"How can the diplomatic department compare to the National Security Bureau? Even the Foreign Minister doesn't hold as much power as the Bureau's Director," Manny said with a sly grin.
Finally, Tony couldn't maintain his composed expression and allowed himself a slightly smug smile. However, the smile quickly faded, replaced by a more serious demeanor.
"The position of Director isn't an easy one to hold," Tony said, tapping his teeth lightly in thought. "The Bureau is full of old foxes who've been working in intelligence for years. The senior members probably thought the position would go to one of them after Kuro left. Instead, it went to someone like me—someone who, aside from seniority, was relatively unknown. It'd be surprising if they didn't feel resentful."
"So, what now?" Angie, short and stocky, had somehow joined the conversation unnoticed.
Back in Maple Leaf Village, Manny, known for his cunning and slippery ways, often found himself on the receiving end of Tony's scoldings, while the honest and hardworking Angie enjoyed more of Tony's trust.
But times had changed. Manny, with his handsome appearance, quick wit, and polished demeanor, had risen to prominence, sticking close to Tony in the diplomatic department. With Tony's sudden transfer, Manny now had a real chance to fill the vacancy Tony left behind.
Angie, on the other hand, had only managed to secure a position as a general affairs officer in the Four Seas Trading Company, a role that, while respectable, was far from impressive. The irony wasn't lost on him.
It was impossible for Angie not to feel some sense of disappointment. However, lacking the sharp mind or cleverness to rise on his own, he naturally gravitated back toward Tony, hoping to once again prove his worth and earn Tony's favor, just as he had in the past.
"Without people of my own, everything I do will be inconvenient," Tony said with a frown. "I don't want to be sidelined. I was already parachuted into this leadership role, and I'm less familiar with the Bureau's operations than the veterans there. If I don't bring in my own people, I'll end up as nothing more than a figurehead."
Angie's eyes lit up as he tentatively asked, "So, this gathering you're hosting today—is it related to that?"
Tony took a sip of his drink. "We're all from the same village, working under the Governor's banner. Isn't it natural for us to look out for one another? To be honest, the longer I've been away from home, the more I feel that we, who've left our village behind, should stick together. Take this for example: when I thought about bringing people into the National Security Bureau, the first ones that came to mind were the young men from Maple Leaf Village who, like us, left home to make a living."
"But they don't know the first thing about intelligence work," Manny said lazily, glancing at Angie before adding his comment.
"I'm not aiming to wield overwhelming power within the Bureau. If I were to grow as influential as Kuro—or even surpass him—I doubt the Governor would tolerate me. But at the very least, I need to have control over what's happening within the Bureau," Tony said with a smirk. "If I'm just a figurehead, unable to direct intelligence operations, then what's the point? Right now, my priority isn't the intelligence work itself—it's staffing the Bureau with the right people."
After navigating a series of procedures, background checks, and even some bribes, Laura Louise finally managed to travel from the Red Line to the East Blue through official World Government channels.
For Laura, this news assignment was a pivotal moment in her career, and she approached it with extreme caution. She decided not to head directly to the Navia Kingdom, where William resided. Instead, she planned to first familiarize herself with the East Blue, gathering information and subtly inquiring about William to prepare for her eventual report.
Even without her editor-in-chief's warnings, Laura understood the dangers of this journey. Although she was leaving the pirate-infested Grand Line for the so-called "paragon of peace," the East Blue, she knew it would be even more perilous.
Her first stop was the Goa Kingdom, where she encountered a bard.
Despite her aversion to alcohol, Laura endured the stench of the tavern to watch the bard's performance. He told a story of revenge involving a prince.
The tale followed a wise and beloved prince who, through a series of conspiracies, was forced into exile after his uncle usurped the throne. The prince, once a favorite of his father, the old king, experienced the hardships of common life, enduring trials and tribulations until he became a courageous, hardworking, and powerful hero. Ultimately, he sought to reclaim his throne and avenge his father.
To Laura, the story was nothing special—it was the kind of narrative she had seen countless times in her line of work. However, the locals listened with rapt attention.
Curious, Laura investigated further and learned why the story resonated so strongly with the locals: it was a matter of relatability.
Although the characters in the story were given aliases, nearly everyone who heard it understood that the tale was said to be a thinly veiled allegory about the Governor of the Navia Kingdom and the current King of the Faraise Kingdom, Robert.
This intrigued Laura greatly. She even traveled to the Faraise Kingdom to investigate further. According to the locals, the story's characters and events closely mirrored the real-life Governor of Navia, Morgan William, and King Robert of Faraise.
However, hearsay alone wasn't enough to satisfy Laura.
If she were a third-rate journalist working for a tabloid, she might have been content with such gossip, which was sure to grab attention. But Laura was a reporter for the World Economy News, a publication whose format and authority far surpassed any small newspaper.
Stories like this, lacking any concrete evidence, wouldn't even merit a corner of the paper's least-read section.
But as Laura continued her investigation in the Faraise Kingdom, she realized just how vast the world was, and how the volume of newsworthy events wasn't necessarily tied to a region's environment.
The East Blue, despite being known as the sea with the weakest pirate presence and a reputation for peace, was rife with stories worth telling.
Before Laura could uncover the truth behind the bard's tale, another newsworthy event caught her attention.
A group of fish-man pirates with racist tendencies, having arrived from the Grand Line, had been terrorizing the region for some time. More alarmingly, they had taken control of several villages and towns within the kingdom, ruling through brutal means. The kingdom seemed powerless to stop them.
The atrocities committed by Arlong and his crew in the territories they controlled were heinous even by Grand Line standards. What made the story even more compelling was the rumor that Arlong had ties to one of the current Seven Warlords of the Sea.
The situation presented a golden opportunity to criticize the World Government and the Marines. Even without direct criticism, Arlong's actions could serve as a springboard to explore the fraught relationship between humans and fish-men.
Coming from the Sabaody Archipelago, a place rife with racial discrimination, Laura was acutely aware of the marketability of such a topic.
In fact, if it weren't for the tantalizing prospect of covering William's story, Laura might have considered the Arlong incident alone sufficient to justify her trip to the East Blue.
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