Chapter 203: Fake News
"Fake... fake news? What a waste of my time!"
Someone immediately frowned, clearly dissatisfied.
"Why would the Tieba Tabloid suddenly publish fake news?"
"But it does seem kind of believable..."
"Actually, it's not a complete waste of time, is it?"
A pirate chuckled and said:
"Even though the news is fake, it's still pretty entertaining to read..."
"Yeah, especially that part about the Roasted Gluten Fruit being so fragrant it could kill an Emperor. I'm impressed."
"I get it now. This is just a humorous fake news piece from the Tieba Tabloid, meant for entertainment..."
The pirates burst into laughter, while Blackbeard stood to the side, staring blankly at the sky.
After the laughter died down, Marco, the Phoenix, spoke thoughtfully with a smile:
"The author of the Tieba Tabloid is quite the character."
"If you combine this with the other recent news, his intentions become obvious."
"He's using this to satirize the fake news that's been circulating lately!"
At the mention of recent fake news, the others suddenly understood.
"So that's what it is."
"Then, is the Tieba Tabloid author implying that the news about Sig confessing to a 12-year-old girl was also fake?"
"Maybe..."
"No, no, no. There might be another possibility."
The speaker was a female pirate with long, light-blue hair and a purple-blue skull cap—Ice Witch Whitey Bay.
Whitey Bay was one of the captains under the Whitebeard Pirates and was close to the crew.
At this moment, Whitey Bay wore a strange smile and proposed a new theory:
"Maybe both Sig and Doflamingo are hopeless lolicons!"
"The truth is, these two men fought fiercely over that young girl on Loguetown, creating a tragic love triangle!"
"What a moving and dramatic love story..."
As Whitey Bay spoke, a blush spread across her cheeks.
Meanwhile, Blackbeard's expression grew even more complicated.
He had waited so long, only to be met with a fake news piece meant for entertainment?
"Something's off... The Tieba News Agency definitely knows a lot..."
Despite his frustration, Blackbeard's expression gradually turned serious.
This issue of the Tieba Tabloid, while seemingly just for fun, couldn't be a mere coincidence. The more he thought about it, the more unsettling it became.
The newspaper specifically mentioned the existence of multiple Devil Fruit users and even highlighted the combination of the Dark-Dark Fruit and the Tremor-Tremor Fruit—the very combination Blackbeard had been dreaming of.
"The editor definitely knows a lot but is deliberately glossing over it..."
A chill ran down Blackbeard's spine.
He quietly took the newspaper and began flipping through it carefully.
"Maybe this newspaper isn't as simple as it seems..."
"Multiple Devil Fruits? Different fruits can be combined to create abilities even stronger than the Dark-Dark Fruit?"
A thought began to form in Blackbeard's mind.
....
This issue of the Tieba Tabloid left its readers stunned.
"Multiple Devil Fruits? The Roasted Gluten Fruit? And Doflamingo is also a lolicon?"
"This issue of the newspaper is really something, even if it's fake."
"Doflamingo keeps a little girl who never grows up in his palace? What kind of strange fruit is that? The Lolita Fruit?"
Most people, after seeing the "fake news" disclaimer, didn't take the content seriously.
However, some began to question the authenticity of the earlier reports about Sig being a lolicon.
The truth or falsity of the news didn't matter much to most people, unless it involved some major event.
What they cared about was the entertainment value—a topic to discuss over drinks.
Especially for pirates and merchants on long voyages, reading newspapers was one of their few forms of entertainment.
By labeling the news as fake, Sig had given them a fresh perspective, deepening their impression of the Tieba Tabloid.
.....
An island in the Grand Line.
Doflamingo held the latest newspaper, veins bulging on his forehead as he struggled to control his anger.
"Calling me a lolicon? And targeting Sugar?"
As soon as he saw this, Doflamingo didn't need to think twice to know who was behind it.
Furious as he was, Doflamingo also sensed the underlying threat in Sig's words.
He suddenly recalled his first conversation with Sig over the Den Den Mushi.
"He knows about Sugar."
"He might even know the secret of the Hobi Hobi no Mi but chose not to reveal it... Is this a warning to me?"
Once he realized this, Doflamingo fell silent.
At this point, he really didn't want to provoke Sig.
"These petty tricks won't work anymore. If Sig really knows Sugar's secret, pushing him further would be dangerous..."
Brrr brrr.
At that moment, the Den Den Mushi on the table began to ring.
Doflamingo answered, and the voice of his top executive, Trebol, came through, sounding panicked:
"Doffy, something terrible has happened!"
"Earlier, we followed your plan and secretly attacked the Pleasure District in the New World."
"At first, everything went smoothly, but then, a bunch of powerful fighters suddenly appeared in the Pleasure District!"
"Our forces suffered heavy losses! Several executives were severely injured, and Lao G... he..."
"What happened to him?" Doflamingo sat up straight, asking.
"He suddenly developed a cervical spine condition and almost died on the spot!"
Doflamingo froze.
"The Pleasure District, without Sig and Stussy, still has so many strong fighters?"
"Has Sig's influence grown to this extent?"
Cold sweat dripped down his forehead.
He had thought that with Sig and Stussy absent, the Pleasure District would be vulnerable and ripe for the taking.
But instead, whether it was the Pleasure District on Loguetown or the one in the New World, Doflamingo had suffered consecutive defeats!
Just as Doflamingo hung up the call, another top executive, Pica, walked in, speaking in a strained voice:
"Doffy, I have bad news."
"Celestial Dragon Charlos has ordered the World Government to assemble a treasure-hunting team targeting Another Piece! Their team has already set out from Mariejois!"
"What?"
It took Doflamingo a moment to recover from the series of blows.
He let out a cold snort.
"Withdraw our forces from the New World back to Dressrosa. Put the newspaper issue aside for now. Let Sig linger a little longer."
"Our real target now is Another Piece!"
"Head to the Red Line. We must find the treasure before the Celestial Dragons!"
Doflamingo ordered.