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Almost at the same moment, the Marine Public Relations Department officers were already busy.
Young staff members' fingers flew across keyboards, editing crisis public relations videos that had long been prepared.
"Marine Headquarters's Statement Regarding the Revocation of Crocodile's Shichibukai Title!"
"Marine Admiral Aokiji Has Been Dispatched!"
"The Marines Always Stand with Justice!"
Within a mere ten minutes, dozens of official videos were released through the Marine TikTok account, each bearing the striking #MarineJusticeAction hashtag.
Kizaru was scrolling on his phone with his legs crossed, suddenly clicking twice. "How scary~ Our statement video is already trending~" His glasses reflected the light. "Likes have passed two million~"
At Marine Headquarters's harbor, Aokiji slowly pedaled his bicycle towards a warship.
He pulled out his phone and saw that in the latest video posted by the Marines' official account, footage of him setting off was accompanied by stirring music and cool special effects proclaiming, "Marine Admiral on the Attack."
He shook his head helplessly, but his finger honestly tapped the like button.
....
In the scorching desert heartland of Alabasta, Crocodile stood in the shadow of a weathered rock pillar, his golden hook glinting coldly under the blazing sun.
His right hand gripped his phone tightly, yet the phone remained unharmed.
The screen stubbornly continued to play the wanted poster video released by the Marines, his photo marked with a blood-red "Extremely Dangerous" label, spreading wildly on TikTok.
"A bunch of good-for-nothings!" he suddenly erupted, his golden hook sweeping across, splitting the nearby sandstone in half.
Among the flying debris, Mr. 2 and Mr. 3 and the others scrambled backward, their faces filled with terror.
Mr. 2, with a limp wrist, stammered. "B-Boss... We clearly followed your orders.... and sold the clues to the Marines, didn't we..." His heavily made-up face twisted with fear. "Who knew Smoker would follow the trail..."
"Shut up!" Crocodile seized Mr. 2 by the throat, lifting him into the air. "I told you to sell false clues! False clues, understand?!" His roar echoed through the desert, startling a flock of vultures in the distance.
Mr. 3 slumped to the ground, the flame on his head flickering. "I... we thought you wanted to use real clues to gain the Marines' trust..." His voice grew softer and softer, finally becoming a mosquito-like hum. (T/N: I am not scared of difficult opponents, I am scared of mediocre teammates)
"Hehehe..." Robin leaned against the rock wall, her fingers gently turning the rubbings of the Poneglyph. "It seems the elites of Baroque Works have room for improvement in their reading comprehension."
A faint smile played on her lips. She was the only one who could smile in this situation.
Crocodile slammed Mr. 2 to the ground, his black fur coat kicking up a cloud of dust as he turned.
His sinister gaze swept over each trembling subordinate, finally settling on the distant Alabasta Royal Palace.
"Princess Vivi..." His voice was squeezed out from between his teeth. "Have you found her?"
Mr. 1 emerged from the shadows, his steel-like body still bearing fresh bloodstains. "The informant said she was last seen in Rain Dinners, but our people came up empty-handed."
Crocodile's eyes suddenly got smaller, and the surrounding sand grains began to move without wind, forming tiny whirlpools.
"I'll give you one last chance." His voice suddenly became terrifyingly calm. "Before sunset, I want to see that little princess. Otherwise..." He slowly raised his golden hook, the sunlight reflecting dazzlingly off its sharp tip. "You will die in her place."
Everyone, as if granted a great pardon, scrambled towards their mounts.
Only Robin remained standing, thoughtfully watching Crocodile's furious retreating figure.
"How ironic..." she murmured softly, tucking her phone back into her bosom. "You're the first Shichibukai to be wanted on TikTok."
Crocodile: ...
...
In the scorching desert of Alabasta, the blazing sun baked the sand, making it scalding hot, as if even the air was on fire.
The Straw Hat crew trudged forward with weary steps, sweat beading on everyone's faces, dripping down their cheeks and instantly evaporating on the hot sand.
Luffy suddenly pulled out his phone, shouting excitedly. "Hey! Everyone, look at this!" There was a hint of surprise in his voice, as if he had discovered something new and strange.
Everyone gathered around, only to see Smoker righteously announcing Crocodile's crimes on the screen.
Luffy immediately burst into laughter, rolling around in the sand. "Hahaha! Looks like we don't need to do anything! The Marines are helping Vivi's country!"
His Straw Hat rolled a few times in the dust before Sanji stopped it.
Usopp, however, turned pale, his long nose shaking with fear.
His trembling finger pointed at the skyrocketing view count below the video. "F-Five million views?! It's over, it's over!" He grabbed Zoro's collar. "The Marines have even sent an Admiral to catch a Shichibukai. If we run into them, won't we be doomed too?"
Zoro frowned and slapped Usopp's hand away, his three swords gleaming coldly in the sun. "Idiot, the most important thing now is not to cause trouble for Vivi."
He turned to Sanji, who was breathing out a puff of smoke and, for once, nodded in agreement. "Moss-head's right, we should retreat."
Nami tucked her short orange hair behind her ear, thoughtfully pulling out her phone. "But it would be too rude to leave without saying goodbye. Let's say goodbye to Vivi."
Her thin fingers tapped lightly on the screen, dialing Vivi's video call.
The "doo... doo..." waiting tone was exceptionally clear in the silent desert.
Suddenly, the screen flickered, splitting into two halves.
On the left was Nami's surprised face, on the right was Vivi.
"Vivi?!" everyone exclaimed together.
Vivi's face on the screen was full of embarrassment, and behind her, Smoker's fierce face was glaring intently at the screen! The cigar in his mouth burned furiously with anger, white smoke almost bursting out of the screen.
"Straw Hat!" Smoker's roar made the phone tremble. "I finally found you! Wait for me right where you are!" His Jitte was already in his hand, gleaming dangerously.
Vivi awkwardly moved her fingers. "Nami... I'm sorry... the Marines suddenly found me, and then..." Her voice grew softer and softer, her eyes slightly red.
Unexpectedly, Nami suddenly broke into a smile, the sunlight casting a warm halo on her face. "Silly princess, we're relieved to see you safe."
Luffy squeezed into the frame, flashing his signature big smile. "Next time we meet, you'll definitely be a super—amazing princess!"
Vivi's tears finally fell, but her smile was even more radiant than the desert's morning sun. "I will!"
The moment the video call ended, they already saw Smoker making his move.
Zoro "shing" drew his sword. "Looks like there's no time for sentimentality."
Sanji stomped out his cigarette. "Let's run, you idiots."
Luffy laughed and grabbed Usopp. "Let's go! Next stop."