Morgans had a headache.
Just moments ago, he had been personally warned by the Five Elders.
They demanded that he immediately stop digging into this matter and cooperate with the World Government to guide public opinion.
Furthermore, they ordered him to hand over the source of his information.
If he refused, the World Government would place him on their kill list.
Morgans knew full well what that meant.
Publicly, it would be the Marines hunting him down.
In the shadows, the CP agencies would ensure a permanent end.
Unless one was on the level of a Yonko, no one could withstand such pressure.
As one of the so-called underground powerhouses, Morgans knew the unspoken rule:
As long as you didn't step on the World Government's toes, everyone could live in peace.
But once that line was crossed...
He understood a very simple truth:
He could report on the World Government's scandals—so long as he didn't cross the red line.
And once the Five Elders issued a direct warning, it was time to back off.
Yes, he had control over a trove of secret information.
In theory, he could stand toe-to-toe with the World Government.
But there was no need to go that far.
After all, the important story had already been published.
Now, he had to admit—he admired the mysterious informant who'd tipped him off.
Even he didn't know who that person was, which meant he could safely hand over everything he "knew" to the Five Elders.
It wasn't like he was revealing any real source, right?
Look—he had exposed the existence of that secret organization.
And afterward, he smoothed over the World Government's fury.
From here on out, he was confident that organization would continue working with him.
In fact, to ensure his cooperation in steering the narrative, the Five Elders had even compensated him.
So in the end—
Morgans was the biggest winner of this entire affair.
---
Rhodes Island — Marine Branch 157
Conference Room
The usual group was gathered.
Only this time, Hina wasn't barging in to "eavesdrop"—she had been officially summoned by Luo Lan to attend the meeting.
"Sister Hina, take a look at this."
Once everyone was seated, Luo Lan slid a file across the table toward her.
It had arrived just an hour ago, fresh from the intelligence department.
Inside—
Hina opened it and began reading.
Her eyes widened within moments.
"Hina is shocked!"
"The World Government… actually compromised?"
In her impression, the World Government never compromised. Ever.
But this time...
"Heh. Originally, I had prepared several contingency plans. I estimated it would take at least a month to get this result," Luo Lan said with a smirk. "But someone gave the whole thing a huge push—it accelerated everything."
He handed over a second document.
Hina picked it up, scanned it, and then:
"The Revolutionary Army?"
"Exactly. The Revolutionary Army saw their chance. They're using this opportunity to damage the World Government's credibility while strengthening their own position.
They struck the Five Elders right in their weak spot."
Hina nodded, understanding dawning on her face.
"The longer this drags on, the stronger the Revolutionary Army becomes.
And that's exactly what the World Government cannot tolerate."
The file she was holding contained intel detailing the Revolutionary Army's recent activity in the East Blue.
On one front, they were spreading news of Marine collusion with pirates and accusing the World Government of shielding hidden masterminds.
On the other, they were using the scandal's momentum to incite rebellion in various kingdoms and recruit new members.
And that was just the East Blue.
Luo Lan's intel network didn't even cover the other seas—or the Grand Line—where the Revolutionary Army likely had more aggressive operations underway.
This...
This was why the Five Elders had caved so quickly.
"Next, the Five Elders will likely use Morgans to spin the story and pin the blame on the Revolutionary Army," Luo Lan said, fingers interlaced on the table.
"For example..."
"Claim that the culprits were Revolutionary spies all along—both sabotaging the World Government and funneling funds to their cause."
Hina frowned. "But… who's going to believe that?"
The excuse was almost insulting to anyone's intelligence.
A bunch of high-ranking World Government officials were secretly Revolutionary Army agents?
"It doesn't matter if people believe it," Luo Lan replied. "What matters is that as long as there's an alternate narrative, the truth can be called into question."
"And sister Hina, you're overestimating the public's ability to think critically.
Nine out of ten brainwashed people think they're the ones seeing things clearly.
As for the tenth... well, they probably have a cognitive disability."
He shook his head.
He had seen too many propaganda wars in his past life.
And the ability to discern truth?
Only a rare few ever had it.
"So what now? What's your plan?" Hina asked.
Luo Lan's theory had left her speechless.
She couldn't refute it.
Truth really did belong to those with access to real information—people at the top, with their own sources.
So in a way, it wasn't about intelligence, but about access.
Luo Lan answered calmly, "I'm not planning to interfere anymore.
Let the Revolutionary Army and the World Government bite each other to death."
"Huh? Hina is surprised!"
And indeed, it was surprising.
But not because Luo Lan was stepping back.
Rather, it was his attitude toward the Revolutionary Army.
Based on his sense of justice, Hina had assumed he would at least sympathize with them.
Yet the way he described them—as wild dogs fighting—said otherwise.
"Heh. The Revolutionary Army?"
"They're just another group willing to gamble with civilian lives for their own gain."
"Last year, in the South Blue's Xisoko Kingdom, they incited a rebellion and successfully overthrew the royal family. And the result?"
"They recruited a massive number of soldiers from the rebels and fled before the Marine and World Government fleets arrived."
"Those left behind—over a hundred thousand civilians—were brutally slaughtered."
"So here's the question."
"Did they really want to free the oppressed commoners of that kingdom?"
"No.
They wanted to build their reputation and bulk up their forces.
That's all."
"And for that—how many people died?"
"Sister Hina, if I recall correctly...
You were involved in that operation too, weren't you?"
Hina's face darkened.
He was right.
She had been there—on standby at sea, not part of the land assault.
But she had seen what followed.
A massacre.
Over a hundred thousand dead.
The survivors enslaved.
Xisoko ceased to exist. Another allied nation wiped off the map.
All because of that one rebellion, stoked by the Revolutionary Army.
They knew the Government would respond with force.
They knew they couldn't resist once the real power arrived.
And yet, they still lit the spark—and then fled with everything they had gained.
In the end, the Revolutionary Army was just another faction.
Fighting not for justice—but for profit.
The conference room fell silent.
After nearly a full minute, Luo Lan turned to Hina with a faint smile.
"Anyway, let's stop talking about all that, sister Hina. You haven't forgotten about our agreement... have you?"
---
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