Bab 45: On the lips of many
A few days after the events in Narhad
At the 80th Marine Division base located in West Blue
On the highest floor of the base was located the office of the base captain, the highest rank in the hierarchy of this base and usually also the highest in most bases located in the different seas outside the Grand Line.
And now, in Captain Zora's office, Lieutenants Francis and Lex reported to their superior their report and impressions of the most controversial and popular case within the base.
"I have already been able to read your reports, which are…
Quite disparate to put it mildly, that's why I've brought you both together, to clear up that possible misunderstanding" Said Captain Zora behind her desk, as she put the two reports on the table, one next to the other.
Captain Zora was a dark-haired forty-year-old woman that measured three meters and was quite muscular, but not so excessively muscled as to cause rejection… muscular arms that were riddled with scars that showed that she hadn't earned his rank in the Marine through office work or gender quotas.
And as for her face, she had a more or less standard One Piece female face that stood out from the others for her more pronounced features, for having a few extra wrinkles and for the vertical scar on her left eye, with which she looked at her two subordinates
"Captain Zora, I don't know what kind of kitsch the Lieutenant may have written but they deviate from what is important...
That little monster knows how to create poisons and how to use them correctly to defeat rivals that would physically surpass him in masse… and he is incredibly strong for his age too…
He is cunning, cruel and intimidating enough to force dozens of sadistic pirates into submission to do whatever he wants and then kill them in cold blood when he was no longer of use to them.
A sadist who tortured two human beings in the basement of his house for days in unpronounceable ways as if it were the most normal thing in the world
A small demon with a tongue full of poison who has no respect for authority and for his elders.
That kid is a highly dangerous psychopath with high potential to become several times worse in the near future!
Now are the pirates but what will be in the future? The civilians? The marine? The World Government?
Such a child is not normal! We have to do something with him right now!" Shouted Lieutenant Francis expressing his version, the worst possible interpretation that he could give of Fred after having known him for a few minutes, an interpretation with obvious ulterior motives
"That's right, he's not normal at all...
No normal child would design and successfully carry out a strategy to defeat such dangerous pirates despite putting as a priority saving all the people they had kidnapped, heal them himself, receive them hospitably in his village, make sure they didn't lack for anything and also donate a lot of millions to these people to help them rebuild their lives
But that doesn't make him dangerous, quite the opposite... I think that he clearly distinguishes between good and evil
In fact, I think some people should take an example from him" Lieutenant Lex said, expressing with more than obvious sarcasm and anger an opinion contrary to that of his co-worker, an opinion based on facts and not on speculation.
A quite antagonistic opinion and appreciation that once again annoyed the already irritated Lieutenant Francis "GRJJJJ!!
You've been going overboard lately Lex!
If you continue…"
"Lieutenant Francis!
EVERYONE HERE knows how INVOLVED you were in the case of the Leech pirates and we have an idea of how much has affected you that some children have taken that LITTLE CANDY from you
But if you still want to rise your rank one of the things you have to learn is how to deal with frustration, separate the personal from the professional and knowing EXACTLY when to take a step or steps back for the good of the Marine, of your professional career and personal life… no matter how much your pride, testosterone OR WHATEVER clouds your judgment tells you otherwise
IT HAS BECOME CLEAR?!" Captain Zora said sharply, quickly ending Lieutenant Zark's childish tantrum.
"I...
Sorry Captain Zora
It won't happen again..." Lieutenant Zark said, bowing his head after accepting that [kind advice]
Captain Zora wasn't stupid...
She knew her subordinates too well not to recognize what had happened after reading and listening the opinions of her two officers, especially when she had had the opportunity to speak with many other Marines who were in Narhad that day.
She knew that Lieutenant Francis, like other Marines in his charge, were not exactly the prototype of a virtuous, honest, and helpful Marine that was advertised in World Government propaganda.
However, she, like many other base captains around the world, had a very difficult time taking forceful disciplinary action against them unless they crossed certain red lines, red lines that were highly likely to compromise her as his superior or the Marine as an institution.
There were many reasons why she couldn't punish them seriously, among them that there was a lot of demand and little supply of Marines in this era, especially in smaller seas like this one, especially in the 80 navy base and especially those who were good fighters like Lieutenant Francis
Both she and other captains in charge of a Marine base could not be very selective in times when the pirates far outnumbered the Marines and many times even in strength.
