The Visa Kingdom was considerably larger than Flevance in area.
Within its borders were three towns and over a dozen villages.
On a rural path, two villagers carrying bundles walked along.
One elderly man tilted his head back to take a swig of water, wiped the sweat from his forehead, then complained to his son beside him:
"The hoe's still in the field. Why drag me to the capital all of a sudden?"
"We're going to collect money, Dad."
The bandana-wearing son waved some banknotes excitedly, his face alight with enthusiasm.
"The King's gone mad or something, says he wants to test our loyalty. Anyone who reaches the capital today gets money! There's even some loyalty performance—whoever shows the most loyalty walks away with five million Belly!"
"Seriously?! That's free money!"
"Who knows? But a guard came to the village handing out cash this morning. No harm in checking it out—if it's real, we hit the jackpot."
"Stop dawdling, Dad. Let's rehearse our act. We'll have that bastard King weeping buckets when the time comes!"
...
"How should I perform?"
Madson adjusted his glasses nervously on the deck.
Since being kidnapped, he hadn't had a single good night's sleep.
After learning about Platinum Lead Disease, he'd been working tirelessly to find a cure.
Ten days later, not only had he grown a scruffy beard, but his hair had also become a tangled bird's nest.
"What you need to do now is clean yourself up. Looking like this, who'd believe you're a healthy man?"
"Right, right! I'll go do that now!"
Madson scratched his head and hurried toward the washroom.
Though he didn't understand what "putting on a show will solve everything" meant, Dier was his only hope now.
If it could cure the two children, he'd do whatever Dier said.
Shedding his disheveled appearance from recent days, he shaved, washed his hair, and pressed his white open-front medical coat.
Apart from the dense red veins in his eyes, he looked no different from ten days ago.
He patted his cheeks to perk himself up, then strode confidently back to the deck.
Apart from him and Dier, the deck was cluttered with miscellaneous items.
Two screens—one large, one small—two Den Den Mushi (also differing in size), a bathtub, and various other objects.
Dier sat cross-legged before the small Den Den Mushi, not turning his head as he asked:
"Let me ask you one last time—are you sure? If you appear now, even if you don't want to be a Pirate, you'll be labeled as one."
"Yes!"
Madson nodded firmly, his expression resolute.
"Being a Pirate is better than dying. Besides, I'm doing this to save more people!"
"Then let's begin."
Dier chuckled lightly, using telekinesis to activate the large Video Den Den Mushi. The two screens immediately displayed scenes from the Visa Kingdom and the Lia Kingdom.
A single large Video Den Den Mushi could simultaneously receive and project multiple video signals.
The Storm Petrel had two screens, while the Visa Kingdom's capital had three.
Across the crowded streets, three wooden platforms had been erected, each bearing a screen.
The left screen showed the Visa Kingdom's King and his ministers—faces familiar to the citizens.
The right screen displayed the Lia Kingdom's King and ministers.
"Both Kings are up there!"
"Didn't they say we'd get money for coming?"
"What's that middle screen for?"
"Probably the King of Flevance."
The scorching noon air carried a hint of humidity as people jostled shoulder-to-shoulder on the streets, oblivious to whether the droplets flying around were saliva or sweat.
They shouted loudly—some demanding money, while most were focused on the central screen. Who would appear on it?
Bzzz~
A faint electric hum sounded as the screen flickered to life.
The crowd craned their necks, curious about who could possibly share the spotlight between two kings.
"My name is Kali Dier, and I'm a hypnotist."
The teenager appearing onscreen left the spectators dumbfounded.
"Who's this guy?"
"He's lying in a bathtub during such an important occasion?"
"Is he the illegitimate son of Flevance's king?"
As a Den Den Mushi, it naturally transmitted sound. But with the streets in uproar, Dier aboard the Storm Petrel couldn't make out individual voices—not that he intended to listen anyway.
He gently stroked the water in his custom bathtub, forming a water orb that hovered around its rim. Flames and lightning manifested in sequence, trailing the orb's path.
"I wield the powers of flame, lightning, water, space, and time—and the sea doesn't reject me."
