Time passes day by day.
As the naval fleet led by Akainu officially entered the East Blue Sea, the atmosphere over the entire region became tense and heavy. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the East Blue Sea, anticipating a significant event amidst the calm before the storm. Major newspapers and media outlets were also doing their utmost to uncover the Navy's true purpose in heading east and to obtain firsthand information.
In this charged atmosphere...
Deep within the Grand Line, in an alien space inside the body of a Wailord, Leo lay lazily on a sofa, watching a unique Pokémon battle on the big screen in front of him. The video he was watching was none other than the [Robin VS Ace] battle that had sparked considerable discussion in the Kingdom of Alabasta a few days earlier.
As for why Leo was taking the time to watch this match during a period of increasing tension in the East Blue Sea...
Let's start with the income generated by this battle.
"I didn't expect that the battle between these two could be so profitable..." Leo muttered, enlarging the screen and watching the match intently.
The entire battle lasted for about 25 minutes, neither too long nor too short. But within those 25 minutes, the pair managed to excite the entire audience! The more he watched the video, the brighter Leo's eyes shone!
He certainly wasn't enjoying the Pokémon battle itself. At his current level, these two seemed as silly as children playing pretend. However, Robin managed to elevate this simple battle into a performance worthy of the big screen.
The most thrilling moment came at the 15th minute. Robin, who was in tatters after being pushed back by Ace and his Charizard, suddenly ordered her Espeon to perform a Power Swap! This is a potent and unusual move from the Psychic type that allows the user to exchange their power with their opponent's.
Seizing the moment, Espeon immediately hit Charizard with a powerful Psychic attack, dealing a heavy blow! This sudden twist electrified the 5,000 spectators, who cheered Robin's name and went wild.
Unfortunately, the gap in strength between Robin and Ace was too significant. Even with Espeon's advantage, Ace and Charizard's teamwork remained formidable. Ultimately, Robin, having lost the match, covered her key areas and collapsed on the ground in 'despair', looking pitiful.
Seeing Robin in such a haggard state, the audience became even more enthusiastic, showering her with gifts as if they were free. By the time the reward channel closed, the total revenue from the entire battle had exceeded 1 billion Beli!
Among the rewards, Ace received less than 200 million Beli, while Robin's share was over 800 million Beli, instantly boosting her points significantly.
"This was completely unexpected~" Leo couldn't help but smile and sigh after watching the entire battle.
The reward function was originally added by Leo just for fun when he was setting up the battle zone. But at that time, he never imagined a battle could draw in 1 billion Beli in one go! With his keen eye, it was easy for him to see the traces of overacting by Robin.
Despite being attacked several times, Robin still managed to maintain a beautiful appearance. She would rather endure more injuries than let the audience's gaze drift away from her. By portraying herself as vulnerable, she attracted more sympathy and protective instincts from the spectators.
In this way, those who rewarded Robin could proudly say next time they saw her improve, "I bought this power for her!" This superficial tactic was something Leo had seen too much of in Earth's live broadcast rooms. But these gullible pirates really fell for it.
Leo also noticed that Ace seemed to be deliberately cooperating with Robin's performance. Otherwise, the match should have ended in the first 10 minutes. However, this level of showmanship didn't count as negative gameplay or match-fixing, so the Rotoms monitoring the event didn't react at all.
However...
After the game, Ace's earnings were less than a quarter of Robin's. The reason is that Ace, being a pure martial artist and a male, naturally has less appeal for receiving gifts. Unless he encounters a wealthy patron willing to splurge, it's difficult for him to succeed in this area.
But Ace didn't need to rely on rewards to make money. The reward money was a pleasant surprise for him.
"In this way, it seems that the playability of the Pirate World has increased significantly~" Leo smirked, turning off the virtual screen with a wave of his hand. He then summoned the computer Rotom and opened a folder.
Watching Robin's performance on the field, especially her ability to attract money, reminded him of the routines used by those in live streaming apps on Earth. He realized he had underestimated the spending power of the Pirate World, likely due to the stereotypes he had formed from watching the anime.
Most people who could make a special trip to the battle zone were willing to spend any amount of money as long as it made them happy!
And since there were so many eager to spend in the Pirate World, why shouldn't Leo create a place specifically designed to capitalize on them? In the Pokémon world, there's a special competitive event focused on showcasing beauty and charm...
That's the legendary Contest Spectacular!
Initially, Leo thought that beauty wouldn't be appreciated in the Pirate World, where strength is valued. But after watching today's video, he completely changed his mind.
"If you're so willing to reward the contestants, then I'll give you a special arena to compete in!" Leo grinned.
With the official involvement in the contest, there's no need to question its influence! Inspired by Robin and the live-streaming trends on Earth, Leo plans to launch a brand-new Contest Spectacular!
The essence of the competition hasn't changed much from the Pokémon world. It still centers around showcasing beauty and charm. However, this new Contest Spectacular will include not only Pokémon but also their trainers!
And the method for determining the winner isn't the traditional scoring system used in the Pokémon world...
Instead, it's based on the total value of the gifts received by each contestant during the competition!
In simple terms, it's a competition that combines the Contest Spectacular with a live-streaming duel mechanism.
Considering Robin's current popularity, Leo bets...
If Robin were to endorse a product in Alabasta now, it would definitely sell out!
This is the power of the fan economy!
Drawing from his experiences with Earth's live broadcasts and internet celebrities, Leo is confident that this new Contest Spectacular will be his next big moneymaker!
For a moment, the sound of rapid typing echoed through the strange space.