In addition, if she uncovered many cases of corruption or bad practices, they would punish her instead of rewarding her, since it would show that she had allowed [bad apples] to proliferate under her command, she would also risk exposing the Navy and the World Government and what was worse she would give problems to the big shots, who would have to cover up and manage all those cases that she would have brought to light, something that would leave her in a bad place in his eyes and that would therefore cause many problems to her
Even her current rank and job would be in jeopardy!
These and many other reasons tied the hands of many naval officers, who sometimes found themselves powerless to deal with these matters, that is why almost everyone had to look to the side or deal with these issues with the greatest possible left hand to avoid having problems with those below and those above the organization
For these reasons, was not surprising that she and many other captains greatly appreciated having such honest Marines as Lieutenant Lex.
"Lieutenant Lex, you did a great job on the island of Narhad, I am very happy that I authorized your controversial trip there.
You perfectly controlled the situation and saved our reputation, even if it was a little
As captain of the 80th division, I am enormously grateful to you" Said Captain Zora, making a really kind face in contrast to the one she used earlier when dealing with Lieutenant Francis' tantrum.
A kindness and congratulations that Lieutenant Milton accepted willingly, although it raised several questions. "No... it's nothing Captain, I was just doing my duty
But if you don't mind, I'd like to know what will happen to Frederic Freed and the others...
And what do you mean by saving our reputation?"
"Both questions leads me to understand that you haven't read this morning's paper...
But answering your question...
What EVERYONE will do is treat Fred like the little hero you described...
And as for why you saved our reputation... I think you'd be more excited to read it in person" Captain Zora replied as she took out today's World Economy News Paper and tossed it on the table so that both Lex and Francis could read the cover.
---
In the headquarters of the World Economy News Paper on the Grand Line
A humanoid pelican sitting at his table was looking through the different reports he had received from around the world.
"Boring...
Boring... repetitive...
Boring... repetitive... predictable...
Bajjj...."
That humanoid pelican was Morgans, better known as [Big News Morgans] president of the World Economy News Paper and one of the emperors of the Underworld.
But that would be in the future…
Right now Morgans was only 23 years old and although he had worked in the press world since he was 12 years old was only five years ago that he founded his illustrious newspaper called the World Economy News Paper, a newspaper that, with a lot of work, talent, passion, guts, imagination, few scruples, greed, connections and the natural advantage that his Akuma No Mi gave him in terms of distribution, managed to raise from scratch on his own
"Pirates looting, killing and raping everywhere... marines catching only a few of them and being late everywhere... and the world government tries more to show that they do a good job than to do a good job...
The same shit one day after another...
Information that readers may not even read, but if they do, they will forget after a few minutes without awakening any kind of new emotion in them"
In a little less than five years Morgans accomplished that his World Economy News Paper could be read around the world thanks to gus perfect method of distribution and that was highly appreciated by readers by offering information that other officialist newspapers did not usually publish, as well as giving alternative points of view of world-renowned news
Still, there was a limit to how much controversial news he was able to post without risking being cancelled or something worse, more of the same happened with the news in which he dug too much to find the truth or how much he could sweeten a fact to make it much more spectacular and commercial without affecting its credibility
"This is what happens when we are exposed to the same thing for a long time!
People become desensitized, bored and lose interest in what we journalists tell!
Because we've already explained the same thing countless times..."
Morgans struggled every day to differentiate itself from the competence, trying to find good news or at least with potential despite the limitations it had in order to compete with media already established for decades that also had all the support and financing of the World Government
The same World Government that many gave his a small fortune to manipulate the information or not to publish some news… many times accepting them willingly and others without having any other option than to accept for the good of your company
"WE NEED SOMETHING NEW! SOMETHING FRESH! SOMETHING THAT WAKES UP THE SLEEPING HEART OF THE READERS!"
However, Morgans wasn't just a greedy businessman who would sell his soul to the devil for money...
He had a great soul of a journalist that burned with passion, which pushed him to offer shocking information to transmit to the whole world even at the cost of economic benefits and even his safety!
He was also an artist!
He really loved his job and was not satisfied with being an average journalist, for this reason and for no other reason he wanted to be the first and the best in offering news that moved people's hearts like no one else could.
However, that was extremely difficult to achieve with boring, repetitive news… or with lies.
"President Morgans, I have something for you" Said one of the employees of the newspaper, who dared to interrupt that passionate outburst towards his work to deliver a new report.
A report that Morgans took with his winged hands and asked before looking at it "Mmmm
What is this?"
"It is a report that we have received from West Blue recently, it seems that they have managed to finish off the Leech pirates.
