In the main control room of nuS Island, Leo watched Robin, surrounded by CP9 members as she strolled down the street, with a mixture of amusement and bewilderment on his face.
He couldn't fathom how these individuals had managed to come together while he was preoccupied with organizing the Contest Spectacular.
Seeing Jabra and the other three in their black suits trailing Robin with such loyalty gave Leo a strange, indescribable feeling.
However, considering Robin and Espeon's recent power boost from their last transaction, Leo figured that even with the current strength of CP9, it would be difficult for them to cause any real harm to Robin.
After sending a discreet order to Robin's phone Rotom to alert him immediately if anything went awry, Leo decided to focus on more pressing matters.
With the opening ceremony of the Contest Spectacular fast approaching, Leo had poured all his energy into its preparation, and the long hours of work had left him utterly exhausted.
Now that everything was finally in place, Leo was eager to take a few days off to unwind and recharge.
"Without realizing it, I've accumulated quite a lot of points..."
Lying on a plush, comfortable sofa bed, Leo opened the system interface in his mind and gazed at the seven-digit point balance, sighing in satisfaction.
Over the past three months, Leo hadn't been idle; he had traveled extensively across the Grand Route.
Due to Enel being new to the job and still getting the hang of trading, Leo had taken the lead in scouting for new traders during this period.
As of today, the number of people in the entire pirate world who had engaged in dimensional transactions had reached 1,200!
Although most of these were small-scale traders dealing in the millions, Leo had already completed one-fifth of the minimum requirement needed to traverse worlds.
Unfortunately, the road ahead remained long and arduous. It would be nearly impossible to gather enough world power to break the world's barriers in a short time.
Now, Leo's hopes rested on whether this Contest Spectacular could become the money-making machine he envisioned.
He didn't expect this contest to rake in millions within a few hours, like the PK rewards on Earth, but he hoped it would at least allow him to recoup the 120,000 points spent creating the island in a short period.
Leo had put in tremendous effort to make nuS Island as stunning as possible.
Since floral displays are seasonal, Leo had never undertaken such a grand project to cover an entire island with flowers in the Pokémon world.
He had to scale up some garden plans and test each one meticulously.
After all, the contestants in the Contest Spectacular were as dazzling as flowers, most being princes, ladies, or daughters of wealthy merchants that Leo had encountered along his travels.
In the pirate world, even a random passerby's wife could be as beautiful as a fairy. With decent genetics, beauty was commonplace.
Robin's appearance and figure, while striking, weren't even the best on nuS Island.
Leo would have felt it was a waste if he didn't create a more opulent island to complement these participants.
Fortunately, the final result turned out quite impressive.
In just a few days, the Contest Spectacular would officially begin.
Since Leo had already lectured on the contest rules in the Kingdom of Alabasta, he didn't plan on designing a complex opening ceremony this time.
Instead, he would kick off this world's Contest Spectacular with a battle between the beautiful participants!
A month ago, Leo might not have been so optimistic about the contest's prospects.
Back then, the fanbase for Robin was overwhelmingly one-sided, making it difficult for Leo to choose a candidate among the many traders interested in the contest who also had a lot of influence.
However, after meeting that person, all of Leo's concerns vanished.
...
...
A few days passed in a blur.
Before long, the opening day of the Contest Spectacular had arrived.
On nuS Island, crowds of people and tourists surged from all directions, converging on the massive stadium at the island's center.
The 20,000-seat arena was packed to the brim.
Though Leo had used his points to control the weather and seas around nuS Island, making it less treacherous than other areas on the Grand Route, he still felt immense satisfaction seeing so many people willing to visit the island for the contest's opening ceremony.
"It seems the previous promotion of the Contest Spectacular was quite effective..."
Hovering above the venue, Leo smiled and nodded, pleased with the outcome of his efforts.
Of course, he knew that much of the success was due to the inherent appeal of Pokémon.
As he surveyed the eager crowd, Leo had a strong feeling...
The results of this Contest Spectacular might just exceed his expectations!
The sun shone brightly, casting a golden light that dripped down like mist upon the earth.
Bang bang bang bang!!!
As if on cue, a burst of dazzling fireworks exploded above the stadium.
The colorful display painted the sky in vibrant hues.
"It's starting! It's starting!!!"
The long-awaited audience waved their support banners and cheered loudly.
At this moment, even the carefully chosen BGM couldn't overpower the audience's enthusiastic cheers.
The atmosphere reached its peak.
"Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon!~"
A sweet, melodic voice suddenly echoed through the venue.
Miss Joy, entrusted with a significant role by Leo, emerged slowly from the rising platform in the center of the battlefield.
Dressed in a magnificent gown, Joy instantly became the focus of the entire audience.
Simultaneously, Joy's graceful figure appeared on the big screen above the arena.
With her pink twin-tails, Joy stepped forward nimbly, clutching the microphone, and smiled:
"The Pokémon Contest that you've all been eagerly waiting for is finally here!"
"I believe everyone has been anticipating this moment!"
"I am the commentator for today's event - Joy."
"The match is about to begin..."
"So, I won't waste any more of your time. Let's welcome today's protagonists, the two powerful Pokémon trainers, onto the stage!"
With her experience hosting events in the Pokémon world, Joy showed no signs of stage fright before the crowd of 20,000 and spoke in her most charming voice, fully engaging the audience.
As Joy finished speaking, the crowd erupted in cheers.
The cheers were a mix of male and female voices, distinctly divided between two different names.
Of course, a few other voices mingled in.
"Miss Joy, forget the contestants; I just want to look at you!!!"
"Miss Joy with the twin-tails is so cute! Mom, I'm in love!"
"Miss Joy, even though I'm a woman, I want to say: I want to have your baby!!!"
