing over how to reject him without offending him.

Eventually, Morgans' ship docked at the port of Mariejois. As he disembarked, he spotted a familiar face, his "old friend" Stussy approaching him with a graceful stride.

Seeing Stussy, Morgans hurried over, eager to speak with someone he knew.

"Stussy, it's been a while," he greeted with a forced smile.

"President Morgans, it has indeed been some time," Stussy replied, smiling.

Just as Morgans was about to say more, Stussy added, "Come with me. His Highness is waiting for you."

Hearing this, Morgans swallowed nervously, then followed beside Stussy.

After a brief moment of silence, he couldn't help but ask, "Stussy, we've known each other for years, can you give me a hint? Why is Claudius Saint looking for me?"

Stussy chuckled and raised an eyebrow. "Are you scared?" she asked teasingly.

Morgans forced a grin and nodded. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. That Highness' name alone carries a lot of weight—after all, he's the one who took down the entire Whitebeard Pirates."

"You, of all people, afraid? That surprises me. I always thought you were the type of birdman who feared nothing," Stussy said playfully.

"Hahaha…" Morgans laughed stiffly, still eyeing her expectantly.

As they walked, Stussy finally spoke in a softer tone, "Relax. His Highness isn't summoning you to hold you accountable for anything. Over the years, you haven't done anything to offend him."

Hearing this, Morgans let out a huge sigh of relief, straightened his posture, and finally relaxed.

Smiling, he asked, "Then what does His Highness want from me?"

"You'll have to hear that from him personally. I wouldn't dare speak on his behalf," Stussy replied mysteriously.

Morgans' relief was short-lived. His anxiety returned.

But seeing that Stussy wouldn't say more, he decided not to press further.

He knew better than to provoke Stussy in her own territory.

"Only someone like Saint Claudius can keep her in check," Morgans thought to himself.

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Chapter 364: So Your Highness Is This Clever?

Morgans followed Stussy all the way to the Domain of the Gods. Although he had been to Mariejois multiple times, this was his first time stepping into its most mysterious and exclusive area.

This was where the Celestial Dragons resided, and every step he took was filled with unease, he feared that if he made even the slightest misstep, he might end up beheaded on the spot.

Claudius' courtyard was located deep within the Domain of the Gods, requiring them to walk for quite some time before reaching it.

Morgans followed closely behind Stussy, his eyes instinctively scanning his surroundings.

"If I could take some pictures here and stash away some notes, they'd definitely sell like crazy..." Morgans mused internally.

Despite the tempting thought, he wouldn't dare attempt such a thing.

Just as he was getting lost in these thoughts, a group of people suddenly appeared from around a corner. At the center of the group was a Celestial Dragon surrounded by guards.

Morgans immediately recognized him.

He was well-versed in the identities of various Celestial Dragons, and this particular one had quite the reputation.

This Celestial Dragon was infamous, known for his bad temper and violent outbursts.

He was also incredibly lecherous—having taken more than a dozen wives.

And when he grew tired of them, he would either discard them, kill them, or reduce them to slavery.

To put it simply, he was scum of the highest order.

But no matter how despicable he was, he was still a Celestial Dragon, someone Morgans couldn't afford to provoke.

Especially one with such a volatile personality.

So Morgans had no intention of getting involved. Without hesitation, he quickly stopped walking, knelt by the side of the road, and waited for the Celestial Dragon to pass before daring to stand again.

Under normal circumstances, this was a perfectly reasonable response.

After all, ordinary people—even nobles—were expected to kneel in the presence of a Celestial Dragon.

And even more so here, within the Domain of the Gods.

However, Stussy, who had been leading the way, suddenly heard movement behind her. She turned around and saw Morgans kneeling, looking completely bewildered.

"What's going on? Everything was fine just now, why are you suddenly kneeling?" Stussy asked in surprise.

Hearing her voice, Morgans quickly lifted his head and glanced at her.

He was even more confused, Stussy was looking at him with a strange expression, almost as if she didn't understand his actions.

Thinking she simply hadn't noticed the approaching Celestial Dragon, Morgans leaned in slightly and whispered, "Stussy, there's a Celestial Dragon!"

However, Stussy wasn't the least bit concerned.

Under Claudius' protection, Stussy could walk freely in Mariejois without fear.

Everyone knew that Saint Claudius was extremely protective of those under his wing.

Even a mere maid being bullied would result in the attacker and their entire family suffering severe consequences, let alone someone as important as Stussy.

Rumors even suggested that Stussy and Claudius were romantically involved, and given Claudius' unpredictable and overbearing personality, no one would be surprised if he suddenly declared her his wife one day.

In short, no one wanted to mess with her.

So, when Stussy heard Morgans' nervous warning, she finally realized what was going on.

Her eyes flickered with amusement as she turned to look at Saint Charlos and his entourage.

