(Please add it to your Library! Please send Power Stones! Thank you!)
"The legendary... Titan Pokémon?"
Staring at the three strange Pokémon displayed on the screen, the other three Elders' faces filled with contemplation.
Apart from the Dragon-type Regidrago, the appearances of Regirock and Registeel did seem less imposing compared to Entei and Raikou. They didn't exert the same kind of pressure.
However, remembering that these were Pokémon that even the dimensional merchant Leo had spoken highly of...
The Elders exchanged glances, nodding subtly to one another.
Saint Nusjuro stepped forward once more, representing the group. With his hair now restored, his demeanor lacked the invincible air he once carried.
"Sir Leo..." the ex-bald Elder bowed slightly, his voice filled with gratitude.
"Thank you, Sir Leo, for selecting such magnificent Pokémon for us. We are truly satisfied!"
"Please, bestow upon us these powerful, legendary treasures!"
With that, all of the Five Elders knelt down once more.
This time, Leo didn't bother stopping them.
'Just like some people in his previous life who knelt too long and could no longer stand up', he mused to himself.
'If you don't want to stand, then keep kneeling.'
Looking down at the Five Elders, Leo waved his hand and summoned five high-tier Pokéballs, each a different color, floating them over to the Elders.
As the Five Elders collected their Pokéballs, Leo's lips curled into a subtle smile. He accessed the system once again, this time selecting powerful battle techniques such as MEGA Evolution and Z-Moves for their consideration.
'Now that they've acquired such valuable Pokémon, it's only natural they'll want to purchase special abilities and accessories to maximize their potential.'
…
Half an hour later.
Leo, now substantially wealthier, floated above the skies of Mary Geoise.
Thanks to his mental barrier, no one below had noticed his presence in the sky.
However, this time, Leo, who had just completed another flawless transaction, didn't immediately leave for his next destination. Instead, he rose higher into the air, gazing at the shrinking Red Line beneath him. He murmured softly to himself:
"In this way, the balance of power between the World Government, the Revolutionary Army, and the various forces of the sea should finally stabilize. Although I couldn't sense the true ruler of this world, Imu, it's likely they possess a Devil Fruit ability. However, I have no idea what kind it could be—Devil Fruit powers are incredibly diverse. But it doesn't matter. Our encounter is inevitable. Sooner or later, we'll meet."
"Now I can turn my attention to other matters."
With that, a genuine smile spread across his face.
'One year and two months…'
It was neither a long nor a short time.
'After laying the groundwork, I've met almost everyone I wanted to meet in the world of pirates.'
Although the number of Pokémon Leo had introduced into the Pirate World was still small compared to the vastness of that world...
With time, the presence of Pokémon would change the very nature of the Pirate World.
In the coming months, the people of the Pirate World would gradually adapt to and accept this new reality.
Now, it was time for Leo to step back from the Pirate World and set his sights elsewhere.
"Let's see what kind of turbulent scenes lie beyond this world!"
With 5 million points at his disposal, Leo activated a mysterious power that enveloped his body completely.
In the next moment, the calm sky rippled mysteriously, and Leo's figure slowly disappeared into the void.
——
In the silent expanse of nothingness, countless worlds floated, each protected by their own world's power.
They gleamed like stars in this endless void.
But unlike stars, in this place, time stood still. Space was frozen in place as well.
Even the nothingness that constantly sought to devour these worlds and the world's power that fought back maintained a fragile balance, everything in a state of near-perfect stillness.
Here, the worlds were like chess pieces, and the vast nothingness was the board.
A single misstep, and the pieces would be swallowed by the endless void.
However...
Amidst this terrifying place, a figure strolled through the void as if it were his own garden.
"So this is what the scenery beyond the world looks like?"
It was as awe-inspiring as when humanity first gazed upon the stars.
Leo's heart was filled with excitement.
As he looked at the various worlds, some large, some small, some near, and some distant, shining like stars, his heart surged with emotion.
