The following day, through continuous live broadcast coverage, word-of-mouth reports, and comprehensive newspaper distribution by News Coos across the globe, virtually everyone in the world had learned about Jerry's unprecedented challenge in the New World.
It wasn't until this moment that many people discovered from newspaper reports why Treasure Island—where Jerry had established his base—appeared so utterly desolate. They also learned detailed accounts of the shocking battle that had taken place on the island just the day before.
More importantly, readers discovered that news of Jerry's crew obtaining the permanent pointer to Laugh Tale had been spreading like wildfire throughout the criminal underworld since the previous day, causing massive upheaval among various factions.
People couldn't help but speculate whether Jerry had initiated this global challenge out of desperation after realizing that the truth had been completely exposed.
Of course, the vast majority of potential challengers didn't particularly care about the specific motivations behind his actions. After reading newspaper reports that indirectly confirmed the pointer's authenticity, they simply rushed frantically toward the sea, setting course for Treasure Island with dreams of unimaginable wealth.
This unprecedented situation caused the market price of permanent pointers leading to Treasure Island to skyrocket dramatically—they were now selling for hundreds of millions of berries per pointer on black markets worldwide.
Jerry had naturally anticipated certain psychological reactions and market responses that would inevitably occur following his live broadcast announcement.
Although some developments had been predictable after extensive discussions with his fellow Black Star Pirates, there were always variables that proved impossible to foresee completely.
However, Jerry remained unconcerned about these unpredictable elements. He understood perfectly well that he wasn't some omniscient strategist capable of calculating every possible outcome in advance.
The reason he had created this world-shaking incident was indeed related to Festa's machinations. Once the pointer's existence had been exposed to the underworld, concealing it any longer had become impossible.
Subsequently, Jerry had reasoned that since the information was already circulating, he might as well announce it publicly, choose the battlefield location himself, and attempt to guide the situation's development in favorable directions.
This approach would not only help quell potential unrest in various regions, but also attract most interested parties' attention to the devastated ruins of Treasure Island.
When the inevitable multi-faction conflict erupted, the scope of impact could be controlled as much as possible within this specific maritime area.
Otherwise, if he had allowed the situation to develop naturally, the resulting chaos would only prove more destructive, potentially dragging countless innocent civilians into the warfare—exactly what Festa had originally hoped to achieve.
Although Jerry made no claims to sainthood, he genuinely didn't want his actions to cause unnecessary suffering among non-combatant populations.
The only alternative would have been to destroy the pointer publicly like the original Luffy had done, abandoning this most convenient opportunity to reach Laugh Tale.
But unlike Luffy, Jerry wasn't obsessively committed to reaching Laugh Tale through sequential adventures and traditionally legitimate methods.
Constrained by his system's mission requirements, Jerry understood that failing to reach Laugh Tale within the established time limit would trigger the system's self-destruction protocol, placing him in mortal danger.
Therefore, Jerry had absolutely no intention of abandoning the pointer unless circumstances became completely desperate. He remained confident in his ability to prevent any truly uncontrollable situations from developing.
Jerry harbored additional motivations as well.
One significant goal involved testing whether he could use this opportunity to unlock the mysterious restrictions on his Observation Haki advancement.
So far, he remained completely uncertain about which specific individual he needed to encounter—or what particular system requirements he needed to fulfill—to break through these limitations.
"Good morning, everyone! Today we'll be continuing our popular live entertainment broadcast," Cavendish announced cheerfully to his global audience.
"Over the past several days, I'm certain you've all witnessed how the massive tsunami barriers surrounding our island, combined with the oceanic whirlpools, have claimed many brave pirates who came here seeking to challenge our champion."
"Therefore, if you're genuinely considering making an attempt, you absolutely must accurately assess your own capabilities and prepare to face various deadly trials—even at the potential cost of your life!"
"Ahem! Let's discuss something more lighthearted now," Cavendish continued with forced cheerfulness.
