"Mr. Doflamingo…" A flicker of amusement crossed Leo's eyes. Rather than acknowledge Doflamingo's flattery, he got straight to the point:
"Let's begin. It's time to make a deal."
Although Leo saw Doflamingo as a villain through and through, he had no qualms about making deals with people like him.
Even evil can be divided into two categories.
One type knows they are committing wrongs but will go to any lengths to achieve their goals. Leo didn't particularly dislike such people. As Doflamingo once said during the Paramount War, "Only the victor is just." No pioneer emerges unscathed by moral compromises. Those labeled as "evil" often carry that title simply because they have failed.
The slave trade and arms dealing wouldn't cease just because Doflamingo stopped. He merely filled that role in this era. If not him, someone else would have taken his place.
However, Leo left the resolution of "evil" in the pirate world to its own agents of "good." He had no desire to meddle in the historical sins of this world.
Of course, there was another kind of evil—the type that takes pleasure in the suffering of others. The Celestial Dragons were the perfect embodiment of this cruelty.
Leo detested those who lacked humanity, those who reveled in inflicting pain. Trading with such beings was out of the question.
He could deal with Doflamingo, Kaido, or Blackbeard, but he would never lower himself to trade with the mindless, inhumane Celestial Dragons. Allowing Pokémon to fall into their hands would be an insult to Leo as a "Dimensional Merchant."
——
Hearing Leo mention the deal, Doflamingo's pupils contracted, and the corners of his mouth curled into a grin.
"This will be a pleasure, Sir Leo."
"Fufufufu…"
As Doflamingo resumed his typically unruly demeanor, letting out his eerie laugh, Leo smiled and nodded.
"Then, Mr. Doflamingo, please choose the resources you'd like to redeem."
With a snap of his fingers, the transaction interface appeared in Doflamingo's mind.
As one of the underground emperors, Doflamingo controlled assets beyond what ordinary people could comprehend. Even compared to the Yonko of the New World, his resources were immense.
When faced with the endless wealth available for redemption, Doflamingo's grin widened.
With Kaido backing him, he had planned to invest in a new research institute focused on artificial Devil Fruits.
But after witnessing the Pokémon League Conference and seeing the contestants' incredible performances, he had only one thought:
Damn Kaido!
Damn artificial Devil Fruits!
This era belongs to Pokémon!
——
"Sir Leo, I've made my selection."
Ten minutes later, Doflamingo looked up, a sinister gleam flashing behind his red sunglasses.
He had spent a fortune.
From this day on, the weapons factories in Dressrosa would be shut down. Everything in the warehouses, along with the assembly lines, had been converted into points.
Doflamingo had not only redeemed everything he had accumulated over decades but also the rare research resources Kaido had given him. All of it was now points.
He had always been decisive. Before, there were no other options. But now, with an opportunity to rise even higher, Doflamingo didn't hesitate.
That's what it means to be a pirate!
Filled with excitement, he turned his attention back to Leo.
Leo, too, was thrilled. In a matter of moments, his point balance had surged from 3 million to 4 million!
Doflamingo had just exchanged resources worth approximately 100 billion beli!
While Leo had anticipated that Doflamingo, as an arms dealer, would be wealthier than Morgans, who sold newspapers, he hadn't expected this level of wealth.
Of course, Leo's actual point total was closer to 3.8 million, as 200,000 would be used for an upcoming transaction. But with hundreds of traders waiting in line, Leo was confident that gap would soon be filled.
——
"I never imagined Mr. Doflamingo would be so bold," Leo remarked with a smile, eyes gleaming with approval. With a wave of his hand, he materialized a Rotom Phone from the void.
A flash of white light transformed the Rotom Phone, fitting it with sunglasses identical to Doflamingo's. Even the surrounding design changed to mirror the pattern of a flamingo.
"This is your Rotom Phone. Please take care of it."
A flood of information entered Doflamingo's mind—transaction details and Pokémon data seamlessly integrated into his memory.
In an instant, Doflamingo understood everything about Pokémon and the trade system.
——
"What a fascinating method," Doflamingo mused, glancing down at the screen of his Rotom Phone. His personal profile appeared on the screen:
[Donquixote Doflamingo]
[VIP Level: 6]
[VIP Experience: 200,000/1,000,000]
[Current Points: 200,000]
——
"200,000 points!"
Doflamingo licked his lips in anticipation, knowing exactly how much power these points could unlock.
The most important thing now was converting those points into the strength he needed!
While 200,000 points were more than enough to acquire an exceptionally powerful Pokémon, he wasn't in a rush to spend them.
The true miracle of Pokémon wasn't just their abilities—it was their extraordinary capacity for growth!
A newborn Pokémon can take as little as a year to convert its natural talents into real power.
Thus, using points to directly exchange for strength is undoubtedly a highly efficient strategy.
Doflamingo understood this well, and he intended to use the 200,000 points he had wisely. After all, it wasn't as if he could easily gather another 200,000 points anytime soon.
"Sir Leo, I'm looking to acquire quite a few Pokémon, so I may need a bit of your time," Doflamingo said with a polite smile, his tone sincere.
"Oh?" Leo responded, his smile unchanged as he continued, "It's no trouble. Providing excellent service to every trader is the goal of us Dimensional Merchants."
