The projection screen was still frozen on the image of Kaido holding up a Devil Fruit just before the broadcast ended. Its twisted patterns glowed ominously under the firelight.
Vice Admiral Tsuru lightly tapped the table. Her calm voice cut through the heavy atmosphere, breaking the suffocating silence.
She furrowed her brow slightly.
"This is no longer just a recruitment tactic. Three Devil Fruits… that's enough to drive every maniac in the New World insane."
Images of pirates willing to kill, rob, or burn everything down for profit and power flickered through her mind. If those fruits ended up in their hands, the seas would spiral into absolute chaos.
"Hmph!"
Akainu slammed his fist onto the table. His magma-infused hand instantly burned a black hole through the wood.
"This is a direct provocation against the Marines! We need to deploy troops immediately to suppress them!" He crossed his arms coldly.
"And whoever developed those phones must be investigated. Their intent is clearly malicious. Disrupting order on this scale… I recommend issuing an arrest warrant immediately!"
Sengoku: "...."
He remained silent, just standing there, his expression deep and unreadable. Inside, however, his thoughts were racing. This sudden storm was unlike anything he'd ever faced.
Aokiji leaned lazily against the window, but frost had quietly spread across the entire frame.
"Man… the real question is, where did he even get that many Devil Fruits?"
His tone was still laid-back, but the question pierced right to the core.
"According to intel, the Beast Pirates have already distributed at least dozens this year alone..." one nervous intelligence officer chimed in.
His forehead was soaked with sweat. Even he couldn't believe the number he was reporting.
Kizaru casually twirled his phone, his glasses catching a cold glint.
A slow, almost teasing smile played across his lips.
"How scary~ Someone must be supplying them behind the scenes."
Sengoku suddenly stood up, the "Justice" cloak on his back billowing dramatically, despite no wind. He grabbed the tea on the table—long gone cold—and downed it in one gulp.
"Initiate a highest-priority investigation. Now."
His eyes swept across every admiral in the room.
"I want every transaction Kaido has made in the past six months dug up. Every force he's dealt with. Especially..." He pointed to the frozen image of the Devil Fruit.
"The source of these fruits."
"Yes, sir!"
"Understood!"
The intelligence team in the corner sprang into action. The buruburu of encrypted Den Den Mushi rang out nonstop.
Their fingers flew across keyboards. Their eyes were locked on data streams. No one dared blink.
Because they knew—time was life. Every second wasted could let the situation spiral further.
Thanks to Kaido-sama's Devil Fruit lottery, the entire sea had gone mad.
The world was now caught in a massive vortex. No one could escape it.
---
Step one: Buy a phone.
Across streets and alleys, from bustling port towns to backwater fishing villages, people were storming stores.
Long lines stretched around corners. Some even paid sky-high prices just to get their hands on one.
Phones weren't just communication tools anymore—they were a necessity. A status symbol. A ticket to fate.
Step two: Watch the Beast Pirates' livestream.
Step three: Win a Devil Fruit. Join the Beast Pirates.
Countless people—driven by dreams, ambition, or desperation—now had only one thought: become one of Kaido's crew.
---
Wano Country.
The sea breeze drifted through the ancient streets, carrying a faint hint of salt and incense. The night air held that distinct Edo fragrance.
Inside the Shogun's mansion, candlelight flickered softly. Shadows danced across painted beams and lacquered screens.
Orochi, cloaked in an ornate kimono, paced back and forth. His expression kept shifting beneath the swaying candlelight.
Through the paper door, moonlight filtered in, casting warped shadows on his already twisted face.
Scenes from the banquet replayed in his mind—especially the part with pirates cackling madly at those weird little boxes.
Their eyes had shown a strange obsession, almost religious fanaticism. The sound of that laughter still echoed in his ears, driving him into a furious state.
"Someone!!" Orochi suddenly shrieked.
Guards scrambled in as if facing a demon. They dropped to the floor in perfect unison, foreheads pressed low, not daring to breathe.
But Orochi was already raging.
He raised a leg and kicked over a nearby celadon vase.
Crash!
The priceless antique shattered. The sharp sound sliced through the tense air like a blade.
"Go investigate for this Shogun! I want to know exactly what those cursed objects are!"
The guards trembled. No one dared stall. They quickly answered,
"Yes, Orochi-sama!" and fled to carry out the order.
---
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
The Shogun's mansion was shrouded in high alert.
Inside Orochi's private chamber, the mood was particularly bizarre.
There, he sat cross-legged on an embroidered silk cushion. His thick, stubby fingers awkwardly swiped at the phone screen.
His expression flickered between awe and suspicion.
Clearly, he wasn't used to this strange, foreign device.
Then, his own distorted face suddenly appeared in a video call window. The screen was so square, so detailed, it nearly gave him a heart attack.
"This… this…!!" His eyes bulged. His Adam's apple bobbed.
"This is more terrifying than sorcery!"
But then, a filthy glint flickered in his eyes.
"Komurasaki! Get in here!"
Draped in a gorgeous robe, Komurasaki entered with light steps. Her beauty was ethereal. Her eyes sparkled like stars in a cloudless sky.
Orochi eagerly shoved the phone into her hands, a sycophantic grin on his face.
Then, he started teaching her how to use it—painstakingly slow, step-by-step.
Komurasaki was stunned. Her slender fingers lightly tapped the screen, like a curious traveler entering a brand new realm.
When she tried sending a voice message, Orochi's breathing visibly quickened, rough and heavy.
"Marvelous… utterly marvelous…" Orochi drooled as he stared at her profile, unable to hide his obsession.
"Komurasaki, follow me first. From now on, this Shogun can hear your voice anytime he pleases..."
"Yes, Orochi-sama."
---
Meanwhile, in a dark alley in the Flower Capital, the night was deep and silent.
By lantern light, a disguised Denjiro examined his newly purchased phone. Though dressed like an ordinary merchant, his eyes burned with restrained intensity.
He turned the device in his hands, silently marveling at its design.
"This is a hundred times more useful than a ninja scroll," Denjiro muttered under his breath. His voice was soft, but the words were razor sharp in the quiet.
"We need to test it further. But this tech… could be a game changer."
(To be continued.)