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The scene rewinds to ten minutes earlier.
Sabaody Archipelago.
A Marine warship docks at the port.
A Rear Admiral, donning a cloak of justice, steps down from the ship.
Several soldiers follow closely behind, carrying a plaque that reads "Marine Bank."
Beneath the golden letters on the plaque, two lines of text are clearly visible:
"800-Year-Old Brand, Trustworthy!"
"Justice Bank, Reputation Guaranteed!"
Soon after, there's more activity in the previously quiet port.
Dozens of soldiers, dressed in civilian clothes, disembark from the warship, each holding promotional flyers.
"Remember, to make it more believable, don't overdo it. Create that scarcity Master Akira mentioned.
"Spread out and only post one or two flyers within a 300-meter range."
The captain gave these instructions to his subordinates.
The soldiers nodded firmly before scattering in different directions.
The captain sighed in relief, adjusted the flyers in his arms, and set off to do the same.
As time passed, the flyers in his arms rapidly dwindled.
This was expected—posting advertisements wasn't difficult.
The real challenge was finding the right spots.
While the captain was diligently posting the flyers, a middle-aged man, who had woken up early, noticed him.
Curious, the man approached, read the flyer's contents, and excitedly asked:
"Hey, is all this true?"
"Do you think I could do it? I'm pretty strong, very masculine."
The middle-aged man then struck a bodybuilding pose, showing off his muscles.
The captain was momentarily startled.
But he remembered Akira's instructions and confidently replied:
"Of course it's true, or I wouldn't be posting it.
"But I can't guarantee your success. We're just small fry."
"You should call the number on the flyer and ask... my master will know."
The captain nearly slipped up but quickly corrected himself, referring to his superior as "master."
Hearing this, the middle-aged man became even more excited.
Especially upon hearing the word "master," his belief strengthened.
In the Pirate World, nobles often treat commoners like slaves.
And while 100 million berries is a fortune to ordinary people, it's merely pocket change to the aristocrats.
"Okay, okay, I'll call right away. Don't put up any more flyers."
The middle-aged man hurriedly tore off the flyer and dashed away without another word.
As the middle-aged man rushed off, he glanced back, hoping to reduce his competition.
He hurried to a shop where, for a small fee, he could use the Den Den Mushi, then quickly dialed the number on the flyer.
The captain, left standing still, was taken aback.
Is this really working? Should I have asked more questions?
Meanwhile, in Marineford...
"Moshi moshi, is this the number to call for a chance to earn big money by helping with a child?"
Without missing a beat, Akira responded confidently, "Yes, this is on behalf of Queen Alice of our country. I'm the chief guard of the Kingdom, fully in charge of this matter."
Now, which queen with a sound mind would publicly request something like this and have the head of the royal guard fully cooperate?
Akira knew that anyone gullible enough to fall for this kind of scam wouldn't have much common sense. And for people like that, you need to make the situation sound as grand and official as possible to intimidate them.
"Hello, Chief Guard!" The middle-aged man's tone became instantly more respectful.
"Good, good. Queen Alice is very busy with many state affairs. She doesn't have time for these matters, so my colleagues and I are responsible for the selection process.
"Once the selection is completed, the Queen herself will be notified to meet you personally."
Hearing this, the middle-aged man felt it made perfect sense. After all, how could a queen handle every little thing herself? Just like the Celestial Dragons he'd seen occasionally—they even had slaves to walk for them.
Thinking this through, the middle-aged man quickly said, "I want to apply to earn big money by helping with a child. I'd like to meet Queen Alice."
"Alright, but don't rush. To avoid wasting each other's time, we need to know if you're sincere and not trying to deceive us."
"Sincere? Yes, yes, I'm very serious about this."
"Well, there's no proof! Here's the thing: many have already signed up, but we need to screen for the healthiest candidates. You can register now, and later, you'll need to participate in a physical examination we'll arrange."
"A physical examination? What's that?"
"It's a process to evaluate your physical fitness. If you pass, you'll have a chance to be selected, spend one hundred days with Queen Alice, and receive a breakup fee of tens of billions of berries."
"Hoo... Hoo... I want to sign up! I want to sign up right now!"
