As they approached a high-end hotel, Zoro immediately spotted Leo quietly sipping afternoon tea in a corner.
It was impossible to miss Leo; his attire, appearance, and demeanor made him stand out from ordinary people. In the midst of the other diners, he was conspicuously different.
"Sir Leo!" Zoro quickly took a few steps forward, greeting him eagerly.
Zoro had deep respect for this mysterious dimensional merchant who had the power to change his life. This respect was second only to that for his swordsmanship master, Koushirou.
"You're here," Leo responded, maintaining his characteristic calm smile—a look as unshakable as Mount Fuji. One hand gently stroked a sleeping Eevee, while the other motioned for Zoro to take a seat opposite him.
Zoro performed a slight bow, a gesture of swordsmanship etiquette, before cautiously sitting across from Leo.
To Zoro, this interaction felt natural, but to the two pirate hunters behind him, it was nothing short of shocking. They exchanged bewildered glances.
"Brother Zoro…"
The usually laid-back and informal Zoro, who often napped on the ground without a care, was now showing such profound respect to the young man before them. What could this person's true identity be?
Zoro, having known them for only a short while and being disinclined to explain, hadn't told them about Leo, the dimensional merchant. Hence, the duo's confusion. To them, Zoro was a man who could challenge anything and anyone. No matter how formidable the opponent, Zoro would strike them down with a single blow.
But now, the man they saw as invincible was displaying the humility of a junior before an elder. This was beyond their comprehension.
Leo and Zoro, however, chose to ignore the two behind them, focusing instead on their business at hand.
Zoro got straight to the point: "Sir Leo, I've saved up some money. Although it's still far from enough for the Ho-oH's Feather, I've carefully considered your previous suggestions…"
"You were right. My progress in swordsmanship has hit a bottleneck. The pirates in the East Blue Sea are getting weaker and weaker; there's no thrill in defeating them anymore."
Joseph and Johnny were momentarily taken aback, silently lamenting while thinking:
'Brother Zoro, have you ever considered the feelings of the pirates?'
But Zoro, oblivious to such concerns, continued:
"So, Sir Leo, I want to buy a Pokémon that can help me advance further in swordsmanship!"
"Only by growing stronger can I achieve my goal as quickly as possible!"
At that moment, an intense, unyielding determination surged within Zoro, yet it was tempered by his resolve.
"Please!!!" he pleaded, bowing his head, his hands resting on his knees in a posture of humility.
Though his stance wasn't perfect, it conveyed the sincerity of his request.
This scene left Joseph and Johnny slack-jawed, their curiosity about Leo's identity growing by the second.
Yet, Leo simply smiled in response. With a wave of his hand, a mysterious force lifted Zoro's head until their eyes met.
With a calm and reassuring tone, Leo said, "There's no need for this, Mr. Zoro. The relationship between us is one of equal exchange. As a businessman, I have no reason to refuse a customer's request, do I?"
Leo always gave the utmost respect to the truly strong. And for someone as steadfast and determined as Zoro, Leo had a particular fondness.
*Snap!*
With the sound of a snap, Zoro and the others suddenly felt a strange dizziness. Their vision blurred as the world around them seemed to twist.
In the blink of an eye, they found themselves standing in a vast, luminous starry sky.
Beneath their feet was the endless expanse of the cosmos, solid as if they were standing on firm ground. Surrounding them was a sea of stars as far as the eye could see.
"Johnny, am I dreaming? Are we… in space?" Joseph's eyes widened in disbelief at the sight before him.
Suddenly, he yelped, "Hey! Why did you pinch me!?"
Johnny slowly replied, "I… just wanted to make sure you weren't dreaming."
"Damn you…!" Joseph grumbled, but the two pirate hunters, clearly not thinking straight, were instantly captivated by the scenery around them.
Unaware of Leo's true nature, they believed they had actually been transported to space. Had they not been holding the valuables Zoro had entrusted them with, the two would likely have dashed off in awe.
But their burden of Devil Fruits and Baileys kept them grounded.
Seeing his two younger companions thoughts, Zoro couldn't help but darken his expression, feeling a mix of exasperation and amusement. Only he knew that everything before them was a mere illusion, a trick by the dimensional merchant.
Nevertheless, he was deeply impressed by Leo's ability to control this realm with such ease. To be transported to a place like this without even realizing it…
'A merchant of dimensions is truly formidable!'
"Welcome to my spiritual world," came a soft voice, breaking the silence.
Before them, a figure emerged from the starlight.
Leo stepped forward, a bright smile on his face as he addressed the group. "Apologies, I forgot to bring Rotom out today, so I'll have to use this method to introduce you to the Pokémon."
"Now, let's get down to business…"
*Whoosh!*
An ethereal screen of light appeared between Leo and Zoro.
At the top of the screen, Zoro's membership information was clearly displayed:
[Roronoa Zoro]
[VIP Level: 0]
[VIP Experience: 16/200]
[Current Points: 1]
Leo then spoke again:
"Mr. Zoro, due to the cost of renting the Rotom phone, your points have been depleted."
"But you mentioned earlier that you wanted to buy a Pokémon…"
"I assume you're planning to top up your points again, correct?"
As the stars around them shifted, Leo flashed a mysterious yet welcoming smile, waiting eagerly for Zoro's response.
For Leo, nothing brought more joy than watching his customers spend money and recharge their accounts.
Zoro, already familiar with the purchasing process, was well-prepared. He signaled Johnny and Joseph to step forward, then stated:
"Yes, Sir Leo…"
"I've brought two items to redeem for points this time. First, I have 5 million Baileys in cash!"
*Thunk!*
Zoro casually tossed a bag full of money to the ground in front of him.
Then, he reached into Joseph's arms and took out a box containing a Devil Fruit. His eyes gleamed with resolve as he declared:
"The other item I wish to exchange for points is this— a Devil Fruit!"
"Oh? A Devil Fruit?"
As the box was opened, Leo's eyes immediately locked onto the fruit inside.
Having only been in the pirate world for a little over a month, Leo hadn't expected to see a second Devil Fruit so soon…
With his curiosity piqued, he used a few points to assess the fruit's details.
—Paramecia Type: Paper-Paper Fruit. It grants the user the ability to transform their body into paper and create paper darts.
"…"
After reviewing the fruit's abilities, Leo was momentarily speechless.
How to put it…
The power of this fruit wasn't strong, but it had its quirks. In terms of utility, it could turn the user's body into paper, though aside from slipping through narrow cracks, Leo couldn't think of many other practical uses.
"Indeed, exchanging Devil Fruits for points is the most cost-effective choice."
Leo mused to himself before checking the system to determine the value of the fruit.
Soon, the system responded:
[Can be exchanged for 8,000 points]
This was 2,000 points less than the Flame-Flame Fruit he had seen before.
Since there were so few samples, Leo wasn't sure if this was due to a difference between Paramecia and Logia types or if it was because each Devil Fruit contained varying amounts of energy.
But at the very least, a significant number of points would be added to his account today!
With that thought, Leo's smile broadened. He looked directly at Zoro and said:
"Mr. Zoro, these items are worth a total of 1,700 points. Would you like to redeem them immediately?"
(End of this chapter)