Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
----------
They walked inland along the coastline, passed through a dense jungle, and finally arrived in front of a hidden cave.
Right after, the staff behind them stepped forward and pushed open the closed stone door, revealing an empty warehouse inside, with only a few scattered boxes of phones piled in the corner.
Morgans looked at the empty warehouse with a hint of helplessness on his face. He had known the phones would sell fast, but he hadn't expected them to sell this fast.
Ron walked into the warehouse alone, leaving Morgans and the others to wait outside.
A moment later, he completed the purchase through the system store.
Money was not an issue at all. The revenue share from TikTok gave him so much money that he couldn't possibly spend it all. Ron didn't even bother counting the string of zeros. As long as he could buy phones, that was enough.
Suddenly, a dark whirlpool appeared out of thin air at the top of the cave. It was only fist-sized at first but quickly expanded to a diameter of over ten meters.
The next second, phones poured down from the whirlpool like a waterfall, the rushing sound echoing throughout the cave.
Brand new phone boxes fluttered down like snowflakes, quickly piling up into a small mountain, then turning into hills, and finally almost filling the entire cave.
Ron calmly walked out of the warehouse, patting away non-existent dust from his body. "One billion units. That should last you a while."
His tone was as calm as if he had just poured a cup of tea.
"One... one billion?! I have to see this." Morgans was so shocked by Ron's words that he could barely believe his ears.
He rushed into the warehouse. When he saw the scene inside, all his feathers stood on end, his wings stiffened, completely stunned by the sight before him.
After a few minutes, Morgans finally came back to his senses, stumbled out, his wings shaking with excitement. "One... one billion?!" he stammered. "Th-this should be enough to sell for a while!"
"So, how should we set the price?" Morgans asked, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.
"Up to you," Ron smiled slightly, his tone relaxed. He knew Morgans would naturally set the price according to market conditions, and all he needed to do was provide enough supply to ensure everyone could afford them.
"..."
...
Three days later,
Ron stood on the deck of the World Economy News Paper's airship, the breeze brushing against his face, bringing a hint of coolness.
He chatted idly with Morgans, each holding a glass of wine, enjoying this rare moment of leisure.
For the past few days, Ron had been reminiscing with Morgans on the airship, recalling interesting events from the past.
Just then, Ron glanced down at his phone. The number of TikTok users had already passed ninety-seven million, a figure that made the corner of his mouth curl up slightly.
TikTok's user base was steadily growing.
Behind them, the News Coos were busy transporting boxes of phones into the ship's hold. Morgans flapped his wings excitedly beside them.
"Ron, look! Big news! This is definitely big news!"
Suddenly, a push notification popped up.
Ron tapped on the video and saw Smoker standing in front of the Alabasta Royal Palace, holding evidence of Dancing Powder and revealing it to the public.
In the video, the White Hunter's firm voice, accompanied by undeniable evidence presented by the Royal Guard, quickly shot to the top of TikTok's trending list within just ten minutes.
"The Shichibukai, Crocodile, is the true mastermind behind this country's civil unrest!" Smoker's voice echoed in the video, every word seemingly carrying immense weight, striking directly at people's hearts.
Ron's fingertip slid lightly across the screen, watching the comment section explode instantly.
"What? I knew these Shichibukai weren't good guys, but I didn't expect them to be exposed now."
"No wonder it hasn't rained in Alabasta for three years! With this stuff around, it'd be weird if it did rain!"
"What are the Marines doing? How can someone like this be a Shichibukai?"
"Aren't they pirates to begin with? It's not surprising they'd do something like this."
"Poor people of Alabasta."
"...."
Ron looked at the comments, thinking inwardly.
He knew that the exposure of this video was not just a simple news event. It could trigger a series of chain reactions.
With Crocodile's true face revealed, the pressure on the Marines would also increase.
And TikTok, as the platform for spreading this event, its influence was also continuously expanding.
...
Marine Headquarters,
The afternoon sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the Fleet Admiral's office, casting golden light on every object, making it seem exceptionally peaceful.
However, this tranquility was soon broken.
Sengoku was half-lying in his large leather office chair, his glasses slightly slipped down to the tip of his nose, his finger slowly scrolling on his phone screen.
Under his tightly pulled together eyebrows, he was carefully examining every video: food shortages on an island in the South Blue, black market transactions in the West Blue, abnormal weather on the Grand Line... These were all pieces of intelligence he needed to prepare for.
Suddenly, an urgent message popped up in the Marine high-level group chat.
Sengoku's finger paused. Smoker's serious face was reflected on his glasses. "Shichibukai, Crocodile, is involved in rebellion. To prevent the Alabasta civil war from worsening, I have released a video exposing his crimes to the public. We are currently attempting to apprehend him. Requesting headquarters reinforcement!"
"Damn it!" Sengoku slammed the table and stood up suddenly. The solid wood desk cracked from the impact.
He quickly opened the video attached by Smoker: the screen showed the secret underground room in the Alabasta Royal Palace piled high with Dancing Powder, a recording of Crocodile's secret meeting with the rebel leader, and falsified rainfall records... Undeniable evidence!
The door to the Fleet Admiral's office was violently pushed open. Before the messenger could report, Sengoku had already torn off his cloak and roared. "Assemble an emergency meeting immediately! All officers of Rear Admiral rank and above, gather within five minutes!"
The roar made the windowpanes buzz, and even the Marines standing guard outside the window straightened their backs without thinking.
In the war room, Sengoku shared Smoker's video with everyone.
Akainu had also learned to use a phone. Although he disliked it initially, after using it, he found it was truly amazing!
Not only could he quickly get information, but he could also browse information from various places, allowing his justice to be served at any time.
At this moment, watching the Alabasta video, Akainu was filled with rage. His fist ignited with magma, which dripped onto the floor, burning charred holes. "The Shichibukai system is a mistake!"
"Agreeing with you for once," Aokiji leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head, strongly agreeing with Akainu's statement.
The Shichibukai were originally pirates. The World Government must have been crazy to think of making them legitimate.
Kizaru was still looking down, scrolling through videos. He was too lazy to bother with these matters. If he had to handle every single one, what would be the point of retiring? He might as well just work until he was buried.
The others also watched the video with pulled together eyebrows, angered by Crocodile's actions.
"Kuzan!" Sengoku slammed his fist onto the strategic map, creating a dent at the location of Alabasta. "You are to depart for Alabasta immediately! Ensure Crocodile is apprehended and brought to justice!"