"Go, Eevee!"
"Let the world feel our passion!"
"Use G-Max Cuddle!!!"
Leo glanced at the nearly unconscious Akainu across from him, feeling almost embarrassed to continue demonstrating Eevee's power.
Giga Eevee unleashed its final move…
"Eee—viiii!"
A low rumble echoed from the enormous Eevee in the sky as its gigantic body trembled!
In an instant, a surge of energy erupted from Eevee's feet, penetrating the earth and racing toward Akainu.
By this time, Akainu was already battered and exhausted. As the energy wave approached, he fought through the pain, gritting his teeth and shouting with the last of his strength:
"Damn it…"
"Justice… will never be defeated!!!"
*Boom!!!*
The terrifying shockwave surged from the earth and reached the highest heavens!
Akainu's body was instantly engulfed by the overwhelming power, launched skyward, and smashed into Leo's super protective shield.
"Ahhhhhh!"
The intense pain forced a scream from him. At that moment, the Navy's mightiest force seemed incredibly fragile in the face of a Pokémon!
As the final explosion rang out, the energy of G-Max Cuddle was spent, and Akainu lost the last of his consciousness, plummeting from the sky.
*Thud…*
The Admiral's body hit the ground without raising a speck of dust.
"Justice won't be defeated?" Leo chuckled, indifferent to whether Akainu could hear him.
"Then you, who failed, don't represent justice."
*Ding-ding-ding-ding!!!*
"He's down!"
The Rotom drone flew to the center of the arena, circling the unconscious Akainu as if confirming whether he still had any fight left in him.
After a moment, Rotom's voice rose an octave, and it flew toward Leo, who had already recalled Eevee, with a fawning expression.
Then it loudly announced:
"Admiral Akainu has lost consciousness."
"I hereby declare the winner of this match to be…"
"Sir Leo from the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce!!!"
*Fwoosh - Boom!!!*
As Rotom's excited announcement rang out, magnificent fireworks erupted around the arena, painting the sky with vivid colors like a beautiful oil painting.
In that moment, the audience burst into enthusiastic cheers!
"Oh my God! The Navy's strongest fighter was actually defeated!!! And so easily!!!"
"This is unbelievable! I can't believe this is real!"
"Hmph, serves him right! These guys only know how to point their guns at civilians—serves him right!"
"…"
"…"
Due to the previous video and Akainu's actions against civilians, the Navy's reputation had taken a massive hit, with the public's trust plummeting.
Especially those spectators who were almost killed by Akainu just now—seeing his defeat, they wanted to rush forward and finish him off.
But just then…
*Snap!*
Leo suddenly snapped his fingers.
Using his powers, he slowly floated up to the arena's platform, facing the entire audience.
Speaker Rotom quickly announced:
"Next, let's welcome the winner of the first Pokémon Exhibition Match and the organizer of this event—Sir Leo, for a victory speech!"
In an instant, Leo's role shifted from player to organizer of the competition.
He stepped forward and took the microphone from Rotom.
*Click, click, click…*
Dozens of cameras immediately turned their lenses toward Leo, focusing on him.
No one could have imagined that the Navy's strongest force would be defeated in the East Blue Sea, the weakest of the seas—and in such a decisive manner!!!
Today's events were enough to be recorded in history!
These sharp-eyed reporters recognized that instantly.
"Everyone!"
Leo on the podium suddenly spoke.
In an instant, it was as if the world was enchanted—all sound vanished, leaving behind an eerie silence.
At that moment, Leo's demeanor shifted dramatically.
The passionate trainer had vanished, replaced by a dimensional merchant radiating a noble aura.
"First of all, I'm very pleased to meet you all in this way."
He spoke softly, yet his voice seemed to carry a magical quality, clearly resonating in everyone's ears and hearts.
Leo continued:
"I am a dimensional merchant from the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce. I travel the world, seeking those destined for trade."
"I am not from this world, but I am delighted to have come to such a fascinating place."
"This world has distinct factions, chaotic order, and a destiny always teetering on the edge of the abyss!"
"This world has oppression, resistance, war, and peace…"
"This is a colorful world!"
"Every dimensional merchant dreams of encountering such a world!"
"And what I want to say is…"
A sacred yet strange smile suddenly appeared on Leo's face.
He glanced meaningfully at the cameras and slowly said:
"Everyone, I love trading!"
"Trading can bring power!"
"Trading can stabilize political power!"
"Trading connects the world and brings forth miracles, making life shine!"
"Only through trading can the world endure!!!"
"…"
"…"
*Whoosh~*
A strong wind roared past.
In the sky, a pair of enormous eyes suddenly appeared, gazing down at the earth like gods.
"That… that's…"
All present, including the live Den Den Mushi, instantly felt an overwhelming sacred and majestic aura, compelling them to kneel in reverence.
Defeating an admiral was not enough to deliver a message to the world.
The eyes of the sky god moved in sync with Leo's gaze.
At that moment, Leo's identity shifted once more!
He soared high into the sky, like a god ascending.
Raising his arms, palms facing the sky, Leo spoke with a majestic and mighty voice, accompanied by the illusion of gods in the sky:
"By the authority vested in me, I, Leo Drago, a dimensional merchant, I acknowledge the potential of this world!"
