"What on earth happened here!?"
As Smoker, using the power of his Smoke Fruit, stealthily entered the central town, he walked through the streets with a perplexed look on his face. Without the distinctive uniforms and symbols of the revolutionary army, he was unaware that the Kingdom of Goa was under their occupation.
Fortunately, he was cautious enough to put on a simple disguise upon noticing suspicious ships appearing around the Kingdom of Goa. However, what Smoker was unaware of was that the Revolutionary Army soldiers had spotted him the moment he set foot in the central town.
What's more, before the Revolutionary Army soldiers could report his presence to their command center, Nami had already received Kuro's message on her Rotom phone.
"Colonel Smoker!?"
Upon hearing Nami's report, Sabo's eyebrows immediately raised in surprise. Although he had been in a coma previously, Koala's explanation helped him grasp the situation in the Kingdom of Goa quickly.
In particular, with his memories restored, his understanding of the current state of the country exceeded that of most of the Revolutionary Army's top leaders. Yet, the news of Smoker's arrival made him tense up.
"According to our information, Smoker should currently be on the Grand Line, participating in the Pokémon League Conference ranking battles..."
"Why has he suddenly shown up in the Kingdom of Goa?"
A troubling thought crossed Sabo's mind.
Could it be that the navy has already been monitoring the Revolutionary Army's recent activities? Could they have launched a blitz to prevent the World Government from learning about their operations?
The royal families and nobility, those in positions to contact the World Government, had already been killed or captured. Even Sabo's own parents and his adoptive brother perished in the conflict.
If that wasn't enough to buy the Revolutionary Army more time, then they were truly in a dire situation.
"Nami, I'm heading to confront Smoker right now..." Sabo steadied himself and turned to Nami.
"But in the meantime, I need you to immediately head to the port near the central town and secure Smoker's naval battleship! Ensure that they cannot report anything to the World Government!"
"I'll send reinforcements as quickly as possible..."
"If there's enough time, I may even need your help with Smoker!"
Nami and the dimensional merchant had arranged the trade for five days later. With the Revolutionary Army's current resources, including everything they seized from the Kingdom of Goa, they could obtain Pokémon capable of standing up to the navy's upper echelons.
As long as they could hold out for a few days, they no longer need to fear the might of the World Government!
"I'll make it happen!"
Nami's eyes sparkled as she took Pikachu's Poké Ball from her pocket, a mischievous smile spreading across her face.
"We didn't encounter any real opponents during the battle in the Kingdom of Goa."
"Let's hope Pikachu gets a worthy challenge today!"
"You're on it!"
Sabo nodded solemnly and immediately grabbed a Den Den Mushi to coordinate the Revolutionary Army.
——
Meanwhile, as Sabo coordinated with the Revolutionary Army…
Kuro, following Liepard, walked calmly up to Smoker.
——
Smoker, who had been surveying the area, suddenly stopped in his tracks. He raised his head to see the enigmatic figure approaching.
"Huh?"
A flicker of confusion crossed Smoker's face.
Having experienced countless battles, he instantly sensed a formidable aura emanating from Kuro. As Kuro approached, Smoker, with three cigars in his mouth, exhaled a thick cloud of smoke and murmured:
"This guy isn't just anyone..."
Kuro grinned slightly, taking a step forward.
"So, you're here, Colonel Smoker."
As he spoke, Kuro pulled out his Rotom phone from his pocket. Under Smoker's surprised gaze, Kuro invited him:
"Colonel Smoker, how about a ranking match?"
"A ranking match!"
Smoker was taken aback. Pulling out his Rotom phone, he saw Kuro's challenge invitation at the top of the screen.
Trainer Kuro, Black Iron rank, 0 wins.
He's really a trainer!
Seeing the opponent's details, a smile crept across Smoker's serious face, his demeanor suddenly more eager.
"Interesting! Very interesting indeed!"
He looked at Kuro and said,
"I didn't expect to meet another trainer here."
"Now, I'm actually glad that the higher-ups sent me here."
"So, what's your answer?" Kuro smiled softly.
"What's there to think about?" Smoker smirked.
"Of course, I accept!"
With a booming voice, he pressed the [Accept] button on his screen without hesitation. Taking out Gastly's Poké Ball, he laughed,
"Let's see what trainers in this world are capable of!"
"Come on out, Gastly!"
A flash of red light, and a round Pokémon wreathed in ghostly fire appeared before Smoker.
"Gas~"
The moment Gastly emerged, it began emitting a pungent odor, a byproduct of its Poison-type powers.
"A Gastly?"
Kuro, who had been a bit apprehensive about Smoker's strength, felt a wave of relief after seeing Gastly.
You see…
His Liepard is a Dark-type Pokémon, which has a natural advantage over Ghost-types!
Originally, Kuro feared that he'd be overwhelmed in this battle…
But it seems that he and Liepard might just hold their own for a while!
Filled with newfound confidence, Kuro quickly set the location of the match to a wilderness outside the city using his Rotom phone.
His plan from the start was to lure Smoker out of the city, away from observing the central town.
With the battleground set, the two men exchanged nods, an unspoken agreement to skip the usual banter before a battle.
Smoker's lower body suddenly dissolved into smoke, and with a loud *boom*, he rocketed skyward, headed for the battlefield.
Gastly followed close behind. Though it lacked Smoker's propulsion, its floating ability allowed it to keep pace.
"So this is a Logia-type fruit user. How convenient~"
Kuro chuckled, mounted Liepard, and patted its back.
"Let's go, Liepard. We won't let them beat us..."
"Nyaro!"
——
A cold wind rustled the dry leaves.
