"Pirate King Roger has been captured by the Marines..."
The man struggled to turn his neck, forgetting to change his astonished expression, staring blankly at his companions.
"What!?"
Upon hearing his companion's words, the other pirates who were about to confront Black Jack froze in place.
"Are you saying that Roger, the Pirate King, was captured by the Marines? Which Roger?"
Someone couldn't help but ask anxiously. After all, there were plenty of people named Roger on the seas, and it was unclear which Roger the Marines had captured.
"Who else could it be but that Roger?"
Black Jack looked at the surprised expressions of everyone in the tavern and couldn't help but speak with mock seriousness. When he first saw the news, it had shocked him to the core.
"Let me see!"
The people in the tavern were all stunned, and many of them hurriedly left their seats and crowded around to see the message. A few even strong-armed their way past the table of men who had been pushed aside, snatching the message from the man's hand and quickly scanning the content on the bulletin board.
Meanwhile, at another table, Black Jack glanced at the men who had been pushed aside, shaking his head slightly. He picked up a bottle of alcohol and took several swigs, trying to calm his nerves.
A minute later, after everyone in the tavern had almost finished reading the message, they all wore expressions of disbelief.
"Oh my god! This news is too sensational!"
"The Marines are going crazy. Just recently, Admiral Sengoku was leading a part of the Marines to deal with Redfield. Now, news comes out that the Pirate King Roger has been captured. In less than two months, the Marines have captured two major figures in the pirate world. This behavior of the Marines is outrageous."
"Old John, are your sources for this information reliable?"
Someone suddenly asked the bartender, who was wiping the bar counter.
"Don't worry, when have I ever provided false information? This is information released by the Marines. It will be spread across the seas and the Grand Line by tomorrow, once the World Economy News Society compiles it."
Old John replied confidently.
Here, the tavern's earnings were just a small part of their income. The bulk of their profits came from selling information. In a place where people from all walks of life gathered, they could often get a lot of news.
And as for news that would soon be known throughout the world, they didn't mind announcing it early. After all, even if they didn't announce it, Morgans, with his big mouth, would soon distribute newspapers with big news all over the sea.
"Why would the Marines dare to do such a thing? That's the Pirate King!"
"Are you stupid, thinking pirates are fools? No matter how powerful Roger is, he's still a pirate. It's natural for the Marines to catch pirates. The real problem now is how the Marines managed to capture Roger. After all, Roger is a total monster. How could he be captured quietly?"
"I agree... But I still find it unbelievable. After all, Roger's pirate crew disappeared after reaching the Final Island. No one knows what they found there. And now, after disappearing for so long, Roger reappears only to be captured by the Marines. It's too fantastical."
"Say, if the remnants of Roger's crew and Whitebeard and the others find out that Roger is going to be executed, what do you think they'll do?"
"It's hard to say. Pirates are either motivated by profit or have common goals and ideals with their companions. Roger's crew isn't motivated by profit, so after sailing around the world for a year, would they sacrifice their lives for Roger? Pirates are selfish, after all."
"Listening to you, I'm speechless."
"But what is that man thinking? With his strength, if he wanted to escape, wouldn't the Marines have no way to stop him? And considering that the Marines have captured both Redfield and now the Pirate King Roger, how strong do you think the Marines are now?"
Suddenly, the tavern fell silent.
All those who were drawn into the conversation were silent.
After a long while, someone said helplessly, "Isn't this giving us no way out?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
Another long silence ensued.
"So, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, are you spreading the news that Roger was captured by the Marines to make those guys misinterpret the Marines' strength?"
In the office of the Marine base in Loguetown, Kuzan asked with curiosity, while Sakazuki and Borsalino also cast curious glances at Sengoku.
For the former highest-ranking officer in Loguetown, he was currently praying fervently that the old-timers at Marine Headquarters would hurry up and deal with the situation and let him return to where he came from.
"Yes, we want those guys to have a wrong estimation of the Marines' strength. After all, considering the recent capture of Redfield by me and now the imminent execution of Roger, the Marines have captured two major figures in the pirate world within a short period of time. Perhaps figures like Whitebeard, Nicholas, and Kaido know the specifics of the Marines' strength, but the lower-tier pirates do not."
Sengoku put down the information in his hand and explained. For Sengoku, the three men in front of him were undoubtedly the future pillars of the Marines. It was a kind of training to impart his experience to them during normal times.
"But, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, once the remnants of Roger's crew and Whitebeard and the others find out about Roger's impending execution, won't they...?"
Kuzan hesitated.
"What's there to fear? As long as they dare to come, we don't mind wiping them all out."
Sakazuki's attitude was quite firm. In his view, if the remnants of Roger's crew and other pirates dared to disrupt the execution, he didn't mind using the Marines' iron fist to give them a head-on blow.
"Whitebeard, huh, Edward Newgate."
Borsalino put down the nail clippers in his hand, blew on his trimmed nails, and said with a hint of playfulness.
"Don't worry, based on what I know about Whitebeard, the Whitebeard Pirates won't disrupt the execution, and they probably won't even come to watch it. As for the remnants of Roger's crew, they might come, but without Roger, they don't have the power to stop the execution."
Sengoku said confidently.