“Daren-san, you’ve really opened my eyes.”
As he spoke, Morgans gave a quick glance at Stussy walking behind Daren out of the cabin, then quickly looked away with a smile.
“I imagine the World Government must be in utter chaos right now, no?”
Daren exhaled a stream of smoke, gazing down at the endless ocean below. He paused for a moment before answering.
Morgans raised an eyebrow.
“The battle’s already been decided. As long as the North Blue Fleet keeps watch over these waters, even the mighty World Government has no way to turn things around.”
“Even without firing a single shot, they’ll be forced to hand over the North Blue.”
“You think the Five Elders still have something hidden up their sleeves?”
Daren gave a small laugh.
Part of it was that Morgans’ loyalties were unclear—he wasn’t someone Daren could trust just yet.
But more importantly, Daren himself didn’t know.
Before crossing over, he hadn’t seen this much of the story. Even up until the battle on Philseque Island, he had thought the Five Elders were just five ordinary old men wielding authority.
Who would’ve guessed they were so powerful, possessing bizarre abilities that seemed akin to immortality?
If Daren hadn’t trained his body to the extreme—cultivating it to the level of an Indestructible Body—then even with the flight granted by the Jiki Jiki no Mi, he might not have survived the North Blue.
As for whether the World Government still had even greater power or some hidden trump card, Daren had no clue.
Even Stussy, a high-level CP0 agent, didn’t have access to such classified intel. So how could someone like him, once just a regular Marine, possibly know?
The World Government had looked down on the Marines for ages. There was no way they'd share secrets like that.
“Deterrence sounds impressive, but it’s really just something the weak use when they’re backed into a corner.”
Daren’s voice was calm.
“The situation isn’t as optimistic as it seems. Even if the government doesn’t have any hidden cards, as long as the Five Elders stop making dumb mistakes, I won’t have an opening.”
“If we go to war head-on, the North Blue will lose for sure.”
At least for now, the forces under Daren’s command weren’t nearly enough to take on Mary Geoise.
The Five Elders, CP0, the powerful members of the God's Knights... The World Government’s high-end combat strength was simply overwhelming.
In a way, the Five Elders weren’t wrong—the foundation of the World Government ran so deep, it might even surpass that of Marine Headquarters.
“You really are a strange man, Rogers Daren.”
Morgans quietly listened to everything Daren said, then a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.
He looked up, his gaze curious.
“Normally, when you invite someone like me aboard your fleet, standing here a thousand meters in the sky, you'd lay out your grand vision, talk about your ambitions and dreams, maybe show off your power and elite troops—just like you did during that global broadcast. That’s what any good politician would do.”
“You’d talk about the future of the North Blue, the next steps for your fleet’s expansion... all to win my support and pull someone like me—an indecisive middleman—fully to your side.”
“But you didn’t do any of that. You told me the truth.”
Daren shrugged and spread his hands.
“Overhyping your abilities isn’t a good habit.”
“Men love to brag about how strong they are, but no amount of bluffing can hide certain shortcomings. In the end, all they do is make fools of themselves.”
“I’d rather let people feel my sincerity than try to talk big.”
Beside him, Stussy’s mouth twitched as a vein popped on her forehead.
Morgans burst out laughing.
“The truth is, I knew I couldn’t hide it from you.”
“The ‘Big News’ Morgans, president of the World Economic News Agency… someone bold enough to defy the World Government’s orders—let’s be honest, even if I said nothing, with your massive intelligence network, you’d dig it all up easily.”
“…I’d rather not end up sprayed by your spit.”
Morgans laughed heartily.
“Interesting! Rogers Daren, I knew I wasn’t wrong about you. You really are something!”
His tone had shifted—gone was the pretentious air from their first meeting. Now, it was casual, almost friendly, like they were old acquaintances.
Morgans looked at Daren with genuine admiration, deeply impressed.
He’d roamed the underworld for decades, commanding a near-unmatched intelligence web, covering countless people and events. But someone like Daren… this was a first.
“I’ll admit it—you’ve got real sincerity.”
“But you should know, someone like me doesn’t have allies.”
“Morgans, you’re a businessman. And it just so happens, so am I.”
“So let’s keep it simple—let’s do business.”
Morgans perked up, intrigued.
“What kind of business?”
“I want access to your network and connections. And from time to time, when the moment calls for it, I’ll need you to step in as a middleman.”
Morgans clicked his tongue.
“That won’t come cheap. What are you offering?”
Daren narrowed his eyes with a grin.
“I can promise you this—so long as I’m alive, you’ll never run out of world-shaking ‘big news.’”
Morgans gave him a playful look.
Daren held out his hand, blinking.
“Then trust me—that news alone would be the most sensational headline in the world.”
Morgans paused, then burst into laughter again.
“Alright, I’m convinced, Rogers Daren!”
He extended a wing to shake Daren’s hand.
“Well then, let’s leave it here… I won’t get in the way of your recovery.”
He cast another glance at Stussy and smiled.
“If you ever need anything, just reach out.”
From his tailcoat pocket, he pulled out a gold-embossed business card and handed it over.
“News doesn’t write itself. I’ve got work to do.”
Daren took the card and tucked it away, then suddenly added as if something had just occurred to him,
“Right—if you get the chance, look into the movements of Roger’s pirate crew.” The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the novel[f]ire.net