Year 1508 of the Sea Calendar.
In the East Blue, inside a newsroom conference room, a tall, skinny, bald middle-aged man stood in front of a blackboard, shouting angrily:
"News! News! I need exclusive news!"
"Our circulation has dropped below the red line! If this keeps up, the paper will go bankrupt, and I'll take you all down with me before putting a bullet in my own head!" His bloodshot eyes loosened tie, and frantic demeanor made him resemble an oversized vulture, flailing menacingly.
The terrifying sight of the editor-in-chief caused one timid editor to raise their hand like an obedient student.
"Speak!" barked the vulture-like editor-in-chief, gesturing grandly.
"The Sea Train on the Grand Line was recently completed—"
Before the editor could finish their sentence, a piece of chalk flew at them.
"Next!"
"The president of the No. 4 shipbuilding company in Water 7, due to a lack of resources, caused a sea accident that claimed fifty lives, leading to the company's closure."
The editor-in-chief's expression turned unreadable as he stared at the speaker. "What's the name of our newspaper?"
"…The East Blue Daily."
The editor-in-chief flew into a rage, grabbing more chalk to hurl at them, shouting: "You know it's the East Blue Daily, yet you keep giving me *Grand Line* news! I'll show you what I think of your Grand Line!"
"I need East Blue news! Exclusive news! I want headlines so gripping that people can't look away after the first word!" After venting his fury on the unlucky editor, the chief yelled, "Or something like last year's Mariejois incident—broadly appealing, resonating with readers!"
Last year's Mariejois attack had been a blessing for journalists, including local media like the East Blue Daily.
For one, people were delighted to see the Celestial Dragons humiliated. Additionally, readers were fascinated by the rare appearance of fishmen in the East Blue.
Despite its proper name, the East Blue Daily was nothing more than a sensationalist gossip rag. For a time, exploiting the incident with fabricated stories about fishermen boosted its circulation.
Unfortunately, such divine opportunities hadn't appeared this year.
The editors, cowed by their chief's intimidation, could only hang their heads.
Gasseta, however, smirked internally. He had prepared for this meeting.
"I've heard that the prohibition law in the Navia Kingdom has become effectively meaningless at the local level over the past year," Gasseta said, tapping his notebook with a pencil to draw attention. "According to my sources, apart from the capital of Kalmar, alcohol is freely available on the underground market across the entire kingdom."
"Not enough…" The editor-in-chief, calming down, leaned on his desk, muttering to himself before asking Gasseta: "Any specifics?"
Gasseta hesitated. "It's said there's a complete network for production, transportation, and sales, with someone ensuring the safety of smuggled goods."
"Obviously!" snapped the chief. "Of course there's a network! I need the juicy details!"
"Shocking profits from smuggling?"
"Collusion with local officials?"
Suggestions poured in from the other editors.
The editor-in-chief paced the room. While these ideas were already enough for them to spin multiple stories, he wanted something even more provocative.
"Can we tie this to the King of Navia?" Gasseta suggested, dissatisfied with being overshadowed earlier.
The chief clapped his hands in delight. "Yes! We can build him into a recurring character! A clown!"
He scanned the room. "What do people think of him?"
"An idiot!" said one editor bluntly.
"Harsh."
"A religious zealot?"
"Detached from reality."
The chief jotted down these impressions on the blackboard: Harsh, zealot, detached from reality.
After staring at the list in thought, he declared: "A religious lunatic! From now on, in our pages, and in the minds of our readers, he's the King who banned alcohol because he's a religious lunatic!"
The room fell silent for a moment before erupting in agreement, save for one hesitant voice: "But strict prohibition isn't widely supported, even among new religious movements, and it's barely spread in Navia…"
The room went quiet again before someone sneered: "People like you will end up gnawing on tree bark. No one cares about those details except boring people!"
The editor-in-chief praised Gasseta's scoop: "Good work. Any other news we can use?"
The room's jealous glances emboldened Gasseta. Hesitating briefly, he said: "There's a rumor—completely unverified—that the smuggling network was established by a group of youths, none of whom are even twenty yet."
Though this rumor was even flimsier than the King's alleged fanaticism, the chief's eyes lit up. Attracting readers was all about novelty and intrigue.
On the blackboard, he wrote in bold letters:
"Religious Lunatic and the Young Godfather," circling young for emphasis, regardless of the subjects' actual ages.
---
Meanwhile, in the capital city of Kalmar, Navia Kingdom, the morning court concluded as usual.
Alcatio emerged from the palace, his demeanor shifting from humble to confident.
Despite his nominal control over vast lands and seas, King Norton I's understanding of his realm came solely from the accounts of his ministers.
This dynamic made Alcatio, the Minister of Finance, both cautious and opportunistic.
Norton I, far from the "religious lunatic" about to be fabricated by the East Blue Daily, was simply an idealist with impractical ideas. His prohibition law, ostensibly for the nation's welfare, was actually Alcatio's brainchild.
While fringe figures profited by leaking policy information, Alcatio, as a key statesman, crafted policies to serve his interests.
After ensuring the capital was dry for a year—both to cultivate demand and to lull the King into complacency—Alcatio was now ready to reap the rewards of his scheme.
______________________________________________
If you want 20 chapters ahead, check out my Patreon:
patreon.com/PureParadox