"Ohhh!"
As soon as Breloom and Vigoroth quickly got back up, they instantly drew cheers from the audience.
Especially from the area where the Whitebeard Pirates were gathered—over a thousand people howled together, immediately energizing the entire stadium.
Everyone loved the excitement, especially during an event like this and in the festive atmosphere. No one held back their voices.
This also made the audiences from other arenas curious about what was happening here that was so thrilling.
Even the shinobi from Konoha couldn't help but feel excited and thrilled by the scene and the atmosphere, and they didn't even care anymore whether the tactics in the Pokémon battle were "dirty" or not.
Just go for it!
"Breloom, use Worry Seed!"
"Vigoroth, use Dig!"
Worry Seed made the Pokémon on the field unable to enter sleep status, effectively countering Snorlax's moves like Yawn and Rest, which also meant it countered Snorlax using Sleep Talk.
It was a highly targeted move against Snorlax.
Vigoroth's Dig was also clever. Heavy Pokémon with short legs like Snorlax and Kangaskhan would easily lose balance if the ground under their feet shifted.
Marco might have been a bit overzealous earlier, but that didn't mean he didn't know how to use his brain.
Certainly, the existence of Pokémon in the maritime world and the ninja world had only been around for a short time compared to the long history in the Pokémon world.
However, there was one thing that trainers in the Pokémon world couldn't compare to.
And that was that Pokémon trainers in the Pokémon world were ordinary people who had never fought personally, while many trainers in the maritime world and the ninja world had a wealth of combat experience.
Applying their experience to command their Pokémon often produced unexpected results, even exploring battle directions that trainers in the Pokémon world had never considered.
If one day the original Pokémon world was connected...
It would be hard to say which trainers were stronger by then.
Trainers in the Pokémon world would have to face trainers from multiple worlds and countless battle styles.
Plus, Pokémon that had eaten Devil Fruits, learned ninjutsu, or had mastered Haki and other bizarre abilities.
Perhaps, by then, it would be these worlds overwhelming the original Pokémon world.
"We can't just sit and wait either! Snorlax, use Fling on Kangaskhan!"
Saul immediately responded.
He had Snorlax use the move Fling on its partner.
Fling typically threw a held item as a weapon, but Saul found a new use for it.
This was no longer simply a battle between trainers.
It was a battle between a former Vice Admiral and a former Emperor's right-hand man!
It was a matter of honor between the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Snorlax!"
Snorlax held Kangaskhan in both hands, spun around 360 degrees, and threw it into the air.
"Kangaskhan, use Stomp!"
A Ground-type move like Stomp was already formidable by itself, but now it was coming from above.
The power of this move would surely be devastating.
"This could be trouble—Breloom, use Protect! Vigoroth, quickly jump out of the ground!"
Marco's eyelids twitched.
With Kangaskhan's impact, it was practically like a meteor falling—it was terrifying.
Breloom moved its hands, and an invisible, translucent shield quickly enveloped it.
The move Protect could block an opponent's attack, with the first use being nearly 100% successful, but subsequent successful uses would significantly reduce the success rate.
Vigoroth also jumped out of the ground immediately. It moved swiftly and successfully leaped out before Kangaskhan landed.
Boom!
Kangaskhan hit the ground, kicking up a huge cloud of dust, making the entire ground seem to shake.
When the dust settled, a large pit appeared in the middle of what was once a flat battlefield, though fortunately, the battlefield was large, so the pit was not a major issue.
"That was over the top..."
"His command level is better than I thought. I underestimated him."
"I didn't know there was such a battle style."
"It didn't change the fundamental direct confrontation; it just made the fighting more flexible."
The exchange between Marco and Saul startled the Konoha shinobi.
According to their mindset, they would try to avoid head-on clashes as much as possible, so they never considered that Pokémon could cooperate to launch such an attack.
Their thinking was more about using different moves to weaken the two large Pokémon, draining their stamina, and using their speed advantage to end the battle slowly.
As long as they could win, that was all that mattered.
The process wasn't important.
However, to many people in the maritime world, a battle should be fought head-on, and facing each other directly was the most exhilarating form of confrontation.
"Vigoroth, use Quick Attack and then Fury Swipes on Snorlax!"
"Breloom, use Agility to get closer to Snorlax from the side."
Marco had decided to focus on Snorlax first.
As a top fighter on the seas, even though he had lost his strength, he still had a keen eye.
He immediately saw that Snorlax's movements were more sluggish compared to Kangaskhan, likely due to a lack of combat experience or its own fighting style.
In any case, it made more sense to take out such a Pokémon first before dealing with Kangaskhan.
"Snorlax, use Block!"
Saul understood Marco's intent and decided to use it to his advantage.
He had Snorlax abandon evasion and attack, using Block to prevent Vigoroth from escaping while attempting a close-range attack.
In the blink of an eye, Vigoroth's attack landed.
Countless white claws slashed across Snorlax's front, dealing significant damage.
"Snorlax!"
After tanking the blow, Snorlax reached out and tightly hugged Vigoroth.
At this point, no matter how much Vigoroth struggled, it couldn't escape Snorlax's grasp.
"Breloom, use Low Kick!"
The Fighting-type move Low Kick dealt greater damage the heavier the opponent, making it a perfect counter to heavy Pokémon like Snorlax.
"Breloom!"
Breloom moved incredibly quickly and swept Snorlax's legs, knocking it heavily to the ground.
"Snorlax..."
Snorlax let out a pained cry, its face clearly showing discomfort.
But even after falling to the ground, it still held onto Vigoroth without letting go.
By this time, Kangaskhan had already closed in.
"Kangaskhan, use Headbutt on Vigoroth! Snorlax, use Crunch!"
