The Grand Line.
Only about 20 nautical miles from Demon Valley Town.
A location just slightly off the usual route between islands—far from any standard course marked by a Log Pose.
At this precise spot, a relatively modest-sized sailing ship sat still on the sea.
"It's almost time. Why isn't he here yet?!"
On the deck, a man-bird paced anxiously.
Due to eating the Bird-Bird Fruit: Albatross Model, Morgans had taken on the traits of an albatross—feathers, beak, everything.
To describe him in one sentence:
A humanoid albatross.
Suddenly, the ship shook unnaturally. Alarmed, Morgans rushed to the side to peer into the water.
What he saw made his feathers stand on end.
A massive metallic beast—like some kind of mechanical sea monster—was surfacing from the depths.
What the hell is that thing?!
Damn it, why didn't he bring a camera?!
He instinctively reached into his clothes, only to remember the terms of the meeting—neither party was to bring any kind of recording equipment. No cameras. No surveillance Den Den Mushi.
Otherwise, there was no way he, Morgans, who practically wore a camera 24/7, would be caught without one!
"You lot—if anything feels off later, grab me and fly us out of here. Got it?!"
Morgans barked at the nearby News Coo birds circling the mast.
Despite eating a Bird-Bird Fruit, Morgans himself couldn't fly at all.
The wings on his back? Purely decorative.
Finally, the metallic beast fully emerged, and a hatch on its back hissed open.
"Yo. You must be Morgans. Punctual guy!"
A man in a crisp white suit with a black coat draped over his shoulders stepped out. Two large characters—Sovereign Reign/Jun Lin—emblazoned across his back.
Who else could it be but Luo Lan?
Of course, he wore a mask, so Morgans couldn't see his face.
Still… something about this man felt oddly familiar.
"You're the one who sent me the message?"
"Yup. But this isn't the best place to talk. Morgans, are you brave enough to come inside?"
Luo Lan gestured toward the open hatch below.
"You're seriously letting me in?"
"Of course. Come on in."
No hesitation. No fear.
In fact, Morgans looked downright excited—his expression practically screamed LET ME IN ALREADY!
This gigantic steel structure was like nothing he'd ever seen before.
Shame about the camera, though…
Still buzzing with anticipation, Morgans leapt onto the vessel—Danaan—and followed Luo Lan inside.
With a soft clunk, the hatch sealed shut.
Danaan began to submerge.
Back on the sailing ship, Morgans' crew and the News Coos stared after them, completely baffled by what they'd just witnessed.
---
Following Luo Lan through the corridors, Morgans saw many people—every one of them wearing identical uniforms.
The design was reminiscent of the Navy's, but black instead of white.
In fact, Luo Lan's cloak even mirrored the Navy's "Justice" cloak in cut and style.
Except where the Navy bore Justice, his cloak read Sovereign Reign.
For a moment, Morgans wondered—could this be a secret Navy operation?
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
No way.
A giant metallic vessel like this? Even Vegapunk would struggle to build something like it.
And then there were the glowing screens embedded in the walls, the machinery along the hallways—none of it fit this world's known technology.
After walking for nearly two minutes, they arrived at a meeting room.
---
"Can you tell me who you people really are?" Morgans asked the moment he sat down. "If it's a secret, forget I asked."
"No secrecy here," Luo Lan replied. "Our organization is called Sovereign Reign."
Sovereign Reign…
Not even the Four Emperors dared to claim they ruled the seas.
Whoever named this organization had serious ambition.
Pulling out a small notebook, Morgans started jotting things down, his mind racing.
"Morgans, I don't want to waste time. Look at these two files first."
Luo Lan slid two folders across the table.
Setting aside his notebook and pen, Morgans picked one up and began reading.
A few minutes passed.
Then the second folder.
More time passed…
When he finally looked up, his face was filled with disbelief.
"These... are real?!"
"They are. Interested?"
"Interested? I'm thrilled! Name your price!"
Morgans was almost giddy.
To him, reporting the news was life itself.
And these two files alone were enough for an entire month of headline-grabbing exclusives.
Hot, high-impact stories that would dominate the news cycle.
"No need to rush," Luo Lan said. "I have plenty more material just like this—some even bigger."
"But before I hand those over, we need to talk business. How will we work together?"
Luo Lan leaned back in his chair, one leg crossed, utterly relaxed.
"I'll buy everything at five times market rate," Morgans offered immediately. "Top price, full buyout."
Luo Lan shook his head.
"Three times?"
Still shaking.
"Four? Fine—five times! Not a berry more!"
He had maxed out the industry rate.
But Luo Lan clearly wasn't in this for the money.
"Morgans, the price is fine—but I want to change the payment method."
"Oh? How?"
"I don't want cash. I want these."
Luo Lan pushed over another document.
Inside was a detailed list—hundreds of rare materials, each with its market price.
"I want these items. After every transaction, I want my share converted into these materials and shipped to a specific location."
"Also, beyond just the equivalent value, if I need anything extra, you'll help procure it. Naturally, I'll pay for the surplus."
Morgans scanned the list carefully.
"Fine. But I'm taking 30%. Gathering these on the black market and covering transport isn't cheap."
"30%... deal."
Luo Lan nodded.
The 157th Branch had spent over a year trading on the black market. He knew the real costs.
30% was fair. Even generous.
"Alright," Morgans said, now grinning. "Since we've settled that—how much more of this kind of explosive material do you actually have?"
"Files of this level? Maybe… a hundred. Two hundred, even."
Morgans froze.
"One or two hundred?!"
Are you kidding me?!
---
A/N: If you want an early updates, you can visit my Ko-Fi as I update there much early.
Currently at Chapter 78 for free chapters on my Ko-Fi and at Chapter 280 for advance chapters.
https:// ko-fi.com/sami27