The projection screen was still frozen on the image of Kaido holding up a Devil Fruit just before the live broadcast ended, its strange patterns glowing ominously under the lights.
Vice Admiral Tsuru gently tapped the table, her calm voice strikingly out of place in the tense atmosphere, breaking the suffocating silence.
She frowned slightly, "This is no longer an ordinary recruitment method. Three Devil Fruits… that's enough to drive every desperado in the New World insane."
Her mind involuntarily conjured images of pirates who would stop at nothing for profit and power; once these Devil Fruits fell into their hands, the ocean would descend into even greater chaos.
"Hmph!"
Akainu slammed his desk, his lava-like fist instantly burning a charred hole through the tabletop.
"This is a blatant provocation to the Marine! We must immediately send out troops to subjugate them!" He then crossed his arms over his chest and said coldly, "The person who created the mobile phones must also be thoroughly investigated. His intentions are malicious, disrupting the order of the ocean. I suggest issuing a warrant for his arrest!"
Sengoku: ...
He remained silent, simply standing there, his gaze deep and complex, contemplating how to respond to this sudden crisis that filled him with unprecedented pressure.
Aokiji leaned lazily against the window, but frost had unknowingly crept across the entire window frame.
"Ara la… The question is, where did he get so many Devil Fruits?"
Although his voice still sounded lazy, it highlighted the crucial point.
"According to intelligence, this year alone, the Beasts Pirates have already distributed no less than dozens of them…" an intelligence officer cautiously added.
His forehead was covered in sweat, clearly shocked by the astonishing number.
Kizaru was leaning back with his legs crossed, fiddling with his phone, his glasses glinting with a cold light.
A seemingly relaxed smile played on his face: "How terrifying~ Someone must be secretly supplying them."
Sengoku suddenly stood up, his Justice coat fluttering without a breeze, grabbed the now cold tea from the table, and drank it in one gulp, saying in a deep voice,
"Immediately initiate the highest-level investigation order."
His gaze swept over every general present, "I want to know every transaction Kaido has made in the past six months, every force he has contacted, especially…" He pointed at the Devil Fruit on the screen, "the source of these fruits!"
"Yes!"
"Understood!"
"...."
The intelligence officers in the corner of the office immediately became busy, the "Buruburu" sounds of encrypted Den Den Mushi rising and falling.
Their fingers danced rapidly on the keyboards, eyes fixed on the screens, not daring to show any slack.
Because they knew that time was life, and every second of delay could make the situation worse.
Because of Kaido's Devil Fruits, the ocean had already gone mad.
The entire world seemed to be caught in a massive whirlpool, with no one able to remain outside of it.
The first thing was to buy a mobile phone!
In every street and alley, whether in bustling cities or remote fishing villages, people were frantically buying mobile phones.
Long queues formed in front of shops, and people were willing to pay high prices to get a mobile phone.
Mobile phones had become an indispensable part of people's lives and an important tool.
The second thing was to watch the Beasts Pirates' live broadcast!
The third thing was to win a Devil Fruit and join the Beasts Pirates!
Countless people, harboring dreams and desires, hoped to become a member of the Beasts Pirates.
...
Wano Country,
The sea breeze gently caressed the ancient streets, and the air was filled with a unique Edo atmosphere.
Inside the Shogun's mansion, candlelight flickered, its light dancing among the ornate carvings.
Orochi, dressed in a luxurious kimono, paced back and forth, his face fluctuating between shades of gloom.
Moonlight filtered through the paper screens, casting mottled shadows on his distorted face.
In his mind, the perplexing scenes from the banquet kept replaying.
Pirates were making strange, idiotic cackles at that small, square object.
Their eyes revealed an indescribable obsession and fanaticism, and that laughter still echoed in his ears, driving Orochi to the brink of extreme irritation.
"Someone!" Finally, Orochi couldn't bear it any longer, and he suddenly shrieked.
Upon hearing the Shogun's call, several guards instantly looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy, hastily prostrating themselves on the ground. Their foreheads were pressed tightly to the floor, not daring to show any slack.
However, Orochi was currently in an extremely agitated state.
He suddenly lifted his foot and forcefully kicked over a celadon vase beside him.
The vase, which had been placed perfectly upright, now shattered into pieces on the floor, its crisp breaking sound particularly jarring in the quiet night.
"Go and find out for this Shogun! What exactly are those demonic objects!"
The guards shivered, not daring to hesitate in the slightest, quickly responded with a "Yes," and then hurriedly retreated to carry out the Shogun's command.
Time flew by, and three days passed in the blink of an eye.
During these three days, the entire Shogun's mansion was enveloped in a tense atmosphere.
And in Orochi's bedchamber, the atmosphere was particularly peculiar.
Orochi sat cross-legged on a brocade cushion, which was soft and smooth, emitting a faint sheen.
His thick, stubby fingers clumsily slid across the phone screen, his eyes revealing a hint of curiosity and confusion.
He was clearly not yet familiar with this novel device.
When he saw his own large, square face again through a video call, he was so startled that he almost dropped the phone into his soup bowl.
"This… this…" His pupils contracted violently, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, "It's even more terrifying than sorcery!"
Suddenly, a lewd glint flashed in his eyes.
He immediately summoned Komurasaki. Komurasaki, dressed in lavish attire, walked slowly with light steps, her face as exquisite as a painting, her eyes clear and bright, like stars twinkling in the night sky.
Orochi eagerly handed the phone to Komurasaki, a fawning smile on his face.
He began patiently teaching Komurasaki how to use the phone, explaining each step in great detail.
Komurasaki was astonished at the time; her slender fingers gently tapped on the screen, as if exploring a brand New World.
When she demonstrated how to send a voice message, Orochi's breathing noticeably grew heavier, the rough sound echoing in the silent bedchamber.
"Wonderful… simply wonderful…" Orochi gazed greedily at Komurasaki's exquisite profile, his eyes revealing an unconcealed desire. His lips curled slightly, "Komurasaki, you follow me first, and then this Shogun will be able to hear my beauty's voice anytime…"
"Yes, my lord."
Meanwhile, in a dark alley in the distant Flower Capital, the night was deep and tranquil.
Denjiro, using the faint light from a lantern, carefully examined his newly purchased phone, his face disguised as a merchant, yet his eyes revealed a hint of shock.
He gently manipulated the phone, experiencing the convenience brought by this novel object.
"This is a hundred times more convenient than the ninja's message scrolls!" Denjiro murmured to himself, his voice soft but remarkably clear in the quiet alley.
"It is very necessary for others to use it, but I don't know how good the confidentiality is; it needs to be investigated."
.....
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