To avoid drawing unnecessary attention, Leo specifically pixelated the images of the Straw Hat Pirates.
In Kalifa's eyes, they now appeared like pixelated characters from a video game, causing havoc on Enies Lobby.
As time passed, Kalifa finally recognized a familiar figure. It was the only member of the original Straw Hat Pirates that Leo hadn't pixelated—Nico Robin, the "Devil's Child."
Robin, who had just won a spectacular battle, was now reunited with her resurrected mother in the player's lounge.
Seeing Robin captured and brought to justice, Kalifa felt no doubt; instead, she became even more convinced that this was a vision of the future.
After all, Robin's unique identity, combined with the resurrection of the famous archaeologist Olvia, made it impossible for the World Government to allow such individuals to continue existing on the seas.
It wasn't hard to imagine what fate would await Robin and her mother once Olvia's resurrection was reported to the World Government.
As Kalifa pondered, the vision continued to unfold rapidly.
But as the Straw Hat Pirates advanced, Kalifa couldn't help but feel a growing sense of unease.
This unidentified group first breached the gates of Enies Lobby, then burned the World Government's flag, and finally defeated the CP9 elite agents one by one in the Tower of Justice!
Amidst the thunderous gunfire, Enies Lobby was reduced to ruins, swallowed by the dust of history.
"L-Lucci, he was defeated!?"
Seeing the figure she had admired since her training days fall with a broken arm, Kalifa's heart trembled.
With disbelief written all over her face, she asked herself:
"Who are they!? Are they the Revolutionary Army!? Could it be that the Revolutionary Army will have the power to challenge the World Government in two years?"
One question after another flooded Kalifa's mind.
But without answers, her confusion only deepened.
However...
The illusion Leo had crafted gave her little time to think.
The scene shifted once more.
All of CP9 had been defeated, and Enies Lobby lay in ruins.
This was a rare and catastrophic event in World Government history—a major political stronghold breached.
But what enraged Kalifa even more was...
After regaining consciousness, Spandam, the head of CP9, blamed the entire incident on his subordinates, using "incompetence" as an excuse to request the World Government to eliminate all CP9 members!
The World Government's response was even more astonishing...
They began hunting down Kalifa and the others solely based on Spandam's words.
Watching herself and her comrades, battered and wounded, desperately trying to escape the World Government's pursuit, Kalifa couldn't help but clench her fists.
The once-proud CP9 agents, the world's top espionage operatives, were being betrayed and hunted down for such absurd and ridiculous reasons.
Their lifelong dedication and service were trampled on as if they were nothing more than a joke.
The illusion ended there.
As her vision cleared, Kalifa's consciousness returned to reality.
But now, her heart was entirely different from just a few minutes ago.
"World Government..."
Kalifa muttered, hatred flickering in her eyes, fully immersed in the future self she had witnessed in the illusion.
Seeing this, Leo's lips curled into a subtle smile, and a glint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes, as if his evil scheme had succeeded.
In the illusion, he had deliberately added a touch of superpower during CP9's downfall, ensuring that Kalifa felt the sting of betrayal by the World Government.
It seemed that this beautiful blonde had been successfully swayed to his side!
Leo's thoughts flickered briefly before he coughed slightly, snapping Kalifa out of her daze. He then gave her a slightly sympathetic look.
"So, after seeing the future, do you still choose to serve such a World Government?"
Leo asked in a gentle, persuasive tone.
His gaze was like that of someone seeing a rare gem, yet helplessly watching it sink into the mud.
Kalifa didn't need to be told...
She could sense it—
The World Government, in the eyes of the Dimensional Merchant, was nothing but a filthy mud pit!
"I..."
Kalifa's chest heaved, as if she were struggling internally.
After a moment, she suddenly raised her head, her charming eyes behind her glasses now cold and resolute.
Kalifa looked at Leo with a complex expression and asked in a near-whisper:
"Sir Leo, I want to know—will this truly be the future?"
"Absolutely."
Leo gave a firm reply.
Even though the future was bound to change due to his presence, he wasn't lying.
Because that was indeed a scenario that could unfold in the pirate world's future—
In another parallel world where he didn't exist.
"Hah..."
Kalifa took a deep breath once more.
In truth, she didn't need Leo's confirmation—she already knew the answer deep down.
With her keen intuition, she understood better than anyone that neither Spandam nor the World Government would hesitate to do what she had seen in the illusion.
And with the Dimensional Merchant's repeated assurances...
Kalifa had come to believe that in the future, the World Government would abandon their loyal agents based on the baseless words of a useless man.
"Damn it!"
At that moment, Kalifa wanted nothing more than to return to Enies Lobby and punch her worthless boss in the face.
Unfortunately...
If she did, the scenario she had just witnessed would likely come to pass even sooner.
She clenched her fists and raised her head with resolve.
"Sir Leo, am I now qualified to trade with you?"
She asked, her tone filled with determination.
Leo responded with a light nod. A faint smile appeared in his usually calm eyes as he said:
"Of course, Miss Kalifa."
"You are recognized by me, and regardless of time, place, or identity, you are qualified to engage in dimensional transactions."
Leo's words reignited Kalifa's spirit.
She stepped forward with gratitude, channeling her newfound hatred for the World Government into a powerful resolve.
"Thank you, sir, for your recognition!"
She puffed out her chest and declared:
"Please, sir, conduct a dimensional trade with me!"
"I want to become a trainer!!!"
"Haha, a wise decision~" Leo chuckled with satisfaction.
With a wave of his hand, the points exchange system was projected into Kalifa's mind.