"As everyone has observed, since no challengers have managed to successfully make landfall, our reigning champion Jerry has begun enjoying a well-deserved vacation by fishing in this tropical paradise..."
Cavendish gestured for Kotatsu to assist him, and the enhanced lynx dutifully flew through the air while scanning the camera toward each location Cavendish mentioned during his commentary.
Five full days had passed since Jerry's initial live broadcast announcement, and the ocean surrounding the island was now covered with countless irregularly distributed underwater whirlpools that Jerry had created using his advanced water manipulation abilities.
On the inner perimeter of these treacherous vortexes, encircling the island like a defensive wall, massive tsunamis reaching tens of meters in height remained poised to strike at any moment.
Within the tsunami barriers, the shallow coastal waters surrounding the island were also filled with rapid currents and strategically placed rocky reefs, creating multiple layers of obstacles for potential challengers.
Jerry's original intention behind these elaborate defensive measures was to screen out the vast majority of rookie pirates who had been blinded by fantasies of the "Great Secret Treasure." This would allow weaker individuals to retreat when confronted with obvious impossibility, rather than throwing their lives away pointlessly.
Most of the challengers who had attempted the approach over recent days were pirates already established within the New World's dangerous waters.
Obviously, even for experienced New World pirates, successfully navigating the obstacles Jerry had established proved extraordinarily difficult.
This unfortunate reality had left Jerry feeling rather bored, forcing him to return to his favorite pastime. He had retrieved his fishing rod and now sat comfortably on a reclining chair positioned on the inner shoreline at the island's center.
"Cavendish, it looks like someone has managed to break through the outer defenses," Jerry's voice suddenly called out from his relaxed position, interrupting Cavendish's animated commentary. "Go handle the cleanup, would you? Since you're here anyway, might as well help out."
Cavendish immediately employed his Observation Haki to lock onto a pirate vessel that was struggling desperately to cross the tsunami barrier and gradually becoming visible through the churning waters.
"Everyone has heard our champion's instructions! As your host, referee, and... quality control inspector? Well, regardless of my official title, everyone who arrives here must pass my evaluation first," Cavendish announced while rotating to face the camera.
He raised his right index finger dramatically while speaking, his voice carrying clearly across the broadcast. "As an official referee, I must possess adequate authority to enforce regulations, so..."
Cavendish paused for theatrical effect, then allowed his entire right hand to transform into brilliant, crackling electricity.
"Quality control assessment commencing!" Cavendish shouted dramatically, his raised hand launching a magnificent bolt of lightning skyward.
Viewers watched in fascination as an incredible electrical discharge descended from the distant heavens, striking with pinpoint accuracy the pirate ship that had struggled so desperately and was finally approaching landfall.
As the unfortunate vessel became engulfed in flames and its crew struggled briefly before sinking beneath the waves along with their ship, Cavendish turned back toward the live camera with a perfectly serious expression:
"Friendly reminder to all potential participants: whether you're seeking to rescue someone or claim someone else's treasure..."
"Ahem, I retract that second part of my statement," he corrected himself quickly. "The important point is that you must honestly assess your own capabilities. In other words, you must know your limitations and act accordingly."
"Otherwise, not only will your efforts go unrewarded, but you may also pay an extremely painful price for your overconfidence."
As soon as Cavendish finished delivering this sobering warning, sparse but enthusiastic applause suddenly erupted from below.
Jerry cheered loudly from his fishing spot: "Excellent work! You're absolutely right—what we're trying to accomplish here is broadcasting positive energy to our viewers worldwide!"
The irony was unmistakable as Jerry praised their "positive energy" programming immediately after they had just broadcast the death of an entire pirate crew to a global audience. Yet somehow, in the twisted logic of the pirate world, this deadly entertainment seemed perfectly normal to everyone involved.
Their live broadcast continued, combining vacation atmosphere with lethal consequences in a way that only Jerry could manage to present as wholesome family entertainment.