"One Piece:The True Codex"Chapter 377: Connections
Laura Louise stepped down from her bed and approached William. She took the half-smoked cigarette from his hand and walked to the window, taking a light puff. She seemed to have calmed down.
But in the next moment, a violent coughing fit shattered the facade of composure she was trying to maintain. Turning around, she saw William watching her with a faintly mocking expression. "You must regret your decision to head to the East Blue, don't you?"
"No, I don't regret it," Laura Louise replied firmly, though her expression was complex. "Many journalists spend their entire lives without ever reporting a story that shapes the fate of a kingdom. But I've already written one that influenced the world's political landscape. I don't want to live a mundane life, writing stories about others while my own existence remains insignificant."
She then chuckled self-deprecatingly. "You should be more worried about yourself. You've just become a Shichibukai, and yet you're shielding me. Aren't you afraid of offending the World Government?"
"Your little misdemeanors are trivial compared to the crimes pardoned for cadres under past Shichibukai," William said dismissively. "As long as you don't run your mouth in the newspapers, the World Government won't trouble me because of you."
"Not run my mouth in the newspapers? Didn't you value my experience and want me to work for your newspaper?" Laura Louise asked curiously.
Back in the East Blue, William had already expressed admiration for her courage and competence, attempting to recruit her.
At the time, Laura Louise was still under the employ of the World Economy News Paper and had little interest in William's offer.
"I do need your help, but not for running a newspaper," William countered. "Or do you think you can single-handedly establish a new publication?"
Laura Louise knew she couldn't. Though she was clever and bold, she was also aware of her limitations. Starting a newspaper from scratch was no easy feat.
However, creating a newspaper within the Grand Line was imperative. How could a train operate without a newspaper to accompany it? William never relinquished control over media outlets. He was willing to operate at a financial loss just to ensure his newspapers spread along the routes of the sea train, reaching cities and islands throughout the first half of the Grand Line.
Unfortunately, the newspapers William originally controlled were unsuitable for the Grand Line. For one, their development relied entirely on their foothold in the East Blue, as evidenced by their names—like East Blue News and East Blue Daily. These names helped foster a sense of familiarity and closeness among locals but were unappealing to outsiders, who might lose interest just by glancing at the titles.
Beyond the newspapers' regional focus and inertia in development, the staff from the East Blue lacked familiarity with the environment and culture of the Grand Line. More importantly, they lacked connections.
In the media industry, without news, even the most cunning strategies and adept management would be futile.
And without connections, there would be no sources for news and intelligence. A group of outsiders unfamiliar with the Grand Line, even with the protection of William, now a Shichibukai, and ample funding, wouldn't guarantee the successful operation of a newspaper.
To establish a foothold, William couldn't act as recklessly as he had in the East Blue.
To the World Government and Marines Headquarters, the East Blue was relatively remote and insignificant. The barriers of the Calm Belt and the Red Line made it difficult for the government and the Marines to pay much attention to the region. News from the East Blue often reached the Grand Line with delays or distortions.
In the East Blue, William had used illegal and violent means to acquire and suppress competitors, expanding his newspaper's circulation. Such tactics wouldn't work in the Grand Line, at least not as brazenly as before.
After all, Marines Headquarters was situated in the first half of the Grand Line, and the Marines' focus was heavily concentrated there. Unlike protecting Laura Louise from minor accusations, the importance of newspapers was undeniable. The Marines were well aware of this and had long serialized comics in newspapers to promote their image. Even if they were deterred by William's Shichibukai status and refrained from overt actions, they could still create obstacles to assert their presence, which would be enough to cause headaches.
Moreover, the Grand Line boasted large-scale publications like the World Economy News Paper, which were far from the small fry William had crushed in the East Blue. These organizations had connections in both legitimate and underground circles, enabling them to obtain first-hand information and intelligence regularly.
Why did William protect Laura Louise? Beyond admiring her courage and initiative, it was because she had worked for the World Economy News Paper and had been favored for a time due to her detailed coverage of William's exploits.
The fact that William's bounty of 1 billion Beli, like his Shichibukai status, had been decided by the Marines but not yet publicly announced was a testament to the confidentiality of such matters. Normally, only Marine personnel would be privy to this information.
However, given the Marines' notoriously poor confidentiality measures, coupled with the fact that this wasn't classified information, many factions with connections and influence had already learned of it. After all, a pirate with a bounty of 1 billion Beli was rare even in the Grand Line.
Among those who had obtained this information was the World Economy News Paper, a major publication. Laura Louise had clearly been informed by her editors, as evidenced by her ability to immediately cite William's latest bounty upon seeing him.
This was why William claimed that Laura Louise had been favored by her newspaper after her initial report on him.
And when William mentioned that Louise had been sidelined, her lack of skepticism after learning about his Shichibukai status further supported his assertion.
Laura Louise had personally traveled to the East Blue and interviewed William, achieving a successful precedent. Her contributions in uncovering major news stories and her experience surpassing her peers meant that reports about William were likely entrusted to her—just as her editors had informed her of his bounty.
In fact, the ambitious Laura Louise had already drafted several articles analyzing William's strength, the crimes he had committed, and whether they justified his 1 billion Beli bounty. She was merely waiting for her superiors to provide an opportune moment to finalize and publish them.
William's appointment as a Shichibukai, however, was an even more sensational story than his bounty.
While the Five Elders had yet to make the announcement due to internal discussions with various government departments, many people were already aware of it. For a publication as influential as the World Economy News Paper, extracting information from the government's leak-prone secrecy system was child's play. Yet, Louise had been kept entirely in the dark.
Now that she knew William's status, she couldn't help but find the situation suspicious.
William valued Louise's role in helping him establish a Grand Line newspaper because of her connections with the World Economy News Paper and her familiarity with many journalists in the Grand Line, which would facilitate recruitment efforts.
(End of Chapter)
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