Alakazam's power made Iceburg realize for the first time that he had never truly escaped the watchful eyes of the World Government.
Although Alakazam could handle the agents in Water 7, he couldn't contend with the overarching ambitions of the World Government.
With his current abilities, unless he abandoned his grand vision for Water 7, he would have no choice but to live under the constant surveillance of the World Government, stripped of any real freedom.
The only thing Iceburg felt fortunate about was that Alakazam possessed the ability to erase memories—he could completely wipe the memory of the CP8 agent. This meant Iceburg wouldn't have to flee in haste after being exposed.
Watching as Alakazam erased the memory of the female secretary, Iceburg fell into deep thought.
Franky's two Pokémon were still newborns. Even though their potential far exceeded that of ordinary Pokémon, it would take at least a year for them to mature. According to the knowledge Iceburg had gained, Pokémon raised by trainers often become much stronger than others, unlocking greater potential.
At the time, he didn't give it too much thought. For Franky's future, he agreed to the trade without hesitation.
Now, two paths lay before him.
The first was to rely on Alakazam's power to disappear from the World Government's view. However, this would mean losing access to the resources of Water 7, and it would be impossible to continue with his dimensional transactions.
The second option was to pretend as though nothing had happened.
Without dwelling on it for long, Iceburg made his decision.
"It seems the focus of my work will shift more towards Franky from now on," he murmured to himself.
In the days ahead, he would hide the fact that he had become a dimensional trader, act as if nothing had changed, and continue managing Water 7. He would use its resources to help Franky grow stronger as quickly as possible—strong enough to become the "Man who pilots a Gundam," as Sir Leo had once called him. Only then would they be able to resist the World Government.
Until the World Government got their hands on the blueprints for Pluton, the two brothers would never have peace of mind.
——
Leo, meanwhile, was unaware of Iceburg's inner turmoil. However, with Alakazam personally protecting him, he wasn't worried about the safety of his valuable client. After all, when it came to escape, few could match the Alakazam species. Even if Kizaru, with his light-speed abilities, came after them, Alakazam could teleport away, leaving Kizaru with nothing to pursue.
Thus, despite the complex situation in Water 7, Leo didn't think much about it.
At this moment, he had arrived in a mysterious and fearsome region of the Grand Line's first half—the Devil's Triangle.
Leo's purpose in coming here was simple: he was seeking out Gecko Moria, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, who had been lurking here for years.
However, Leo wasn't here to make a deal with Moria.
After all, Moria had been holed up in this cursed sea for nearly a decade. Besides raiding the occasional ship that strayed into these waters, he had no real source of income. Leo hadn't come expecting anything worthwhile from Moria.
His real target was the Devil Fruit abilities of three members of the Moria Pirates.
With the New World on the horizon, Leo was looking to collect practical Devil Fruit abilities as trade goods, hoping they would fetch a price in other dimensions. The three abilities within Moria's crew were particularly eye-catching and seemed perfect for introducing to new markets.
And so, here he was.
"I hope copying their abilities doesn't cost me too many points," Leo mused with a smirk. "Otherwise, customers in other worlds might not get their money's worth!"
Chuckling, Leo's figure hovered briefly in midair before vanishing, entering the legendary Devil's Sea.
Thanks to his powerful perception, the fog surrounding the Devil's Sea posed no challenge. Before long, Leo spotted the massive, terrifying three-masted ship floating on the water.
It was clear—even though Moria's strength had waned, the sheer size of the ship, which resembled a floating island, was a testament to his former glory.
However...
Just as Leo was about to teleport to the ship, a few familiar figures entered his perception.
"Huh? What's Crocus still doing in this area?" Leo frowned.
The old man who had helped Leo earn his first fortune in the Grand Line had left quite the impression. Over six months had passed since then, and with the help of Noctowl, Crocus should have found Brook long ago.
"Well, copying the abilities won't take long. I might as well check in on an old client…"
With his curiosity piqued, Leo's form flickered, and he teleported in the direction of his perception.
...
Half an hour earlier, deep in the Devil's Sea.
A giant island whale was closely following the massive, terrifying ship.
This whale was none other than Laboon, who had once been guided by Leo's King Howler Whale and had waited 50 years at the entrance to the Grand Line.
At this moment, a lively and large-scale training session was underway on the island within Laboon's stomach.
"Prepare yourself, Noctowl!"
Lola, who had been "proposing," descended from the sky, brandishing a massive sword and slashing towards Noctowl hovering in midair. A green slash cut through the air, speeding towards the bird.
"Gu~"
However, Noctowl only chirped softly. Without even turning its head, it extended a wing, flapping it once and generating a powerful gust of wind.
In the blink of an eye, Noctowl transformed into a shadowy blur, dodging the attack. The slash continued to streak outward, crashing into the sea and creating massive waves.
At that moment, an older voice called out from behind Noctowl.
"Fire the harpoon!"
Crocus, muscles bulging, no longer looked like an old man. With immense power surging through him, he hurled a harpoon with missile-like speed toward Noctowl.
"Gu!"
Faced with the incoming harpoon, Noctowl's eyes widened in seriousness.
The wings spread wide and then swiftly folded inward, enveloping its entire body.
Move: Hold!
Bang!
The harpoon, flying at high speed, collided with Noctowl. A shockwave, like a fierce gust of wind, erupted in the air, scattering in all directions.
In the midst of the violent impact, a figure—so thin it seemed to be made of only bones—appeared. Despite the lightness of the figure, it landed on the island's beach without leaving even a trace.
If Leo were present, he would have instantly recognized this skeletal form. It was Brook, who had been reunited with Crocus and Laboon, but remained trapped in the Devil's Sea due to circumstances beyond his control.