With a customer of Doflamingo's caliber in front of him, the long queue of traders outside didn't seem to matter much anymore.
"Thank you, Sir Leo!" Doflamingo grinned knowingly before adding, "I'd like you to help me choose a suitable Pokémon, one that can utilize powerful methods like bond evolution, MEGA evolution, Z-moves, and Gigantamax, with a budget of 100,000 points."
"One Pokémon?" Leo smiled slightly.
"Mr. Doflamingo, instead of exchanging for just one Pokémon, I have a better proposal. Would you be interested?" Leo asked, his eyes glimmering with mystery.
"Hm?" Doflamingo raised an eyebrow in curiosity, his intrigue growing as he caught the hint of something special in Leo's expression.
"Please, enlighten me, Sir Leo," Doflamingo said, leaning in slightly.
Leo smiled and tapped his fingers lightly on the table, but instead of immediately providing a plan, he swiped his finger across the air. A new interface appeared in front of them, and Leo gestured toward it.
"Mr. Doflamingo, take a look. These are the battle rules for the second Pokémon League Conference, just finalized."
"I was planning to release them in three days, but given your significant transaction, I believe you should see them first."
"Oh?" Doflamingo's interest was piqued. He leaned closer, carefully reading the new rules of the upcoming conference.
The changes seemed minor at first glance—just a few adjustments and clarifications to the original rules. However, knowing Leo, Doflamingo suspected there was more beneath the surface.
His suspicions were confirmed when his eyes locked onto a particular line of text:
[Participation Requirement: Trainers must have two or more Pokémon.]
"Two Pokémon?" Doflamingo lifted his head in surprise, meeting Leo's knowing gaze. As the realization dawned on him, a light bulb went off in his mind.
"Sir Leo, does this mean that the second Pokémon League Conference will allow trainers to use two Pokémon simultaneously?" Doflamingo asked eagerly.
Leo smiled, not answering with words but offering a slow, confirming nod.
He elaborated, "The first conference was mainly to introduce the concept of Pokémon to the pirate world. Starting with the second, we want to showcase more of the limitless possibilities that Pokémon can offer."
"For this purpose, I've developed a new kind of power."
As Leo spoke, he extended his hand, and a glowing energy path formed in his palm.
"What's this?" Doflamingo asked, his curiosity deepening.
Leo's smile widened. "This is a new type of bond evolution, an enhancement I've developed based on the original concept."
"With this new bond evolution, a trainer can bond with and evolve two Pokémon simultaneously. Although it's still far from the ideal 'Trinity Evolution,' the power granted to the trainer from two bonded Pokémon is enough to unleash new potential in Pokémon battles."
"I'm confident that this power will soon spread across the seas."
"Gulp." Doflamingo swallowed hard, his eyes glued to the ball of energy in Leo's hand. His mind instantly flashed to the image of Ace, wrapped in flames, and the immense strength he had displayed after bonding with Charizard. The thought of bonding with two Pokémon was mind-blowing.
This was power beyond the limits of the world!
Doflamingo's hands trembled with excitement, and he couldn't resist asking, "Sir Leo, how many points would it cost to acquire the ability to evolve two Pokémon at once?"
"Five thousand," Leo replied calmly.
"Five thousand?" Doflamingo blinked, slightly taken aback.
"Yes," Leo nodded. "Five thousand points."
The price was ten times higher than the original bond evolution. But this was the first time Leo had introduced a power of this kind into the world, and the development costs needed to be covered.
Besides, Leo knew that even at this price, there would be plenty of people eager to thank him for it.
"This is way too cheap!" Doflamingo suddenly stood up, his eyes shining with fervor behind his red-tinted sunglasses as he stared at the new bond evolution.
For some, five thousand points might seem like a hefty sum. But for Doflamingo, who was planning to exchange for extremely powerful Pokémon, this ability was practically a steal!
Such immense power for only 5,000 points? Sir Leo was truly a businessman with integrity!
"Sir Leo, no need to say more! Please select two Pokémon for me—ones that can use all the powerful methods, including MEGA evolution, Gigantamax, and of course, this new bond evolution!" Doflamingo said with fervor.
"As for the budget, I'll leave that entirely up to your expert guidance."
At that moment, Doflamingo clenched his fists in anticipation, already planning his return to the New World.
Leo smiled and nodded, gesturing with a single finger. Instantly, a virtual screen appeared between him and Doflamingo.
"Mr. Doflamingo, take a look. I wonder if these two Pokémon might interest you?"
"Hm?" Doflamingo's eyes were immediately drawn to the content on the screen.
Displayed were two Pokémon with similar appearances. Their entire bodies were a deep purple, resembling Toxtricitys but standing upright like humans. One had a yellow belly, the other a blue one, with matching lightning-shaped markings on their heads.
"This is…"
[Pokémon: Toxtricity (Amped Form)]
[Gender: Male]
[Type: Electric, Poison]
[Ability: Punk Rock (Increases power of sound-based moves and protects from sound-based attacks)]
[Level: 65]
[Price: 30,000 points]
——
[Pokémon: Toxtricity (Low Key Form)]
[Gender: Female]
[Type: Electric, Poison]
[Ability: Punk Rock]
[Level: 65]
[Price: 30,000 points]
Doflamingo's gaze lingered on the two Pokémon, captivated by their appearance and potential.