Chapter 196: Spread The News

"The Great Kingdom had achieved so much. It's a tragedy that such a vast civilization could crumble."

The inscriptions depicted a utopia where all races coexisted peacefully. However, as with all things, seeds of discord were sown. The yearning for superiority festered within some, ultimately leading to the kingdom's demise.

Perhaps their very comfort and lack of external threats contributed to their downfall. The adage about internal and external troubles held true – without external pressures, internal conflicts take root. This seemed to be an inevitable outcome after a period of prosperity. It appeared human nature, with its conflicting desires for power and peace, remained consistent across worlds.

Luo Ning, for one, found such struggles tedious. Fists of sufficient size afforded him the luxury of detachment. As long as his strength remained unchallenged, he wouldn't partake in these squabbles. This absolute deterrence kept him untouchable. However, a sliver of doubt lingered. Time, he acknowledged, could eventually turn even allies into adversaries. The revolutionary army, currently aligned with him, could morph into something unrecognizable in a century.

The control of others' thoughts remained an elusive concept. No matter the lifespan of a civilization, internal fractures seemed to be an inevitable harbinger of its decline. Thankfully, that was a concern for the future. In the present, the revolutionary army and others wouldn't dare cross him. His immense strength, present and future, ensured his safety.

With decisive action, Luo Ning claimed all the stone walls, intent on preserving the truth about the Great Kingdom's downfall.

The path forward was clear: dismantle the Great Pirate Era and deliver a crippling blow to the World Government in the process. No subtlety was needed.

The Revolutionary Army is likely nearing a decisive battle with the World Government. That's the perfect time for him to join the fray. The World Government is the enemy now, so civility can be tossed aside. He'll hand these recordings and their translations over to Morgans – a guaranteed headline.

With everything documented, the group departed from the island without a backward glance. Ruins held little appeal, and Nami, burdened by the weight of Roger's lie, felt increasingly unwell. After all, their search for treasure had yielded nothing.

There was a simple explanation for the island's lack of riches – the World Government's Twenty Kings had plundered the Great Kingdom's treasures long ago. Leaving anything behind wouldn't have been logical.

Roger, as a member of the D Clan – the true leaders of the Great Kingdom – couldn't accept this erasure. He used his title of Pirate King and the legend of the final land – Laugh Tale, a name referencing the Great Kingdom – to lure pirates onto the seas, hoping they'd rediscover the lost kingdom.

The full revelation of the Great Kingdom would undoubtedly throw the World Government into disarray. However, Roger hadn't considered the consequences. He, the Pirate King who reached Laugh Tale and learned the truth, kept it hidden. Why? Because the knowledge was obscure, tied to a mysterious fishing boat. Even if he had spoken out, who would believe a pirate's word? In the end, Roger deceived everyone – others, and perhaps even himself. From the very beginning, his quest for One Piece was a pursuit shrouded in illusion.

Unlike Roger, Luo Ning wielded a different kind of power – control of the world's largest news conglomerate. He'd already contacted Morgans, the boisterous owner of the Morgans Newsbird, requesting a meeting on Zou. Though a wait was involved, Morgans eventually arrived with his crew.

The sight that greeted him nearly sent Morgans into a frenzy. The information Luo Ning presented – the secrets of Uranus, the enigmatic hundreds-year gap – was a goldmine, exposing the World Government's vulnerabilities. To withhold such explosive news would be journalistic blasphemy! After all, wasn't his relentless pursuit for the juiciest headlines the very lifeblood of his business?

Now, a treasure trove of sensational stories had landed right at his doorstep. With barely contained excitement, Morgans assembled his team. They photographed the evidence, penned sensational articles, and swiftly disseminated them across all Newsbird branches.

The sheer volume of information was staggering. Batch after batch of newspapers rolled off the presses, requiring over a dozen editions to fully cover the revelations. Morgans' branches worked tirelessly, ensuring swift and widespread distribution.

"This is monumental news! All branches are buzzing with activity as they churn out newspapers. Once a batch is finished, the next one is sent out immediately!"

***

Across the vast ocean, a wave of curiosity rippled. Newsbirds, in unprecedented numbers, flooded the streets.

"What's happening today?" citizens muttered, bewildered by the sheer volume of newspapers being delivered. "Why are there so many editions all at once? And they seem much thicker than usual!"

The unusual influx of Newsbirds sparked widespread speculation. The world was about to witness the dawning of a new era, fueled by a deluge of earth-shattering truths.

A collective murmur rippled through the crowd. "This must be incredibly important news," someone remarked. "They wouldn't release so many editions like this otherwise. Do any of you recall the last few times this happened?"

Aided by these prompts, a realization dawned on everyone – this was monumental. They wasted no time, scrambling to purchase the newspapers.

"It can't be... it's about the World Government's Void Century!" gasps erupted as people devoured the headlines.

While the existence of the hundreds-year gap was a whispered secret, it wasn't entirely unknown. Some were aware of the gaping hole in history before the World Government's rise, a period shrouded in near-total obscurity. Their understanding of the world began with the World Government's establishment and continued to the present day. But these newspapers brazenly unveiled the truth behind that missing century.

***

"Pops, this..." a voice trembled, "the World Government must be apoplectic right now. No wonder they've been so fixated on suppressing that period of history. This weapon, Uranus... who knew it existed? And fueled by human lives, no less!"

On Whitebeard's Kingdom, Whitebeard, now king, oversaw a flourishing kingdom. Development boomed, and their immense power deterred potential aggressors. Life was good.

"And Uranus..." Marco's eyes scanned the descriptions, "and this Great Kingdom... I never knew Roger had witnessed this. It all makes sense now – why he ignited the Great Pirate Era. He was a D-bearers!"

Understanding dawned on Whitebeard as he read about the D. Now he grasped the root of Roger's deep-seated animosity towards the World Government. While the World Government often clashed with pirates – a natural consequence of their profession – Roger's hatred ran far deeper.