As autumn set in, not only did the clouds seem higher and the sunlight fainter, but even the air carried a hint of melancholy. This oppressive atmosphere mirrored the current state of the Goa Kingdom, which was experiencing the dryness of autumn and anticipating the harshness of winter. However, ultimately, the promise of a spring rebirth awaited.
Smoker dissipated the smoke around him, returning to his human form. Behind him, a swift figure ran through the forest with abandon, nearly matching the speed of his flight. Smoker's lips curled into a slight smile. "No wonder he dared to challenge me; this opponent isn't to be taken lightly."
Suddenly, a purple silhouette appeared among the trees. Kuro gracefully dismounted from Liepard in mid-air, landing with ease. The moment he touched the ground, a voice alert rang out from the Rotoms in Kuro and Smoker's mobile phones:
[Beep! The system detects that both combatants have reached the designated battle location. Begin the ranking match now?]
"Start!" they both shouted in unison, their competitive spirits ignited.
[Ding!]
Upon receiving the command, both Rotoms swiftly flew from their hands. They ascended high into the air, joining back to back and spinning rapidly. Instantly, a circular light strip extended from the two Rotoms across a one-kilometer radius on the ground.
The Rotoms announced in tandem:
[The battle area has been confirmed!]
[Combatants, please remain within the designated zone.]
[Based on your rankings, the battle range is set to a radius of 1KM with no height restrictions.]
[Qualifying match: Black Iron Rank Kuro vs. Black Iron Rank Smoker...]
[The battle has officially begun!]
Bang! With a sound like a starting pistol, Kuro launched the first attack.
"Liepard, use Sand Attack!"
With a natural-type and a ghost-type Pokémon on the field, physical attacks would have no effect on either. Kuro's initial strategy was to ensure his attacks could actually hit the opponent.
A sudden cloud of sand appeared and flew toward Gastly and Smoker, obscuring their vision. Smoker, aware that Sand Attack caused no physical harm, stood his ground. As the sand swept across him, he remained unfazed.
Kuro's voice came from beyond the sandstorm: "Liepard, use Hone Claws!"
"Ku~" An eerie light shimmered around Liepard's limbs. It's already razor-sharp claws became enveloped in dark energy.
Hone Claws, a dark-type buffing skill, briefly enhanced Liepard's claws with an evil aura. This power increased both the sharpness and accuracy of its claws, allowing Liepard to use regular physical attacks to effectively hit even ghost-type Pokémon.
"This way, even ghosts can't withstand Liepard's attacks!" Kuro smirked. As a savvy trainer, he devised this combination the moment he saw Gastly. First, he used Sand Attack to create an opening, then activated Hone Claws to empower his Pokémon strikes. With the dark energy infused in its claws, Gastly couldn't avoid the hits.
"Liepard, use Fury Swipes!"
Kuro, showing no mercy, commanded another attack. Knowing he held the advantage, he wasn't about to let Smoker recover. In this real-time battle, there was no taking turns for moves. From Smoker's uncertain expression, Kuro could tell he lacked experience in commanding Pokémon. He needed to press the advantage while he could.
"What!?" Smoker, startled by the sudden assault, quickly called out: "Gastly, dodge!"
Unfortunately, Smoker's bond with Gastly was weak, and the ghost Pokémon hesitated. Combined with Liepard's agility, Gastly couldn't evade in time.
"Ku!" Liepard's sharp claws cut through the air, leaving a trail of eerie light before landing on Gastly. Despite Gastly's immunity to normal attacks, the evil-infused claws still managed to do significant damage.
"Gastly!" Gastly cried out in pain, its hoarse voice echoing.
"Gastly!" Concern filled Smoker's eyes. He hadn't anticipated the opponent's Pokémon being able to hurt Gastly right from the start. Realizing his mistake, Smoker blew a cloud of smoke, wielding his Jitte and aiming it at Liepard.
"Get out of there!"
Unlike Smoker, Kuro and Liepard shared a deep connection. Before Kuro even finished his command, Liepard seemed to anticipate it. It leaped off Gastly's body, evading Smoker's attack effortlessly.
"Such quick reflexes!" Smoker was taken aback and quickly discarded his previous underestimation. He had thought his Pokémon would give him an edge, but this trainer's skills were exceptional. Smoker recognized the gap in their abilities, but the ranked match wasn't solely about Pokémon battling.
Observing Kuro preparing another command, Smoker abruptly slammed his Jitte into the ground.
Boom! The earth trembled from the impact, cracks spreading towards Liepard. Smoker grinned: "Gastly, get up! Show them what you're made of!"
Thick white smoke erupted from Smoker's body, quickly enveloping the area in a dense fog. While Kuro excelled at Pokémon commands, Smoker's physical prowess was far superior. The smokescreen disrupted Kuro and Liepard's vision. Smoker, aiming to train Gastly, didn't strike immediately but instead instructed:
"Gastly, use Payback!"
Gastly, enduring the pain, floated up and used the smoke as a guide to locate Liepard. Payback, a dark-type physical attack, doubled its power when used after taking damage.
Gastly opened its mouth, sharp fangs bared. A wave of dark energy surged towards Liepard, still blinded by the smoke. The sudden impact sent Liepard reeling, and as the smoke cleared, Kuro saw his Pokémon under attack.
"Liepard!" Kuro shouted, concern evident in his voice. Luckily, Gastly's level wasn't much higher than Liepard's, and the damage inflicted was less severe than anticipated.
"Huh!?" Kuro noticed Liepard's sly expression and was taken aback. Then, with a feigned look of panic, Kuro exclaimed: "Liepard! Liepard! Are you okay!?" Liepard staggered slightly, playing along as if it were gravely injured, a pained sound escaping its throat.
(End of this chapter)