"It seems that things are going pretty smoothly over in Alabasta."
Deep within the Grand Line, Leo, stationed in a separate dimension inside the Wailord, grinned as he glanced at the 350,000 points now reflected in his account. Satisfaction gleamed in his eyes.
Ever since he entered the Grand Line, his points had been rapidly increasing.
Although the majority of his latest earnings came from a deal with the Revolutionary Army in the East Blue, Leo couldn't help but feel like the Grand Line's is really full of 'rich' people.
"With these points, I can afford to be extravagant with the Pokémon Center on Sky Island!"
Leo, who had a penchant for grand, showy projects, immediately discarded his previous plans for Sky City. This time, he was determined to go even bigger.
With 350,000 points at his disposal, he could build two more large Pokémon Centers—one on Sky Island and another on Fishman Island—rivaling the battle area in Alabasta. Once these Pokémon Centers were completed, Leo planned to start accumulating points for his next world-hopping adventure.
What Leo didn't anticipate was how quickly the news of Robin and Cobra's battle spread throughout the Grand Line.
The isolation of the Grand Line from the other four seas meant that news like Leo's defeat of Akainu only remained popular for a short time before being overshadowed by other events. However, the story of Robin and Cobra's battle became a hot topic across the Grand Line.
It seemed that on the treacherous Grand Line, people only cared about what happened in their immediate surroundings. Events in other parts of the world felt distant and irrelevant to them.
Though defeating an Admiral was an impressive feat, many people believed that with enough effort, they could achieve the same. Besides, the strong in this world were often eccentric individuals who never truly acknowledged the power of others unless faced with a life-threatening situation.
But the battle between Robin and Cobra showcased another kind of power—Pokémon power. Cobra, an ordinary man, was able to control such a powerful creature and have it fight alongside him. This was the first time many people realized just how obedient Pokémon could be!
The seamless cooperation between Robin and Eevee in battle caught the eyes of many, especially those with abilities who began to imagine how their powers might synergize with Pokémon in combat.
Although a public Pokémon battle had already taken place in the East Blue, the trainers there lacked the skill to fully showcase Pokémon's capabilities. But this time, the battle between Eevee and Slowpoke reached a level that rivaled the best in the first half of the Grand Line.
Now, many ambitious individuals began yearning for the power of Pokémon.
---
Meanwhile, 5,000 meters above the Windless Belt.
No one could imagine that in this vast, empty sky, there existed a cluster of small islands connected by clouds and mist. On the main island of this cluster resided a figure capable of shaking the world.
"Pokémon again…"
Golden Lion, sitting at the helm, furrowed his brow as he read the newspaper, the cigar between his lips burning slowly.
As a former world-class pirate, Golden Lion had left behind countless hidden connections in the underworld. Just three days after Robin's battle with Cobra, he had received the video footage from his subordinates.
At first, he hadn't taken the so-called Pokémon or dimensional merchants seriously. After all, he possessed a vast array of magical creatures capable of spewing fire and lightning.
To Golden Lion, Leo seemed like nothing more than a con artist who had merely advanced in his research before him.
But after watching the battle video, his thoughts began to shift.
Slowpoke, in particular, left him stunned! The devastating water bomb, the magical mental control, and its incredible physical strength…
The power of that Slowpoke could easily rival that of a great pirate in the second half of the Grand Line.
What shocked him even more was that the puppy-like creature actually evolved into something entirely different after the battle!
If this wasn't a Devil Fruit disguise, then the existence of the dimensional merchant and Pokémon was unquestionable!
Golden Lion fell into deep thought, gazing at the newspaper reports. He wasn't one to stubbornly refuse the truth. As his doubts melted away, he began to believe that Pokémon might indeed exist.
"A dimensional merchant from another world?"
Taking a deep breath, Golden Lion slowly put down the newspaper.
At that moment, a powerful aura suddenly erupted from his body, like a tidal wave sweeping across the entire island.
"Interesting! This is so interesting!!!"
A wild, crazed smile spread across Golden Lion's face as he roared like a beast, "I didn't expect my heart to beat so strongly again after Roger's death!"
"The legendary other world…"
"Don't disappoint me!"
"Jihahahahaha!!!"
With a wave of his hand, a violent gust surged through the room, rattling the walls.
In that instant, the sky island cluster began to move, steering toward the first half of the Grand Line!
---
At the same time.
On a coast of Jaya Island in the Grand Line.
A peculiar pair stood before two pirate ships.
"I'll be relying on you two again today." Cricket said seriously, looking at the two who resembled an orangutan and a monkey.
"Though there's still some time before the next Knock-Up Stream, you must be careful!"
Even though this wasn't their first time on an underwater salvage mission, Cricket always gave his younger brothers the same instructions before setting sail, fearing something might go wrong.
"Don't worry, boss!"
The massive orangutan waved reassuringly. "You're not in good health, so just rest up today!"
"Leave today's salvage work to us!" added Masira, the human who resembled a monkey, pounding his chest confidently. "After all, it's not our first time doing this kind of work!"
"Alright then, I'll leave it to you two," Cricket nodded, offering no further instructions.
Indeed, as Masira had said, they had years of diving experience and nothing more needed to be said.
