Ron looked around at his eager friends and couldn't help but laugh, "You have to buy them in big cities like Sabaody Archipelago or Water 7." He paused, "However..."
All the Mink Tribe immediately perked up their ears, and even Nekomamushi, who was drunk in the corner, perked up one ear.
"I can bring a batch next time I come," Ron said with a gentle smile, "and teach you how to use them, by the way."
The entire banquet hall instantly erupted.
The young warriors celebrated by wrestling with each other, while the older ones began discussing how to rank up. Pekoms directly jumped onto Ron's back, "Take me to buy them now! I can trade you my Thundercloud Fruit for them!"
"Calm down," Ron pulled the overexcited jaguar down. "I'll have someone deliver them here tomorrow..."
"Really?!" Wanda immediately raised her hand, blue electric sparks crackling from her fingertips. "How much will it cost?!"
"Very cheap, one hundred Berries each."
Looking at his enthusiastic friends, Ron suddenly realized he might have opened Pandora's Box.
He seemed to have already foreseen the future of Zou: Mink Tribe warriors playing games and trash-talking each other among the treetops, elders scrolling TikTok late into the night, and even the Elephant Lord possibly bumping into the Red Line because the people on his back were too focused on their phones...
"Alright," Ron said with a wry smile, rubbing his forehead. "But you have to promise me not to get addicted to games."
"Also, you can earn money by live-streaming on TikTok. You can try live-streaming and showcase your unique characteristics. Many people will definitely like you and give you gifts."
"Of course, of course!" everyone agreed in unison, but their flickering eyes didn't look very trustworthy.
The banquet lasted until dawn, with the conversation entirely revolving around the upcoming "mobile phone era."
Ron looked at the fish-belly white emerging in the east and suddenly looked forward to seeing his furry friends' reactions when they first encountered modern technology.
Perhaps, it was time for this ancient sky kingdom to also board the train of the new era.
....
The next morning,
Ron woke up under the giant whale tree in Zou. The hungover Mink Tribe were still sound asleep. He took out his phone and pulled up the latest data report from the TikTok backend.
The novel continuation contest should also have a result.
On the phone screen, various backend metrics were clearly displayed:
-Kaido's "Legend of the Strongest Creature" total readership: 870 million
-Shanks's "Inheritance of Will" total readership: 520 million
-Marine's "justice dawn" total readership: 480 million
-User interaction index: Kaido's chapter leads by far with 97 points
"As expected..."
Ron sighed softly. Although Shanks' writing was superior, Kaido's simple and crude violent aesthetic clearly appealed more to the general public.
He clicked on the comment section, and the top hot comment prominently read: "This is what you call reality! The Pirate world is all about the survival of the fittest!"
Tapping rapidly on the virtual keyboard of the screen, Ron published the final selection results through the official TikTok account:
[First "Pirate King" Continuation Contest Award Announcement]
Champion: Kaido of the Beasts "Legend of the Strongest Creature"
Reward:
1. One billion Berries creative fund (already sent to Kaido's personal account)
2. Priority reading rights for subsequent chapters of "Pirate King"
3. Exclusive "Tomato Free Novel Gold Fan Writer" certification badge
Onigashima,
In the banquet hall, Kaido was lying on a beast bone throne, drinking heavily.
The liquor flowed down his blue dragon scale tattoos, dripping onto the priceless fur carpet. Suddenly, the phone at his waist beeped, indicating a received encrypted message from the official TikTok account.
"Huh?"
Kaido groggily grabbed the Den Den Mushi, his thick fingers accidentally crushing a corner of its shell.
When he saw the transfer notification on the screen, the bronze wine pot clanged to the ground, splashing the precious liquor all over Queen's big belly.
"Ten... ten billion Berries?!" Kaido's dragon eyes suddenly constricted, a bit bewildered.
He repeatedly counted the string of zeros added to his account balance, and even his breathing became heavy. One billion Berries was really a lot!
"Ugorororo..." A low laugh rumbled from deep within his throat, quickly escalating into a deafening roar, "Minions! Throw the biggest banquet for me!"
The entire Onigashima instantly erupted.
King's black wings excitedly spread to their fullest, also happy about this matter. Queen even sprayed celebratory streamers, and even Jack threw away his ever-present weapon.
Kaido kicked over a wine table and jumped onto the high platform, stepping on the scattered remains of delicacies.
"See that!" He waved the Den Den Mushi, and the award announcement on the screen was magnified on the banquet hall's projection wall. "Even TikTok admits I wrote the best!"
Suddenly,
He noticed the second point of the announcement, and his drunken expression instantly froze, "Wait... priority reading rights for subsequent chapters of "Pirate King"?!"
Everyone was instantly shocked by this reward!
....
At the same time,
On the deck of the Red Force, morning light streamed down, and the sea breeze gently blew.
The crew members gathered in twos and threes, staring at the competition results just announced on the central projection screen.
Shanks sat cross-legged on the ship's railing, his cloak covering his expression, but the faint smile at the corner of his mouth revealed his attitude.
"I didn't expect Kaido to actually get first place..." Yasopp scratched his messy hair, his sniper rifle casually leaning against his shoulder. "What did he even write? He just smashes Marineford with a single blow at every turn."
Lucky Roux came over, gnawing on a chicken leg, his greasy fingers swiping across the screen: "Look at this data, nearly nine hundred million views! Our Captain wrote so diligently and only got over five hundred million." He shook his head, "What kind of taste do people have these days?"
Beckman exhaled a perfect smoke ring, his silver hair glinting in the sunlight. "As expected," he flicked the ash from his cigarette. "Readers these days just love crude and simple stuff. Kaido's 'I'm the strongest in the world' attitude perfectly caters to the public's psychology."
"But..." the young navigator couldn't help but interject, "Isn't Captain Shanks's writing about inheritance and dreams more meaningful?"
Shanks's laughter suddenly came from the other side of the deck.
He stood up, his eyes filled with amusement. "What does it matter?" He walked to the center of the crowd and patted the navigator's shoulder. "The important thing is that everyone is still following the story of this great sea."
Yasopp's eyes suddenly lit up. "Wait, look at the comment section!" He pulled up the hidden hot comments. "Actually, many people came to read the Captain's work for comparison because of Kaido's exaggerated descriptions."
Beckman's mouth curved slightly. "That's Ron's brilliance." He pointed to the continuously soaring interaction data. "By creating opposition, he doubled the heat of the entire event."
....
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 70 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
[patreon.com/TripleCrown07]
Thank you so much for your support!!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"