SWNOVELXO Chapter 123: 123. Ron's Plan
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"Gurarararara!" Whitebeard's gloating voice came from the livestream. Ignoring whether Sengoku was watching, he laughed into the camera, "Sengoku! See that? This is the consequence of opposing this old man!"
Sengoku wiped away tears of laughter, then suddenly gave a thumbs-up to the camera, "Nicely done! Remember to turn on the beauty filter next time!"
Outside the office, the Marine soldiers on guard exchanged glances.
They had never heard the Fleet Admiral laugh so... freely?
One recruit cautiously peeked through the crack in the door, then froze on the spot:
"Hiss... I must be seeing things, the Fleet Admiral and Vice Admiral Garp... and that Ron... the three of them are rolling on the floor laughing..."
Meanwhile, the livestream comments had gone completely crazy:
[@Admiral Akainu, come quickly and see!]
[Screen recorded! Tomorrow's headlines are set!]
[Bro, you're truly not afraid of death.]
[Just enjoy the fun, it's obvious, if you spread this, tomorrow Four Emperors Kaido will come to your house to 'send warmth'.]
[Hahaha, damn 'send warmth'.]
[How scary~ Luckily this old man wasn't there~]
[...]
When the livestream ended with Kaido smashing his phone into the Sea, the three people in the office had already laughed themselves to tiredness.
Ron rubbed his aching abs from laughter, "Honestly... I've lived for so many years... this is the first time I've seen someone do it this way..."
Garp suddenly pulled out three bottles of aged rum from his jacket, their bodies still covered in senbei crumbs. "Such a grand event must be celebrated!" He bravely bit open the corks with his teeth, and the smell of alcohol instantly filled the entire office.
Unusually, Sengoku not only didn't scold Garp for drinking in the office, but instead actively took the bottle and gently clinked it against Ron's glass.
In the crisp sound of glass clinking, a glint of smartness flashed in Sengoku's eyes behind his glasses. "Hahaha, you old fox, you've hidden yourself very well."
Garp, who was tilting his head back to chug his drink, almost choked upon hearing that. "Cough, cough... Sengoku, why are you suddenly speaking in riddles?" He wiped the alcohol from his beard and looked at the two of them in confusion.
Ron's hand holding the glass paused slightly, purple marks faintly appearing at his cuffs. "Oh? Fleet Admiral, what do you mean by that?"
Sengoku slowly took a sip of wine, gently tapping his fingers on the table. "This Summit War Honor of Kings Tournament... it's too strange." He stared at Ron with sharp eyes, "Morgans was invited by you as the official streamer for the event, using a mobile phone throughout..."
Garp scratched his head, "Isn't that normal? That birdman just loves to create big news."
"The problem is," Sengoku pushed up his glasses, "the legendary 'TikTok Producer,' who is said to be hard to find, actually didn't show up at all for an event that caused a sensation throughout the Sea." He looked at Ron meaningfully, "And Morgans... happens to be among the first batch of mobile phone distributors."
The office suddenly fell silent, leaving only the crackling sound of wood burning in the fireplace. Ron's expression was calm, unmoved by Sengoku's words, as if he hadn't heard anything, letting him continue.
"Even more coincidentally," Sengoku continued, "mobile phones began to rise shortly after you were expelled from the Marines..." He suddenly slammed the table and stood up, "If you say none of this has anything to do with you, that would be too impossible..."
"And to be able to get Morgans to cooperate, and to conduct a Sea-wide livestream, besides the TikTok Producer..."
Garp's wine glass clattered to the ground, "Wait! Are you saying this old rascal, is...?"
Ron paused for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter. There was no need to hide it anymore. "As expected of the Marines' strategist, you've guessed it all."
Hearing Sengoku expose his identity as the TikTok Producer, Ron merely gently swirled his wine glass, the phone screen glowing faintly in the dim office.
A meaningful smile played on his lips. "Just the fact that this secret could be kept until now, I'm already very surprised."
Garp's eyes widened, "You rascal, aren't you afraid the Marines will arrest you?"
"As for Marine Headquarters now..." Ron spread his palm, and lines of purple marks flowed. The power of the Demon Body wasn't just about absorbing Devil Fruit abilities, but also the enhancement of its own powerful body.
He lightly clenched his fist, and the air itself made a slight crackling sound. He smiled as he looked at the two of them, "You can't stop me." His tone was as calm as if discussing the weather, yet it caused the temperature in the office to drop.
Sengoku's face was grim, his fists clenched loudly. If anyone else had said such words, he would have ordered their arrest long ago.
But facing his former colleague, he understood the other's character and knew he wouldn't act recklessly, so this strategist ultimately just let out a cold snort:
"Ron... What exactly do you want to do?" He stared hard at the other party, "Developing mobile phones, creating games, setting up livestreaming platforms... Don't tell me you're just doing it for money."
Ron tilted his head back and emptied his glass, the dancing flames of the fireplace reflected in his pupils. "To create a new era." His voice suddenly became incredibly clear, "A world of Pirates without violence."
Garp and Sengoku froze at the same time.
"Think about it," Ron's fingertips traced a holographic projection on the table, "When the Four Emperors are addicted to ranked matches, when Supernovas are busy livestreaming to gain followers, when Pirates realize that robbing isn't as profitable as being a game streamer..." The projection showed Shanks jungling, Kaido playing Daji, and Pirates happily scrolling through videos.
Sengoku also hadn't expected Ron to answer this way. After a moment of stunned silence, he said, "So you're using games... to wear down the ambitions of the Pirates?"
Ron's voice echoed in the office, his tone calm but carrying a magic that made one unable to stop listening:
"Think about it, when the first thing Pirates do every day after waking up is scroll through short videos, and the last thing before bed is play ranked matches."
He lightly tapped his finger, and the scene of Pirates foolishly grinning while holding their phones appeared on the screen. "Robbing? Taking the risk of being chased by the Marines, or being backstabbed by fellow Pirates, the money stolen isn't even enough to earn what you'd get from making a video."
Sengoku's wine glass tilted slightly, and he didn't even notice the wine dripping onto his Fleet Admiral's cloak. His eyes grew brighter and brighter, as if he saw a certain possibility.
"Isn't this the world you've always wanted, Sengoku?" Ron suddenly looked directly into the eyes of his old leader and friend. "You've endured for so many years in the position of Fleet Admiral, walking a tightrope between justice and compromise..."
Then Ron changed the subject, turning to the World Nobles. "Ultimately, isn't the Marines restrained by the World Nobles because their military budget is choked by them?"
Garp's senbei bag clattered to the ground, crumbs scattering everywhere. Clearly Ron had hit the nail on the head.
Ron's voice suddenly became very soft, yet every word was like thunder: "But what if... the Marines itself could earn enough military funds through livestream shopping, event broadcasts, and game revenue sharing?"
He swiped his finger, and the projection changed to a set of amazing income data. "At that time, what would the World Nobles' Heavenly Tribute even count for?"
"..."