"Huh?"
Nami, initially thrilled, was momentarily stunned. But she quickly remembered the crucial task at hand. She swiftly took off her coat and moved towards the holy light that enveloped the human figure before her.
Seeing this, Jessie immediately signaled James and Meowth to turn around out of respect.
Moments later, the dazzling holy light dissipated.
A mature woman, with eyes closed and her body unblemished, appeared in the palace.
A gentle breeze swept through, letting her long crimson hair cascade freely over her tender shoulders. A soft ray of sunlight from the window illuminated her proud chest, casting a golden hue.
At this moment, everyone held their breath.
Even the men, unable to see the details, could sense the sudden, mysterious change in the air.
It was undeniable—the power of the dimensional merchant had truly brought the dead back to life!
Bell-mère, now returned to the material world, slowly opened her eyes, as if awakening from a long slumber.
"Nami..."
Gazing at the familiar yet strange face before her, Bell-mère's expression turned confused. She blinked and, with a hint of uncertainty, softly called out.
"I-It's me!"
Nami's voice was choked with emotion as she responded hoarsely.
Tears of excitement welled up in her eyes, flickering like falling stars.
"Bell-mère, I finally... I finally see you again!!!"
With a cry, Nami leaped into Bell-mère's arms.
Time seemed to rewind, taking them back to the simple life they shared years ago.
Nami, feeling wronged, buried herself in her mother's embrace and wept uncontrollably.
"Nami..."
Bell-mère murmured softly.
Though her memory was still anchored in the moment before her death, as she had just been resurrected, the helplessness and excitement in Nami's embrace quickly reignited her motherly instincts. She gently stroked Nami's hair, soothing her soul.
Time passed slowly, like sand trickling through an hourglass.
It was only after half an hour that Bell-mère fully realized she had returned from the dead.
"D-Did I really?"
Dressed in the suitable clothes Koala had found, Bell-mère's eyes widened in disbelief.
But as she looked at the grand palace around her and the grown-up Nami, she had no choice but to accept that she had indeed died and been resurrected.
The emotional reunion between mother and daughter touched everyone present.
However, Nami hadn't called the Rocket trio here just to resurrect Bell-mère. She had another, even more important purpose in mind!
...
After Bell-mère was settled, Sabo nodded and signaled for Nami to take Bell-mère to another room to catch up.
He then stepped forward, removed his hat, and executed a formal gentleman's bow.
"Hello, three dimensional merchants."
Sabo grinned, his face brimming with anticipation.
"According to our previous agreement, I'm here to make a trade!"
"Oh? It seems you're ready, Meow."
The Rocket trio, well-prepared, showed no surprise. Meowth stepped forward, raised a paw, and waved it gently before Sabo.
With a smile, Meowth said, "You already know the process well. Let's see how many points you can redeem, shall we?"
Suddenly, a massive system interface appeared in Sabo's mind.
In the interface, a large amount of materials and Berries appeared, with a combined value reaching 40 billion Berries!
Among them, 20 billion Berries had been gathered by Sabo and his comrades from the Goa Kingdom.
The royal family of Goa Kingdom contributed over 10 billion, while the major nobles provided several billion more, completing the 20 billion Berries total.
The remaining 20 billion Berries worth of supplies came from Revolutionary Army bases around the world.
Due to their need to support numerous refugees and maintain hidden armed forces, the Revolutionary Army's daily material consumption was enormous!
This material, worth 20 billion Berries, represented the Revolutionary Army's desperate gamble and final effort.
Dragon's reasoning was simple...
The arrival of dimensional merchants would inevitably bring new changes to the world.
To keep up with the new era, they had to go all in!
Luffy's adventurous spirit had been passed down perfectly.
As Sabo clicked the [Confirm] button in his mind, a large quantity of goods, prepared at Revolutionary Army bases worldwide, vanished instantly into nothingness.
When Sabo exited the system interface, James was already approaching with a Rotom Phone, handing it to him.
"Congratulations, Mr. Sabo."
James smiled brighter than ever, as if flowers were blooming around him.
40 billion Berries worth of supplies!
Since the Rocket trio's arrival in the Pirate World, their total transactions hadn't reached 20 billion yet!
And now, with a single deal, they were soaring to new heights!
Recalling Leo's earlier instructions, James immediately adopted a serious tone:
"You are now a VIP Level 5 member of the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce."
"From this moment on, you can redeem all items in the mall."
"All items?"
Sabo, who knew little about the Chamber's system, looked confused, but his attention was soon drawn to the information on the Rotom Phone.
[Trainer: Sabo]
[Faction: Revolutionary Army]
[VIP Level: 5]
[VIP Experience: 80000/100000]
[Current Points: 80000]
"80,000 points!"
Based on what Sabo had learned from Nami and Kuro, 80,000 points was an astronomical figure.
Although these points were intended for the Revolutionary Army as a whole, they were enough to make Sabo tremble.
Especially since the Revolutionary Army had a half-price discount at this time.
This meant that in Sabo's hands, these 80,000 points were equivalent to 160,000 points!
Thump! Thump!
At that moment, Sabo could feel his heart pounding.
He could hardly imagine what kind of power these 160,000 points would bring to the world!
As if sensing Sabo's thoughts, James waved his hand again as Sabo refocused.
Suddenly, a detailed introduction to the mall's products appeared in Sabo's mind.
As the information flooded in, Sabo closed his eyes and began to process what he had just learned.
This was a privilege reserved for high-level traders.
The product information was directly imprinted into the traders' minds by the dimensional merchants, using memory.
