NOVEL NEXT Chapter 308: You Don’t Have Any Weird Hobbies, Do You?
"Roger's pirate crew?"
Morgans froze for a second at Daren's sudden question.
"If I remember correctly, they recently gathered all the Poneglyphs and successfully deciphered the secrets recorded on them. I'd imagine they're off searching for that so-called 'Final Island' by now, aren't they?"
There was a clear hint of mockery in his voice by the end.
Daren glanced at him, took a drag from his cigarette, and said thoughtfully,
"Mm. I don't know why, but I've got a bad feeling about it."
Morgans raised an eyebrow, giving the black-haired youth a skeptical look. After a moment's hesitation, he asked tentatively,
"You're not seriously thinking Roger's crew could actually find the 'Final Island,' are you?"
Daren laughed.
"Why not? If there's anyone in this world capable of completing a round-the-world voyage, I can't think of another crew besides Roger's."
Morgans frowned.
"The Roger Pirates' history is full of twists and turns, sure—definitely legendary…"
Images from God Valley all those years ago flashed through his mind, stirring his emotions.
Twelve years ago, during the earth-shattering battle at God Valley, Gol D. Roger had still been a rookie, barely out at sea. But with his indomitable will and unmatched spirit, he joined forces with Garp to crush Rocks's ambition of becoming the 'King of the World.'
That kind of legendary feat had never been seen before on the Grand Line.
Until twelve years later, when this same former Vice Admiral now stood face-to-face with the Five Elders.
"…Still, this 'Final Island' idea just seems too vague—almost mythical. I'm not even convinced it exists."
Morgans scoffed.
"There are too many legends floating around the seas, most of them made up in people's heads."
"If the 'Final Island' really existed, there's no way my intelligence network wouldn't have picked up at least a lead."
Daren gave a small smile.
"Some things aren't just made up. I might not have hard proof, but I believe the island exists—and that it hides secrets powerful enough to shake the world."
"Secrets, huh?"
The moment Morgans heard the word, his eyes lit up and he leaned in, staring intently at Daren.
"You know something?"
Daren shook his head.
"Of course not. But I do know this—if the enemy fears it, then it's definitely worth paying attention to."
"Why else would the World Government ban the study of ancient languages and the research of Poneglyphs all across the world? Clearly, they're terrified of what those texts might reveal."
"And now, with all the Poneglyphs pointing to that 'mythical' island, I'm sure of one thing—there's something hidden there that even the World Government, even the Five Elders, can't ignore."
"Otherwise, why would Marine Headquarters launch such a massive operation against Roger's crew? They even sent someone like me—just a Vice Admiral coasting through—to intercept the Whitebeard Pirates…"
"In the past, they never acted so desperate when it came to the Roger Pirates."
Daren's calm, logical breakdown left Morgans deep in thought.
After a long silence, he slowly nodded and said in a low voice,
"You make a good point. Looks like it's time to keep an eye on Roger's crew."
"…That reminds me—about deciphering the Poneglyphs. Isn't there a samurai from Wano Country in Roger's crew who can read the ancient script?"
The memory seemed to resurface for Morgans as he looked to Daren for confirmation.
Daren nodded.
"What about it?"
Morgans smiled faintly.
"If decoding the Poneglyphs really leads to some grand secret, then maybe it's time I start looking for someone who can read them too."
"Conveniently, I happen to have two rubbings of Poneglyph texts."
Daren gave him a long, meaningful look.
There was no way that was just a coincidence.
For a gossip-chasing guy like Morgans, obsessed with "secrets" and "scoops," Daren wouldn't be surprised if he had rubbings of all the Poneglyphs.
"Forget about that samurai. If you get the chance, go find a more reliable historian."
As Daren spoke, a familiar figure surfaced in his mind.
"Why?"
Morgans looked puzzled.
Daren smiled.
"Because I'm the one who took his arm."
"…"
"Oh, and my two Meito—'Enma' and 'Ame no Habakiri'? They used to be his."
"…" Morgans blinked. "Did he do something to deserve that?"
Daren blinked back.
"Not really. If I had to give a reason... I just don't like samurai."
"…That's your reason?" Morgans shook his head, half exasperated, then narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Now that I think about it, aren't there a lot of people around here missing arms because of you?"
"You… don't have some weird fetish or something, do you?"
The more he thought about it, the more unnerved he looked.
Daren gave him a flat stare.
"You're overthinking it. Just a coincidence."
"Heh. Sure. I don't buy it."
Morgans pulled a small notebook from his pocket, clicking his pen with a sly grin as he started jotting things down. The sinister glint in his eyes made Daren feel an odd chill.
"Oi, oi, oi—you're not seriously planning to run some tabloid piece on me, are you?"
Morgans beamed.
"The World Economic News has a special column just for stuff like this. It covers the private lives of the big names on the seas."
"It's actually what shot our circulation to the top—number one in the world. We hold over fifty percent of the market thanks to that section alone."
Daren's eye twitched.
"Okay, stop writing. Put that down. Write about something else."
Morgans raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Like what?"
...
Half an hour later, Morgans walked off grinning from ear to ear, clearly satisfied.
To stop him from publishing rumors about his "weird hobbies," Daren had reluctantly thrown a bunch of Marine colleagues under the bus, feeding Morgans a stash of juicy gossip perfect for the World Economic News' scandal column.
Like how one Admiral had a very particular affection for his pet goat...
Or how a certain Vice Admiral regularly cursed out the Celestial Dragons behind closed doors...
Or how another Vice Admiral's underwear was yellow with white stripes...
"This is a nightmare…"
Daren sighed, standing alone at the bow, letting the sea breeze wash over him.
"So," came a voice dripping with resentment from behind, "do you even realize what I sacrificed for your little fireworks show?"