The entire ocean instantly boiled over, and news, like a tsunami, swept through every corner via the TikTok short video platform.
From the bustling Water 7 to remote East Blue islands, anyone with a smartphone received this explosive news push at the first possible moment.
The Navy Headquarters' emergency public relations video immediately drew a crowd upon its release.
In the footage, dozens of massive warships were neatly lined up in Marineford's harbor, each deck filled with fully armed Marines.
Their postures were as straight as spears, their gazes as sharp as blades, and their weapons glinted coldly in the sunlight.
The camera slowly zoomed in, clearly showing the resolute, death-defying expressions on everyone's faces.
Suddenly, the scene switched to a high-angle aerial view.
Accompanied by stirring background music, the magnificent sight of the entire fleet setting sail simultaneously was breathtaking.
Amidst splashing waves, the ship bows cut through the swells, leaving dozens of snowy white wakes on the azure sea.
At the top of the video, a line of gilded text was particularly striking:
[Justice may be late, but it is never absent!]
However, the comment section completely exploded:
"Why are you dragging your feet making a propaganda video? By the time you leisurely arrive, Doflamingo will have long vanished!"
"Late justice is worthless! The person's already gone; what are you going there for, to clean up the battlefield?!"
A tearful voice comment also caught many people's attention:
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, please… My hometown is being plundered, burned, and slaughtered by pirates… [crying] [crying]"
All the replies below were @Navy Headquarters Buddha Sengoku.
But there were also troublemakers:
"How much can a Marine warship sell for? Waiting online, it's urgent!"
Someone replied below: "Brother, leave your contact info, let's pull off something big together!"
"Hahaha, come and catch me! I'm right here at Sabaody Archipelago's #32 Mangrove…"
As a result, he was bombarded by enthusiastic netizens in less than five minutes:
"Reported, you're welcome!"
"Brother, your account is gone!"
"Those waiting for the bounty are already on their way!"
The Navy Headquarters' public relations team showed a hint of helplessness upon seeing these comments.
They knew that while this public relations video showcased the Navy's strength, it also exposed their slowness.
And the public opinion storm on TikTok put them in a very passive position.
…
At the same time,
The video released by Admiral Aokiji appeared exceptionally clear in the sunlight.
In the footage, the once arrogant Shichibukai Crocodile was in a sorry state.
The wound on his temple was still bleeding, and dark red streaks of blood snaked down his pale cheek.
Those eyes, always full of wildness, were now dull and lifeless, and his cracked lips trembled slightly.
Heavy Sea Stone handcuffs chafed his wrists raw, and the chains clinked crisply with his movements.
"Ara~" Aokiji's lazy voice came from off-screen, and the camera turned to the tall Admiral.
He leaned casually against the warship's railing, and behind his ice-crystal-like lenses, his gaze was as sharp as a knife as he warned the camera:
"Do not attempt to challenge the Navy's bottom line. Even the Shichibukai, if they commit crimes, will still be wanted by the Navy!"
Two burly Marine soldiers, one on each side, escorted Crocodile, their military boots thudding dully on the deck.
Crocodile tried to struggle, but the Sea Stone's restraint made it difficult for him to even stand. His black greatcoat was already tattered and fluttered weakly in the salty sea breeze.
With a loud "clang," he was roughly pushed into the warship's brig, the resounding crash of the iron door seemingly marking the end of this Hero's era.
After the video was released, the comment section on TikTok was instantly flooded:
"Crocodile was caught? Is this real?"
"That's great! The people of Alabasta can finally breathe a sigh of relief!"
"Admiral Aokiji is mighty! Justice of the Marine!"
"This is what happens when you challenge the Marine!"
"Where's that show-off Straw Hat? Catch him too!"
"Yeah, always going on about becoming the Pirate King, it's so annoying to hear!"
"TikTok, ban his account!"
"…"
Crocodile's capture not only brought hope to the people of Alabasta but also shifted the tide of public opinion across the entire ocean.
People began to believe that the just Marine was still powerful, still capable of maintaining peace in the ocean.
And Aokiji's video also became a trending topic on TikTok, with countless people liking and sharing it, expressing their support and trust in the Marine.
The camera turned to Alabasta's harbor. The sun baked the yellow sand, but it couldn't dispel the joy on people's faces.
Ragged citizens crowded the dock, waving their faded headscarves, their hoarse cheers rising and falling.
An elderly, white-haired man knelt on the ground, turbid tears streaming down his wrinkled face;
A young mother held her child, softly saying something while pointing at the departing warships;
Princess Vivi stood on a rocky shore, her slender fingers tightly gripping the rope of her Duck.
The sea breeze ruffled her sky-blue hair, and sparkling tears continuously rolled down her cheeks.
She gazed at the warships gradually becoming black dots, still unable to believe that this nightmare, which had lasted for years, was truly over.
"Is this really… not a dream?" she whispered, her voice drowned out by the cheers of the populace.
In a daze, she remembered the TikTok that had changed everything, and infinite gratitude welled up in her heart. The distant wind rustled, the desert's heat still shimmered, but the air seemed to hold a hint of fresh freedom.
Vivi took a deep breath, closing her sore eyes.
If the Marine hadn't intervened in time… If Straw Hat hadn't defeated that devil either… She dared not continue the thought.
At this moment, only the relief of having survived filled her heart.
"The feeling of freedom…" Vivi opened her eyes, watching the people singing and dancing on the shore, and a genuine smile finally bloomed on her lips, "It's truly wonderful~"
…
Dressrosa,
Twilight cast an ominous dark red hue. In front of the floor-to-ceiling window at the top of the palace, Doflamingo stared intently at the screen on his phone.
The video of Crocodile being escorted by the Marine played over and over on his phone. A bead of cold sweat seeped from his temple, and the pupils behind his sunglasses contracted violently.
"Fufufu…" He chuckled nervously, yet his knuckles squeezed the wine glass, creating a spiderweb of cracks.
Suddenly, a seagull's shriek came from outside the window, startling his shoulder, and crimson wine spilled onto his pink-and-white feathered coat, looking exactly like fresh bloodstains.
"Young Master?" When Trebol pushed open the door, he saw his young master nervously taking off his sunglasses to wipe them.
This man, who had never shown weakness, now had bloodshot eyes. The sunset outside the window stretched his shadow long, yet it inexplicably made him appear hunched.
"Immediately… gather everyone."