A device similar to a Den Den Mushi, called a mobile phone, quickly rose to popularity in the capital of Alabasta.
In terms of communication, Den Den Mushi were already comparable to 21st-century mobile phones.
They came in many types and could handle cross-island calls, mimic voices and expressions, enable wiretapping and anti-surveillance, and even support live broadcasts and monitoring.
However, their greatest flaw was their overwhelming cost.
Den Den Mushi were special lifeforms created through biological modification by research institutions under the World Government.
They required meticulous manual cultivation, and each one had to be trained to master imitation before being put into use.
Because of this, only nobles and government agencies could afford them.
For ordinary people to carry one freely was nothing more than a dream.
Even the smallest Den Den Mushi was inconvenient.
It was still a living creature, not a machine, and required daily care and feeding.
Maintaining one was a burden in itself.
Nair’s mobile phone solved all of these issues.
As a mechanical product created through his Devil Fruit ability, it required no feeding, no maintenance, and no charging.
More importantly, it was cheap enough for common citizens to afford.
Drawing from the pricing model of his previous life, each mobile phone sold for only five thousand Berries, with a monthly communication fee of three hundred Berries.
In contrast, even the cheapest Den Den Mushi for local communication cost around one hundred thousand Berries, while larger long-distance versions could reach five hundred thousand or even millions.
At present, Nair could manufacture up to three thousand mobile phones a day, and that number continued to increase as he trained.
Thanks to the low price and the relatively prosperous nature of the capital, the phones quickly swept through the market, with thousands sold in just three days.
Even so, Nair had yet to obtain any truly useful abilities.
Part of the reason was his own high standards, but distance also played a major role.
Though Alabasta had once been connected to the Celestial Dragons, the royal palace still maintained a restricted radius of about one kilometer.
His position within the palace made it difficult to approach those who had already acquired mobile phones.
Then there was Momonga, who had recently arrived in Alabasta.
If that Vice Admiral used one of his phones, Nair would finally have a chance to download a powerful ability.
With that, dealing with Crocodile would become far more manageable.
After all, Momonga was a seasoned Marine Vice Admiral.
At first, people were hesitant to accept such a new invention.
But the price was simply too low to ignore.
With various discounts, it became affordable even for average Marines to buy one for entertainment.
Five thousand Berries was barely the cost of five newspapers.
It was practically being given away.
Soon, the trend spread through the Marine forces stationed in Alabasta.
What began as admiration for officers carrying Den Den Mushi gradually shifted into a preference for mobile phones, which many found far more convenient.
Still, one thing left Nair dissatisfied.
Even though Pell had personally gifted a phone to Vice Admiral Momonga, the man showed no interest in using it.
After returning, he simply tossed it aside.
At his level, Den Den Mushi were already readily available, and he had concerns about potential security risks from unfamiliar devices.
When Nair learned this, he could only feel regret.
“Basic Combat Technique, 9MB.”
“Intermediate Combat Technique, 50MB.”
“Zoan-type, Lion Fruit basic application, 1GB.”
“Basic Armament Haki, 500MB.”
“Basic Observation Haki, 500MB.”
Nair stared at the list of abilities with undisguised desire, yet he refrained from downloading any of them.
His memory capacity was still limited, and he had not yet mastered a way to delete or overwrite abilities.
Every choice had to be made carefully.
On the bustling streets of Alabasta’s capital, a tall man wearing a cloak observed the crowd.
People walked by holding small black boxes.
Occasionally, a strange sound would ring out.
The person holding the device would press a button, and soon, another voice would emerge from it.
So this is the device they were talking about.
Someone in Alabasta created this and is selling it at a price even commoners can afford.
Interesting.
The man had originally come to investigate the activities of the Shichibukai, Crocodile, but now his interest had shifted.
He approached a young man holding one of the devices.
“Excuse me,” he said calmly, “could you tell me where you bought that?”
The young man paused for a moment, surprised by the question.
Then, noticing the man’s imposing presence beneath the cloak, he did not hesitate to respond.