130 Censorship

With a flutter of beating wings, the head quarters of the World Economic Times rumbled in anticipation. Multiple news Coos flew out of the enclosure as one big news Morgans chuckled.

His feathery hand twitched in anticipation, his composure barely holding strong. The world was being taken by storm as of the moment, with the apex clash of the top forces of the world and here he was, waiting upon a meeting!

He had sent his best journalists to the site of the clash, but in his heart he was unhappy. nonetheless, there were sacrifices to be made, if his thirst for knowledge and the latest scoops were to remain as easily pursued as it had been for the past few decades.

So here he was, in his own structure waiting patiently as if a guest for his appointment.

With a quick shuffle his newly promoted secretary walked out of the room, a pale face as he looked beseechingly at the 'Emperor' of the news world.

This was the man that had allowed for Morgans to publish the news of Ohara, as futile as it had all turned out to be.

"Boss, he's calling you in" he whispered out, his face marred with trails of sweat.

Morgans nodded curtly, straightening out his jacket he walked into what had been until that point his office.

With a polite knock on the door, he swiftly entered. His fists digging into the insides of his pockets as he looked at the mess that had been made of his office. Papers lay strewn everywhere, some torn up and others in a messy pile on the floor beside the desk.

On the seat that he had once been his, a bald man sat a cruel grin on his face as he reveled in the anguish that he caused Morgans. Freckles dotted his face as a cruel glimmer shone off his spectacles. He wore a White gi as a beautiful hilted Katana sat overbearingly at his side.

With a click of his tongue the man looked at the quivering bird-man.

"What was our deal Morgans? From what I hear from our resident Buddha you've started to renege on your side of the deal.. Must we really go to such extents to silence a smart and brave man like you?" The bald man asked, his hands resting on a few sheets on the desk.

"It seems you let your new position get to your head Morgans.. When we Allowed you to spread this information we made it clear what we Should and should not see within the confines of your silly papers.

So tell me Morgans, does that leash on your neck feel any looser. I wouldn't mind tightening it for you" and then he grinned, and Morgans saw red.

True, Big News Morgans was a head line seeker, true he was one that would never shy away from a good story. But as he had been painfully made aware there were a few stories that one Did not Tell.

With a heavy heart he watched as his nascent articles were torn apart or rephrased, with horror as his many contacts were burned through and with downright malice when the bald man began to write down an article that Morgans would have to publish in the next day's paper.

As the last dot on the edge of the article sounded scribbled on the piece of paper with a sense of uncaring disdain, his heart melted. 'So this was what it felt like to have one's work disparaged and burned down..' he thought morosely as he stretched a clearly fake smile onto his beaky façade.

Each step that the man walked out of the hall felt like a lifetime of stress, and each paper on the floor accounted for one more nail in the proverbial coffin. He Would publish as he wished. He Would write what he wanted written. Maybe not now but later. He swore it with every feather on his body.

******************

Whitebeard groaned as he looked at the ditzy looking transponder snail, once again regretting the assignment of this particular son in such a trying time of need. Thatch was many things, smart, confident and charismatic. But he was not in any way useful to the whitebeard pirates upon Sphinx.

"Thatch!" Edward rumbled out, his voice reverberating in the now empty hall. "Get Marco on the call"

"Will do pops! Oh, before that, did I tell you about this swell kid I just met! He took me on in an alcohol battle and Won!" the pompadour swordsmen gushed.

"This is not the time son, later!" Edward called out, his patience fraying.

He could not tell Thatch about the clash of emperors before he told Marco of this he was sure. With the cavalier attitude that the former adopted, it wouldn't be a surprise if he decided to rouse up the entire island in a sense of alarm and decided to fortify it with all the townsfolk running around like headless chickens. He lacked a certain level of finesse that his pineapple headed brother possessed in copious amounts.

"Ugh fine…" Thatch groaned, nodding and sounding as if a rebellious teenager in his gothic face had taken over his body.

With a click he was gone, Whitebeard could feel the flamboyance of the scene departing with him. He let out a sigh.. Young people, he could never understand them!

With another click the snail morphed its expression, a stern look and aura suddenly permeating from it.

"Marco." the old emperor rumbled.

"Extend your stay on the island. It will need you there! That rabid beast Kaido and that old women Linlin are going at it around there. Protect the island and your brother. He might be a smart kid, but he's known more for his stupid shit then his smart ones. "

Marco chuckled lightly at his father's description of the arrogant swordsmen, agreeing and taking glee at the assessment.

"Don't worry pops. We've got it here." was his only reply.

"The pirates that landed on there, are they trustworthy?" Whitebeard asked, satiated by the confident response that his son provided.

Worst comes worst, Sphinx would be sieged by one of the two idiots, all he would have to do was go challenge them there for it.

"Yes pops." Marco replied. He had quite a good opinion of Lorean after all.

"Then if things get too difficult get them to help out. They'll be properly compensated later."