The sudden voice interrupted the thoughts of everyone in the Whitebeard Pirates.
The captains immediately looked up, searching for the source of the voice in their heads.
Floating in mid-air above them was a man in a colorful casual shirt, sipping a lemon ice drink. He looked as if he was on vacation, only to be suddenly called back to work by his boss.
"What a surprising twist!"
The man muttered as he slowly descended, landing beside Whitebeard.
Without thinking, he took another sip of his drink, finishing it in one gulp.
Instantly, the captains of the Whitebeard Pirates tensed up, hands moving to their weapons as they eyed the mysterious man.
However…
The man seemed oblivious to their reactions, his gaze fixed on the rising flames and the agonized cries of Ace.
Marco, who had been about to rush to Ace's aid, halted in mid-air, staring at the man who had stopped him.
"Who are you?" Marco asked, confusion in his voice.
His instincts told him that this newcomer was no ordinary person.
And…
It was highly likely that he was here for Ace.
But if that were the case, why stop him from saving Ace? Marco's Phoenix flames had the power to heal most injuries, and as the ship's doctor, his reputation was well-earned.
The man, hearing Marco's question, finally seemed to notice him. Slowly, he shifted his gaze away from Ace to look at Marco and the others.
He offered a small, apologetic smile.
"My apologies. I was so focused on Ace that I didn't notice all of you."
He paused before introducing himself.
"I'm Leo Drago, a dimensional merchant. I received a distress signal from Ace and came to investigate."
He glanced around at the Whitebeard Pirates and added, "I'm sorry for the unannounced visit."
"What!? You're the Dimensional Merchant?!"
As soon as Leo finished speaking, the Whitebeard Pirates erupted in surprise.
Despite the miraculous events they had witnessed, the existence of dimensional merchants was still something beyond belief for most in the pirate world.
But for pirates in the New World, dimensional merchants and Pokémon were rare phenomena.
The captains were stunned. They never expected that the legendary Dimensional Merchant would appear before them so suddenly.
Even Whitebeard looked surprised.
After the encounter with Charizard, Whitebeard had only mentioned his interest in Pokémon in passing. Who would have thought that within minutes, a dimensional merchant would arrive?
But…
Whitebeard turned his gaze back to the distant flames, where Ace was still writhing in pain.
Could it be…
Had the merchant come all this way just for that brat?
Could it be...that he really was the person he suspected?
From the first moment he saw Ace, Whitebeard had noticed the resemblance to Roger. After a brief confrontation, Ace's character and strength only heightened this sense of familiarity.
Rumors had circulated after Roger's execution that he had left behind a "cursed bloodline."
All the signs pointed to this boy being Roger's ill-fated son.
But this was just a theory.
Regardless of Ace's connection to Roger, his actions today had certainly caught Whitebeard's attention.
…
"Aaagh!!!"
Ace's screams pierced the air once more, filled with unbearable pain.
Even Marco, who had fought Ace just moments ago, couldn't stand hearing it.
He quickly turned to Leo, his voice desperate.
"Mr. Dimensional Merchant, why won't you let me help Ace? He can't take much more of this!"
Marco was baffled. It was clear that Leo had come to save Ace, so why stop him from offering his own help?
"Don't worry, Marco."
This time, it was Whitebeard who answered.
He watched the flames with keen eyes and suddenly broke into a grin.
"I think the Dimensional Merchant is waiting for the boy's Conqueror Haki to awaken before stepping in."
"What?! Conqueror's Haki?"
Marco was stunned. His breath caught as he turned his gaze back to Ace.
"Does that kid have the same kingly potential as Dad?"
While Conqueror's Haki wasn't unheard of in the New World, the aura around this boy…
It was overwhelming.
Incredible strength, a mysterious Pokémon, the bearing of a ruler, and all at such a young age.
With all these qualities, Marco felt as if Ace were the protagonist of some fantastical story.
The only blemish might be his tragic backstory.
Meanwhile...
Leo nodded in response to Whitebeard's deduction, turning his focus back to Ace.
In truth...
Leo wasn't just waiting for Ace's Haki to awaken.
At that moment, Leo could clearly perceive a connection—an energy that intertwined between Ace and Charizard, stemming from their spirits and souls.
If Leo wasn't mistaken, this was the "power of bond" he had been anticipating for so long!
However, while this bond allowed Charizard to transfer its flame energy to Ace, there was no reciprocal energy flow from Ace to Charizard.
No…
It wasn't that there was no feedback; it was that the power Ace could give hadn't awakened yet!
If Leo's observations were correct, this bond had granted Ace Charizard's flame power.
What Ace could offer in return was his potential as a king—the Conqueror's Haki!
To complete the bond evolution, Ace and Charizard's spirits and bodies needed to synchronize completely.
Ace already possessed Charizard's flames.
But the Conqueror's Haki, representing Ace's spiritual power, was something Charizard from the Pokémon world didn't have.
Thus, the power of the bond was now working to awaken Ace's latent Haki.
Under Whitebeard's earlier influence, Ace's Haki was already on the verge of awakening—it just needed a little push.
But judging by Ace's current state, he didn't seem to realize this.
After all, how could someone on the brink of being consumed by flames think about anything else?
Of course...
Awakening Haki alone wouldn't suffice.
Ace would also need to use his Conqueror's Haki to subdue the raging flames within him!
Otherwise, even if Charizard completed the bond evolution, Ace would continue to suffer from the flames, which would contradict Leo's vision of Pokémon and trainers complementing each other.
Ace's Charizard was an extraordinary individual among its kind, its flames far more violent than those of a typical Charizard.
Though this fire had granted Charizard immense power, it had also placed a heavy burden on it.
Charizard, being a fire-type Pokémon, could tolerate this intense energy to some extent.
