The next day.
Just as dawn broke, dozens of News Coos flew in formation toward Marine Headquarters Base, each one carrying as many phones as their wings could manage.
They earned commission for every phone delivered, so these News Coos were flapping like they'd just mainlined pure adrenaline.
In just two days, they'd already earned more than they had in the last six months combined!
Phone sales at Marine Headquarters Base had officially exploded!
In front of the newsstand, it was a full-blown sea of people—all Marine soldiers lining up for a phone.
However…
All of them were tight-lipped and cautious, especially the new recruits. The phone frenzy hadn't yet made its way up the ranks.
"Hey, did you hear? The News Coos brought another batch today!" a Marine whispered excitedly, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Shhh! Keep it down! If the officers find out, we're screwed," another quickly covered his mouth and glanced around.
"Relax. As long as no one talks, they won't know."
"Yeah, these phones are way more fun than newspapers. That TikTok app is insane!"
"For real, I barely slept last night. I just kept watching videos. Those girls are ridiculously hot!"
"Quiet! Someone's coming!"
The two instantly went silent, pretending to stare at the sky like nothing happened.
Meanwhile.
The staff at the newsstand were swamped.
While keeping the crowd in line, they passed out phones like candy and didn't forget to upsell: "Newspaper plus phone, 200 Berries! Grand opening special!"
"Gimme one!"
"Hurry, I want two!"
"One at a time! Don't shove!"
It was pure chaos—but the clerks were secretly grinning from ear to ear.
As long as these phones kept flying off the shelves, their commissions would keep raining in.
"Hey man, more phones just dropped. Get in line!" a Marine smacked his buddy on the back, practically buzzing.
"I know! I've been waiting. I heard the News Coos brought an even bigger batch this time!"
"Hope I get one today. I'm done waiting."
The two eagerly joined the massive queue.
But not far away, Vice Admiral Onigumo was watching it all with a frosty glare.
Frowning, he muttered, "What are these brats up to? Phones? TikTok? What kind of witchcraft has them this hooked?"
Shaking his head, he turned and left. He was already making mental notes to deal with these slackers later.
…
Loguetown.
In a smoke-filled office, Smoker and Tashigi sat in silence.
Smoker hadn't been in a good mood since the Straw Hat Kid slipped through his fingers. If that mysterious man hadn't appeared out of nowhere, there was no way he would've failed.
"Smoker-san, letting the Straw Hat get away wasn't your fault. You shouldn't beat yourself up over it," Tashigi said gently.
"Hmph. I don't need your pity," Smoker snapped, still brooding.
But honestly, the Straw Hat's escape wasn't what bothered him most.
What he couldn't stop thinking about was the connection between that man and Luffy.
How did he show up there?
He couldn't figure it out.
As he stewed in silence, his cigar burned down. He lit a new one and took a drag, then caught something strange in the corner of his eye.
Tashigi was fiddling with something rectangular and metallic. She kept trying to hold back laughter.
"What are you doing?" Smoker asked suddenly.
"Ah?!" Tashigi jolted like she'd been electrocuted.
Flustered under Smoker's glare, she turned beet red. "N-nothing…"
"I saw it. What's that thing in your hand? Why are you so into it?" he said, frowning.
"Huh? You mean this?" She lifted the phone, still looking confused.
"Yes. That."
"This is a phone. It's gotten really popular lately. I saw a bunch of people buying them, so I gave it a try. Turns out, it's super fun!" she explained.
She tapped the screen, opened the camera app, and quickly snapped a photo of Smoker. "Look, sir. I just took this."
Before Smoker could complain, she flipped the screen to show him the photo.
He was about to brush it off, but then his eyes locked onto the image.
That one glance changed everything.
"You just took this? It's so clear! Way better than anything from a Visual Den Den Mushi."
Tashigi smiled and used two fingers to zoom in on the image. "And that's not all. You can zoom in like this. It's super detailed."
Smoker stared at the zoomed-in shot. Even the scar on his face was perfectly clear. He was stunned.
If Tashigi hadn't been there, he might've widened his eyes in disbelief.
"…It's just a picture. Then what were you laughing about earlier?" Smoker forced himself to refocus, changing the subject.
"Haha, Smoker-san, the videos on this thing are hilarious."
"Videos? What the hell is that?" Smoker was starting to feel completely out of touch. He didn't understand a single thing she was saying.
Tashigi suddenly realized—Smoker had no idea what a phone even was.
"Smoker-san, let me explain. This thing is called a phone. The News Coos delivered them a few days ago, and they blew up instantly."
She gave him a brief rundown of the phone's basic functions, then moved on to the fun stuff. "The app for watching videos is called TikTok. It's full of funny and interesting stuff."
As she spoke, she scrolled through the feed. "And once you register your own TikTok account, you can post your own videos too."
She paused on a clip. "Huh? Which Marine base mess hall is this? Looks really nice."
Smoker leaned in. Even he was curious. These soldiers actually dared to film the inside of a Marine base?
"Brats. They've got no discipline."
Tashigi pouted. "It's not that bad. They didn't record anything secret. Just showing off daily life."
Smoker grunted coldly.
Then, a figure appeared in the video, someone he knew all too well.
Pink hair. A white Marine coat. A beautiful, commanding presence wherever she went.
It was Hina!
(To be continued.)