"This... what is this?"
Nami's eyes widened as she noticed the expression on Purrloin's face—it looked almost human. A sense of déjà vu washed over her. She quickly pulled out her Rotom Phone and scanned the Purrloin.
In an instant, a screen of information popped up:
[Pokémon: Purrloin]
[Type: Dark]
[Ability: Insufficient permissions to view]
[Level: Insufficient permissions...]
[Notes: Trainer—Kuro]
"It really is a Pokémon!?"
Nami was shocked. Her eyes immediately locked onto the Purrloin, now reengaged in the battle. She hadn't expected to encounter another trainer in a place like this, and under such circumstances!
Meanwhile, on the other side of the gaping hole in the wall, Kuro and Tobul momentarily froze upon seeing Nami. But they quickly dismissed her as just another palace maid and continued their fight.
On the other hand, Kuro couldn't understand it. The palace had barely any guards, and they had been so careful... How had their location been discovered? He had been so close to succeeding, only to find himself in this mess.
Even worse, he and his Purrloin couldn't seem to defeat the monster they were up against!
Kuro was at his wit's end.
The determined Purrloin jumped back into the fray, immediately attacking Tobul's back with its sharp claws.
"Nya!" Purrloin yelled habitually, unintentionally alerting Tobul.
Feeling the presence behind him, Tobul tensed up instantly.
"Iron Body!"
Clang! Clang!
The sound of metal clashing echoed through the hall. Tobul winced slightly, but then smirked contemptuously.
"Is that the best you've got?"
"I suggest you run while you can. Once the king's guards return, none of you will be able to escape!"
Despite his confident facade, Tobul secretly hoped that Kuro and the others would take his advice and flee. His fighting style reflected his mastery of the six techniques: Iron Body—pure defense; Shave—powerful evasion.
He had risen to prominence within CP3 because all his peers had either died or been incapacitated. Among the survivors, he was the most senior, and his knack for flattery had earned him this cushy position.
Defending himself was easy, but defeating Kuro and this strange beast combo was proving difficult. Since they weren't after his own money, why risk his life?
However, his words had an unintended effect. Nami's eyes suddenly lit up with realization.
"That trainer isn't from the Kingdom of Hyde!?"
Her worries instantly melted away. She had been concerned about what to do if Kuro was aligned with the Wilson royal family... But if both trainers were enemies of the Wilsons, then this would be simple!
"Let's take him down!"
Without hesitation, Nami clenched her fist and shouted to Carina, then tossed Pikachu's Poké Ball.
"Go, Pikachu! Use Volt Tackle!"
Whoosh!
A golden flash entered the battlefield, causing everyone to tense up. Pikachu, its body crackling with electricity, charged straight at Tobul.
The entire area was suddenly bathed in golden light.
"What!?"
Tobul had no idea that the enemy would receive reinforcements and was caught off guard.
"Shave!"
Seeing the power radiating from Pikachu, Tobul didn't dare rely on Iron Body anymore. He quickly used Shave and disappeared in an instant.
Pikachu, now without a target, looked around in confusion. Unable to stop its momentum, it crashed into the opposite wall, leaving yet another gaping hole in the castle.
To everyone's surprise, the broken wall revealed a hidden room full of gold and jewels, shimmering under the candlelight.
Kuro's eyes gleamed with excitement as he realized that this treasure room had a secret compartment. No wonder he hadn't found anything before.
At the same time, Nami and Carina's eyes also lit up with greed.
Unlike Nami, Kuro quickly recognized that Pikachu was a high-level Pokémon, confirming Nami's identity as a Trainer. And as a Trainer, there was only one reason to break into the palace in the middle of the night.
Nami and Kuro exchanged a glance, and in an instant, they understood each other perfectly—Join forces then split the loot!
Kuro didn't hesitate and shouted:
"Purrloin, use Sand-Attack!"
Whoosh!
A cloud of sand appeared out of nowhere and blew toward Tobul.
"Sand?"
Tobul was momentarily puzzled, but seeing that the sand had no immediate offensive power, he chose to conserve his energy and didn't dodge.
However, the next moment, the mysterious sand seeped into his eyes, blurring his vision.
His combat instincts kicked in, and he quickly prepared himself for an attack.
Sensing the wind rushing towards him, Tobul tensed his muscles.
"Iron Body!"
Clang, clang, clang...
A series of metallic clashes echoed as Kuro's Cat Claw blades met Tobul's hardened skin. Kuro was stunned, disbelief written all over his face.
Tobul grinned and delivered a powerful punch, sending Kuro flying.
"Idiot! Did you really think you could break through my Iron Body?"
Bang!
The impact was devastating, sending Kuro crashing into the wall once again.
But before Tobul could press his advantage, he heard a shout:
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"
Realizing that Volt Tackle took too long to charge, Nami ordered Pikachu to switch to a long-range attack.
"Pika~chuu!"
A bolt of lightning shot through the air and struck Tobul in an instant.
But...
Even after the lightning, powerful enough to take down many soldiers, coursed through Tobul's body, it didn't have the effect Nami had anticipated. He didn't even scream in pain.
"What? A lightning mouse that's eaten a Devil Fruit!?" Tobul was shocked.
He strained against the numbness spreading through his body, muscles bulging as he grabbed a piece of wall debris and used it as a shield against Pikachu's electricity.
The insulating debris successfully blocked the attack.
Though uninjured and holding the upper hand, Tobul felt uneasy. The two strange creatures had unsettled him, and his intuition told him something big was about to happen.
And Tobul always trusted his instincts. It was this trust that had kept him alive through countless dangerous missions.
With a determined expression, Tobul pulled out a white Den Den Mushi from his pocket. This was a special emergency den-den mushi, given to him by Saint Jerkaz, a Celestial Dragon. It could send a distress signal to all nearby Navy units—essentially a miniature version of a Buster Call.
Pressing the button, he felt a sense of calm wash over him. He licked his lips and grinned at Nami and Kuro.
"You bastard will all die here!"
---
Meanwhile...
Not far from the Kingdom of Hyde, on a massive Navy warship...
"Report! A special emergency distress signal has just been received. The source is from the Kingdom of Hyde!"
The soldier who delivered the message immediately fell silent after saluting.
"A special emergency distress signal?"
Aokiji, who had just woken up, rubbed his forehead, looking weary.
"Not this again..."
He had been sailing nonstop, yet still hadn't picked up Akainu, leaving him with little time to rest.
But...
This distress signal couldn't be ignored. Aokiji knew that only a Celestial Dragon or someone close to them could send such a signal.
In the Navy, and indeed in all branches of the World Government, there was an unspoken rule: when dealing with anything involving the Celestial Dragons, you could abandon any current mission to prioritize theirs.
It was unfair, but that was reality.
"Sigh... such a pain!"
(End of this chapter)