บท 66: An underlying Scheme
Of course, John's bold WeChat post was bound to drive some players away from One Piece. But John wasn't targeting real players who were there to enjoy the game. Instead, he knew that One Piece's unforgiving world wouldn't appeal to everyone, especially to those who just wanted to create drama.
This reaction was something John had anticipated. Not all players could handle the harsh and often brutal rules of One Piece World. For those who preferred to complain rather than adapt, the game was nothing short of a nightmare. Unless they were extremely lucky—Ouhuang types who stumbled upon Devil Fruits—they'd need to grind endlessly to become strong or invest real money to buy powerful items. It was the difference between players who put in hard work (known as Liver Emperor players) and the whales (Shenhao players) who paid to win.
For players who didn't want to invest either effort or money, the game's competitive environment wasn't going to be kind. And for those who couldn't take it, leaving early was probably for the best, sparing everyone more trouble down the line. Casual players, however, were still able to enjoy the game without these worries.
But John wasn't done. A single WeChat post would only hurt those game companies' reputations with the players, though not by much—considering their reputations were already in tatters. John decided to step things up and give them a more direct warning.
"Since you claim so confidently that I'm rigging things from the background, let's see if I can prove you right," John muttered, a mischievous glint in his eye.
With that, he returned to One Piece World.
Back in One Piece World
Certain players, sailing on the open sea, shivered suddenly as though a dark and terrible presence had descended upon them.
"Hehe, sailing on the sea?" John mused. "Easy. Let's have a little chat with the Sea Kings."
The unlucky players John had marked found themselves face-to-face with a massive Sea King that surged from the deep. With a mighty snap of its jaws, it swallowed their ship whole, players and all.
"Oh, spending time outdoors during a thunderstorm?" John laughed. "Didn't learn physics? Allow me to teach you."
A flash of lightning struck from the heavens, and the number of players online decreased by one.
"Basking in the sun, are you?" John said mockingly.
A stray flowerpot, somehow defying logic and probability, toppled from a nearby ledge and smashed onto an unsuspecting player's head, knocking them out instantly.
"Walking peacefully down the street? Not on my watch!" John declared.
An invisible pit, dug at just the right spot to escape notice, sent another player plummeting to their doom.
John orchestrated these "accidents" with godlike precision, dispatching troublemakers with creative, yet plausible, deaths. He was like a divine trickster, manipulating every detail of One Piece World to make his point. After all, this was his creation, and he relished the role of puppet master.
Reactions in the Real World
"Daily tomb sweeping… wait, what?! Did John actually come online?!"
"Did he finally remember his WeChat password?" one fan joked.
"What does this mean? Why does it feel like John is pissed off?" another wondered.
Fans who followed John's posts religiously quickly picked up on the situation. Some were confused, but those who understood the drama filled others in.
"Hiss~ He's going head-to-head with them!"
"Wow, John is taking on those greedy game companies directly!"
Even though John's WeChat rant seemed aimed at a select few troublemakers, it was clear to everyone that he was taking a shot at the exploitative game companies backing these players.
"With all due respect, if One Piece is considered a pay-to-win game, then no game in this world isn't about making money. Well, except for John's Second World games," one player defended.
"Wait, isn't this game perfect for part-timers?" someone chimed in. "I work three jobs in the city every day in-game. I already made back what I invested, and now it's pure profit. I'm having a blast."
"I'm just playing it as a fishing simulator," another player added. "Except for the weird-looking fish, it's as realistic as fishing in my backyard. How did he design it so well?"
"Hold on, you have a mountain at home?" someone else replied, surprised.
"You guys are amazing. I'm different," a player interjected. "I started dating someone in-game. Hehehe."
"???" others responded in disbelief.
"You can date in this game?"
"Of course! John's design is incredible. When I first met Feifei, she had this unique charm. I tried my luck, and to my surprise, it worked! Check out our wedding photo [attached.jpg]."
Sand sculpture netizens zoomed in on the photo, and the comment section immediately exploded.
"WTF?!" ×999+
In the picture, a blonde-haired, brown-eyed woman in an extravagant dress, dripping with jewels, stood next to the player. She wore an affectionate smile and had her arm linked around his, leaning in close. The height difference made the couple look adorable, but… something was off.
Anyone who looked at the photo couldn't think of it as a typical couple. It screamed something else: was this… a sugar grandma?!
"Just wait, I'll reach the peak of my life in two years!" the player boasted.
"You're a legend!" someone praised. "Total respect, man!"
"Hiss~ You can actually find a rich woman in this game?! Give me a guide!"
"Add me, I'll share tips for a fee," someone joked.
"Damn, even here you find business opportunities? Count me in!"
"Stop talking, guys. I'm logging in to find my rich lady!"
The comment section suddenly emptied as players rushed back into the game. Half of them were off to try their luck.
In a Secret Meeting Room
In the real-world headquarters of Second World, five ordinary-looking executives gathered around a table. One of them slammed his palm down hard, making the cups on the table jump.
"That little punk! How dare he!" spat the older man who slammed the table. He used to go by Harold Shepherd but was now known as Luke Dillon. He was the largest shareholder of Dillon Entertainment, one of the top five game companies in the virtual market.
"Do we have any evidence?" another man asked, sounding resigned.
Their faces soured even more. Reports had come in about massive player deaths in One Piece World, and they had initially been amused, ready to mock John for it. But the details…
"What? Killed by Sea Kings? Struck by lightning? Taken out by a flowerpot? Fell into a pit?" they repeated, dumbfounded.
"Hmph! Even without evidence, it's obvious he's behind it! How else do you explain all those deaths happening at the same time?" Luke Dillon argued.
"And seriously… what kind of flowerpot kills someone with Devil Fruit powers?!"
They had invested heavily in the game, buying Devil Fruits for their elite players. Now, their anger was palpable.
"But there's no proof," another man, with a square face, grumbled.
True, they had no concrete evidence. John's control over the game world was absolute. He didn't need to go through any backend system, making their accusations difficult to substantiate.
"How do you fight a god in his own world?" they wondered.
It seemed that dealing with John was going to be harder than they'd ever anticipated.
A/N: Thanks for reading, donate some power stones for extra chapters.
Also check out my Patreon if you want extra chapters up to chapter 91: Patreon.com/AncestorX
Enjoy ✌️.
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