When Mihawk followed Dak into the house, he was visibly taken aback.
He glanced at Newgate, Jozu, and Vista standing to the left.
Then he looked at Sengoku, Tsuru, and Gion standing on the right.
He couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth slightly upwards, though it quickly settled back into a neutral expression.
Dak caught Mihawk's amused expression, feeling that Mihawk was stepping into strange territories.
Sengoku's arrival was beyond Dak's expectations.
When he went to invite Tsuru and Gion, not knowing their whereabouts, he had no choice but to head directly to the Marine Headquarters.
Then Sengoku learned about it and followed them to the Mystery Hatchery House.
Dak had underestimated Sengoku's interest in Pokémon, seemingly planning to make a significant impact during his term as Fleet Admiral.
The scene inside the Mystery Hatchery House was quite interesting.
Marines, pirates, and the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
And they were all pinnacle figures in their respective fields.
The most interesting aspect was the presence of old rivals Newgate and Sengoku, who had fought from the previous era into this one.
Just their standing there, without saying anything, and a few exchanges of glances were enough to make Dak feel the air in the house grow tense.
"Yo, isn't this the kid who had a big fight with that redhead on Roger's ship a couple of years ago? Seems like he's become quite the character now."
Newgate, of course, knew about Mihawk becoming one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Still, he continued to call Mihawk "kid," which Mihawk only responded to with a glance, ignoring him.
In terms of seniority, Newgate's title for Mihawk wasn't incorrect.
Roger and Newgate were contemporaries, as were Shanks and Mihawk. It's well known that Shanks was taken in by Roger and Rayleigh as a child, making Roger essentially Shanks' foster father.
Thus, by that logic, Newgate indeed ranked above Mihawk in seniority.
"Indeed, even you have set your sights on Pokémon, Hawkeye."
Sengoku obviously overthought things.
Mihawk couldn't be bothered with him, feeling Sengoku was a bit delusional, seeing every pirate as ambitious and aspiring to dominate the seas.
Bon Clay, watching from the sidelines, had a clearly excited expression, thrilled to meet so many top figures all at once.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please, this way."
Dak didn't allow the drama to continue but instead drew everyone's attention.
He crouched under a tree, pointing at the seven Pokémon eggs nestled together.
"When the eggs start glowing, it means the Pokémon are about to be born, within a day. We can judge the timing by the frequency of the glow. Right now, the frequency is very rapid, indicating they are about to hatch."
Dak's explanation gave everyone a better understanding.
They also looked down at their own eggs, which remained still.
Of course, they were unaware of the special effect of the breeding house's heat lamps, and Dak had no intention of explaining.
Dak gestured for Bon Clay and Darkrai to bring over the items they had prepared in advance.
"Firstly, although Pokémon are still in their infancy when they hatch, don't be fooled by their liveliness; they are quite sensitive to their surroundings. You'll need to prepare a warm environment and use a warm, damp towel to clean their bodies."
Dak pointed to a basin filled with warm water and towels on the ground, adding, "The temperature here is perfect for juvenile Pokémon to play, so there's no need to change the environment."
The crowd showed various reactions to this.
Newgate, Sengoku, and Mihawk, the three tough guys, clearly appeared troubled.
Tsuru and Gion, the women, found it normal, with Tsuru having experience in child-rearing herself.
Jozu and Vista, despite being big men, belonged to the type who were tough yet gentle, especially Jozu, who was actually a gentle and steady guy.
"Different types of Pokémon will show different characteristics and personalities after birth. Some are timid and cry easily, needing more comfort and companionship, while others are bold and lively, requiring close supervision to prevent them from wandering into danger."
Dak's words gave everyone an odd feeling.
It was as though they weren't raising some strange creature but nurturing a human child.
"Infancy in Pokémon passes quickly. For most Pokémon, this period won't last more than a month. After a month, they can begin training and will display potential and power that will astonish you."
Dak glanced at the glowing eggs, estimating the little ones were about to be born.
Hearing this, the others didn't react much, but Sengoku nodded, seemingly satisfied with the growth cycle.
Compared to humans, who need at least four to five years to begin formal training, Pokémon's growth rate was incredibly fast.
"Right after birth, you'll want to give them highly nutritious food. I've prepared Moomoo Milk here, produced by a Pokémon called Miltank, which is very nutritious and beneficial for infant development."
Dak bought the Moomoo Milk with Pokécoins from the Pokémon Store.
One Pokécoin could exchange for a bottle of Moomoo Milk, equivalent to 10,000 Belly per bottle, a luxury item.
But Dak didn't want to skimp on the kids, so he bit the bullet and spent half his savings to exchange for 100 bottles.
"Dak, we'll take a hundred bottles."
"Then the Marines will take a thousand."
"We, the Whitebeard Pirates, will take ten thousand!"
"Then the Marines—"
Dak watched, bemused, as Newgate and Sengoku suddenly became competitive, not expecting them to compare even in this aspect. "Moomoo Milk is expensive, 50,000 Belly per bottle. As for its nutritional value, you can take some back for your chefs to study."
Dak effortlessly quintupled the price of Moomoo Milk and didn't flinch.
He knew they would buy it regardless, and for them, this price was just chump change, even for Mihawk, which was merely the bounty of a pirate.
"No need to say more, we'll buy it."
"We will too."
"Give me a day."
As Dak expected, none hesitated or bargained.
"No worries, your Pokémon will need at least a week more to hatch. You can take your time preparing, but remember to send the Belly over in advance."
(End of Chapter)