At that moment, Leo's eyes shone with a clear, bright light as he quickly noted down his money-making plan on the computer Rotom!
...
...
As Leo contemplated how to host the new gorgeous competition, a piece of breaking news finally emerged from the much-watched East Blue Sea!
Based on the sailing direction of the naval fleet, major media outlets confirmed that the target of this naval operation was none other than the Kingdom of Goa, a member of the World Government! And amid this critical period, major newspapers and media outlets reported yet another major story: a month ago, the Goa Kingdom fell into the hands of the Revolutionary Army.
This news instantly shocked the entire sea!
The Revolutionary Army has liberated many countries despite its daily busyness. However, these countries were tyrannical regimes that had not joined the World Government. The Kingdom of Goa marks the first instance of the Revolutionary Army actively liberating a World Government country. This indicates that the Revolutionary Army has officially declared war on the World Government!
The storm is approaching! Such a battle rivals the targeted war in the original timeline. If not for the recent shocks delivered by the dimensional merchants, the sea would likely be in turmoil again.
What the outside world doesn't know is that the Kingdom of Goa affairs were reported because the Revolutionary Army proactively sent invitations to major media. Who would have thought that Sabo, the current acting ruler of the Kingdom of Goa, would announce plans to auction off the broadcast rights of the Revolutionary Army versus the Navy! If the price is right, you can even secure exclusive broadcasting rights!
Of course, the media wouldn't miss such big news. Before the naval fleet reached the Kingdom of Goa, media representatives raced to the Kingdom of Goa to participate in the auction. In the end, five newspapers joined forces to purchase the rights to broadcast the war for 15 billion Beli!
…
…
In such a tense atmosphere, time moved forward again. On the vast sea, majestic warships slowly emerged from the horizon as the sun rose high. The military forces of the Revolutionary Army were already deployed on the coastline. The air was filled with a chilling atmosphere.
On the battleship, a navy soldier quickly ran to Akainu, saluted, and reported, "Admiral Akainu, we are about to arrive at the Goa Kingdom!"
"According to the scouts' observations, there are about 2,000 people on the coast of the Goa Kingdom - Revolutionary Army Corps."
"Admiral Akainu, please give us your instructions!"
"Two thousand people? Hmph!" Akainu scoffed.
Although he was returning to the melancholy waters of the East Blue Sea, he was still confident, standing at the ship's bow with his arms folded like a sculpture. Unaware of Sengoku's concealment, Akainu did not know that the Revolutionary Army had already struck a deal with the dimensional merchant, and the transaction amount was enormous!
To him, the Revolutionary Army was just a stepping stone to his military glory and maintaining World Government rule! Twenty thousand against two thousand, and he, the Navy Admiral, was leading the charge! Akainu couldn't imagine losing this battle!
"For justice! Charge and crush them!" Akainu shouted, venting all his frustrations in the East Blue Sea.
"Yes! Admiral Akainu!" The navy immediately obeyed and relayed Akainu's orders. Twenty heavy naval ships instantly picked up speed, swiftly sailing toward the Goa Kingdom.
Meanwhile, on the coastline of the Kingdom of Goa, traders like Sabo, Koala, and Nami stood in the bunker, watching the advancing warships with suddenly relaxed expressions.
"Admiral Akainu is on the central battleship. Several Vice Admirals are by his side," Koala said as she put down her telescope, updating everyone on the navy's operational arrangements.
"Their impatience in attacking suggests they don't understand our combat strength here!"
"In other words," Sabo grinned, "Admiral Akainu was betrayed by Admiral Sengoku! Hahahahaha, Chief always manages to pull off unexpected moves!"
Seeing that Dragon's plan succeeded, everyone took a deep breath of relief. Nami then chuckled, reaching out to pick a crystal-clear Poké Ball from her chest.
"It seems everything is going according to plan."
"Yes…" Sabo nodded. "Next, it's up to you, Miss Nami! We must prevent them from spreading the battle to the Goa Kingdom."
"Don't worry. With Articuno here, it's no big deal," Nami smiled confidently. She took the Articuno provided by the Revolutionary Army and leaped out of the window.
As she was about to fall, a butterfly with crystal wings appeared in front of Nami. The delicate pokemon grabbed her and soared into the sky. With ample supplies, Butterfree, old and frail, had regained its strength. While unfit for battle, it could still transport troops.
Its wings fluttered, carrying Nami toward the sea. Given Nami's current physique, she couldn't withstand the freezing breath of Articuno, so she had to use this method to approach the naval warship.
After Nami reached the midpoint between the naval warship and the Kingdom of Goa, she threw the Poké Ball in her hand.
"Come out, Articuno! Let the world witness your beauty!!!" Nami shouted with great vigor.
Suddenly, the sky darkened. A chill filled the air, clouds gathered, and a heavy rain seemed imminent.
"Chirp!!!"
A loud cry echoed, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
"What is that!? A giant bird?"
In the Goa Kingdom's bunker, reporters who risked their lives for news were stunned. They immediately aimed their cameras at the suddenly appearing Articuno, capturing its full figure.
After a long cry, Articuno flew high, flapping its beautiful, ice-crystal wings. A blast of cold air spewed out, freezing the sea below. In the blink of an eye, the turbulent sea turned into a solid sheet of ice, spreading outwards!
In mere seconds, the navy's twenty fleets were frozen in place, unable to move.
At this moment, Akainu's face darkened in disbelief. The power of Admiral Aokiji, his equal, was now manifesting in a mysterious bird!?
What is happening in this world…?!
(End of this chapter)