The old man's voice was laced with excitement and nervousness, but his eyes sparkled with pure exhilaration.
That was a Yonko!
How many people could say they were noticed by one of the Four Emperors?!
It was an incredible honor!
His hands moved with renewed vigor, the hoof knife carving clean arcs into the donkey's hoof. In his heart, he could already see his stream going viral, and his anticipation surged.
Meanwhile, on the throne of Onigashima, Kaido was entirely immersed in the odd but soothing comfort of this strange stream. His usually furrowed brows were now relaxed.
"Comfortable... this is seriously comfortable," Kaido muttered, a rare note of contentment in his voice.
He had never imagined something so mundane could make him feel this at ease.
Just like that...
The TikTok follow list of Yonko Kaido now included a no-name hoof trimmer.
And in a corner of the New World, an ordinary hoof-trimming livestream exploded in popularity, all thanks to the unexpected attention of a legendary pirate.
The number of viewers surged from a few dozen to thousands in an instant, with comments flooding in nonstop.
> "Trimming donkey hooves... a man's parking lot!"
> "Not gonna lie, watching hoof trimming during lunch hits different. I already finished an entire pot of rice!"
> "Even a Yonko can't resist the charm of hoof trimming…"
> "I've been watching since morning and still owe this old man a gift. Sending one now!"
> "Same here! Just sent him a pair of sunglasses!"
> "Following the trend!"
The old man stared at the rapidly scrolling comment feed, overwhelmed with gratitude. He knew—his life would never be ordinary again.
…
The Next Day
The Beast Pirates' Grand Feast!
Queen's video took the entire TikTok platform by storm, shooting straight to the top of the trending list!
The bright red "HOT" tag glowed like a beacon.
Viewer counts skyrocketed at breakneck speed.
The video received an avalanche of likes, comments, and shares.
> "Yonko Kaido? I'm not hallucinating, right?"
> "Kaido-sama is amazing! Please let me join the Beasts Pirates!"
> "The program list says Queen-sama is singing, dancing, AND rapping?! I'm laughing so hard I can't breathe!"
> "Bro, quit clowning. Kaido might actually come find you."
> "Bah, what's there to be scared of? I've cussed out the Celestial Dragons. Why would I fear a Yonko?"
> "Legendary stuff..."
In the video, Queen beamed into the camera, shouting, "Esteemed viewers! Today's grand feast is a Beast Pirates exclusive livestream! Kaido-sama is here in person, and so is my dazzling performance! You don't wanna miss this!"
…
Somewhere on the choppy seas of the New World…
The Red Force, flagship of the Red-Haired Pirates, gently rocked with the waves.
On the deck, Shanks, Yasopp, and several others gathered in a circle, all eyes fixed on a small phone screen.
Beckman leaned against the railing, the end of his cigarette glowing faintly in the night. After a long wait, he'd finally saved enough to buy a phone.
"This guy Kaido…" He blew a perfect smoke ring, his voice dry with amusement. "He's actually livestreaming now? What, did he drink fake booze or something?"
"Pffthahaha!" Yasopp burst into wild laughter, slapping his thigh, his grin stretching ear to ear. "I can't handle it! Queen dancing looks like a drunk fat penguin!"
He pointed at the screen, cracking up again. "What even is that dance?!"
Lucky Roo, cheeks puffed out with meat, mumbled, "Mmm... this dancing... worse than my cooking..." Grease dripped from his chin, splattering the deck.
"Wait, look!" Rockstar suddenly shouted, pointing at the screen. "That thing on the ground... isn't that a Devil Fruit?!" His voice rose with shock.
Beckman's pupils shrank. He quickly zoomed in, and sure enough, a strange fruit had rolled to Queen's feet. The clumsy fat man was trying to block the camera in a panic.
Shanks saw it too. "Interesting. They're just tossing Devil Fruits around now?"
His eyes lit up with amusement. "Hey, Beckman, what if we started livestreaming too?"
"Don't even joke like that," Beckman groaned, rubbing his temples. But his expression changed when he saw Shanks already pulling out his phone. "Wait... you're not serious, are you?!"
"Hahaha! You're still so cautious." Shanks chuckled, pocketing his phone again. Then he gazed out at the sea, his tone turning quiet. "But when it comes to singing... no one beats Uta. I wonder if she's gotten her phone yet."
"Don't worry. She's smart. She'll know you were the one who sent it."
…
Alabasta
Inside the VIP suite at the top of the Rainbase casino Spice Bean, Crocodile sat deep in a leather sofa, a half-burned premium cigar between his fingers.
The room was drenched in a warm amber glow, save for the cold light of the phone screen reflecting on his sharp, brooding face.
"Boring."
The video showed the Beast Pirates' feast. Crocodile took a drag from his cigar, blowing a ring of smoke. The golden hook on his hand glinted faintly through the haze.
"If this is all it is, why would Kaido be so bored he's livestreaming?"
Then he noticed the Devil Fruit that had seemingly fallen into frame. The corner of his mouth twitched. "Interesting. Is he trying to expand his influence through TikTok?"
Just then, the Den Den Mushi on the table stirred, letting out a puru puru puru.
Crocodile's expression darkened. He put down his phone and picked up the Den Den Mushi. For sensitive matters, he still preferred the old-school method.
Mr. 1's voice came through the line. "Smoker just entered Rainbase with a Marine squad. They're searching every casino. They seem especially focused on Princess Vivi's whereabouts."
"Damn it…" Crocodile crushed the end of his cigar into the ashtray, the premium tobacco curling and shriveling into ash.
He stood, his long black fur coat swirling around him, and strode to the floor-to-ceiling window.
Through the bulletproof glass, the glittering city lights of Rainbase sparkled in the night. But Crocodile's gaze was locked on the distant streets where Marine uniforms moved like ants.
"Have Mr. 2 and the others go give them a little tour." His eyes were icy. "These Marines are a pain. Give them some bait."
"Yes."
(To be continued.)