As a profound sense of understanding filled her, there was no need for Leo to explain much. Kalifa instantly grasped how to use the system and the rules of trading within her mind.
Despite her appearance of always being alone, Kalifa actually had considerable savings.
Officially, she was the assistant secretary to the mayor of Water 7, helping Iceburg manage the entire city for five years.
Water 7 never lacked funds, and the wages and benefits provided to its employees were top-notch. With Kalifa's exceptional skills, she had accumulated more than 300 million Beli in the past five years alone.
And in secret, as the top agent of the World Government, although she didn't receive a salary, the funds and resources she could access were substantial!
She couldn't precisely gauge the value of these resources.
But at the very least, they far exceeded her official earnings over the past five years!
However, in a single thought, Kalifa instantly converted all of this into points, depositing them into her system account.
After all, it was the World Government's money, so she felt no pain in spending it!
When Kalifa closed the trading system in her mind and opened her eyes again, she suddenly noticed a strange creature with the same color as her hair floating in front of her.
She knew, from her time following Robin, that this creature was called Rotom, a special Pokémon that could only be obtained after accumulating over 2,000 points and becoming a VIP Level 2 member of the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce.
"Congratulations, Miss Kalifa."
Snap!
Leo suddenly snapped his fingers and smiled. "You are now a VIP Level 2 member of the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce. Please, take your Rotom phone."
"Thank you, Sir Leo!" Kalifa responded politely, reaching out to grasp the Rotom phone.
On the dimly lit screen, her personal information was displayed:
[Kalifa]
[VIP Level: 2]
[VIP Experience: 2200/10000]
[Current Points: 2200]
"2200 points?!" Kalifa's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Given the exchange rate of 500,000 Berries per point, those 2,200 points were equivalent to 1.1 billion Berries! In other words, one thought of hers had just cost the World Government 700-800 million Berries!
A mischievous smile broke out on Kalifa's face as she realized this. She felt a strange sense of satisfaction—using the World Government's own resources to further her goals brought her genuine joy.
The immense authority granted to her by the World Government had initially been something she felt grateful for. But now, a plan called "Backstab" quietly began to form in her mind.
The World Government likely still believed that Kalifa was their loyal top agent, unaware that she had glimpsed into the future. This trust could now be exploited—she could channel vast amounts of resources and funds from the World Government to strengthen herself. What could be better than using your enemy's money to empower yourself? And if she could convince others like Lucci and Jabra to join her in betraying the World Government, it would be even sweeter.
Thousands of thoughts raced through Kalifa's mind. But what she was most eager to discover was what kind of Pokémon she would receive.
As if reading her thoughts, Leo smiled knowingly when Kalifa turned her gaze toward him. This time, Kalifa didn't feel panicked but instead matched Leo's gaze with a meaningful expression of her own.
"Please, Sir Leo, help me choose a Pokémon that suits me," Kalifa requested with newfound confidence. Becoming a member of the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce had given her a new sense of purpose, and even Leo, with his godlike powers, now seemed like a benevolent figure in her eyes.
"A Pokémon that suits you…" Leo mused with a soft smile. With a wave of his hand, he summoned a virtual screen, projecting it in front of Kalifa.
"I wonder if Miss Kalifa will like this Pokémon?" Leo asked.
On the screen appeared an image of a fluffy Pokémon, its body covered in wool. Beside it was a display of its attributes:
[Pokémon: Mareep]
[Type: Electric]
[Ability: Static (Contact with the Pokémon may cause paralysis in the attacker. The chance depends on the relative strength of the Pokémon involved.)]
[Level: 12]
[Price: 2000 Points]
Leo had already discerned that Kalifa's favorite animal was sheep, so he had carefully selected this sheep Pokémon for her. He was confident that Kalifa, with her love for sheep, wouldn't refuse such an offer.
"A sheep?" Kalifa's heart skipped a beat as she saw the furry Pokémon on the screen. A flicker of joy lit up her eyes. After a brief moment of contemplation, she made up her mind.
"I want this Pokémon, Sir Leo!" she declared.
The fluffy, woolly appearance of the Mareep had instantly won her over. But as a pragmatist, Kalifa wouldn't make such an important decision based on looks alone.
Over the past few days, she had gathered considerable information about dimensional transactions from Robin and other trainers on nuS Island. She knew that the greater the difference between price and level, the more extraordinary the Pokémon's potential.
Under normal circumstances, 2,000 points could purchase a Pokémon with average talent at around Level 40. But for this Mareep to be priced at 2,000 points while only at Level 12 spoke volumes about its exceptional talent.
Kalifa felt a sense of gratitude toward Leo. She understood from her research that dimensional merchants didn't just hand over gifted Pokémon to anyone. This was a sign of Leo's appreciation for her!
Leo, who had once again read Kalifa's thoughts, smiled softly. Although she had guessed much of it, he still took the time to explain.
"Mareep, a common Pokémon in the Pokémon world, is often found on farms or in power plants, used for producing wool, milk, and electricity. While extensive domestication has made it rare for Mareep to possess combat talent…"
"This Mareep is an exception," Leo continued. "With its potential, and given enough resources, it can grow to Level 80, capable of matching the strength of an Admiral from the Navy Headquarters."
Leo's enticing words echoed in Kalifa's mind. Already convinced, she now felt an overwhelming eagerness, knowing that her Mareep could eventually reach Admiral-level combat prowess.
Without a moment's hesitation, Kalifa stepped forward. "No need to say more, Sir Leo. Let's proceed with the transaction!" she urged eagerly.
(End of this chapter)