The middle-aged man was panting heavily, clearly enticed by the promise of tens of billions of berries and spending one hundred days with the Queen. He was eager and impatient.
"Alright, to proceed, please visit the nearest official Marine Bank and deposit the 10,000-berry registration fee. The payment should be made under the name 'Asking for a Child.' Don't forget to leave your identity information and address so we can contact you later."
"Ah? There's a registration fee?"
The middle-aged man hesitated, his low IQ finally catching up to him. For him, 10,000 berries was a significant amount, and it would take him a long time to earn it.
This is where most scams fall apart—money is crucial. Those who are tricked often come for the promise of money but hesitate when it requires them to part with their own.
Realizing this, Akira knew that his next words were critical, determining whether or not the deal would go through.
Akira signaled to the staff in the office to listen carefully and remember every detail.
Everyone in the office held their breath, nervous that even the slightest sound could ruin the plan.
Even Fleet Admiral Kong, observing from the side, didn't dare make a move.
"That's right, sir. The physical examination is, of course, free! The most important thing about the 10,000 berries is to show your sincerity! After all, our time is valuable, and we need to make many arrangements for you."
"Additionally, there's no need to worry. If you don't pass our screening, not only will your 10,000 berries be refunded in full, but you'll also receive an extra 100,000 berries as compensation."
"The 100,000 berries are not just a token of our gratitude for your participation, but also hush money."
"Queen Alice wouldn't want this situation publicized by those who weren't selected. It would be damaging to the royal family's reputation."
Akira spoke with a tone that was as persuasive as the devil himself.
The middle-aged man on the other end was indeed convinced.
A 10,000 berry sincerity fee, with the promise of a full refund and an additional ten times the amount in hush money if he wasn't selected? Where else could he find such a good deal?
Moreover, the person he was speaking to was the chief guard of a kingdom. Surely, they wouldn't lie for a mere 10,000 berries, right?
"Alright, I'll head to the bank right now. By the way, where's the nearest Marine official bank?"
"It's in the center of your area. You'll find it with a little research."
After hanging up the phone, Akira couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Despite his confidence in the scam that had once swept through Blue Star, he had been a little worried that things might not go as planned on this first trial.
Thankfully, the gullibility of the people in the One Piece world did not disappoint.
"Remember, everyone who calls will have different concerns and questions."
"You need to respond accordingly, but don't be afraid!"
"As long as you stick to the key points: the allure of Queen Alice, the full refund if they fail the medical exam, the hush money of 100,000 berries, and the promised fortune of 100 million or even 10 billion berries after selection, you can reel them in."
The sound of pens scratching on paper filled the room as everyone in the Fraud Department took frantic notes.
Just then, the familiar "Pere~Pere~Pere~Pere~" rang out again from another Den Den Mushi, drawing everyone's attention once more.
"I've documented various contingencies for dealing with these scams in the Deception Encyclopedia."
"Study it when you have spare time, and communicate with your colleagues regularly. This type of scam is not static; there's always room for improvement."
"You're all smart enough to be working here at headquarters. I'm sure you can apply this knowledge to various scenarios."
"Now, let me demonstrate a second tactic."
With everyone eagerly watching, Akira connected the next call.
"Moshi moshi! If you've got something to say, spit it out! My time is precious, and I make hundreds of thousands of berries a minute, so don't waste it with idle chatter."
This time, his tone was harsh and full of arrogance.
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line.
Then, a rough voice responded with a sinister laugh.
"Heh, heh, heh... Are you a money-grubbing executioner?"
"I'll get straight to the point. I want to save Gold Roger."
The executioner, portrayed by Akira, had no intention of wasting time.
"100,000 berries. Same price."
"There are two payment options."
"First, you can go to a Marine official bank and deposit the money. The payee will be listed as the execution officer."
"Second, you can find a Marine base, put your 100,000 berries in a package, and mark it for the execution officer."
His tone was a stark contrast to the previous approach, making everyone in the room take notice.
Even Fleet Admiral Kong, observing nearby, was concerned. He wanted to intervene, thinking that scamming should at least be done with a bit of tact.
But the person on the other end of the Den Den Mushi seemed to appreciate this direct approach.