But Ace was different…
Let alone whether the worlds of pirates and Pokémon could coexist, the flame's power was far from gentle and yielding like the water energy of Ash's Greninja.
Only Ace could conquer this challenge.
Only by overcoming this fiery trial with his will could the first bond evolution in the pirate world be fully realized!
In any case, with Leo present, no matter how injured Ace became, he could be easily healed. There was no need to worry.
And...
If Leo missed witnessing the bond evolution, his efforts to cross worlds would be in vain.
"Come on, Ace! You can do it!"
Leo silently urged, anticipation rising within him.
...
...
Time passed slowly, each minute feeling like an eternity.
In what seemed like an instant, five minutes had elapsed since Ace was engulfed by the flames. But to Ace, these five minutes felt more like fleeting seconds.
Nearby, Charizard grew increasingly anxious, unable to control the flame energy radiating from its body. The more it worried for Ace, the stronger their bond became, intensifying the flames even further.
Under this relentless assault, Ace collapsed to his knees in agony, using both hands to steady himself and prevent a complete fall. He knew that if he fell now, he might never get up again.
It wasn't just the flames themselves that tormented him; it was the fact that they burned from within his body. The violent fire had grown even more restless upon entering the human body of Ace, surging as though it intended to consume everything in its path.
Though Ace was physically resilient, the sensation of being burned from the inside out made him cry out in primal, instinctual pain. Each scream seemed to slightly alleviate the agony, though the relief was fleeting.
Even more perplexing was the strange clarity of Ace's mind amidst the torment. Despite the overwhelming pain, he remained fully conscious, unable to escape into the oblivion of unconsciousness.
Suddenly, an electronic beeping interrupted the silence.
"Beep! Beep!!!"
Rotom, also braving the searing heat, called out to Ace in desperation:
"Ace! Ace! Sir Leo is here!"
"But he doesn't intend to help you immediately. He says this is an opportunity for you. If you can awaken your Conqueror's Haki while enduring these flames and use it to subdue the fire, then..." Rotom continued urgently, "You and Charizard will gain tremendous strength!"
"What?!"
Ace, struggling with the inferno, froze as Rotom's words sank in.
Could his Conqueror's Haki really suppress these flames?
For a brief moment, Ace felt like a fool. He had already figured out the key to this power, but in his desperation to ease Charizard's pain, he had completely forgotten about his own Haki.
Now, with Rotom's reminder, Ace focused all his energy.
The pain seemed to fuel him, and with a tremendous roar, Ace let out a mighty cry:
"Come forth!!!"
Boom!
Without any resistance, as if it was simply meant to be, Ace's Conqueror's Haki exploded outward, sweeping across the battlefield like a fierce wind or a whirlpool.
Wherever the Haki passed, the air itself seemed to combust, and rocks became brittle and charred.
Under the influence of Pokémon energy, Ace's Conqueror's Haki had undergone a strange transformation!
...
...
"Oh?"
Leo, observing the scene, suddenly looked surprised.
He hadn't anticipated that Pokémon energy could affect the Conqueror's Haki.
But was this unique to Ace and Charizard, or could all Conqueror's Haki be influenced by Pokémon energy?
As Ace's Haki erupted for the first time, it surged uncontrollably over the Whitebeard Pirates' captains. Although they were seasoned veterans who had faced Conqueror's Haki many times, Ace's was different.
Then...
"Ugh!..."
Several of the less powerful captains instantly felt the change, a burning sensation searing their souls, coupled with the usual dizziness from Conqueror's Haki.
Even Whitebeard wasn't immune; his expression tightened as his eyes glimmered with a hint of surprise.
"This is truly fascinating," Leo murmured with a soft smile, waving a hand to dispel the pain among the Whitebeard Pirates. His attention then shifted to Charizard.
With Ace's Haki now awakened, Charizard, strengthened by Ace's spirit, was ready for Bond Evolution.
As expected, Ace's Haki dissipated the flames surrounding them, revealing Ace and Charizard.
All at once, a brilliant white light enveloped Charizard.
In a daze, Charizard...
began to evolve once more!
Snap!
The light of evolution shattered, transforming into tiny stars that gradually faded into the sky.
In an instant, a newly evolved Charizard appeared before everyone.
Its skin, as though soaked in the fiercest flames, was now an even deeper red.
Perhaps due to a genetic influence, a third horn had sprouted on the back of Charizard's head. Unlike the Super Charizard Y, this horn was moderate in length, forming a crown-like shape that only added to its menacing appearance.
Charizard's neck and snout had shortened, while its arms had grown longer and thicker, and its legs had become more slender and agile, making it look like a creature born for battle.
In addition to the more intense flames at its tail, Charizard's fists now blazed with fierce fire.
These fists, cloaked in roaring flames, signaled that Charizard was not to be trifled with.
"ROAR!"
The newly evolved Charizard stood calmly, a stark contrast to its earlier ferocity. But if one looked closely, they could see that it was sharing Ace's pain, connecting deeply with him through their bond.
The two exchanged a glance and nodded in unison.
All at once, Conqueror's Haki, now infused with a burning aura, erupted simultaneously from Ace and Charizard, surging into Ace's body!
Under the force of this overwhelming spiritual power, the flames within Ace's body began to calm down. Although the burning sensation lingered, it was no longer unbearable.
"Hah..."
"Finally, it's over!"
Ace and Charizard collapsed to the ground, looking at each other with relieved smiles, both letting out a heavy sigh.
At that moment, Leo appeared before them in a flash.
With a wave of his hand, two healing energies flowed into Ace and Charizard, swiftly mending their injuries.
After healing both the man and the dragon, Leo offered a warm smile and asked:
"How do you two feel?"
(End of this chapter)