Chapter 124: Transaction, Morgans!
"Perururu"
"Hey, Whitebeard? Why the hell are you calling me this late? What do you want?"
Morgans sounded irritated. He still held a grudge over the time Whitebeard's crew attacked one of his news birds.
But unlike with Ryuunosuke and the Dragon Hunter Pirates, Morgans couldn't afford to piss off Whitebeard. The man was one of the Four Emperors. If he went berserk and showed up on Morgans' News Island, there wouldn't be a damn thing he could do about it. With the connections Whitebeard had, probably no one could.
Still, Morgans couldn't hide the annoyance in his voice.
"Big newsman Morgans, hello there."
"I'm Ryuunosuke, captain of the Dragon Hunter Pirates."
"…The Dragon Hunter Pirates?"
"You've got some balls calling me!"
The moment Morgans realized who was on the line, his tone flipped—from annoyed to sharp and dangerous. He wasn't afraid of Ryuunosuke. Unlike Whitebeard, Ryuunosuke didn't have that level of influence or power that demanded caution.
"Calm down. No need to get so worked up," Ryuunosuke said smoothly. "I know you deal in intelligence. And you should know our crew's... unique position. The folks who attacked us before? Pretty sure that ties back to you."
"So, let's talk."
He was all smiles, voice calm. Ryuunosuke had already pieced together most of the picture.
Morgans scoffed. "No. The last incident between us hasn't been settled yet. Not unless you publicly apologize and pay me compensation."
He wasn't backing down.
After all, the power of Morgans' intel network was unmatched across the seas. Not even the World Government's intel division could claim superiority over the Big News Morgans. That was his leverage.
"I need the exact location of Blackbeard, Teach," Ryuunosuke said bluntly. "As for your demands, I'm not agreeing to them."
"But if you refuse this deal… I'll bring the Whitebeard Pirates and the Dragon Hunter Pirates right to your front door."
Morgans froze.
He could handle the Dragon Hunter Pirates—he had enough connections in the New World to bury them if they got cocky. But Whitebeard?
No way in hell.
"Hahahaha… You seriously think the Whitebeard Pirates would come after me just because you said so?"
"I've got connections with Edward Newgate."
"Oh yeah?" Ryuunosuke smirked. "Then why do you think I'm calling you with Uncle Whitebeard's Den Den Mushi?"
That shut Morgans up real quick.
The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. Ace had been with Ryuunosuke's crew for a while. Their battle records were no joke. And if Ryuunosuke was casually using Whitebeard's communication line…
Yeah, the connection was real.
Morgans may have had an unmatched network, but he wasn't insane. If both pirate groups came knocking, he'd be screwed.
"I think you get the picture," Ryuunosuke continued. "We're not looking to be monitored 24/7, and I have a feeling your news birds are doing just that. We had to act to protect ourselves."
"Now, let's talk terms. One month. You give me Blackbeard's exact location whenever I ask."
"One billion Berries."
Morgans paused.
"One billion?!"
That number hit him hard. You could buy a damn Devil Fruit for that on the black market.
But more than the money, it was the implication. Ryuunosuke wasn't bluffing. He did have ties to Whitebeard, and if they teamed up…
Yeah, he couldn't afford to bet against that.
"Fine. Deal," Morgans said after a moment. "Blackbeard's currently on Lorcos Island. I'll throw in a bonus tip too—he's been in contact with the Navy. The target? Whitebeard's crew… and yours."
"I'll send a News Bird to pick up the money and drop off a Den Den Mushi. You want intel in the future? Call me directly."
Click.
The line went dead.
Ryuunosuke chuckled as he heard the dial tone. Morgans had taken the bait.
Blackbeard's working with the Navy, huh…?
Ace hadn't been captured yet—he was still on the ship. So what the hell was Blackbeard planning? Use himself as bait?
No way. That'd be suicide.
Blackbeard wasn't the type to take that kind of risk unless he had no other options left.
"Najenda, where's Lorcos Island?" Ryuunosuke turned to his navigator.
He knew most of the major islands, but obscure places like Lorcos? Not his thing.
Najenda immediately pulled out the massive nautical chart.
Ryuunosuke looked at the size of it and immediately noped out.
Yeah, no way he could be a navigator.
"Found it," Najenda said, pointing it out. "Lorcos Island is surrounded by the Kingdom of Zirus and the Kingdom of Yataka."
"Just ahead of it is the Florian Triangle—the territory of one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Gekko Moria. And this sea route leads directly to the Sabaody Archipelago and Marineford."
She quickly marked the locations and named the nearby nations and notable areas.
Ryuunosuke frowned.
"Damn, that's a pretty strategic spot…"
What the hell is Blackbeard plotting?
Ryuunosuke didn't trust that crazy bastard for a second.
The guy wanted to usher in the "era of Blackbeard." Eventually became one of the Four Emperors, only to end up partying on Florian Island. Who knew what was going on in that scheming head of his?
But one thing was certain—Blackbeard wasn't giving up without a fight.
"Send Uncle Whitebeard the intel on Blackbeard's position."
"Also, prep the billion Berries. Let the News Bird take it when it gets here."
He gave the order without hesitation.
One billion Berries for intel and a favor from Whitebeard?
Ryuunosuke figured it was a bargain.
Ding!
"You've gained 7,000 reputation points from Morgans' approval."
Ryuunosuke blinked in surprise.
Approval? From that old birdbrain?
He didn't think Morgans liked him at all. But hey—free reputation points were free reputation points. He wasn't gonna complain.
Whitebeard, after receiving the information, didn't act immediately.
The current state of the Whitebeard Pirates meant that without Whitebeard himself stepping in, it'd be difficult to take Blackbeard down. So, the old man decided to wait—until all his division commanders arrived.
In the meantime...
It was time for a banquet.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Check my Pâtreon for (40) advanced chapters
Pâtreon .com/Fanficlord03
Change (â) to (a)
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Discord Link Here:
https://discord.gg/VvcakSux