Inside Gu Feng's office.
As the soaring music faded and the cheers of the pirates in Loguetown's square ebbed, the promo CG drew to a close. Yet everyone who'd watched it felt their chest still thundering—like those last roars from the square itself.
Li Jing stood there for several seconds, breathing deep before she turned to Gu Feng. Shock was written all over her face.
It was only a promotional CG, and yet the amount of information packed in was insane. Short as it was, she could feel the sweep of the Pirate King Roger's life through the screen—culminating in a death that kicked open the gates to a brand-new era.
Even as someone who didn't usually go for hot-blooded, fist-pumping stories, Li Jing felt it: the charisma, the weight, the pull.
She turned back to the monitor. With the screen now black, the comment feed was a tidal surge.
[ Damn it, it's just a promo CG, so why am I crying? ]
[ Which bastard lured me in here to KILL me with feelings? Is this the new trend?? ]
[ Who understands the pain of a middle-aged dude eating skewers, laughing one second, then bawling the next? ]
[ This Great Voyage Age is addictive! ]
[ Right? It's only a trailer but I'm ready to punch the sky! ]
At first, the comments stuck to the video itself. Then they started drilling into the lore.
[ Guys, did you catch God Valley? Roger (not Pirate King yet) plus Vice Admiral Garp vs. Rocks' "invincible fleet" with young Whitebeard, Big Mom, Kaido, Golden Lion and more—AND THEY WON?? ]
[ Anybody from Kaka's stream last night? You know how heavy the "Four Emperors" title is. ]
[ So Rocks' crew had three future Emperors on it?? ]
[ And there were monsters like Golden Lion too… Roger + Garp still broke them? ]
[ Who's this Garp guy exactly? ]
[ Whoever he is, I'm worshiping Pirate King Roger now. That life… that's how you make waves. ]
[ After Roger turned himself in, Golden Lion stormed Marine HQ over it. I'm crying at that madman, ugh… ]
The flood of text didn't slow; you could feel the collective shock and heat radiating off the screen.
Meanwhile—
Because she'd streamed all night and only crashed at dawn—then got up to handle a few partnership details with Haifeng—Kaka had only just woken.
First thing, she signed for a delivery: the immersion pod she'd dropped over a million on that morning. Compared to a VR headset, a pod didn't just boost immersion; it handled nutrients and sleep.
She'd watched a test once: no outside help, the guy stayed submerged a full week. With someone refilling the nutrient tanks, he lasted three months—and quit only because he'd literally run out of game to play.
Sold. Kaka smashed that order button. This afternoon, HaiDong Express hauled the pod right to her door; the manufacturer even threw in a three-month supply of nutrient packs.
After checking everything over, Kaka nodded, satisfied. Decision made: once she went live tonight, no logging off for a week. Time to truly explore that ocean.
Her phone pinged—the official Great Voyage Age alert she'd set up. Kaka tapped it and watched the new promo CG.
By the time it ended, the girl's eyes were shining. Unlike most viewers, she'd actually been there. One day aboard the Red Hair Pirates; every little moment still warm in her mind.
It was hard to put into words. On that ship, it felt like home. Beautiful faces or ugly mugs, ordinary or eccentric—every one of them felt like family.
She remembered last night. The bald underboss's fear, carved into her bones. The instant her "family" was threatened, the Red Hair Pirates finally revealed who they really were. Ben Beckman, Shanks… all of them, standing like a wall and telling her in that unshakable way:
"Don't be scared, Kaka. We're strong—and we're with you."
Watching the CG now, the Roger Pirates radiated that same feeling.
"…Them…"
Kaka wiped her eyes and popped open the comment overlay. Words exploded across the screen, covering half the video itself.
In that scrolling blizzard, one line snagged her gaze:
[ Guys, why does the kid in a straw hat under the scaffold look so familiar? And what's with that red hair? ]
Kaka scrubbed back a second, then froze. In a single frame: a slender boy under a straw hat—with red hair.
"Shanks?"
Her eyes flew wide. Viewers might hesitate, but she didn't. That was Shanks.
But… why was Shanks at Roger's execution? And the red-nosed clownish kid beside him—who was that?
Puzzled and burning with curiosity, Kaka closed the CG. She shot Li Jing a quick "OK" text—yes, she'd seen the game's potential loud and clear—then did a quick tidy.
She slid into the pod, eyes drifting shut as her consciousness sank.
Her vision bloomed with light.
The second stream—goes live!
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