But it seems that the Navy wanted to silence this" The reporter replied, giving a brief summary of the news and additional information to intrigue her boss
"The Leech Pirates?
Ah yes, I remember...
Those butchers who seemed to want to compete for the position of bloodiest pirates in the world?
Well, it's not the spectacular news I was looking for, but I guess the people at West Blue will be happy to hear about this and…" Morgans said as he read the report, until... he couldn't help but shout with surprise and excitement upon reaching certain part "¿NANIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHHHHHH!!!!???"
Something that alarmed the rest of the journalists in that room, who stopped everything they were doing to observe their president, who seemed to be in a trance
"This... this is...
BIG NEWS!!!
Fast! Mobilize all West Blue journalists! I want you to interview everyone who has been involved in this story so they can tell us their version!
The two protagonists, the people of the village, the girls they saved, the marines who participated in the mission...
I want to know everything that has happened! I don't care if you have to pay to get that information!
We have to put this on the front page ASAP!!
KIA HAHAHAHAHA!!!" Said Morgans with an overflowing passion to all his employees, ordering them to stop everything they were doing so that they exclusively dedicate themselves to that exclusive
However, not everyone was as excited about that news as he was, as was the case with the reporter who gave him the report. "President, I know it's spectacular that children have managed to defeat such dangerous pirates, but...
Don't you think you are exaggerating?
A major worldwide cover for some West Blue pirates and kids is a little…"
"FOOLS!" Morgans yelled, interrupting that sacrilege in his ears to immediately educate his subordinates "It's not the fact itself that matters!
It is the context in which we live, how this fact challenges that paradigm and the meaning that we can offer what gives value to this news!"
"Currently the vast majority of civilians around the world live in absolute fear of pirates, fearing that one day they will be the next victims...
Victims who cannot do anything else to survive their attacks apart from running, hiding… or being submissive, obey them and giving everything they want with the hope that they will not do something worse to them... ... and wait for the Marine to catch them some indeterminate day or on rare occasions that a bounty hunter does it...
Basically living like scared lambs, waiting for the day when they will be eaten by wolves without being able to do anything to change their tragic destiny
Something that they know perfectly well thanks to the news that we publish every day..." Said Morgans with a gloomy tone, looking gloomily and even accusingly at his subordinates.
Subordinates who were mostly or had been part of that group of lambs and who therefore understood that fear, a fear that almost all of them had felt after going to the villages devastated by pirates every time they had to do a report, a fear some had suffered in their own flesh at some point in their lives
A fear that left them frozen, unable to move, as if they were caught in the middle of a blizzard...
"BUT LOOK AT THIS CHILD!" Morgans yelled like a mad genius as he showed the report in his hand, where Fred's face could be seen "Without having been able to celebrate his tenth birthday that day, he had the courage, strength, skill and intelligence enough to get up instead of crying on the ground for the death of his father, locate the pirates secret base, infiltrate, defeat them, rescue the maidens in distress, make the pirates pay for their crimes and also donate a lot of money to the victims so they can rebuild their lives...
HOW DO YOU THINK THE COWARDY LAMBS WILL REACT WHEN SEEING THAT THE YOUNGEST OF THEM WAS ABLE TO DO ALL THIS TO THE WOLVES THEY FEAR SO MUCH!?
KIA HAHAHAHAHA!!!
It's shocking, exciting, unbelievable, brutal, controversial, tragic, inspiring, moving, endearing, hopeful, sensational...
IT IS THE PERFECT MATERIAL I WAS LOOKING FOR!"
"WOOOHHH!!!
YOU ARE INCREDIBLE PRESIDENT!" All the reporters of the World Economy News Paper shouted with admiration as they understood the brilliant intentions of their boss.
After this explanation, Morgans' passion spread like a virus to all his subordinates, who instantly dropped everything they were doing to dedicate themselves body and soul to turning this news, which at first seemed more or less irrelevant to them, into a great worldwide sensation.
"KIA HAHAHAHAHA!!!
Frederic Freed, I'm going to make you a superstar!" Morgans said with a big pelican smile as he hung the report on his wall
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You'll be able to see 8 chapters in advance in my Pa-treon
pa-treon.com/user?u=83938371
Chatper Edited By: The_Bored_Immortal
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
Meralman
Meralman This chapter is a little shorter than usual, but I'll make up for it with a very long one next week.
I hope you like reading this story as I do writing it and that you leave me your comment, review and vote if that's the case.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone