Kaido struck while the iron was hot, flipping to another page:
"'Even if it's a command from the Celestial Dragons...'
"'The figure draped in Red Hair slowly turned around, 'You should still give me some Face.'"
"The entire Hall of Authority suddenly fell into an eerie silence."
"See that!" Kaido slammed the book, making a thudding sound. "It's written in black and white! The Gorosei didn't even dare to fart in front of Red Hair! Kurololololo!"
The bullet screen went completely wild:
"This has already exceeded the scope of a Devil Fruit ability, hasn't it?!"
"Causality weapon! It's definitely a causality weapon!"
"No wonder Red Hair could become a Four Emperors..."
Suddenly, a golden-glowing bullet screen flashed across:
"That wasn't me."
—Red-Haired Shanks
Kaido laughed even louder: "Again? Even the denial is so weak this time!" He deliberately imitated Red Hair's tone, "'Give me some Face, pretend I never went to Mary Geoise'? Ugh-gah-gah-gah-gah!"
Just then, the live broadcast screen suddenly shook violently, and Queen's scream faintly came through: "Boss! The Marine fleet has surrounded Onigashima!"
Kaido waved his hand impatiently: "Get lost! Can't you see I'm live streaming right now!" He turned back to the camera, revealing a ferocious smile, "It seems some people can't sit still... This live broadcast ends here for now, I'll be right back!"
Subsequently, Kaido ended the live broadcast.
...
In the dim tavern, the hanging oil lamp illuminated the astonished faces of the people, flickering between light and shadow.
As Kaido's live broadcast ended, the entire space fell into an eerie silence, with only the faint sound of beer foam popping.
"Hey... You're joking, right?" A pirate rookie with an 80 million bounty trembled as he put down his glass, cold sweat seeping from his temples. "That Red Hair... is actually a monster of that level?"
In the corner,
An old sailor wearing a tattered pirate hat gulped down a mouthful of rum: "I've been sailing the seas for thirty years... Only today did I learn the true rules of survival."
His calloused fingers unconsciously rubbed the three scars on his left eye, a "souvenir" left by Beckman's gun butt ten years ago in a small tavern when he almost spoke disrespectfully to Red Hair.
The tavern owner silently wiped glass cups, then suddenly posted a brand new notice on the wall:
Effective immediately, new rules for this establishment:
Upon seeing a Red Hair Pirates member
—You must greet them proactively
—You must yield the best seat
—When checking out, you must say, "Please give me this Face."
"Boss! You..." Several pirates were about to protest, but then they saw the boss's grim face as he revealed a flintlock pistol hidden beneath the bar: "What? You want to try the consequences of 'not giving Face'?"
...
Meanwhile, in an underground casino on an island in the New World:
"What a joke!" "Bone-Crusher" Basil, with a bounty of 320 million, smashed the gambling table to pieces. "Why should I give—"
Before he could finish speaking, his First Mate clamped his hand over his mouth: "Boss! Have you forgotten Admiral Aokiji's leg?!"
Saying that, he trembled as he pointed to the news published on his phone: "Admiral Aokiji Suffers Leg Amputation for Not Giving Face—Unveiling the Terrifying Causality of the 'Face-Face Fruit'"
...
And at the coating factory on Sabaody Archipelago,
Rayleigh looked at the latest video from World Economic News, laughing and slapping his thigh:
"Hahaha! When did this kid eat such a convenient Devil Fruit?" As he laughed, a glint of light flashed in his eyes. "But... even the Gorosei have to give Face? Things might not be that simple..."
The most dramatic scene occurred at the Mary Geoise city gate:
"Stop!" A guard stopped a red-haired man in a black cloak. "Entry perm—"
Before he could finish, his companion kicked him aside: "Idiot! Do you want the Holy Land to sink into the sea tomorrow?!" He turned and bowed ninety degrees: "N-No, I'm terribly sorry! Please, go right ahead!"
Seeing this, the red-haired man's eyes lit up, then he turned and ran, his voice echoing in the air: "Hahaha... I just dyed my hair to try it out, I didn't expect it to actually work! Hhhh..."
...
At this moment, the sky in the New World was overcast with dark clouds, as if foretelling that the rules of the entire Great Pirate Era were being rewritten.
On these seas where the strong reign supreme, an iron rule suddenly emerged—
You can provoke the Marine, you can insult the Four Emperors,
But you absolutely cannot...
Not give Red Hair Face!
...
The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the deck of the Red Force, staining the wooden floor a warm amber.
Shanks leaned against the ship's rail, looking at the latest World Economic News video content on his phone. The video began with:
["Face-Face Fruit" Confirmed! Gorosei Bow Down, Absolute Law of the New Era Born!]
"Haha..." He shook his head with a wry smile, casually tossing his phone towards the sea, but it was caught by a sudden gust of sea wind, the phone flapped wildly, and finally slapped onto Beckman's face as he just stepped onto the deck.
The First Mate expressionlessly peeled off the phone, his gaze behind the lenses sweeping over the exaggerated headlines, the corner of his mouth twitching almost imperceptibly.
"Beckman..." Shanks swayed the wine glass in his hand, the amber liquid shimmering with an enticing glow in the setting sun. "Shouldn't we stop these guys...?"
"No need." Beckman interrupted him, glancing at Shanks before turning his head towards the ship's cabin—where "tributes" from various forces were piled up: century-old wine special to West Blue, Golden Apples from Sky Island, and even coral jewelry offered by Fish-Man Island.
"Since the whole world thinks so..." A rare smile curved Beckman's lips. "Then let them continue to misunderstand."
On the other side of the deck, Lucky Roux was devouring a bucket of freshly offered honey-roasted meat, mumbling indistinctly: "Boss, this is delicious! Should we send a thank-you letter to the kingdom that sent the tribute?"
Yasopp wiped his beloved sniper rifle, and couldn't help but laugh when he heard that: "How about writing, 'Thanks for the gift, remember to send more next time'?"
Shanks watched his companions, who were taking advantage of the situation, with resignation, then suddenly threw his head back and laughed loudly, his laughter startling a few strange birds perched on the mast, which flapped their wings and flew towards the crimson sky.
Just then, the navigator Bendick suddenly poked his head out of the crow's nest: "Merchant ship spotted ahead! They're... uh... hanging a banner on the deck..."
Everyone gathered curiously at the bow, only to see a luxurious merchant ship slowly approaching. Sailors on the deck frantically pulled open a huge red banner, embroidered with gold thread:
"To the esteemed "Face-Face Fruit" user, please accept our humble sincerity!"
As the merchant ship approached, a dozen large wooden crates were carefully hoisted over with ropes. Through the gaps in the crate lids, the packaging of expensive cigars and the bottles of top-tier wine were faintly visible.
...
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