Extending his right arm, his hand seemed to vanish into another dimension. When withdrawn, it held an apple.
Crunch~
"This is spatial storage—the ability to store objects in a portable Storage Space. But my greatest power is Hypnosis."
With a light chuckle, he commanded:
"Visa, Law, bark like dogs."
"Woof woof~"
"Woof woof~"
The noisy streets fell deathly silent, leaving only the crisp sound of two kings barking.
Gulp—
Audible swallows rose from the crowd. Some stared at their monarchs in disbelief; others fixed their gaze on the screen with emotions ranging from shock to fear, even envy. Controlling national leaders so effortlessly was beyond their wildest imagination.
"Tear down that screen!!"
Loyalists bellowed, attempting to salvage their kings' dignity by destroying the display. Few responded. Both kings had terrible reputations—saving on Celestial Tribute didn't mean reduced taxes for citizens. Under exorbitant levies and draconian laws, most citizens relished seeing their rulers humiliated.
But Dier hadn't come solely to embarrass kings.
"Enough."
He reached into his "Storage Space" again, producing a banana.
"Now begins our main event: reading the charges."
"I'm Nogg, Visa Kingdom's finance minister. I embezzled..."
"I'm Boco, Visa Kingdom's military minister. Every day I..."
"I'm Visa, king of Visa Kingdom. All missing girls were sent to my..."
As each crime was listed, expressions morphed from stunned to ferocious, eyes burning with rage. They'd known their rulers were vile—just not this monstrous.
"Actually, there's one more thing—something even they don't know."
Dier's voice resumed as he beckoned Madson forward.
"Let this doctor from Flevance, Trafalgar, explain."
Madson took a deep breath, steadying his nerves.
He stepped forward in front of the camera as Dier casually took a peach from his "Storage Space" and handed it to him.
This wasn't in the script.
Madson, utterly confused, accepted the peach and stuffed it into his pocket before speaking softly to the camera:
"I am Trafalgar Madson, chief physician of Flevance's only hospital. I urge those with the means to record what I'm about to say, as it concerns the lives of many."
He pulled out recent examination images, pointing to the shadowed liver area:
"All of Flevance has been deceived! The equipment sold to us by outsiders is neutered versions that can't detect liver issues. I solemnly declare: Platinum Lead is toxic! The toxins accumulate in the liver and are passed down through generations! Based on my diagnosis, Platinum Lead Disease will erupt in about three years, plunging all of Flevance into suffering!"
"Not just Flevance - your Visa Kingdom and Lia Kingdom too. You've purchased massive amounts of Platinum Lead products due to geographical advantages. Anyone with prolonged exposure will contract Platinum Lead Disease - it's only a matter of when it manifests."
Madson turned to Dier with reverent eyes, "Mr. Kali Dier possesses the ability to treat Platinum Lead Disease. With his help, my family has been freed from Platinum Lead's grasp. But apart from Mr. Dier, I know of no other way to cure this disease. So please discard your Platinum Lead products and strive to find treatment methods."
With that, he stepped out of frame.
"Visa, Lia, and all those ministers - no resistance allowed." Dier narrowed his eyes and waved at the camera, "That's all folks, bye~"
Zzzzt—
The central screen turned off.
The kings in the side screens remained statue-still.
The crowd was briefly silent before erupting in uproar.
"Daughter! Throw away that Platinum Lead necklace!"
"Storm the palace! Kill that bastard king!"
"Out of my way! I'm going to Flevance! Platinum Lead prices will crash - perfect time to buy low!"
BANG!
A gunshot temporarily quelled the street chaos.
Uniformed peacekeepers arrived, sternly blocking street exits.
Their leader shouted through a megaphone: "We're here to maintain order only! Please disperse calmly to avoid stampedes!"
Under their direction, the crowd somewhat orderly cleared the streets.
An elderly man hesitated, then shambled toward the palace instead of going home. The peacekeepers ignored him - as stated, they were only maintaining order.
Following the old man's lead, more people marched toward the palace.
Similar scenes unfolded in Lia Kingdom.
News traveled faster than people. Soon, documents landed on the naval base commander's desk.
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