[Number of online members in the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce: 520]
[480 VIP Level 0, 28 VIP Level 1, 9 VIP Level 2, 3 VIP Level 3, 0 VIP Level 4 traders...]
[Pokémon League Conference participants: 8]
[Current Rankings:
NO.1 Jeralk, 5 Black Iron points;
NO.2 Gandili, 4 Black Iron points;
NO.3 Larji, 3 Black Iron points;
...
NO.6 Monkey D. Garp, 1 Black Iron point;
NO.7 Joffrey Laurent, 0 Black Iron points;
NO.8 Portgas D. Ace, 0 Black Iron points.]
...
As Leo reviewed the summary report compiled by Rotom on the screen, a genuine smile spread across his face.
After more than two months in this world, he had finally secured a firm foothold in the world of pirates.
Not only had he established a reputation with his Pokémon, but he also now had the ability to defend himself!
Sitting atop the Wailord, watching the waves spread out beneath him, Leo elegantly raised a glass of Moomoo Milk from the Pokémon world and took a sip.
Thanks to the recent trades, his powers had reached an unimaginable level, both in terms of psychic and aura abilities.
By his own standards for Pokémon levels, the energy within him had reached level 100.
Even Garp, known as the strongest in the pirate world, only tested at level 90 according to Rotom's analysis.
Admirals Aokiji and Akainu were at levels 86 and 88, respectively.
Aside from the still-unseen Five Elders and Imu, whose strength remained unknown...
Reaching level 100 gave Leo the confidence to explore the world with ease.
All of this was due to the wealthy merchants from the East Blue, who had an obsession with Pokémon and were willing to trade all their wealth. Without them, Leo wouldn't have amassed enough points to equip himself.
However...
While his strength issue was resolved, a new problem had emerged.
...
"So... who should I choose?"
Leo, seated on Wailord's head hundreds of meters above the sea, admired the rough waves below while immersing his consciousness into the system.
This time, however, he wasn't focusing on the Pokémon interface or the special abilities menu...
But rather, a feature he had never tried before—the Human Exchange Interface.
As he prepared to head to the Grand Line to unlock a new map, a crucial question naturally arose...
Who should manage the traders in the East Blue?
The Grand Line was undoubtedly more competitive, with stronger players and greater trading opportunities.
But the vast expanse of the East Blue meant there were also many traders there.
Leo couldn't yet traverse the world freely, nor could he create a perfect clone.
The best course of action was to exchange suitable helpers from the system to maintain transactions in the East Blue.
As the gentle sea breeze brushed against the psychic shield, a series of coveted characters flashed before Leo's eyes—characters like the expensive Cynthia and Lorelei.
Then, he considered the familiar faces of Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny.
Though he was tempted by the allure of these twins, he knew now wasn't the time for such a choice.
His current priority was to maintain the banner of the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce and make transactions smoother by instilling awe in the world.
The characters he had just seen were too virtuous, with limited capacity for deceit, which could lead to mishaps during trades.
Thus, the most suitable assistants for Leo now were villains.
The Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce was akin to a fledgling shell company.
The corporate culture and direction were established.
Promotional slogans and promises were in place.
All that remained was to recruit employees who fit the company's needs.
"Why mess around and risk ruining everything?"
Leo muttered, eyes landing on a familiar group of villains from the Pokémon world.
Team Rocket!
After some deliberation, Leo decided that recruiting them was the wisest choice given his current situation.
In a system where Nurse Joy cost 10,000 points, James was 5,000 points, Jessie 3,000, and Meowth 1,000...
The Team Rocket trio, totaling just 9,000 points, was the most cost-effective and valuable workforce.
Additionally, this would be Leo's first time redeeming human characters. Curious about their perception of him in the Pokémon world, he decided to proceed.
"Alright... it's settled!"
Once decided, Leo opened the system and pressed three buttons in succession.
In an instant, two figures and a bipedal cat appeared before him.
A slender man with short blue hair, a strong woman with long red hair, and a cat Pokémon with a gold coin on its head.
This well-known trio of villains had been brought from nothingness by Leo into the pirate world.
"Where... where are we?" the trio slowly opened their eyes.
But before they could take in their surroundings, a stream of information from the system flooded their minds.
In mere moments, they understood their situation.
"The Pokémon world... is frozen!?" James' eyes widened in disbelief.
Jessie and Meowth, however, quickly grasped the situation. After exchanging glances, they knelt on one knee before Leo.
James, after a moment's hesitation, followed suit, bowing his head.
This was their customary gesture of loyalty to Team Rocket's boss, Giovanni.
Meowth, as the group's spokesperson, was the first to speak:
"Thank you, Lord Leo, for giving new life to the Pokémon world!"
"James, Jessie, and Meowth are at your service!"
"Hmm..."
Their display of loyalty took Leo by surprise.
He hadn't expected the characters redeemed from the system to be so effective!
Thanks to his psychic abilities, Leo could sense their genuine thoughts—they truly saw him as a savior, a messianic figure.
Their loyalty was at its peak.
He had initially planned to use his powers for brainwashing, but now that seemed unnecessary.
"Rise, also call me Sir from now on." Leo said with a smile.
Sensing their confusion and anxiety, he used his psychic abilities to project a friendly aura, easing their unease about this sudden change of worlds.
"I'm sure you're already aware of the relevant information, so I won't go into details."
"Next, let's get you familiar with this world and your new roles."
With a wave of his hand, Leo transferred information about the pirate world and the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce to the minds of the Team Rocket trio.
The Age of Great Pirates, Devil Fruits, the World Government, the Blank Century...
When their eyes shifted from confusion to clarity, Leo asked:
"Do you understand?"
"We understand!" The trio nodded eagerly.
From the information they had just received, they knew their future roles...
Grassroots members of the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce, tasked with helping dimensional merchant Leo build trading networks to facilitate cross-world interactions.
Of course, that was just the public version.
In reality, their goal was to involve as many people as possible from the pirate world in transactions, amass a vast number of points, and become the masterminds behind global events!
The trio's hearts raced with excitement!
Handsome! Mysterious! And incredibly powerful!
This job was like a dream come true for any villain!
At that moment, the Team Rocket trio couldn't help but feel...
That perhaps the freezing of the Pokémon world wasn't such a bad thing after all!
(End of this chapter)