At this moment, Brook had already drawn his sword cane, its tip cold with an icy aura, and pointed it at Noctowl.
"Night Song Slash!"
With a swift whoosh, a figure faster than the glint of cold steel flashed past Noctowl's body. However, despite his dramatic entrance, Brook suddenly stumbled, collapsing to the ground, his skull face digging into the dirt.
Yet, a smile appeared on his skeletal face as he muttered in surprise:
"Heh, heh... Noctowl's telepathy is still as remarkable as ever!"
Despite Brook's rude attack, none of the others on the island paused. They continued launching various assaults at Noctowl.
The entire island now resembled a battlefield, with the metallic clash of swords and the booming roar of guns firing from barrels.
This intense training match lasted nearly half an hour before it gradually drew to a close.
On the small island, the exhausted combatants dropped their weapons and collapsed, worn out. Meanwhile, the Noctowl calmly perched on the roof of a hut, preening its ruffled feathers.
After a moment, Lola asked in an urgent, expectant tone:
"Senior Crocus, quick… check if Noctowl has leveled up!"
"...Alright..."
The weary Crocus took out the Rotom phone strapped to his waist and pointed it at Noctowl.
In an instant, data about the Noctowl flashed across the screen:
[Pokémon: Noctowl]
[Type: Normal, Flying]
[Ability: Insomnia (always full of energy, will not close its eyes unless unconscious)]
[Level: 52]
Crocus couldn't help but show a hint of disappointment as he saw the Noctowl's level.
Under the group's eager gazes, he could only shake his head slowly and sigh:
"Alas..."
"It's still only level 52. It seems our current strength is far from enough to help Noctowl grow stronger quickly."
"What? How could that be?"
Lola's large, round face showed clear disappointment upon hearing Crocus' words.
For almost three months now, they had been training with Noctowl in emergency drills inside Laboon, at Crocus' urging. At the start of the special training, Noctowl's level had risen rapidly from level 35. Within just ten days, it had reached level 49.
But after that, Noctowl seemed to hit a bottleneck. It took over 20 days just to break through to level 50, and now, despite all their efforts, it had only barely reached level 52.
Though its strength was impressive, comparable to a Grand Line pirate with a 300 million beli bounty, they couldn't help but sigh when they thought of the monstrous power of Moria's subordinates.
Their frustration wasn't because Noctowl was weak, but rather because they felt powerless to make it stronger.
They knew Noctowl's slow progress wasn't due to its potential being maxed out. It was because they were too weak to push it to its limits and make it feel a sense of urgency, hindering its growth.
If things continued this way, they had no idea how long it would take before they could rely on Noctowl to defeat Moria and reclaim their shadows.
A wave of melancholy washed over everyone.
But just then...
A voice unfamiliar to most suddenly rang out from among the group:
"Hey, are you all just lying around sunbathing?"
"Huh?"
Crocus, deep in regret, froze when he heard the voice. Then, with a jolt, he quickly sat up and turned toward the source of the sound.
What he saw...
Was a good looking young man with a relaxed smile, shading his eyes with one hand as he gazed toward the fake sky, which was described only in stories.
Rubbing his eyes in disbelief, Crocus' face lit up with astonishment as he stammered:
"S-S-Sir Leo!?"
"Hey, Mr. Crocus, we meet again!"
Hearing Crocus' voice, Leo slowly shifted his gaze towards him and greeted him casually.
A spark of hope flashed in Crocus' tired eyes. He instantly leapt to his feet and, still incredulous, asked:
"Sir Leo, what brings you here?"
"Me?"
Leo smiled lightly.
"I was just looking for suitable trading partners in the area, and I happened to sense your presence, so I thought I'd stop by."
"It seems things aren't going too well for you, Mr. Crocus."
Leo glanced down at Crocus' feet, where his shadow should have been.
The shadow that once belonged to Crocus was now gone.
In this region of the sea, the one who can make shadows disappear is, without a doubt, the very person Leo is about to confront—Gecko Moria!
"Ah..."
Crocus gave a bitter smile.
"I must have made you laugh, Sir Leo."
"Despite your warning, I still carelessly fell into Moria's trap, and he took my shadow."
As he spoke, Crocus lowered his head, as if too ashamed to meet Leo's eyes. After all, before venturing into the Devil's Sea, Leo had thoroughly explained the dangers to him.
But while helping Brook retrieve his shadow, Crocus' compassion got the better of him, and he began aiding other victims aboard the Thriller Bark to reclaim their shadows as well. The commotion they caused eventually drew Moria's attention.
Though Crocus wasn't much of a fighter, he could have escaped from Moria's grasp. However, once Moria recognized him, he showed no mercy. Using his immense strength, bolstered by the shadow-controlled demon, Moria overpowered Crocus. In the end, even Crocus couldn't resist and had his shadow stolen.
---
"I see..."
After hearing Crocus' story, Leo couldn't help but feel slightly amused.
It was clear that Crocus lacked the protagonist's luck—Moria came at him full force, not giving him any chance to escape. At that time, Noctowl wasn't strong enough to offer any help, which only made the situation worse.
But...
As Leo scanned Crocus using the system's special ability, a sly grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. To his surprise, Crocus still possessed a considerable amount of wealth.
Although it was unclear why Crocus hadn't approached him earlier for a deal, now that the opportunity had presented itself, Leo had no qualms about taking advantage of Crocus' situation.
With a glint in his eye, Leo smiled and said:
"I'm truly sorry to hear about your misfortune, Mr. Crocus."
"However, I have a way to help both you and Noctowl grow stronger quickly, and it would only require a small price."
"So..."
Leo's smile widened as he continued, leaving everyone in stunned silence:
"Shall we make a deal, Mr. Crocus?"