Hearing Akira's bluntness, the tension visibly eased from the man's expression.
"You're really gutsy, aren't you?"
"You want me to brazenly drop money at a Marine base? Aren't you afraid your superiors will find out?"
"Afraid? If I'm doing this, it means I've got someone powerful backing me."
Akira's face was full of arrogance as he replied, then added impatiently, "So, are you in or not? If not, stop wasting my time."
"Save, save, of course!"
The person on the other side of the Den Den Mushi panicked and quickly responded, "I'm heading to the Marine Base right now. By the way, can you let me talk to Gold Roger?"
"Of course," Akira nodded, then handed the Den Den Mushi to the deputy staff officer standing nearby.
With remarkable speed, the deputy staff officer pulled out a fake beard identical to Roger's from his pocket and put it on.
"Wahahahaha... boy, what's your name? When I get out, I'll take you along to search for the One Piece!" The deputy staff officer imitated Roger's voice, laughing through the Den Den Mushi.
"Gol... Gol, Gold Roger! Captain, wait for me, Captain! I'll rescue you right away!"
As the Den Den Mushi took on Roger's appearance, the person on the other end went wild with excitement.
Like a mindless fan seeing their idol, the middle-aged man was completely convinced, his voice filled with genuine admiration.
The Pirate World exists in a mix of developed and underdeveloped areas. While video calling isn't widespread, Den Den Mushi are unique in that they can mimic the features of the person on the other end of the line, with a similarity rate of over 70%.
Because of this, most people can recognize the other person's identity based on the familiar image imitated by the Den Den Mushi. With Roger's iconic beard and distinctive laugh, it was enough to fool anyone who had only seen him in the newspapers.
"Alright, I'll wait. Just make sure to include your contact details and identity information in the package so I can find you when I get out."
"Yes, yes, don't worry."
After a few more exchanges, the deputy staff officer hung up.
Akira looked over and asked, "Have you coordinated with the Marine Base staff?"
"We can notify all the bases today, instructing them to collect any packages from 'the executioner' and await further orders from headquarters."
"Good."
With the money collection process in place, Akira felt a sense of relief.
After demonstrating these two scams, he believed that the intelligent people at headquarters would quickly catch on.
On Blue Star, those who carried out such scams typically had an education level equivalent to elementary or junior high school.
But those working in the staff department here, if compared to Blue Star's education system, were likely at least college graduates.
A group of people with at least a college-level education running these scams—Akira believed that their power, results, and follow-up strategies would be far superior to those of the original scammers on Blue Star.
They would likely surpass their predecessors.
What they lacked was simply a starting point, an idea.
As Akira was about to leave, he noticed the lingering doubts on the faces of those below and paused.
"You're all wondering why my attitude was so different when dealing with the second person who wanted to rescue Roger, right?"
"Yeah!" Everyone nodded eagerly, even Fleet Admiral Kong was awaiting his explanation.
Seeing this, Akira smiled lightly and adjusted his glasses.
"It's quite simple, really—it's all about the character."
"Think about it, everyone. A soldier who would release the Pirate King for money—would he be polite or righteous?"
"Impossible. Such a person would be utterly addicted to money, short-sighted, and desperate."
"Those who call to rescue Roger will be less suspicious when they realize they're dealing with someone so greedy."
"So, if you fail in your next scam, remember to reflect on yourself. The ones being deceived aren't at fault—it's us who are to blame."
At that moment, the sound of hurried footsteps interrupted the tense atmosphere as a figure burst into the room.
"Report! The Marine Bank on Sabaody Archipelago just received word—someone deposited 10,000 berries for the 'big money for a child' scam."
The office fell silent.
Then came the sound of gasps, filling the room.
How long had it been since the phone call?
Less than ten minutes!
10,000 berries in ten minutes?
Rosinante swallowed hard, staring in disbelief at the smiling figure standing on the stage.
In that instant, Akira's image in their minds morphed into something terrifying, like a demon.
The same realization hit everyone else.
"The Heart Demon Akira... the Heart Demon..."
Someone murmured to themselves. It might have gone unnoticed in a different setting, but in this eerily quiet office, every word was clear as day.
Everyone's attention turned towards that voice.