Morgans' expression changed.
Wasn't this the very Celestial Dragon mentioned in the reports who had just been attacked by Sig?
Upon answering the call, the voice of Saint Charlos immediately echoed through the Den Den Mushi.
"Morgans, I want the World Economy News to publish an important story about a pirate named Sig."
On the phone, Saint Charlos' voice was unusually restrained, even somewhat calm compared to his usual arrogance.
As the uncrowned king of the news world, Morgans was a notable figure in his own right, having even been invited to the Holy Land of Mariejois to collaborate with the World Government on major news stories.
Although Saint Charlos generally looked down on all other races, he still maintained a semblance of politeness when dealing with someone like Morgans.
Morgans squinted his eyes slightly, as if catching the scent of a big story.
"Saint Charlos, the World Economy News isn't a personal publication. I can't arbitrarily change its content. I am a journalist with principles, you see. This sort of thing… will cost extra."
"Done. Arrange it immediately!"
Morgans wasted no time instructing his editors to start working.
As the uncrowned king of journalism, Morgans was fiercely dedicated to the concept of press freedom. Normally, even if the World Government sent emissaries to pressure him, he wouldn't necessarily agree to alter his reports.
But this time, the money offered by the Celestial Dragon was simply too...
No, the truth was that Morgans was already interested in Sig. This direct request from a Celestial Dragon was just an excuse for him to go along with it—and to pocket some extra cash in the process.
Soon, several reporters entered the room, pens ready, as they listened to the voice over the Den Den Mushi and quickly began taking notes.
"Sig is an incredibly terrifying and powerful criminal! He has a move called the Purgatory Unmatched Explosive Heatwave Cannon. Any peasant below the level of an Admiral who gets hit by it will be reduced to nothing—no trace left!"
"If it's a Marine Admiral, well… there might be a little bit of residue left."
The reporters, while taking notes, all showed strange expressions. Their pens froze mid-sentence.
"What are you staring at? Keep writing."
Morgans lowered his voice and urged them.
He didn't fully understand why Saint Charlos was going out of his way to publicize Sig's power and terror. However, if a victimized Celestial Dragon personally described a criminal as cruel, that alone was a big story!
The specifics didn't matter much. In the world of journalism, they often dealt with situations .
Morgans sipped a cup of tea, feeling incredibly content.
This kind of sensational news was his favorite.
"The bounty offered by the World Government is too low and not a round number, which I dislike," said Saint Charlos over the phone.
"So, I've decided to add an additional bounty in the name of the World Economy News."
Oh, so it's about adding a bounty... I like where this is going.
Morgans felt even more satisfied.
"Alright then, I like round numbers. Let's add 820 million berries to his bounty."
Morgans spat out his tea.
He had long known that the Celestial Dragons had no concept of money, but seeing it to this extent still shocked him.
A bounty rounded in this way? Why not just make it a clean 10 billion?
"Morgans, why aren't you speaking? Is the amount too low? Should we make it an even 100 billion…?"
"No need, Saint Charlos!"
Morgans hurriedly interrupted and wiped the sweat from his brow.
Making some money off the Celestial Dragons is fine, but going too far—such as facilitating excessive bounties—could attract the attention of the World Government.
Among the Celestial Dragons, there are also some clever individuals. Underestimating them would lead to severe consequences.
After some persuasion, Morgans finally convinced Saint Charlos to agree on a relatively reasonable additional bounty and the content of the news article.
In the end, Saint Charlos decided to add 220 million berries to the bounty, bringing the total reward to 400 million berries.
The news birds, which spanned across the world, soon spread the word about Sig, disseminating the news to the majority of regions worldwide.
The entire East Blue erupted in excitement! Even on the Grand Line, this news was enough to astonish the world!
"In the weakest sea of them all, East Blue, the highest bounty for a pirate before this was only 20 million. Now, there's a criminal who hasn't even left East Blue but already has a bounty nearing 200 million?"
"East Blue's Bandit King Sig? He's supposedly a pirate at sea yet still retains the title of bandit."
"He set fire to an entire town in the Goa Kingdom, has ties with the Revolutionary Army, and even attacked a Celestial Dragon... he's a ruthless one!"
"Wait, if he dared to attack a Celestial Dragon, does that mean he's already escaped the pursuit of an Admiral?"
Of course, the World Government did not disclose all the information.
For instance, it was not revealed that the Marine Hero Garp failed to capture Sig and was instead slashed into unconsciousness. Nor were details about CP0's involvement and other secret intelligence disclosed.
However, the publicly released events were already shocking enough to the world.
Especially when they grabbed the latest edition of the World Economy News.
"A first-hand report directly from the victim, Celestial Dragon Saint Charlos!"
"East Blue's Bandit King Sig's ultimate move, Infernal Unrivaled Explosive Heat Wave Cannon! Saint Charlos personally confirmed its immense power, effortlessly annihilating Admirals! Sig's strength may have been severely underestimated!"
"Saint Charlos even announced he would personally increase the bounty on the criminal who attacked him! The amount is 220 million berries!"
"Oh my god! If someone takes out this Sig guy, they could instantly claim a bounty of 400 million!"
"East Blue! I'm heading to East Blue!"
"Hey, wake up! This is a guy who escaped from an Admiral and dared to attack a Celestial Dragon! His ultimate move supposedly wiped out an Admiral. This man's strength must be off the charts!"
"Wake up yourself! If someone could really annihilate Admirals, why would his bounty only be 200 million? Do you even believe that? But still, his strength must be incredibly high!"
Through the network of news birds spanning the globe, news about Sig became a sensational hot topic in no time!
This bandit who had just come out of the mountains and embarked on his first journey at sea had already made his name known across the entire East Blue. Even on the Grand Line, his reputation was rapidly rising!
His first voyage made him famous across the seas! Straight to the peak!
In the East Blue, amidst the mountains of the Goa Kingdom.
Three kids, around ten years old, were holding a freshly delivered newspaper they had gotten from a news bird.
"Look! It's Uncle Sig! His title is the Bandit King of East Blue."
Young Luffy exclaimed excitedly as he counted the bounty numbers on the paper, his expression growing more and more thrilled.
"Ten... hundred... thousand... ten thousand... a billion... 1,800 billion? Uncle Sig is amazing!"
"You idiot, that's 180 million!" Ace, standing beside him, said impatiently, though his gaze, like Luffy's, was fixed on the newspaper and the bounty poster.
Having experienced and witnessed the raid that day together, Luffy, Ace, and Sabo had gradually grown close after the fire at the Gray Terminal. Their impression of Sig deepened significantly.
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