Chapter 22

Tamarisk, a port city in Alabasta, is a major city known as the Eastern Port and is one of Alabasta's three main ports.

A girl in a loose cloak carefully walked through a dark alley. There was a tall man in a cloak. The man removed his hood, revealing golden curly hair and a serious face.

The girl also removed her hood, letting her long blue hair fall freely over her shoulders.

She complained:

"Truly... I can hardly recognize Alabasta. Igaram, is there a way to pass the identity check?"

The two wanted to board a cargo ship and cross the Sandora River to reach Rainbase, but they didn't have Identity Cards. Alabasta's essence was etched in their words and actions. If they claimed to be outsiders, absolutely no one would believe them, but if they said they were from Alabasta, how could they not have any identifying information?

Igaram thought for a moment and said:

"His Royal Highness, His Majesty the King issued an order for a population census and created something called Identity Cards. We cannot reveal our identities. Therefore, Identity Cards are certainly unavailable to us, but temporary identifications can be obtained. Their period of use is short, but it will suffice for us."

Vivi pulled out a mobile phone and opened the Toutiao app.

"According to news reports, Crocodile has been silent for several months... What on earth is he planning? He clearly had big ambitions when my father was on the throne... Now we can expose him as planned." Evidence of crimes is needed.

"Your Majesty, now that His Majesty the King is occupied with developing all of Alabasta, we can only rely on ourselves for this matter... Even if it's difficult... I've already contacted Baroque Works. It seems they are very short on people. We'll just join them. We can definitely find evidence of Crocodile's schemes!" Igaram suggested.

The two of them left the alley and headed towards a fortress. After they departed, a young man in a blue shirt emerged from the shadows. It was Ezekiel , who was concerned for Vivi's safety and had finally found her. Pell stepped out from behind him, saying with some embarrassment:

"Your Majesty, I'm not very skilled in reconnaissance tasks, and I still have municipal work to do. It took a long time to locate the princess."

Ezekiel nodded. It was true that Pell was handling too much, but the four members of the Tsumegeiri unit were not suited for such work, Chaka bore a heavier burden, and the old King Cobra was responsible for a new project. During the construction of the thousand-kilometer "River of Life," there was no one left idle.

"It seems it's time to recruit some talents... Not just for reconnaissance, but also people who can venture out to sea."

He carefully considered the individuals who, in the original manga, could be regarded as talents and who still had a chance to be recruited, finding that there were not that many after all.

The emperors are among them. Although, in the end, the Royal Family of Alabasta does not wish to become traitors to the Celestial Dragons. However, it would not be difficult for Ezekiel to gain their recognition, much like Luffy did.

There's also "Knight of the Sea" Jinbe, who should currently be a member of the Shichibukai, and before he meets Luffy, Ezekiel has a very high chance of finding and recruiting him.

......

"Your Majesty, aren't you going to catch up with her?" Pell asked.

Pell clearly understood that Ezekiel 's strength was incomparable, even to that of a Marine Admiral. Of course, he would not be afraid of Crocodile, but he did not intend to bring Vivi back, which somewhat surprised Pell.

"She has reached the age where she should live her own life. One day, she will meet someone to whom she can entrust her life."

In reality, Ezekiel did not want to ruin Vivi's meeting with Luffy, which was indeed a good experience for her.

But Ezekiel and Pell came to Tamarisk not just because of Vivi, but because there appeared some suspicious signs of mobile phone sales there.

And this was something Ezekiel could not miss in Alabasta; it was produced by the World Government!

They approached a recently opened shop somewhere in the port and saw something that looked almost exactly like a mobile phone, but Will wasn't sure if it could be classified as such. He had already mentally prepared himself for the possibility that the mobile phone could be copied. However, due to the Grand Line's magnetic field and climate, he assumed it wouldn't be so quick.

But the scene before him greatly surprised him. One could say that the World Government had put a lot of effort into this; otherwise, such a thing could not have appeared in this place at this time.

Even before Ezekiel entered, the vendor opened the doors.

"Sir, are you interested in a mobile phone? This is a new mobile phone developed by the World Government's Department of Research and Development, which can provide communication over a certain distance. The price is only 3,000 Berries plus 150 Berries per month!"

Ezekiel was surprised.

"And what is the communication range?" he asked sharply.

The smile on the vendor's face grew wider, and he coughed:

"It can probably reach a distance of 30 kilometers... But, you know, 30 kilometers in the city is more than sufficient."

That's an extremely limited communication range.

"Does it support news and forums?"

"Yes, and it's even more powerful than a mobile phone produced in Alabasta."

The vendor opened the mobile phone in a familiar way. It wasn't a color screen or an ordinary black-and-white screen, but a monotone low-color display. It had news and even photographs—something that Ezekiel's phone couldn't do yet.

However, the Forum was a very unfortunate copy, so the vendors didn't focus on it. This Forum only allowed communication between people within a 30-kilometer radius...

Then Ezekiel was partially reassured.

There's no doubt that even with the World Government's scientific and technological resources, scientists claiming to have surpassed the world's scientific research capabilities by 500 years still cannot replicate his mobile phone, at least not in a short period.

But the World Government is clearly working on it, although it might not have any connection to the Marines.