But simply having a Rotom wasn't enough to completely put Leo at ease.
After all, the world of One Piece is filled with a wide array of Devil Fruit abilities...
If some daring and unscrupulous person were to abduct Nurse Joy, whom he had painstakingly redeemed from the system, it would be a significant loss!
With more than 10,000 points left in his system, Leo didn't hesitate. He immediately exchanged for five Chansey at around level 40 to assist Nurse Joy in running the Pokémon Center on the Reverse Mountain.
He spent all his remaining points.
As a member of the Joy family, every Nurse Joy has a unique understanding of how to train Chansey, and her ability to command them is unparalleled.
With Rotom managing the island's defenses and five Chansey whose strength rivaled that of pirates with bounties in the billions...
There should be no problem protecting the entrance to the Grand Line.
———
———
"Alright, I'll leave this place in your hands now."
Stepping onto the Hoverboard Rotom, Leo gave Nurse Joy a parting smile.
He had explained everything necessary, confident that the strongest Nurse Joy could handle the job well.
Now, it was just a matter of waiting for those lucky pirates to arrive.
Next, he would officially enter the Grand Line, adding some new lighting to the world's grandest stage and making the sea, calm for too long, roar with excitement once again!
"Don't disappoint me, future traders!"
Looking down at the vast sea below, where roaring waves crashed against the sturdy red clay walls only to fall back as shattered droplets into the ocean...
It was as if the sea itself was warning those who arrived about the cruelty and ruthlessness of the Grand Line.
However...
To Leo's eyes, the turbulent waves were nothing more than a curtain, slowly opening to welcome him—the protagonist about to take the stage.
"Let's go, Rotom!"
Leo extended his hand, focusing his gaze on the base of Reverse Mountain.
It just so happened that right beneath it, there was a potential trading partner!
...
...
Whoosh~~
Following the turbulent sea currents and breaking through layers of clouds and mist...
With the help of the Hoverboard Rotom, Leo quickly arrived at the port at the entrance of the Grand Line—Twin Capes.
However, to his disappointment...
He didn't see the massive island whale that had waited 50 years for Brook.
"Did it go deep-sea hunting for food?" he guessed.
Combining the power of aura with Observation Haki, Leo instantly sent out a mental pulse.
Soon, he spotted the island whale in the deep sea, 10,000 meters down, not far from Twin Capes.
But having grown accustomed to seeing Wailord, several kilometers long, looking at Laboon—only 400 meters long—Leo couldn't help but feel underwhelmed.
Although he didn't get to see the island whale embodying a friendship that transcended time, race, and life and death...
With Leo's senses, he quickly detected another powerful aura at the lighthouse in Twin Capes.
Leo smiled softly.
After all, this was his primary target today.
——
——
Crocus, a 69-year-old solitary old man.
His official role was the lighthouse keeper at Twin Capes, the entrance to the Grand Line. He'd guarded the lighthouses alone for years, accompanied only by an island whale, also left behind, through countless days and nights.
At that moment, this lonely old man was hanging onto the cliffside of the lighthouse with one hand, screwing a massive light bulb, half the size of a man, into its holder with the other.
"Huh!?"
Crocus, who was repairing the lighthouse's spotlight, suddenly froze.
Just now, he had sensed a powerful mental wave passing through him.
Though he hadn't fought anyone for years, he instantly realized someone was observing him with Observation Haki.
"How odd, are all the young ones this powerful now?"
After turning the switch and confirming the lighthouse was working, the 69-year-old man let go of the cliff and jumped from the lighthouse, more than ten meters high, landing smoothly on the ground.
Crocus decided to meet this impolite youngster who had just entered the Grand Line.
He hadn't encountered such an intriguing newcomer in a long time.
Then...
A surprising sight unfolded before him.
He saw a flying device emitting light blue flames descend slowly in front of him.
A mysterious figure stepped off the craft, with a small creature that looked like a puppy at his feet, kicking stones on the ground with a disgruntled expression.
The visitor was none other than Leo, who had just descended from the Reverse Mountain, and Eevee, who had been enjoying a Pokémon battle game in another space, mercilessly dragged out by his master to add some flair.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Crocus."
Leo approached Crocus, greeting him with a relaxed smile.
"And you are...?"
Crocus frowned slightly.
Although this mysterious man had called his name with ease, Crocus was sure that in his nearly 70 years of life, he had never seen this person before!
What was even stranger, though, was that when he looked at the mysterious man in front of him, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
Guarding the lighthouse all year round, aside from treating Laboon, his only pastime was reading various newspapers. It was no wonder Leo seemed familiar.
But Leo simply smiled, looking at Crocus with keen interest.
With his omniscient perspective, Leo knew very well that the gray-haired old man before him was more than just a lighthouse keeper...
