"That's right. Tell me, how much are you offering me?"

Caelan patted Morgans on the shoulder and asked.

"You'll get 50% of the final net profit!"

Morgans forced out the words, suppressing the pain in his heart and trying to sound sincere.

Fifty percent—he was already taking a hit.

You have to understand, the total sales of Caelan's newspaper had exceeded 400 million copies.

A single newspaper sold for 100 Berries, and the profit was about one-tenth of that, meaning 10 Berries per paper.

If 50% went to Caelan, that would be 2 billion Berries.

Just thinking about parting with 2 billion Berries for nothing made Morgans' heart ache.

If Caelan hadn't been so powerful—and if he didn't have the upper hand—Morgans would've definitely haggled.

"That's too much. I'm not the kind of person who takes advantage of others."

Caelan shook his head and smiled.

"Really?"

Morgans' eyes widened in disbelief.

From what he knew, Caelan was the kind of man who valued money more than his life.

Why would he turn down money delivered to his doorstep?

Did he hear that wrong?

"Of course. The World Economy News is your hard-earned business. Fifty percent is too much for me."

"Thirty percent. I only want 30% of the shares of the World Economy News."

Caelan held up three fingers and smiled gently.

To be honest, he had taken a liking to the World Economy News.

It was the largest newspaper in the world of pirates, arguably the only one that truly dominated the market. Its global influence was massive.

Controlling it would be the same as controlling mainstream public opinion.

He had originally wanted to partner with the World Economy News on a few matters in Dressrosa—like promoting the new power he had established and publicizing the auction of Caesar—but now things were more convenient.

"???"

Morgans had a huge question mark over his head and nearly exploded.

The 50% he just offered referred only to Caelan's newspaper.

But the 30% Caelan asked for was actually 30% of the entire World Economy News.

Instinctively, Morgans wanted to refuse. "Well, excuse me—"

Before he could finish, he caught a cold gleam in Caelan's eyes.

Immediately, cold sweat broke out all over Morgans' body.

The man before him was an overwhelming force he couldn't resist.

Forget it.

Morgans sighed and reluctantly accepted Caelan's terms.

"Caelan-sama, you should've been a major shareholder of our World Economy News long ago!"

Morgans forced a smile.

"That's more like it. I'm not taking your money for nothing."

"I'll look after you in the future, got it?"

Caelan, now officially in control of World Economy News, had smoothly integrated the paper under his banner.

"I understand, I understand!"

Morgans nodded repeatedly, finally feeling a bit more at ease.

Caelan was now the most powerful man in the world. With his protection, World Economy News was safe.

Although honestly, World Economy News had never been in any real danger.

Still, it was good to have backup.

"Remember, don't play tricks. If I get angry, it won't be pretty."

Caelan spread out his palm in front of Morgans.

Then, he suddenly clenched it.

Boom!

The air inside his palm compressed with such force that it created a sharp explosion.

It was like a bomb going off right before Morgans' eyes.

The gust of wind that followed hit Morgans in the face, leaving him in dull pain.

"I understand, Caelan-sama."

Morgans nodded again, sweat trickling down his forehead.

He had no doubt that if Caelan squeezed him, he'd turn into a meatball on the spot.

Caelan nodded lightly, then instructed, "That's good. Don't leave Dressrosa anytime soon. Something big is about to happen here. It'll be the perfect chance for you to show off your talents."

"Yes, Caelan-sama!"

Morgans responded obediently and watched Caelan leave.

But… something big?

Morgans was puzzled.

The strongest force in Dressrosa—the Donquixote Family led by Doflamingo—had already been wiped out by Caelan.

What else could happen on this land?

Was Caelan planning to stir up more trouble?

Morgans' heart skipped a beat. He even got a little excited.

The moment Caelan entered the New World, he'd already taken down Doflamingo.

What was next?

Morgans' curiosity flared.

He tried to think it through, but couldn't figure out the answer. In the end, he gave up.

Anyway, Caelan would tell him when the time came.

Soon, Morgans returned to the World Economy News branch in Dressrosa, sat down in his office, and started calculating the profits to be handed over to Caelan.

"The World Economy News sells about a billion copies a year. The net profit per paper is 10 Berries. Giving 30% to Caelan means 3 billion Berries a year!"

Morgans tapped away on his calculator and came up with a staggering figure.

"Do I really have to hand over that much?"

His heart ached for his beloved Berries.

"No, no, I can't think like that."

Morgans shook his head and tried to find a way to console himself.

Looking at it from another perspective, giving 30% of World Economy News' profits to Caelan was equivalent to gaining the protection of a Yonko-level backer.

And compared to the other Four Emperors, Caelan seemed far more reliable.

He had once considered joining one of the Four Emperors.

But the red-haired one only recruited who he liked, and Morgans wasn't on that list.

Whitebeard just wanted sons. Morgans wasn't interested in becoming someone's kid.

As for Big Mom and Kaido… one was a violent maniac, the other a warmongering brute.

Being with them was more dangerous than going solo.

Now, Caelan seemed like a decent option.

But still… 3 billion Berries every year… it hurt!

"Aaaaaargh!"

The bird-headed Morgans let out a heartbroken scream.

"This is all Borsalino's fault! If he hadn't deliberately led me into this, I wouldn't be paying such a huge price!"

"Damn you, Borsalino. You'll pay for this!"

Morgans said viciously.

Of course, he couldn't take revenge openly.

But making things difficult for Borsalino through the newspapers? That was a piece of cake.

He swore to make Borsalino suffer!

While muttering about ruining Borsalino's image, Morgans made his way toward the editorial office.

He had to report the news of Caelan's victory over Doflamingo immediately—there was no time to waste.

(To be continued.)