The moment he arrived in this void, memories that didn't exist before flowed into his mind, a result of the rules governing this space.
He instantly realized that he had, indeed, stepped outside the world.
And every glowing dot in his vision represented a new world.
In other words...
At this very moment, Leo had an entire universe of worlds laid out before him, ready to be explored!
However, the protective power he relied on had its limits.
Thus, Leo couldn't make selections without restrictions.
If the original power protecting him were to run out, he'd be forced to return to the pirate world, waiting to gather enough points before embarking on another search.
When Leo first left the pirate world, he carefully noted the scale of that world's power.
For his initial exploration of new worlds, his goal wasn't too ambitious—he simply wanted to find a world comparable in size to the pirate world.
After all, the larger the world, the more resources there are to collect!
However, along his journey, Leo encountered many different worlds, and few could match the pirate world in scope.
At one point, he even discovered a world centered around love.
Based on his observations, Leo suspected...
It was the world of the TV series '"Kaguya-sama: Love is War"', which he had once followed on Earth.
To be honest, had the world not been so small, teetering on the edge of being devoured by the void, Leo might have been tempted to visit Secretary Fujiwara.
Alas, he wasn't wealthy enough to indulge in such whims.
Making a mental note of its location, Leo quickly resumed his search for a suitable new world.
Though the vast void was dangerous, it also held beauty and wonder.
Before long, after leaving the world of 'Kaguya', Leo stumbled upon a new world that seemed perfect!
Even more surprising...
This world was actually larger than the pirate world!
That alone signified it held even more resources that could be converted into points.
Without a moment's hesitation, Leo, despite having plenty of original power left, immediately chose this world.
Channeling the original power, he shaped it into a sharp spear and plunged it into the new world.
Then, a voice from the new world reached his ears:
"Student Sawada Tsunayoshi scores 15 on his math test..."
"What?! Sawada Tsunayoshi?!"
Though he hadn't fully entered the new world, Leo's mind raced upon hearing that name!
Sawada Tsunayoshi—he was no stranger to that name!
Just like Luffy, Zoro, and other iconic characters, Sawada Tsunayoshi was the protagonist of a well-known world!
"Sawada Tsunayoshi... and a world larger than the pirate world..."
"If I'm right, this should be that world, right?!"
Leo's eyes lit up with excitement.
In an instant, the original power he wielded broke through the world's defenses, creating a man-sized opening in its protective barrier.
Without hesitation, while the world's attention was diverted, Leo transformed into a cat and swiftly dove into the new world!
"Wahahahaha! New world, here I come!"
But...
His elation was short-lived. A powerful oppressive force suddenly surrounded him from all directions, causing Leo's expression to change.
Feeling his strength rapidly weakening, Leo grew alarmed. The pressure, combined with the world's repulsive force, expelled him back into the void.
Back in the nothingness, Leo was left bewildered.
"What just happened?! Why is this world rejecting me? Is it draining my strength?"
Frustrated by his failed attempt, Leo used the remaining original power to query the system for answers.
What he learned left him displeased.
It turned out that because Leo had stayed in the pirate world for so long, his body and soul had been heavily imbued with the essence of that world. The new world recognized him as an outsider.
When a world identifies an external force, it has two options: eliminate it or allow it to assimilate with the world's essence.
The stronger the entity, the harder it is to adapt to the new world's aura.
Thus, after realizing it couldn't eliminate Leo outright, the new world tried to weaken his strength and offer him a residence qualification.
In other words, to operate in the new world, Leo would have to suppress his power, gradually recovering it at a rate the world could tolerate.
However...
While the new world seemed relatively peaceful in Leo's memory, it didn't mean it was free from danger.
Leo had no desire to take such a risk. If the new world targeted him, he might have to rely on the original power to defend himself.
That kind of consumption would be too high, making the endeavor more trouble than it was worth.
'Sigh...'
"As expected, moving freely between worlds isn't as easy as I imagined."
"Good thing I prepared for this!"
With that, Leo's confident smile returned.
