One Piece: King of the World-Chapter 366: Beat Morgans!

After a brief pause, Claudius said, "What do you think about making Ace the Pirate King?"

Morgans was stunned. Damn, who do you think you are to decide the Pirate King? Do you even acknowledge Shanks? Do you even consider Kaido of the Beasts?

But then he thought about it, Claudius had even taken down Whitebeard, the strongest man in the world. If he dared to talk about the Pirate King so casually, it actually seemed reasonable.

Thinking about Ace's identity again, Morgans couldn't shake the feeling that there was something deeper behind this…

However, he couldn't quite grasp it at the moment. But that didn't matter, his best response in this situation was simple: just go along with it.

After all, Morgans wouldn't dare to say anything discouraging here.

As soon as Claudius finished speaking, Morgans immediately followed up, "I think Young Master Ace is talented and remarkable. If he truly wants to make a name for himself in the world of piracy, then becoming the Pirate King in the future isn't out of the question. After all, he has Your Highness backing him."

"Hahahahaha!" Claudius burst into laughter.

After laughing, he continued, "Then let's give it a try. Morgans, take care of that kid too."

"Rest assured, Your Highness," Morgans replied quickly.

Take care? How? It was simple—he'd just hype him up. Morgans had managed to elevate Luffy to the status of the Fifth Emperor with sheer publicity. As long as Ace didn't screw up and kept up the momentum, Morgans could push him forward without any pressure.

Who knows? Maybe, with enough hype, Ace really could become the Pirate King.

Claudius nodded, then placed his fishing rod on the rack, seemingly losing interest. He stood up, stretched, and for the first time, turned to look directly at Morgans.

Then, he smiled and said, "I think we can have a proper conversation. Care to join me for some tea?"

Morgans didn't hesitate for a second. "It would be my honor to have tea with Your Highness. I'll have to brag about this when I return."

"Hahaha." Claudius chuckled noncommittally, then turned and walked into the palace.

Morgans followed him inside.

Although their conversation had been lighthearted, Morgans felt an increasing pressure from Saint Claudius. It was as if he had no choice but to agree with whatever the prince said.

"Isn't he angry? A high-ranking Celestial Dragon?" Morgans wondered to himself.

As they entered the palace, the faint aroma of incense refreshed Morgans' spirit.

He was familiar with this scent, he occasionally used it at home.

This kind of incense was extremely expensive.

Usually, he only lit it when he was stuck at a creative bottleneck and needed to clear his mind.

But here, in Claudius' palace, it seemed like this scent was present at all times.

Claudius casually led Morgans to the sofa and sat down.

"Sit," Claudius waved his hand.

Morgans immediately took his seat across from him.

Soon, Nia approached with two cups of tea, handing one each to Claudius and Morgans.

Taking a sip of tea, Claudius looked at Morgans and asked, "As a major news figure, you should have a solid understanding of the world's trends, right?"

Morgans didn't dare to boast and responded humbly, "I wouldn't dare compare myself to Your Highness, but I do have some insights."

"Good," Claudius said. "Then what do you think the future holds?"

Morgans pondered for a moment before replying, "I believe we are in a period of turmoil before stability."

"What do you mean?" Claudius asked casually.

"The Great Pirate Era has been raging for eighteen years.

I wouldn't dare to make any bold claims, but one thing is certain both Your Highness and the Navy have been preparing for these eighteen years.

Last November, the Whitebeard Pirates were wiped out.

Marine Headquarters—Marineford—if you ask me, I'd say that marked the beginning of the end of the Great Pirate Era.

I can only assume that neither Your Highness nor the Navy will continue to let the New World run unchecked, correct?

And when you mentioned Ace and the Pirate King earlier, it further confirmed my belief."

Morgans spoke seriously.

Claudius laughed, nodded, and said, "You do see things clearly. No, we're not going to let the New World run wild any longer. I do intend to bring an end to the chaos of the Great Pirate Era and usher in a bright future for the world…"

"Your Highness has great ambition. I admire that," Morgans quickly added.

"But tell me," Claudius said with a smile, "do you really believe I can bring this Great Pirate Era to an end?"

Morgans nodded and spoke softly, "Because Your Highness has never failed."

"Well said," Claudius acknowledged with confidence.

Then, gazing out the window, he murmured, "Tell me, what do you think I'll do after the Great Pirate Era is over?"

"The Revolutionary Army?" Morgans frowned slightly, uncertain.

"They're nothing more than a minor nuisance," Claudius waved dismissively.

Morgans was genuinely surprised. Normally, the World Government viewed pirates as a nuisance and the Revolutionary Army as the real threat. But here, Claudius was treating the Revolutionary Army as nothing more than a trivial issue?

He didn't fully understand, but then again, he wasn't a ruler, his business was news. He couldn't be expected to think that far ahead.

"In that case, I wouldn't dare to speculate. Your Highness' vision is beyond my grasp," Morgans replied humbly.

"I want to repair the ship," Claudius sighed.

Morgans was confused at first, but then his expression turned serious.

"This era moves in waves, forty years ago, it was the era of Rocks. Then came the era of the Golden Lion, followed by Roger's era, and more recently, Whitebeard's era. Now, a new era has begun.

I believe this is the Era of Claudius…" Claudius said softly, with deep emotion.

Morgans spoke sincerely, "Except for Rocks, didn't the other three fall at your hands? I'd say this era already belongs to you, Your Highness."

As soon as Claudius finished speaking, Morgans panicked. His hands trembled as he hurriedly placed his teacup on the table. Then, without hesitation, he knelt on the floor, pressing his forehead against the soft carpet.

Claudius paid no attention to him.

Instead, he continued, "The power of public opinion… As a leading journalist, I don't need to explain that to you, do I? It's a sword hanging over everyone's head.

And you are the one holding the sword.

Although people say public opinion serves as a check and balance, it's not something you can just wield recklessly.

The influence of your World Economy News Paper has already reached a level I can barely tolerate. If you publish a lie, you could topple entire nations. Do you really not see how dangerous that is, Morgans?"

Claudius was speaking nothing but the truth.

In the original timeline, the World Economy News Paper once published fake news claiming Doflamingo had been stripped of his Warlord status, and the entire world fell into chaos.

And that was over something that wasn't even real.

Their influence was already terrifying.

At this moment, Morgans knelt on the ground, trembling.

"Your Highness, I would never dare… I truly wouldn't dare…"

Glancing at Morgans, Claudius took another sip of tea before finally saying, "Get up."

Hearing this, Morgans shakily got to his feet, but he no longer dared to sit down. Instead, he stood stiffly before Claudius, full of fear.

***

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