This way, high-level traders didn't need to waste time browsing the Rotom Phone's mall.
Sabo's mind was now filled with an overwhelming amount of information.
Various items and evolution stones unlocked at VIP Level 2... medicines to restore physical strength, equipment to enhance combat abilities, daily training supplies—all available;
Learning devices for all skills unlocked at VIP Level 3...
Powerful attack skills, strange special skills, and mysterious causal skills—some of which were intimidating just by reading about them!
Mega Evolution Stones unlocked at VIP Level 4, Z-Move Pure Crystals, Gigantamax Power...
Methods to unlock hidden evolutions, unique moves, and the special energy that could make Pokémon grow to enormous sizes, showcasing the beauty of Pokémon life.
At VIP Level 5, the items unlocked were various powers and abilities exclusive to the Pokémon world...
The power to control dragons, the power of Viridian drawn from nature, the ability to sense the world with Aura—each as magical as a Devil Fruit.
For traders, every unlocked VIP level felt like a doorway to a new world!
Gazing at the catalog of magical items, Sabo found himself momentarily overwhelmed by a desire to sacrifice everything to witness the wonders of the Pokémon world!
After a brief pause, Sabo, eyes still closed, exhaled deeply and reoriented himself back to reality.
In front of him, the Team Rocket trio stood with bright smiles and gentle expressions.
James stepped forward and said, "I trust you're now familiar with the products available to VIP level 5 members."
He continued, "Now, Mr. Sabo, please tell us which Pokémon you wish to purchase."
"My request?" Sabo, still lost in the grandeur of the Pokémon universe, was taken aback for a moment before recalling the important task at hand.
He quickly straightened up, locked eyes with James, and asked seriously, "Sir James, I want the power to overthrow the World Government!"
Sabo spoke with unwavering resolve. From the beginning, their goal had been singular—to overthrow the cruel and despicable rule of the World Government.
Now, the 80,000 points Sabo possessed represented the Revolutionary Army's last hope. It was an all-or-nothing gamble; there was no room for retreat.
"Overthrow the World Government?" James smiled slightly, as if Sabo's request was hardly surprising. But after a moment, he shook his head and responded, "Even with your special half-price buff, 80,000 points are still not enough to topple the World Government."
If the World Government could be so easily overthrown, why would the Pirate King, already at the pinnacle of the world, accept his fate and become a mere precursor to the new era?
Moreover, if the World Government were to fall, where would Leo find another entity to absorb all the world's hatred? He relied on the World Government's inhumane actions to motivate traders to engage in these high-stakes exchanges.
"I see," Sabo said, though a hint of disappointment crept into his voice as he heard the merchant's pragmatic answer.
But James spoke again, a slight smile playing on his lips. "While overthrowing the World Government may be out of reach with 80,000 points, dealing with the navy and liberating more countries..."
"With the half-price buff, that's definitely within your grasp!"
"Really?" Sabo clenched his fists tightly. Though they were still far from their ultimate goal, the thought of liberating more nations like the Goa Kingdom gave him hope that their dreams could still be realized.
And in the process of liberating these countries, they could accumulate more resources to trade, just as they had with the Goa Kingdom!
Without hesitation, Sabo nodded and said, "Sir James, could you help me plan my next trade?"
"It would be my pleasure!" James extended his hand with a smile. With a wave, a virtual light screen materialized between him and Sabo.
On the screen, a seemingly gentle yet imposing Pokémon appeared.
Its massive form, fanged jaws, and scale-like feathers radiated power.
Even through the screen, one could sense the strength of this Pokémon.
Sabo's eyes were drawn to the information bar:
[Pokémon: Lugia]
[Attributes: Psychic, Flying]
[Ability: Pressure (Exerts intense pressure, disrupting the opponent's battle rhythm.)]
[Level: 88]
[Sale Price: 80,000 points (half-price) - 40,000 points]
"Lugia?" Sabo murmured as he read the name.
James then elaborated, "Lugia, the Legendary Bird Pokémon. It has resided in the deep sea for countless years and possesses the power to control the weather. It only surfaces during times of great sea calamities to quell the ocean's wrath."
"This particular Lugia is a member of the Pokémon species revered as mythical beasts. While it's not at the level of the true [Guardian of the Seas - Lugia], it's more than capable of fulfilling your current needs."
"The strength of this Lugia is comparable to that of any admiral in the Pirate World."
"With its formidable maritime combat abilities, even if the Navy deployed all three admirals, they might struggle to gain the upper hand."
"I believe this power should suffice for your purposes, no?" James asked with a knowing smile.
At that moment, Sabo was utterly astonished by Lugia's stats.
Power on par with a naval admiral? The ability to control the weather? Capable of dominating both the skies and the seas?!
Could such a Pokémon truly exist?
If not for the steep price, Sabo might have thought James was pulling his leg.
But this only led to a more frightening realization. According to James, while this Lugia was powerful, it was clearly not at the top tier of the Pokémon world.
From the way James spoke, it seemed that this Lugia, with strength comparable to an admiral, might not even make it into the second tier in the Pokémon hierarchy.
If such a formidable Pokémon didn't even rank among the top, then just how powerful was the highest echelon of Pokémon?
This thought sent a shiver through Sabo's heart. He couldn't tell if he was more fearful of this unknown world or eager to uncover more of its mysteries.
With determination shining in his eyes, Sabo gazed at the majestic Lugia on the screen and declared, "Sir James, I want this Pokémon!"
(End of this chapter)