She smirked.

At that moment, Saint Charlos hadn't noticed them yet.

Although he was walking within the Domain of the Gods, most of the people here were Celestial Dragons themselves.

There was no need for them to constantly demand others kneel, otherwise everyone would just be kneeling all day long instead of actually walking.

However, the moment Charlos laid eyes on Stussy, his entire body shuddered.

His face paled, and a look of panic flashed across his expression. The arrogance of a Celestial Dragon was nowhere to be seen.

"St-Stussy!!!" Charlos stammered in shock.

"Greetings, Your Highness Saint Charlos," Stussy smiled politely and nodded.

Her sweet smile nearly made Charlos wet himself in fear.

Should he be called cowardly, or was he just not right in the head?

Logically speaking, there was no reason for him to be afraid of her.

But Saint Claudius had left too much of a scar on him, the fear was instinctive.

With a nervous crack of his whip, Charlos suddenly lashed at the slave beneath him, then frantically shouted, "Turn around! Turn around! We're not going shopping anymore! I want to go home!!"

His entire entourage immediately scrambled to obey, quickly escorting him away without a word.

Morgans was stunned.

He knew that Saint Claudius was feared throughout Mariejois.

This man was known for being lawless, unruly, and utterly terrifying—he had beaten so many Celestial Dragons that the exact number was hard to count.

He had even earned the nickname "Mariejois' Demon King."

But that was Claudius himself—a Celestial Dragon of high standing, personally favored by the Five Elders. That made sense.

But what about Stussy?

Compared to a Celestial Dragon, shouldn't she be just as powerless as himself?

Yet she had simply stood there, and somehow that alone was enough to scare Charlos away?!

What the hell was going on?!

At that moment, Morgans suddenly realized something—Saint Claudius' influence in Mariejois was far greater than he had originally thought.

It was to the point that even someone as "low-ranked" as Stussy could terrify another Celestial Dragon.

Seeing Charlos and his entourage fleeing in a panic, Stussy turned to Morgans and gave him a knowing smile.

Feeling awkward, Morgans quickly stood up, dusted himself off, and forced a laugh.

"Well… that was unexpected," he said sheepishly.

"It's nothing," Stussy replied casually. "This is your first time here. But in the future, you'll be coming here a lot more often. And if His Highness favors you, no one in Mariejois will dare touch you. His Highness is extremely protective of his people."

Morgans simply nodded, unsure of how to respond.

They continued walking for a while, passing through a few secluded alleys before arriving at an enormous, luxurious courtyard.

Surrounding it were several other large estates, though they seemed vacant and abandoned.

Morgans immediately understood—these had been homes of other Celestial Dragons, but once Claudius rose to prominence, they had relocated out of fear.

No one wanted to risk accidentally offending the "Demon King" and getting caught in the crossfire.

As they entered, Morgans noticed a green-haired man practicing swordsmanship in the yard.

But instead of a wooden sword…

He was swinging a barbell.

"That's His Highness' one and only disciple, Roronoa Zoro," Stussy whispered.

Morgans quickly memorized the name, a person to never provoke.

A few steps further in, he spotted a small garden with orange trees, where a beautiful young woman with orange hair was humming a tune while trimming the trees with a pair of scissors.

Thinking she was just a gardener, Morgans initially paid her no mind.

But when she greeted Stussy cheerfully, her casual tone made him reconsider.

She clearly wasn't just a servant.

Her name was Nami.

Another person to never mess with.

Eventually, Morgans was led into the inner courtyard, where he finally saw him.

There, by a pond, holding a fishing rod, sat Saint Claudius.

Morgans straightened his posture and prepared himself, it was time to meet the man himself.


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Chapter 365: Cultivating a Pirate King?!

Morgans followed Stussy and arrived behind Claudius. As he looked around, his gaze suddenly sharpened, he had spotted something remarkable.

It was a massive naginata, one so famous that anyone could recognize it at a glance.

It was the weapon once wielded by the Strongest Man in the World—Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate.

One of the Twelve Supreme Grade Blades, a peerless weapon—Murakumogiri.

Yet now, it was casually leaning against a tree nearby, as if someone had simply tossed it there after losing interest.

This nonchalant display only added to Morgans' unease. It reminded him once again of the terrifying reality, the man sitting before him, with just his back visible, had utterly destroyed the once-mighty Whitebeard Pirates.

Indeed, Murakumogiri was now Claudius' trophy.

Originally, it was highly likely that Shanks would have taken the naginata and placed it in front of Whitebeard's grave as a memorial.

But this time, Claudius hadn't given Shanks any face, he had forced him to leave in disgrace, so naturally, Murakumogiri never ended up in Shanks' hands.

As for Whitebeard's burial, the World Government had initially planned to use his severed head as a warning to the New World. However, they were too preoccupied dealing with their own internal chaos to follow through.