Using his original power, he recorded the coordinates and anchor point of the new world, then, in the blink of an eye, he returned to the pirate world.
...
...
One day in the void felt like only a brief moment for Leo's consciousness.
But back in the pirate world, a whole month had unknowingly passed!
Clearly, the flow of time in each world differed greatly from that of the void.
As soon as Leo returned to the pirate world, his Rotom phone buzzed with a flood of messages.
"So, a month has gone by?"
Leo had already anticipated the difference in time between the pirate world and the void.
So, when he checked the time on Rotom, he wasn't surprised at all.
He casually began scrolling through the messages, reviewing the significant events that had occurred during the past month, arranged chronologically by Rotom:
— [Breaking News]: The World Government has announced the creation of a cabinet system. As of XX, XX, 1518, all world government affairs will be managed by the cabinet. The initial cabinet consists of 15 high-ranking officials, none of whom are Celestial Dragons. Although the Five Elders (Gorosei) will step down, they retain the authority to appoint or remove cabinet members.
— [Major Event]: The Donquixote Family of the Shichibukai waged a large-scale battle against the Beast Pirates, one of the Four Emperors' crews, in Wano Country. While most of Wano was destroyed, the final victor was none other than Donquixote Doflamingo! A new Yonko has emerged!
— [Bounty Announcement]: Bucky the Clown has officially joined the Revolutionary Army as captain of its Third Special Operations Unit. From now on, any territory oppressed by the Celestial Dragons or corrupt royal nobles can throw a bottle marked with a red nose into the sea, and the Revolutionary Army might come to their aid!
— [Pokémon League Champion]: The Champion of the Pokémon League tournament has arrived at Cake Island, stealing a large amount of supplies and escaping without a trace! The Four Emperors may soon become the laughingstock of the seas!
[...]
[...]
As Leo browsed through the messages, his eyebrows raised slightly.
The first news about the cabinet system was clearly a move by the Five Elders to conceal the fact that they had regained their youth and obtained access to dimensional trade.
After all, many of the Celestial Dragons were immensely wealthy. If they discovered that dimensional trading could restore youth, it would undoubtedly cause chaos among them.
More importantly...
The Five Elders likely feared that other Celestial Dragon families would try to challenge their authority by making their own desperate trades for youth or power.
Politics can be so dirty.
While the cabinet system appeared to give non-Celestial Dragons more say, the reality was that the Five Elders still retained firm control.
As for the second news, Leo wasn't at all surprised by Doflamingo's victory over Kaido.
Despite Kaido's reputation for being unbeatable, Leo knew better. Though Kaido appeared strong and intimidating, he wasn't invincible.
If Kaido were truly as powerful as the world believed, he wouldn't have needed to take advantage of the Marineford war between the Marines and Whitebeard to further his goals.
Besides, Kaido was only the strongest in single combat.
After becoming a Pokémon trainer, Doflamingo certainly wouldn't engage Kaido in a one-on-one fight. Instead, he would use his Salamence to deal with Kaido.
With MEGA Evolution, Z-Moves, Gigantamax, and a variety of powerful Pokémon at his disposal, Doflamingo had an overwhelming advantage in battle.
Victory was inevitable.
The third piece of news, regarding Bucky, caught Leo by surprise.
While he had guessed that Bucky might join the Revolutionary Army alongside Usopp, it seemed Bucky was now becoming a totemic figure within the organization.
Leo figured this newfound status had much to do with Bucky's previous run-in with the Celestial Dragons and the hefty 2.5 billion bounty placed on his head.
However, Leo—who knew the truth—was well aware that Bucky was merely the public face. It was actually Nami and Usopp who were the masterminds behind many of the Revolutionary Army's moves.
Who would have thought that by simply seizing a moment of opportunity, Bucky would now possess such immense influence?
It's hard to imagine that, in the future, there will be anything in this world beyond Bucky's reach…
——
Ps: The Five Elders Pokémon with their Yokai Form.