Almost at the same time, the Marines' Public Relations Department was already working at full throttle.
Young officers typed furiously, editing pre-prepared crisis PR videos:
>"Marineford's Statement on the Revocation of Crocodile's Shichibukai Title!"
>"Admiral Aokiji Has Been Dispatched!"
>"The Marines Will Always Stand for Justice!"
In just ten minutes, dozens of official videos were uploaded through the Marine's verified TikTok account, each one stamped with the blazing hot hashtag:
#MarineJusticeAction
Kizaru sat with his legs crossed, scrolling through his phone. He clucked twice.
"How scary~ Our statement video's already trending~" His glasses gleamed in the light.
"Likes are over two million~"
At Marineford's harbor, Aokiji lazily pedaled his bicycle toward a warship.
He pulled out his phone and saw the latest upload from the Marines' official TikTok: a clip of himself setting off, complete with dramatic music and flashy effects, captioned:
>"Marine Admiral on the Attack!"
He shook his head helplessly but still tapped the like button.
...
In the scorching desert heart of Alabasta,
Crocodile stood beneath a weather-worn rock pillar, his golden hook gleaming coldly under the blazing sun.
He gripped his phone tightly in one hand, yet it remained miraculously intact.
The screen continued playing the Marine-issued wanted poster video, with his photo stamped in blood-red:
"Extremely Dangerous"
It was spreading like wildfire across TikTok.
"A bunch of useless fools!" he suddenly roared, sweeping his golden hook out in fury, slicing the nearby sandstone in half.
Amid the flying debris, Mr. 2, Mr. 3, and the others scrambled back, their faces pale with fear.
Mr. 2 flailed dramatically, his wrist limp as he stammered, "B-Boss~ We did follow your orders~ We sold those clues to the Marines, didn't we~?" His heavy makeup streaked slightly with sweat and terror.
"Who knew Smoker would actually follow the trail..."
"Shut up!" Crocodile grabbed Mr. 2 by the throat and hoisted him into the air.
"I told you to sell false clues! False clues, got it?!"
His bellow echoed through the desert, sending a flock of vultures scattering in the distance.
Mr. 3 collapsed to the ground, the little flame atop his head flickering.
"I... I thought you wanted to use real clues to gain the Marines' trust..." His voice got softer and softer, finally dropping to a whisper.
"Hehehe..." Robin leaned against the rock wall, gently flipping through Poneglyph rubbings.
"Seems like Baroque Works' elite lack basic reading comprehension."
A faint smirk played on her lips. She was the only one still smiling in the chaos.
Crocodile slammed Mr. 2 into the sand, his black fur-lined coat sweeping up a cloud of dust as he turned away.
His cold gaze swept across his trembling subordinates, finally locking onto the distant Alabasta Royal Palace.
"Princess Vivi..." His voice was like sand grinding between his teeth.
"Have you found her yet?"
Mr. 1 stepped out of the shadows, his steel body stained with fresh blood.
"Our informant said she was last seen in Rainbase, but our men came up empty."
Crocodile's pupils shrank. The sand around him began swirling unnaturally, forming miniature whirlwinds.
"I'll give you one last chance." His tone suddenly turned chillingly calm.
"Before sunset, I want that little princess. Or..." He slowly raised his golden hook, the sunlight gleaming off its tip.
"You'll die in her place."
Everyone scrambled for their mounts like they'd been pardoned from death.
Only Robin stayed still, watching Crocodile's retreating figure with quiet amusement.
"How ironic..." she murmured, slipping her phone back into her blouse.
"You're the first Shichibukai to get a TikTok bounty."
...
In Alabasta's sun-scorched desert, the ground radiated heat and the air shimmered like fire.
The Straw Hat crew trudged forward, sweat pouring down their faces and evaporating the moment it hit the burning sand.
Suddenly, Luffy whipped out his phone and shouted, "Hey! Everyone, check this out!" His voice was filled with excitement, like he'd just discovered a hidden treasure.
Everyone gathered around. On the screen, Smoker was solemnly announcing Crocodile's crimes to the world.
Luffy burst into laughter, rolling across the sand. "Hahaha! Looks like we don't need to do anything! The Marines are saving Vivi's country for us!"
His straw hat rolled a few feet before Sanji calmly stopped it with his foot.
Usopp, on the other hand, turned pale. His long nose trembled in fear.
He pointed a shaky finger at the view count under the video:
"F-Five million views?! It's over, we're doomed!" He grabbed Zoro's collar.
"The Marines sent an Admiral to capture a Shichibukai! If we run into him, we're screwed too!"
Zoro slapped his hand away, his three swords reflecting the blazing sunlight.
"Idiot. The most important thing right now is not to cause trouble for Vivi."
He looked at Sanji, who took a long drag on his cigarette and, for once, nodded in agreement.
"The moss-head's right. Let's fall back."
Nami brushed a strand of orange hair behind her ear and took out her phone.
"But it'd be rude to leave without saying goodbye. Let's give Vivi a call."
Her slender fingers danced across the screen, dialing Vivi's video number.
The "doo... doo..." ringtone echoed across the silent desert.
Suddenly, the screen split in half.
On the left was Nami's surprised face, and on the right—Vivi.
"Vivi?!" everyone exclaimed at once.
On screen, Vivi looked flustered, and behind her, Smoker's grim face glared directly at the camera! The cigar in his mouth burned furiously, white smoke practically blasting from the screen.
"Straw Hat!" Smoker roared, the phone trembling with his voice.
"I finally found you! Don't move a muscle!" His Jitte was already in hand, glinting dangerously.
Vivi fidgeted with her fingers, awkwardly whispering,
"Nami… I'm sorry… The Marines suddenly found me, and then…" Her voice trailed off, eyes going a little red.
Unexpectedly, Nami smiled brightly, sunlight casting a soft glow on her face.
"Silly princess. We're just happy you're safe."
Luffy popped into the frame, grinning ear to ear.
"Next time we see you, you'll totally be a super-awesome princess!"
Vivi's tears finally spilled over, but her smile outshone the desert sun.
"I will!"
The moment the video call ended, they saw Smoker begin to move.
Zoro shing! drew his sword.
"Looks like there's no time for goodbyes."
Sanji stomped out his cigarette.
"Let's run, idiots."
Luffy laughed as he grabbed Usopp by the collar.
"Let's go! Next stop!"
(To be continued.)