The two ships soon left the port, heading toward the distant sea.
Cricket, suffering from decompression sickness, could only stay on shore, quietly awaiting his brothers' return.
Mont Blanc Cricket, descendant of the great liar Noland.
In his quest to prove his ancestor wasn't a liar, Cricket had been diving near this sea for years, hoping to find evidence that could clear his ancestor's name.
But after years of searching with the Saruyama Alliance, he had found nothing but a few pieces of unusual gold artifacts at the bottom of the deep sea. There were no signs of the lost city of gold.
Now, he could only send out daily salvage expeditions, hoping for a miracle.
"I hope we find something this time…"
Watching the two ships disappear over the horizon, Cricket sighed and sat down on the ground, prepared to wait for their return.
But suddenly!
The calm sea began to churn, like boiling water, with countless bubbles rising to the surface.
"What... what's happening!?"
Cricket, who had just sat down, quickly jumped to his feet in shock.
His eyes widened as he stared in disbelief at the turbulent sea.
He murmured to himself, "Impossible! Today isn't the day for the Knock-Up Stream, and it's far too close to Jaya Island!"
Confusion and fear gripped him as he watched the chaotic sea, but he breathed a sigh of relief, knowing his brothers had departed in time. If they had delayed, they might have been caught in the current.
Cricket continued to observe the sea, trying to understand what had caused this unexpected surge.
But just as he thought the Knock-Up Stream was about to appear, a roar, like that of a dragon, suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
"ROOAAR!!!"
A tremendous cry erupted from the sea, piercing Cricket's eardrums and causing violent waves to surge. As he looked on in shock, a massive creature began to rise slowly from the ocean's depths.
The creature's enormous body was covered in dark, gleaming skin. As it emerged from the sea, it resembled a towering wall, rising from the water and looming over the ocean. Its entire body was etched with mysterious symbols, resembling some sort of magical circle, which only added to the creature's aura of terror and enigma.
Despite his own strength, Cricket found himself trembling in fear as the creature's gaze fell upon him, nearly causing him to lose control.
"What... what kind of monster is this!?" he stammered, hoping that speaking aloud might ease the terror gripping his heart.
But before he could gather his thoughts, a voice rang out beside his ear: "That's Wailord, my Pokémon."
The voice was calm and even somewhat gentle, but it startled Cricket so much that he stumbled backward and fell to the ground.
"Who... who's there!?" he demanded, quickly turning around, only to see nothing but the empty coastline.
But the voice returned, soothing and clear: "No need to be afraid..."
As the soft words echoed, Cricket felt a strange power flow into his body. Suddenly, his heart, which had been racing in fear, calmed.
All the terror and dread within him receded, like the sea pulling away with the tide.
"What...?" Cricket blinked, his mind blank as he tried to comprehend what had just happened.
At that moment, a figure began to materialize in front of him, seemingly emerging from thin air until it stood clearly before him.
"Hello, Mont Blanc Cricket," Leo greeted with a smile. With a wave of his hand, an invisible force gently lifted Cricket back to his feet.
"Hello... Hello," Cricket stammered. Though he felt no fear, he instinctively recognized that the person before him was extraordinary. Unsure of what else to say, he returned the greeting politely.
Leo smiled and introduced himself: "There's no need to be so restrained, Mr. Cricket."
"I am a dimensional merchant. I sensed an interesting soul here, so I came to see if you might be interested in making a deal with me."
"Dimensional merchant!?" Cricket's throat tightened.
Though he was obsessed with finding clues to the Golden Land, he wasn't completely isolated from the outside world. News about dimensional merchants had been circulating widely, sparking discussions across the seas. Even those who didn't believe in the existence of other worlds would joke about it, just as they did about the legend of his ancestor Noland.
But now, with this seemingly mythical figure standing before him, Cricket couldn't help but feel a tremor of excitement.
"Are you the dimensional merchant everyone's been talking about in the newspapers!?" Cricket pointed at Leo, but quickly retracted his hand, realizing it was impolite. His face flushed with a mix of excitement and disbelief, despite Leo's calming influence.
"That's right," Leo nodded gently, his dark eyes vast and deep, like a starry night sky.
He gazed at Cricket and spoke slowly, "It must feel hopeless."
"What?" Cricket looked at him in confusion.
"To be searching for clues every day, diving into the depths of the sea, only to be afflicted with illness—living such a life must feel hopeless, doesn't it?" Leo's calm voice seemed to pierce through Cricket, striking at the core of his being.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Cricket stammered, his spirit wavering under the intense gaze of those mysterious eyes.
But Leo only smiled softly and continued, "I can see it, Mr. Cricket. I see everything that has happened to you. That's why I've come to you today."
"Your relentless pursuit of the truth over 400 years moved me, someone from another world."
"And so, I stand before you, offering you a chance to make a deal."
As he spoke, Leo suddenly snapped his fingers.
Snap!
The sound, though crisp, felt like a heavy seal stamping on Cricket's heart, leaving him momentarily dazed.
When his senses returned, he found himself high in the sky.
Below him was an island shaped like a skull—the exact same island depicted in the chart he had recovered from the depths of the sea!
(End of this chapter)