“It’s in the alley just ahead.
It’s a very useful item, you really should not miss it.”
The man paused when he heard this, then gave a slight nod and walked into the alley.
A price like that was difficult to ignore.
Inside the Royal Palace of Alabasta, Nair suddenly stiffened.
He felt it clearly, a powerful presence had just begun using one of his mobile phones.
To his perception, it stood out like a blazing flame in the middle of countless faint sparks.
Among all the ordinary users, this presence was overwhelming.
“Logia-type Ice-Ice Fruit awakened-level application, 100GB.”
“Advanced Armament Haki, 20GB.”
“Advanced Observation Haki, 20GB.”
“Advanced Six Powers, 20GB.”
Nair inhaled sharply.
The Ice-Ice Fruit.
That could only belong to Kuzan.
Aokiji was actually in Alabasta.
Even the weakest of these abilities required 20GB of memory, while the Ice-Ice Fruit itself demanded an astonishing 100GB.
At his current capacity, it was far beyond his reach.
Yet the potential was undeniable.
If he could download it, he would instantly wield power on par with Aokiji.
That was the terrifying strength of his Devil Fruit ability.
For now, he could only endure.
Once his capacity increased, that power would eventually be within his grasp.
Meanwhile, Kuzan casually turned the mobile phone over in his hand, studying it with interest.
If its security concerns could be resolved, this device could easily be distributed among lower and mid-ranking Marines.
It was far more convenient than a Den Den Mushi in many situations.
Even if it could not be used for confidential communication, it would still become popular for everyday use.
Who exactly created this?
His gaze shifted toward the vendor.
When he tried to ask, the answer he received was vague.
The seller only mentioned that it came from an influential figure within the Royal Palace.
Kuzan narrowed his eyes slightly.
Could it be the king of Alabasta?
That seemed plausible.
Otherwise, no one would sell such a useful invention at such a low price.
With that thought, he lost interest in digging deeper.
Instead, he purchased a few more devices, planning to bring them back as souvenirs.
…
In Rainbase, the central oasis city of Alabasta, the atmosphere was far less peaceful.
Inside the headquarters of Baroque Works, Crocodile sat back as he watched Banana Gators fighting over food in the distance.
“An interesting toy,” he muttered.
That was all he said.
Through his extensive network of spies, Crocodile already knew the origin of these devices.
The Royal Palace had long since been infiltrated, leaving little beyond his reach.
Naturally, he also knew who was behind this growing business.
In his eyes, it was nothing more than a useful tool.
Once he overthrew the Alabasta Royal Family and seized control of the kingdom, he would take everything, including this invention.
The creator would be forced to serve Baroque Works, repaying the so-called sins of the royal family for the rest of his life.
By then, the price of these devices would increase at least twentyfold.
To him, Nair was nothing more than a survivor of a failed assassination attempt, a pawn with a bit of luck.
He had no idea that the mobile phones were born from a Devil Fruit ability, nor that their true potential far exceeded his imagination.
“Is Mr.
2 returning soon…”
A faint smile appeared on Crocodile’s face.
“In that case, I will head to the royal capital in a few days and arrange for him to meet the old king.”
With that, everything would fall into place.
He would wait for the Marines to leave, then proceed step by step, tightening his control until he completely consumed Alabasta.
Mr.
2, with his ability to mimic others, was the key to the entire plan.