“Koza, in this kingdom, you have committed an unforgivable sin,” Nair said bluntly.
“You allowed yourself to be incited into rebellion without even understanding who the true enemy was.
You used the blood of innocent people to pay for your own foolishness.
By now, thousands in Alabasta have died, directly or indirectly, because of your actions.
Do you truly believe you are innocent?”
“The royal family is also responsible!” Koza’s face flushed red.
“If it were not for the King’s incompetence…”
“That is precisely why the former King stepped down,” Nair replied.
“He cast aside his royal dignity and accepted imprisonment for two months.
For a king, that is a punishment far harsher than death.
If you still have any conscience, you should understand that his decision was an act of redemption.
He is a truly great ruler.”
This was the real reason Nair had waited two months before executing his plan.
He wanted to give his father a way to come to terms with everything.
Koza fell silent.
In the end, he could only agree that once the project was completed, he and the other leaders of the Rebel Army would accept whatever punishment the royal family deemed appropriate.
“I have one last question,” Koza said at last.
“Who was truly behind all of this?
The use of Dance Powder in the capital, the slander against the royal family…”
“It was a hero,” Nair replied with a faint smile.
Koza lowered his head, deep in thought.
But hearing it from Nair, he found himself reconsidering.
…
After returning to Yuba, Koza and the Rebel Army personally escorted Cobra back and publicly announced their surrender to the Royal Army, though they refused to disband.
Soon after, Sea Headlines released an official government decree regarding the grand project known as the River of Life across Alabasta.
The decree bore the official seal, along with photographs of Cobra, Koza, and Nair.
Under normal circumstances, it would have taken over a month for such news to spread across the kingdom.
However, with the presence of three hundred thousand Mobile Phones, the entire country was thrown into an uproar within a single day.
Only then did the people realize that the Mobile Phone industry belonged to the royal family.
In an instant, the credibility of Sea Headlines on Mobile Phones reached unprecedented heights, rivaling the influence of the most trusted information channels.
Seizing this opportunity, Nair introduced a new section dedicated to government affairs, where official policies and reforms would be announced.
From that moment on, traditional posted notices were abolished.
Within ten days, even before construction of the River of Life Project began, Mobile Phones had become extremely scarce throughout Alabasta.
Although Nair had enhanced his physical capabilities, his production limit remained at only fifty to sixty thousand units per day.
Meanwhile, the entire kingdom had fallen into a frenzy.
Demand was so intense that people were willing to pay any price to obtain one.
Even half a million units would vanish instantly from the market.
…
Due to the slow delivery speed of News Coo, people across the seas gradually learned about a cheap device called a Mobile Phone.
It could display news and function similarly to a Den Den Mushi.
Some perceptive journalists described it as an invention capable of changing the world, though they had yet to see it as a true competitor.
After all, newspaper buyers made up only a small portion of the population.
Most people would not purchase newspapers regularly, so the influence of Sea Headlines had not yet reached its full potential.
What drew the most attention was the low price of the Mobile Phone.
However, in this era, simply reaching the Grand Line was already beyond the ability of most people from the Four Blues.
Even within the Grand Line, traveling between countries was extremely difficult due to the need for a Log Pose.
A single Log Pose could cost tens of thousands of Berries.
Compared to that, traveling across the sea just to purchase a Mobile Phone priced at five thousand Berries was simply not worth it.
As a result, interest remained limited to curiosity.
In some regions, merchants had inflated the price of Mobile Phones to nearly two hundred thousand Berries, even surpassing the cost of a Den Den Mushi.
This further reinforced the perception of the Mobile Phone as a luxury item.
This development was unfavorable for Nair’s plans.
However, with his current production capacity, there was little he could do to change the situation.
…
On a ship belonging to Baroque Works:
“Damn it, Igaram!
So you were lying to me!”
Vivi glared at him, clutching the Mobile Phone tightly in her hand, her anger unmistakable.
“Your Highness, please restrain yourself,” Igaram replied nervously.