He was the ship's doctor for the Roger Pirates—Crocus!
One could imagine the strength of someone who had sailed the Grand Line and the New World alongside Roger, facing off against legendary pirates and the Navy!
And just how much wealth could such a veteran warrior, who had guarded the entrance to the Grand Line for decades, possess?
Leo thought...
He was looking forward to finding out.
"I'm sorry to intrude..." He performed a polite bow, maintaining his unwavering smile.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm a dimensional merchant from the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce. I've come to this world..."
"Dimensional merchant!!!?"
Before Leo could finish, Crocus suddenly exclaimed, interrupting him.
An inscrutable look flashed across his aged eyes.
"I know you! A dimensional merchant from East Blue! The one who controlled strange creatures and defeated Admiral Akainu!"
"What... what do you want here?"
Crocus now regarded Leo with caution.
He had immediately recognized Leo's identity.
After all, the story of the dimensional merchant had made waves, and it was hard for an old man who loved reading newspapers not to know about it.
But like many veteran warriors, he didn't believe Leo was a true alien...
He considered him a conman, using Devil Fruits and technologically altered animals to deceive people!
After all, this world had mysterious Devil Fruits and an incredible tech tree.
To those who had seen the real world, Pokémon were just animals with special abilities!
Nothing new for the Grand Line.
Initially, Leo's story was just another piece of news that Crocus glanced at while having dinner. He never imagined that this person would show up at his doorstep.
This realization made Crocus's heart tighten. He recalled reading in the newspaper that Leo supposedly had a giant whale-like creature as a pet.
"Could it be... he's here to capture Laboon for some kind of bio-modification experiment!?" This alarming thought flashed through Crocus's mind, and the more he considered it, the more convinced he became that this was Leo's true intent.
Suddenly, a powerful aura surged from Crocus.
Laboon had been with him for decades, and he had watched the whale grow little by little. In Crocus's eyes, Laboon was like his own child—he cared for Laboon more deeply than he had ever cared for any of the Roger Pirates.
There was no way he would let anyone harm Laboon.
"???"
Leo, who was just about to initiate a trade with Crocus, was suddenly taken aback. He couldn't fathom why Crocus had suddenly become so hostile.
Quickly, he used his psychic powers to read Crocus's thoughts, and he couldn't help but laugh internally.
Who would have thought...
In just a few seconds, Crocus had imagined him as an evil scientist bent on kidnapping innocent animals.
Leo had expected the people of the Grand Line to be different from those in the East Blue, but he hadn't anticipated his first business negotiation would be misunderstood so drastically.
"Ahem," Leo cleared his throat, maintaining his calm demeanor, and smiled at Crocus. However, a subtle hint of menace glimmered in his eyes.
Under that gaze, Crocus's expression shifted to one of shock. In that moment, he felt as if his very soul was laid bare, as if no secret could be kept from those eyes.
Just when Crocus thought he couldn't bear the tension any longer and was about to avert his gaze, Leo, still wearing his signature smile, said softly:
"No need to be on guard, Mr. Crocus."
"Rest assured, I have no interest in you or your whale, Laboon."
Leo spread his hands to show he meant no harm, and continued smiling:
"I've only come here to do business with you."
"After all..."
*Snap!*
A sharp snap of fingers echoed through the air.
Crocus's face instantly paled with fear, as in that split second, the Eevee that had been at Leo's feet suddenly appeared on Crocus's shoulder, as if by teleportation.
A large, sharp, black tail was now poised like a scythe against Crocus's throat.
The threat of death hung heavy over Crocus. To his horror, he realized that at this moment, he couldn't move a muscle—some mysterious force was paralyzing his body, leaving him helpless.
"What kind of power is this?"
Crocus was bewildered. Not even when he had faced powerful men like the Golden Lion or Whitebeard had he felt such an oppressive force.
Leo took a step closer, gently pushing aside the iron tail threatening Crocus's neck, and said with a kind smile:
"After all, if I wanted to harm you, I could have done so at any time."
A breeze blew by, and the pressure that had been weighing down on Crocus suddenly vanished, as if it had never existed.
But every fiber of his being still trembled, a reminder of how close to death he had just been.
"What do you mean by this, sir?" Crocus asked, gasping for breath as he stared at Leo in fear.
He had no idea that his thoughts had been read. All he knew was that one moment, Leo was smiling kindly, and the next, he had unleashed a terrifying power that put his life in immediate danger.
"It's nothing," Leo replied calmly, as if nothing had happened, still smiling.
"I just noticed you had some... misunderstandings about me, so I used the most straightforward method to clear things up."