"..."
"..."
It was clear that after shedding her conservative nurse's uniform for a unique performance outfit, Miss Joy's allure had won her a legion of fans.
This prompted Leo, who had been observing everything, to quickly open the reward channel.
Before the contestants even stepped onto the stage, the focus of the rewards was, of course, Joy in the center of the arena.
"Ten, hundred, thousands, millions..."
Watching the rewards instantly surpass 100 million Baileys and continue to soar, Leo couldn't help but laugh heartily.
Miss Joy was one of his own.
This meant he didn't even need to give a fifth to the lady receiving the tips; he could keep it all.
In the uninhibited atmosphere of the Contest Spectacular, everyone expressed themselves freely.
Perhaps this was the charm of the contest.
It was different from the life-and-death tension of Pokémon battles.
In the Contest Spectacular, every gorgeous battle was an exquisite performance!
Most of the audience came with the mindset of watching a show, so they were very relaxed.
Here, they could use their loudest voices and shout things they'd usually be too embarrassed to say.
Joy didn't let the cheers disrupt the event's flow.
She smiled sweetly in response to the audience's support but continued guiding the contest forward.
"Let's welcome one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the battle arena, Miss Nico Robin, also known as the Thousand-Handed Succubus!!!"
As soon as Joy finished speaking, the arena erupted with thunderous applause and cheers.
Robin appeared, dressed in a light purple gown, exuding an air of mystery and elegance, like a violet princess emerging from a sea of flowers, or perhaps an ancient queen with a regal and dignified presence.
Beside her was Espeon, radiating the same enigmatic aura, resembling a sacred cat worshipped by the ancient Egyptians. Its delicate features, accentuated by a glimmering ruby, provided a strikingly noble visual impression.
Under Espeon's power, Robin's flowing gown hovered gracefully just above the ground, undulating naturally with her every step, yet never touching the earth.
Robin's lips curled into a slight smile as she walked confidently out of the contestant aisle on the left side of the arena, taking her place on the competitor's platform.
Joy continued the introduction:
"Nico Robin, a bronze medalist in the Pokémon League Tournament, once led her Espeon to victory against hundreds of top-tier trainers. She is undoubtedly one of the strongest women out there!"
"With her remarkable performances in the battle arena, Ms. Nico Robin has amassed a large fanbase. I'm sure she'll continue to dazzle us all with her stunning displays in today's Pokémon Contest!"
"Oh!!!!"
A chorus of cheers erupted from Robin's fans, strategically placed around the venue by Leo. Their enthusiastic roars instantly energized the surrounding spectators.
Even those unfamiliar with Robin couldn't help but be intrigued by the atmosphere.
And with Robin looking so resplendent under the spotlight, it was impossible for any man not to be captivated.
However, these cheers, saturated with male admiration, sparked a twinge of jealousy among the female audience. They puffed their cheeks, casting side glances at the men around them.
Fortunately, Joy smoothly transitioned the focus, extending a hand toward the right side of the arena:
"And now, let's give a warm round of applause and cheers to welcome Miss Robin's opponent, Mr. Cavendish..."
"Onto the stage!!!"
A deafening scream, even more intense than before, filled the air.
When women go wild, they outshine men by a mile!
The sharp cries reverberated across the sky, even causing the clouds above the arena to quiver and drift away.
Cavendish, clad in white, rode in slowly on his iconic white horse, emerging from the contestant tunnel.
Elegant, gorgeous, noble...
Cavendish is a man seemingly born for the stage! His poise and demeanor are neither weak nor effeminate, but rather, exude a grace and sophistication that women find irresistible.
Seated in front of Cavendish, atop the white horse, was a humanoid Pokémon.
With slender limbs, long tentacles adorned with topaz-like ends, and a skirt-like body that flowed in four layers from its neck, it was the regal Pheromosa, a creature from another dimension's ultimate space in the Pokémon world, regarded as a legendary Pokémon.
It was Cavendish who noticed its noble demeanor and saved it from the system.
Joy introduced:
"Cavendish, a pirate with a bounty of 285 million Baileys, shares the title of 'Gorgeous Supernova' with Ace, the Fire Dragon Knight, who is also one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the battle arena! He is a noble and elegant figure in the world of pirates!"
"And his Pokémon is none other than the legendary Ultra Beast, Pheromosa!"
"Although there's no official record of a battle involving Cavendish and Pheromosa, I'm confident that this pairing of a Gorgeous Supernova and a legendary Pokémon will deliver a truly magnificent visual spectacle!"
"And now..."
After introducing the two contestants, Joy raised her voice, spreading her arms wide as she directed attention toward them, shouting with excitement:
"I hereby announce that the first match of the spectacular battle—[Nico Robin VS Cavendish]—officially begins!!!"
Whoosh—
As Joy's words echoed through the arena, she swiftly moved to the commentator's booth, leaving the stage to the two competitors.
In that instant, the cheers reached an ear-splitting crescendo.
Cavendish dismounted his white horse, and Pheromosa elegantly leaped to the center of the battlefield.
With a swoosh!
The slender sword Durandal was drawn from Cavendish's waist. A dazzling smile graced his lips, as if he were savoring the crowd's adoration. He shouted, with a hint of vanity, to Robin:
"Do you hear the audience's call, Miss Robin!?"
"This rapturous cry feels like it was made just for me!"
"In response to their wishes, I won't hold back in this battle!!!"
Robin, standing with elegant poise, her hands resting gracefully on her hips, looked across at the flamboyant Cavendish. Her gaze, one that could make thousands of men lose their minds, remained steady, her smile reflecting the same dignified elegance as before.
Robin softly replied to Cavendish's provocation:
"That is precisely what I hope for."
(End of this chapter)