The next day the newspaper was on the desks of all the major powers.
Most of them glanced at it, only smirked contemptuously and immediately forgot about it, but some glances still lingered on the pages, assessing whether the calm of the sea, which had lasted for quite some time, would be disturbed again.
"SHOCKING NEWS! Crocodile declares war, challenging Roger for the title of king!"
"1500 year according to the sea calendar, August."
"..."
"It has been exactly a year since Roger became King of the Pirates, and the calm waters of the seas have once again been stirred by raging waves."
"On Sabaody Archipelago, Sand Crocodile has declared war for the king's throne."
"Crocodile, the wielder of the Logia-type Devil Fruit Suna Suna no Mi, with a bounty of 81 million, is one of the most notable stars of this year. And since he set sail, our newspaper has reported on him many times."
"This time, while passing through the Sabaody Archipelago, he once again caused a ruckus, easily dispatching many naval officers, including three captains from headquarters. Then, right before the eyes of the Marine reinforcements that had arrived, he calmly left."
"As you can see from the photos, after the massive battle, Crocodile did not receive a single scratch, having achieved a crushing victory over many Marines with incredible ease."
"During the battle, he used various techniques, flawlessly handling any situation. In addition, our correspondent learned that Crocodile's techniques such as Sand Sarcophagus and Burial Sand Waterfall were inspired by the increasingly popular Naruto novel. It was extremely difficult for us to imagine that in addition to his outstanding strength, Crocodile also possesses a high level of literary education!"
"After the battle was over, standing on the bodies of the fallen Marine officers, he arrogantly declared that he would single-handedly crush Roger's entire pirate crew."
"Looking back at Crocodile's history since he set sail, it's not the first time he's made such grandiose declarations. But whenever his words seemed like empty boasts, events would take a turn for the worse. What will happen this time after his loud declaration of war? Will he become a future king or will he burn out like a shooting star? Let's wait and see."
"..."
Whether as a report or a novel, Murphy's work had officially entered the public eye. Some skimmed through it, others couldn't put it down. The wheel of history moved forward, never stopping for a moment. It carved a track in time and tumbled through fate. But whether there was a predetermined road ahead, no one could say for sure.
...
New World.
Cherry blossom grove.
"These newcomers are so bold these days. This guy is challenging you, Roger!" said a tall figure with a white crescent-shaped moustache on his face, who exuded an inexhaustible pressure even while sitting.
After saying these words, he casually threw the newspaper in front of the drunk man opposite him.
It was Whitebeard and Roger, the two pirates standing at the top. They had fought all their lives, but now, in a rare occurrence, they were sitting face to face, drinking alcohol.
"I wish I could tell him that I'm ready to give him a good fight... but no, my life is running out, and I'm afraid I won't have that chance!" Roger, with a ruddy face, giggled and hiccupped.
"Gurarara! If I meet him, I'll teach him a good lesson in life," Whitebeard laughed loudly, and then drained his cup of sake in one gulp. With one phrase, he seemed to have determined the fate of one newcomer.
"You have to be more lenient with newbies. Let me see... to challenge a whole pirate crew on my own, hahaha! Even though the crew is disbanded, the guys who got off the ship are unlikely to approve of this," Roger took the newspaper and began to look through it, remembering the past.
Suddenly, he asked in a puzzled tone, "Hm, Naruto? Is this the story of Oden's homeland?"
- It's a fiction. Ninja from Wano don't control sand and aren't that strong.
Kozuki Oden, originally from Wano Country, had been on both men's ships. Whitebeard had even visited Wano, so both were familiar with the term ninja.
"That damn Oden kept talking about opening the country's borders. I wonder how he's doing when he gets home? I won't see him again anyway." Roger drained his sake in one gulp and continued, "Listen, I'll tell you how to get to Laugh Tale, Whitebeard!"
- Even if I knew, I wouldn't go there. I'm not interested in it at all...
- Ah... In any case, I'm going to surrender to Garp.
- What are you planning?!
— Welcome the new era.
......
Marine Patrol Headquarters.
- Bernard, didn't you say that all the photos of the Crocodile incident were confiscated?
- That's right! I even took the camera, Mr. Kong!
Bam!
The man holding the post of fleet admiral threw a folded newspaper onto the table.
- Then explain to me what it is?
The front page of the newspaper featured a spread devoted entirely to Crocodile. Several photographs stood out, exact copies of those confiscated by Bernard.
Although the article made no mention of the Marines' incompetence, the scenes in the photographs spoke for themselves. Any civilian would have doubted the Marines upon seeing them, and any pirate would have scoffed and mocked.
- Impossible!
Bernard carefully recalled the events. The journalist's only camera had been confiscated by him personally. So had the young man managed to make a copy before his arrival?
No, that's impossible. There was so little time, and the guy just stood there, not moving. He just couldn't do anything. So maybe there was something else?
- Mr. Admiral, those photographs were definitely confiscated, but after they were classified with other secret documents, I don't know what happened to them!
- Are you hinting at a spy? Among so many secret documents, does anyone care about these photos? You'd better think about your mistake!
- But...
- I don't accept objections! Oh, okay, go already!
Ton Kong did not allow any objections.
- Yes! - Bernard stood at attention, answered loudly, and then turned and left.
However, although his voice sounded loud, his face remained gloomy, and his heart was filled with anger and bewilderment. The most likely culprit was that same journalist from the scene, perhaps he was the one who wrote this news.
Eh... if they meet again, Bernard will definitely find out the truth.
- In any case, what happened can't be changed, we need to try to fix the situation. The reward for Crocodile's head should be increased. In addition, at the world congress at the end of the year, the topic of the Shichibukai will be raised. And if this proposal is accepted, then we will immediately try to contact Crocodile about it. What do you think, Sengoku?
After Bernard left, Kong turned to Sengoku, who was sitting next to him.
Sengoku was the only admiral of this era. Before the three new stars of the Marines, all important matters could only be shared with Sengoku.
- To prevent further unrest on the sea, which has been calm for so long, we must take precautions. At the same time, find a few pirates for a show of force to suppress this wave of rumors.
- Take care of it. By the way, is there any news about Roger?
- Not yet, but CP suspects that Roger's bloodline may continue.
- Let them share their intelligence. There might be clues to Roger's whereabouts.
- Okay, I'll contact them.
....
All over the world.
Sometimes, casual conversations about these events could be heard among ordinary people. After all, thanks to their free time for reading novels, they noticed details that those in power missed.
— There are plenty of self-confident people every year, but this year there are somehow not enough of them.
- Yes, it's been a while since there's been any news about major pirates.
- I hope there will be no more unrest. All the pirates should just disappear!
- Why waste time chatting, it would be better to read the novel that is mentioned in the newspaper, that would be more interesting. After all, a story about a ninja is something new.
- Look, both the author of the article and the author of the novel are the same person, his name is Hagoromo!
.......
Meanwhile, two fifteen-year-old boys were fooling around on one ship...
- Buggy, don't run away! I'll feel my technique - Millennium of Pain!
- Damn Shanks, GET AWAY FROM ME ALREADY!!!