As he spoke, Leo extended his arm, and Eevee, who was still perched on Crocus's shoulder, gave a playful cry before leaping nimbly onto Leo. It was as if the little creature hadn't just held a lethal weapon to Crocus's throat, and was now grooming itself as though nothing had happened.
Leo patted Eevee gently, but inwardly, he sighed in relief:
"Good thing I brought you out, otherwise I wouldn't have had any way to threaten Crocus."
After all, if Leo used his powers on Crocus, even if the old man didn't die, he would likely become mentally impaired. That would ruin any chance of making a deal!
"Proof?" Crocus straightened up, still shaken. "Is attacking an old man like me your idea of proof?"
"Who are you, really?"
"There's no need to be nervous, Mr. Crocus," Leo said, his smile widening.
With a wave of his hand, a large tablet appeared, floating in front of Crocus. It was a Rotom device, and it began playing clips of Leo's recent transactions.
"As I said, I'm just a dimensional merchant from the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce. I've come here today simply to make a trade."
The tablet showed various people from the East Blue, each with a delighted expression as they purchased Pokémon from Leo. Although the footage looked like a low-budget TV commercial, it was still convincing enough for someone who hadn't been exposed to such marketing tactics.
"Could it be... that he really is a dimensional merchant?" Crocus thought, his mind racing.
Leo's overwhelming power had already made him believe the young man's claims, but Crocus still shook his head slightly.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Dimensional Merchant," Crocus said, "but there's nothing I want to trade."
As an old man nearing seventy, there was nothing he truly desired. Spending his remaining years in peace with Laboon was his only wish. The dimensional merchants and their Pokémon, whether real or not, had little to do with him.
However...
Leo seemed to have anticipated this response. As soon as Crocus finished speaking, Leo asked:
"So, even if I could find the last remaining crew members of the Rumbar Pirates, or make a deal to resurrect those who died..."
"Would you still refuse?"
Boom!
Crocus's mind went blank for a moment. He snapped his head up and stared at Leo, his eyes filled with hope and desperation.
"What did you say?"
"Are you telling me that there are still members of the Rumbar Pirates alive?!"
"Impossible... that's absolutely impossible!!!"
Crocus had sailed the Grand Line with Roger and had long since accepted the demise of the Rumbar Pirates. To suddenly hear that some of them might still be alive—he instinctively wanted to deny it, suspecting that Leo was lying to coax him into a trade.
Yet, deep down, a flicker of hope remained. He asked cautiously:
"If any of the Rumbar Pirates were still alive, why wouldn't they come back to see Laboon?"
He couldn't believe that the Rumbar Pirates would abandon Laboon, just as Laboon would never give up waiting for them.
"What if they can't return?" Leo answered calmly, still smiling.
"Can't return?" Crocus was momentarily stunned, then quickly retorted:
"Impossible. As long as they hid their identities as pirates, they could return, whether on a merchant ship or an official vessel!"
His voice trembled, but in his heart, he hoped Leo would explain further.
Crocus still dreamed of the day Laboon would reunite with the Rumbar Pirates.
This time, Leo didn't tease him any longer. He spoke directly:
"You must remember Mr. Brook, the man from the Rumbar Pirates who ate the Revive-Revive Fruit, don't you?"
Crocus's eyes widened, the light of hope shining even brighter.
Brook, who had eaten the Revive-Revive Fruit, was a distant memory, something from 50 years ago. And now, hearing a young man in his twenties suddenly mention him...
Either Leo had meticulously researched him and Laboon, or... everything he was saying was true.
Crocus held his breath, desperate to hear more.
Leo continued, "The Rumbar Pirates were indeed annihilated shortly after entering the Grand Line, in a battle with another pirate crew."
"Only Brook survived, resurrecting after death."
"But..."
"That was just the beginning of fate's cruel joke."
"The Rumbar Pirates were destroyed in the Florian Triangle, the infamous [Devil's Triangle]."
"Brook, lost in the accursed fog, has been wandering there for 50 years, never finding a way out..."
"And that's why you and Laboon have been waiting in vain for half a century."
Leo finished speaking, but Crocus suddenly fell silent.
"Brook, are you really alive?"
He asked, but he was not facing Leo, but facing the sea, as if he wanted to see Brook in the Devil's Triangle through space and time.
"Huuuu~"
He suddenly took a long breath.
At this moment, he had believed everything Leo said, including his identity as a dimensional merchant.
It's not that Leo's story is perfect and flawless, but that he wants to believe it, he wants to believe it...
that's all.
After a moment, Crocus regained his energy, looked at Leo, and said slowly:
"Your Excellency, Dimensional Merchant, may I ask what I need to pay to be able to see Brook, and..."
"Resurrection of all the Lumba Pirates members!?"
(End of this chapter)