Chapter 261: A Scheme at the Wedding

Soon enough, a new host stepped up to the stage. “Ladies and gentlemen, hello. It’s now time to announce a momentous event.”

“This afternoon, Carven Hendy’s daughter Ariel will be marrying the eldest son of the Rocks Family, Perospero.”

“We hope everyone here will attend the ceremony.”

“Now, let’s welcome our next performance—’A Good Day!'”

The host slipped the wedding announcement between two performances, then quietly exited.

Bang!

“What’s the Rocks Family up to now?”

“Are they trying to seize our businesses this way?” Giberson’s voice was thick with irritation.

He’d conveniently forgotten that his own fortune was gathered through questionable means too. What really bothered him was seeing those same tricks used against him.

“I’m not about to hand over everything I’ve built without a fight.”

The Rocks Family’s move was like pulling the rug out, but the brilliance of the plot was that it was all done out in the open, leaving them no choice but to respond.

Unless they’re ready to give up their stake in the New World for good. If they lose their grip there, some other force will rise, break their monopoly, and leave them with nothing but regret.

Any boss who rises again in the New World will do whatever it takes to devour and replace them. After all, there’s no room for two tigers on one mountain. With the Rocks Family backing them, things will get out of hand fast.

Thinking it through, beads of cold sweat formed on the backs of several Underworld Emperors. No one expected one simple wedding could reveal so much.

Umit sucked in a sharp breath, doing his part to contribute to global warming. “What a brilliant and audacious scheme.”

“Make a choice, or don’t—the point is, we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place now.”

“So, what do you all think?”

Only Umit and Giberson looked uneasy, but after all, these were men who’d climbed to the top over the corpses of their rivals. Their voices betrayed a flicker of fear, though their faces showed nothing.

From their slight expressions alone, no one could have guessed their real feelings.

“Hah! Weren’t you supposed to be the Emperors of the Underworld? Just a few words and you’re rattled already?”

“Sharing the Emperors title with you two is embarrassing,” Stussy chimed in with a disdainful snort.

These men only showed confidence when they had the upper hand. The moment things turned against them, even the whiff of defeat had them ready to beg for mercy.

Somewhere along the way, they’d lost the drive of their youth, that fire to fight back even when backed into a corner. Maybe Rufid’s death shook them to the core.

After decades ruling the Underworld, no one wants to die nameless in the shadows, wiped from history in an instant.

But Stussy wasn’t worried. As a member of the World Government, she held leverage and influence. The Government wouldn’t let anything happen to her. She had nothing to fear from the Rocks Family.

The only mystery to her was Morgans. She was confident because she knew who had her back, she had the World Government standing behind her. But to see Morgans just as relaxed—

Why did Morgans seem so carefree, as if none of this concerned him?

It was as if he was immune to all of it.

Could he have some unknown power supporting him too? Or maybe—

“If they’re arranging a marriage, that means the Rocks Family isn’t as ruthless as you’d think.”

“They’ve extended an olive branch, so why not accept it? After all, the Carven Family will be the first to deal with whatever comes next.”

“Have you two been the boss so long your minds have shrunk?”

“If you don’t have the guts for this, just hand your businesses over to me! Hahaha.”

Morgans, young and full of swagger, wasn’t wrong to say what he did.

As one of the newly crowned Underworld Emperors, he practically controlled the seas’ entire news circuit. His network was many times greater than the others, and though he didn’t earn as much—yet—it was only a matter of time.

So, he didn’t think much of people who lost their nerve at the first sign of trouble. He had no interest in associating with cowards.

“Hmph. We’re not scared,”

“Even if we die, someone else will take our place. The thought of watching everything I’ve built get stolen right out from under me, that’s what stings.”

“Exactly, exactly.”

“And what about you? Would you be willing to just hand it all over?”

When Morgans saw them turning the accusation on him, he burst out laughing. “Even if someone wanted to take it from me, they’d have to see if the World Government agrees!”

“Seriously, do you really think the World Government would just sit back and watch as the Rocks Family grows unchecked?”

“But that said, the Rocks Family is based in the New World. The World Government can’t really reach that far.”

“I’m betting the Rocks Family is looking for a proxy to extend their influence into the Four Seas.”

“Just think—how many industries could you control with a powerhouse behind you?”

“As long as the Rocks Family doesn’t pick a fight with the World Government, you could lean on that support for the rest of your life—maybe even die with it.”

The two thought this through quickly. Seemed like it was just a false alarm, so they downed a few more glasses of wine to steady their nerves.

Once he’d calmed down, Giberson suddenly remembered who the Carven Family was and hurried to change the subject. “The Carven Family? Of course. Their country is famous for producing a unique red flower called Raksha.”

“Raksha? You mean that world-famous perfume brand?”

“I had no idea Raksha was a Carven Family business.”

“I’ve even got their perfume right here,” Stussy said, her innocent face sporting a look that screamed ignorance. Morgans caught this act and couldn’t help but think, ‘Yeah, keep pretending, lapdog of the World Government.’

‘As if you don’t know everything about the Carven Hendy Family.’

He glanced at the other two, who were both lost deep in thought.

If there were a narrator here they’d probably say: ‘You’re all sly old foxes, quit playing the innocent.’

Stussy took out the perfume from her bag.

The bottle was tiny—about the size of a thumb—filled with a light red liquid that, under sunlight, looked flawless and crystal clear. You could tell at a glance it was top-shelf.

Even a bottle that small sold for tens of thousands of Berries and only lasted half a month at best. No wonder the profits were sky-high.

She gently twisted off the cap and a faint, elegant scent drifted out. The others immediately caught a whiff of its subtle fragrance.

“Oh, so that’s the perfume.”

“A bunch of our reporters use this as well,” Morgans said, rolling his eyes with a hint of amusement.

It just so happened that most of his reporters used this scent, so he jumped in on the conversation without missing a beat.

The others knew it too. Morgans’ reporters often spent days, even weeks, out in the field without a break—sometimes going a month or more without getting back to an island to wash up.