"Here, under the auspices of the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce…"
"I declare that this world will officially become a member of the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce. It will be protected by the Chamber, enjoy the rights of the Chamber, and take on the responsibilities of the Chamber!"
"I, Leo Drago, the dimensional merchant, officially name this world…"
"Pirate World!"
*Boom!!!*
The gods in the sky seemed to respond to Leo's declaration.
A colossal hand materialized from the void, mirroring Leo's gesture as it pressed downwards!
In an instant, the world's color shifted!
All light vanished, plunging the world into darkness, save for a massive inscribed seal that appeared between heaven and earth, radiating a sacred and inviolable golden light!
The golden light lingered briefly, as if communicating with the world's will.
After a moment, the golden divine light stabilized, then quickly contracted into a single point of light that descended below!
An unknown voice suddenly echoed across the heavens and earth, instilling fear in all who heard it:
"The contract is established!"
After a long pause...
Everything returned to normal.
The arena fell into a sudden, tense silence.
Everyone held their breath, the sound of their breathing seeming unnaturally loud in their ears.
But then, a voice suddenly rang out from the audience:
"Sir Leo, what happens to us now!?"
All eyes instantly turned toward the source of the voice.
Sanji, standing amidst the crowd with a serious expression, took a step forward and asked loudly, ignoring Zeff's attempts to stop him.
"Hmm?"
Leo lowered his chin slightly, smiling as he glanced at him.
He thought to himself:
'Good question!'
'As expected from one of the protagonists, they have courage. I thought this was going to be awkward!'
In the next moment, Leo grinned but didn't answer directly.
With the majestic aura of the gods filling the sky and earth, he proclaimed loudly once more:
"The Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce officially embraces Pirate World…"
"From this day forward, I will oversee all transactions in Pirate World!"
As he spoke, Leo soared higher.
With a sweeping gesture, he seemed to embrace the entire world.
"I will traverse this world and sail its seas."
"If you wish to trade with me, seek me out on the ocean!"
"As a dimensional merchant, I have everything you could ever desire!"
"I eagerly await for traders who wish to change their fate!"
*Whoosh!*
A massive light screen suddenly appeared before everyone.
It displayed thrilling highlights of Pokémon battles that Leo had meticulously edited.
Brilliant techniques, powerful clashes, magical creatures…
Simple words won't move hearts.
Leo once again showcased the splendor of Pokémon as the backdrop to his speech.
This time, he didn't intend to push the entire idea of saving the world through trade—just a subtle nod.
After all, the more one speaks of something unverifiable, the more doubt it invites.
Instead of forcing it down people's throats, he would wait for them to discover it on their own.
For only then would they truly believe in it!
Leo introduced:
"As you can see, the creatures on the screen are the same as those who just fought the Admiral…"
"They are miracles of life known as Pokémon!"
"They possess magical abilities and exceptional combat skills, making them ideal companions in both life and battle, or as partners on the seas."
"And they are the new change that I, a dimensional merchant, bring to this world!!!"
"Of course!"
"Now that Pirate World has officially joined the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce, I must set an example."
*Swish!*
The screen's image suddenly shifted.
What appeared was no longer a Pokémon battle but a promotional video for a grand event!
As the theme of "Aim to Be a Pokémon Master" played, the camera soared into the sky.
On the rolling seas, a Wailord slowly surfaced.
Next to the Wailord, several Gyarados swam in formation.
The scene quickly changed again.
In the forest, in the sky, in the deep sea, in caves…
Pokémon of various expressions appeared before the audience.
After a moment, the camera shifted once more.
In the center of the screen, an arena came into view…
It was the same arena where Leo and the others stood now!
But unlike the current emptiness, the arena was packed, the crowd roaring with excitement.
In the middle of the arena, two masked humans faced off, their Pokémon battling fiercely.
The clash was so intense it seemed to tear the sky apart.
*Boom!!!*
With a final explosive bang, the promotional video ended.
On the screen, large letters appeared:
*The Pokémon League Tournament has officially begun!!!*
At that moment, Leo's mighty voice echoed once again.
His dark, deep eyes slowly scanned the scene below, and he declared:
"Everyone!"
"One year from today, I will host a Pokémon League Conference in this world, under the authority of a dimensional merchant!"
"From this moment on, any trader with a VIP level of 2 or higher in the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce can register for the event!!!"
"Upon registration, your Rotom Phone will record your ranking."
"The rankings begin with Black Iron, followed by Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond, Star, and King!"
"Participants can use their Rotom Phones to find other contestants of the same rank for Pokémon battles…"
"This will be an open battle format, and trainers can also join the fray!"
"But each time a trainer fights, they may only bring one Pokémon!"
"The winner will earn rank points."
"One month before the Pokémon League Tournament, we will invite the top 32 contestants with the highest rank points to participate in the finals!"
"And as for the top three finalists…"
"They will receive a mysterious grand prize provided by the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce."
At this point, Leo paused dramatically.
His eyes sparkled with a mysterious smile as he slowly said:
"A friendly reminder…"
"The third-place prize offers the chance to perfectly resurrect a deceased person!"
(End of this chapter)