Instead, Claudius personally chose a prime location for Whitebeard's grave, ensuring he received a proper burial.

It wasn't Whitebeard's identity as a pirate that Claudius respected—after all, he had no respect for pirates.

What he respected was Whitebeard's strength and his title as the Strongest Man in the World.

And so, Murakumogiri remained in Claudius' possession.

He had no interest in using it, he wasn't fond of large weapons but as one of the Twelve Supreme Grade Blades, it was an excellent collector's item.

Just a few days ago, Zoro had taken it out to "play with", but after messing around for a bit, he had left it there and never bothered to put it back.


---

"Your Highness, Morgans has arrived," Stussy said softly as she approached Claudius.

Claudius didn't respond, his gaze remained fixed on his fishing rod, looking somewhat frustrated.

"Have these fish gotten smarter?" he wondered.

Lately, it had been incredibly difficult for him to catch anything in this pond.

Unbeknownst to him, Nami had been secretly feeding the fish every day, making them completely uninterested in bait.

As soon as Stussy finished speaking, Morgans didn't dare delay.

Here in the Domain of the Gods, he might be able to rely on Stussy's protection to avoid bowing to other Celestial Dragons, but when it came to Claudius, there was no room for hesitation.

Without a moment's pause, Morgans immediately dropped to his knees, pressing his forehead against the ground.

In a deep voice, he declared, "Morgans greets Saint Claudius!"

"You can get up," Claudius said, still not turning around.

At least he didn't torment Morgans.

Had it been Teach, he probably would've forced him to kneel for a long time.

Come to think of it… Claudius did feel a little nostalgic about that fool.

A clever, loyal lapdog, beaten to death by Sakazuki…

It was almost a shame.

After hearing Claudius' command, Morgans didn't hesitate, he immediately stood up.

This wasn't the time to play games.

This Highness was known for his decisiveness, and the last thing Morgans wanted was to annoy him by trying to act humble.

As soon as he got up, Stussy gave him a brief nod before turning and leaving.

Meanwhile, Claudius remained motionless, still sitting calmly by the pond, not speaking a word.

Morgans didn't dare utter a sound, standing there as silent as a quail.

The pond's surface was still, and no fish took the bait.

Just as Morgans' legs were starting to get sore, Claudius finally broke the silence.

"Stussy mentioned that you're a Devil Fruit user?" Claudius asked casually, still not looking back.

Morgans immediately answered, "Yes, Your Highness. I possess a Zoan-type Devil Fruit, the Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Albatross."

"Ah… so it's true," Claudius muttered.

Then, he chuckled and added, "You know, at first, I thought you were some kind of mutated Mink."

"Stussy had to correct me and let me tell you, she laughed at me for ages."

Morgans smiled awkwardly.

"Your Highness, you are all-knowing, surely you don't have time to care about trivial gossip like this?" Morgans said, his tone flattering.

"If I had a choice, I'd have reincarnated differently… not as a birdman, but as a being who could stand in your presence without kneeling."

His flattery was loud and clear, but Claudius was amused rather than annoyed.

"Hahahaha!" Claudius burst into laughter.

"You really know how to talk."

"Your praise is an honor," Morgans responded quickly.

"How's the World Economy News Paper doing these days?" Claudius asked.

Morgans immediately replied, "Thanks to Your Highness, business has been booming! The sea has been full of major events, and our sales have been excellent. There's no need for you to worry!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Claudius said.

"Got any interesting news for me?"

Morgans didn't dare disappoint. He immediately shared several intriguing stories not about major figures, but entertaining tales filled with rumors and sea legends.

Claudius listened with interest, occasionally commenting.

At one point, he laughed out loud.

"Hahaha! That brat Ace is really making a mess, huh? So desperate to prove himself?"

Ace had been rampaging in the New World, wiping out numerous rival pirate crews who had tried to seize power.

His reputation was growing rapidly.

Some rumors even claimed that Portgas D. Ace was actually the illegitimate son of Saint Claudius…

Though the rumor hadn't spread far beyond Mariejois, many dismissed it as nonsense.

But Morgans knew better.

He didn't know if the "illegitimate child" part was true, but he was certain that Ace had a deep connection to the Highness before him.

"His Highness Ace is smart, strong, and bears some resemblance to you," Morgans said carefully.

"Yeah, that brat's got potential," Claudius chuckled.

"Takes after his old man."

Morgans assumed Claudius was joking and didn't dwell on it.

But Claudius himself was deep in thought.

One day, he would take control of the World Government. And when that day came, he would still need pirates.

"A Pirate King of my own making… one under my control… that might not be a bad idea."

Among all the candidates he had considered—Enel, Crocodile, Doflamingo, Hancock—none were quite right.

But Ace?

He might just be the perfect choice.