Saul had been waiting for this opportunity.
Now that Vigoroth was restrained, Kangaskhan and Snorlax simultaneously attacked Vigoroth.
With such close-range attacks from both sides, Vigoroth's eyes rolled back, nearly fainting, but it could still faintly hear Marco's voice.
"Vigoroth, use Counter on Snorlax!"
Marco knew Vigoroth couldn't hold on much longer, so he decided to have Vigoroth take down one opponent before being defeated. "Breloom, use Vital Throw on Kangaskhan!"
"Kangaskhan, use Double Hit on Vigoroth!"
Saul wasn't about to let Marco have his way.
Snorlax was still lying on the ground and couldn't dodge Vigoroth's attack.
"Breloom."
Unfortunately, things didn't go Saul's way. Breloom, being the fastest on the field, managed to hit Kangaskhan before it could use its move, leaving Kangaskhan paralyzed and unable to execute Double Hit.
Meanwhile, Vigoroth's final move was already in progress—it struck Snorlax's head with a chopping motion.
The move Counter didn't just return the damage from Crunch but also included the damage from Kangaskhan's Headbutt.
However, after delivering this move, Vigoroth also fainted, its eyes turning into swirls as it fell to the ground.
"Snorlax!"
Snorlax howled in pain, unable to hold on, and lost the ability to fight alongside Vigoroth.
With one Pokémon down on each side, the battle wasn't over yet.
Currently, Breloom was in better condition, while Kangaskhan was still paralyzed.
"This is troublesome."
Saul's expression turned grim.
Kangaskhan wasn't just slow but also a "stationary turret" type—high health, strong attack, and good defense.
However, its weakness was that its entire move set was purely offensive; it had no status or defensive moves.
Against a swift, tricky opponent like Breloom, which also had a type advantage, Kangaskhan was at a huge disadvantage.
This was why Saul had Kangaskhan try to stop Vigoroth earlier.
Because once Snorlax was out, Kangaskhan would be at a disadvantage.
He had hoped that Kangaskhan and Snorlax's attacks would take down Vigoroth, but who would have thought it would retaliate with Counter and take Snorlax down as well.
"One-on-one—we've never lost."
Marco grinned confidently. "Breloom, give it a dose of Poison Powder!"
Breloom wasn't only fast with strong melee abilities; it also had a wide variety of disruptive moves, making it a very annoying Pokémon in one-on-one battles.
Marco hadn't used them earlier, not out of fairness, but because Vigoroth was still in play.
Paralysis Powder and Poison Powder would have also affected Vigoroth, and Paralysis was too dangerous for the agile Vigoroth, which was why Breloom couldn't go all out.
Especially...
The trait of the Whitebeard Pirates' Breloom was Effect Spore, which had a 30% chance of inflicting Paralysis, Poison, or Sleep status on contact.
And since it had used Worry Seed earlier, it would be either Paralysis or Poison status.
The field was overwhelmingly advantageous for Breloom.
"Kangaskhan, use Focus Energy."
Saul had no other options left at this point.
He could only gather strength and prepare to take down Breloom in one blow.
With Kangaskhan's strength, there was still a chance of taking down Breloom in two or three hits, depending on whether Breloom would give it that chance.
The Poison Powder drifted down from the sky, and Kangaskhan inevitably inhaled it, adding Poison to the existing Paralysis status.
"Stop struggling—the battle is over."
Marco pointed with his hand. "Breloom, hit it with a Brick Break!"
"Breloom."
Breloom pursed its lips, leaped forward, and rapidly approached Kangaskhan, its claws shining with a cold, cutting light.
"If that's the case, then hit it—Hakoku: Hammer Arm!"
Saul decided to abandon movement speed altogether.
A Fighting-type move like Hammer Arm couldn't normally be learned by Kangaskhan—it could only acquire it as an inherited move.
Its power was immense, but using it reduced its movement speed.
Saul had decided to go all-in.
As for the prefix "Hakoku," it was a technique exclusive to giants.
The giants of Elbaf knew various types of "guns"—Hajrudin's Hero Gun, Dorry and Brogy's Hakoku Sovereignty, Charlotte Linlin's Ikoku Sovereignty... all were forms of the "Giant's Gun."
Apparently, Kangaskhan, under Saul's guidance, had learned the true essence of the giants.
This move was definitely far more powerful than the usual Hammer Arm.
"Roar."
Kangaskhan's hand shone with a dazzling white light as it swung it towards Breloom in front of it.
With the boost from Focus Energy, if this hit were a critical strike, it might have taken down Breloom in one shot!
"Haha, impressive—dodge it!"
Marco knew about the giants' guns.
After all, the Whitebeard Pirates had a little Oars who was a giant and knew similar moves. Their power was terrifying, and even Jozu had difficulty defending against them.
Therefore, Marco had Breloom abandon its attack and instead dodge.
At this point, Breloom had already reached Kangaskhan and was in the middle of a punch. Normally, it wouldn't make it in time.
But the Breloom of the maritime world was different.
"Breloom."
A green light flashed in Breloom's eyes, and it performed a somersault in mid-air, nimbly dodging.
"Observation Haki!"
Saul clenched his fist, seeing the reason for Breloom's dodge.
He hadn't expected Breloom to be so powerful as to have even mastered Observation Haki. Perhaps it was fitting for a member of the Whitebeard Pirates.
"It's over!"
Marco grinned, making a confident gesture. "Brick Break!"
Breloom landed, twisted, and delivered a chop at Kangaskhan.
"It's over."
Saul sighed.
Even if Breloom's move didn't knock out Kangaskhan directly, in its current state, Kangaskhan had no chance of winning.
Their first battle had ended in defeat.
(End of Chapter)
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