"It's just..." Leo suddenly pursed his lips into a smile.
Having piqued the group's interest in Bond Evolution, he waved his hand, snapping his fingers as he said, "To ensure player confidentiality during the competition, we'll discuss any transactions after dinner."
Robin, who had been eager to finalize a deal after Leo's agreement, felt her initial joy turn into a mysterious smile.
Leo, still smiling, snapped his fingers again and addressed everyone, "Alright, for now, let's focus on enjoying dinner!"
As he spoke, a bottle of champagne materialized in his hand. "No matter the outcome of the upcoming matches, I hope you all enjoy the thrill of Pokémon battles!" He raised his glass. "On behalf of the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce, I want to thank you for your ongoing support. You've worked hard!"
Leo then drank the champagne in one go. The contestants quickly grabbed their glasses from the nearby long table, raising them in response, albeit in varying degrees of enthusiasm, "Thank you, Sir Leo!"
After a few more words, Leo informed everyone of the trade location before excusing himself.
The atmosphere in the secluded restaurant lightened significantly when a Chensey, dressed in a maid uniform, rolled in with a dining cart. The 32 contestants released their Pokémon, diving into the evening's feast, momentarily forgetting about the challenges awaiting them tomorrow, and instead, indulging in the joy of the moment.
...
Ace, with four drumsticks in one hand, continued shoveling food into his mouth with the other, his posture less than graceful. He smirked at Garp, who was eating just as sloppily across from him. "Old man, are you really not going to buy Bond Power? I'm pretty strong now! You don't want to lose to me, do you?"
"If it's about money, I've got plenty. I could lend you some."
"Bah!" Garp, his mouth also full, snorted in disdain. "You think you're tough just because you've grown some hair? Talk to me after you can actually beat me!"
Garp had heard a bit about Ace's recent surge in strength, but as his grandfather, he wouldn't let Ace get too full of himself.
Who cares about being rich? If the Navy weren't so broke, he could ask Sengoku to wire him a few billion with just one phone call...
But Garp couldn't help but sigh when he thought about Sengoku's and the Revolutionary Army's secret plan. When Sengoku first mentioned it, Garp felt like he was the only sane one left. Who would have thought that the Navy and the Revolutionary Army, two sworn enemies, would ever conspire together? Even someone like him, who's usually seen as a loose cannon, struggled to wrap his head around it.
"Hey, Ace." Garp called out after shaking off those thoughts.
"Hmm?" Ace, his cheeks bulging like a chipmunk's, looked up while still chewing on a mouthful of food.
"What's up? Regretting your decision, old man?"
"Regret? Me?" Garp sneered. "Do I look like the type?"
His eyes gleamed as he asked, "Want to guess what the prizes are for this Pokémon League Conference?"
"Huh?"
Ace paused, his mind blank for a moment before it clicked. "Oh right! There are prizes! I remember third place can revive someone…"
"But Sir Leo never mentioned what the rewards are for the runner-up or the champion."
Ace muttered, trying to recall.
"Exactly." Garp chuckled deeply. "So, want to guess what the champion gets?"
Despite the tournament already being in full swing, Leo had kept everyone in the dark about the rewards for second place and the champion. A year ago, bringing someone back to life was beyond belief, so everyone's attention was naturally fixated on that.
But when asked to speculate, Ace shook his head immediately.
"No need!" He chewed a bit more and swallowed, curling his lip in disdain. "I'll find out the reward when I win the championship."
"And I'm full now. I'm heading back to train, old man."
Just like Luffy, who hated being spoiled, Ace showed no interest in the first-place reward. All he wanted was to reach the top on his own.
"That kid!" Garp watched Ace's retreating figure, a smile playing on his lips. His eyes reflected a mix of expectation, mischief, and nostalgia.
...
Ace didn't go directly to the training room as he'd said. Instead, he followed the signs to Leo's reception room.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Come in," came Leo's voice, as if expecting him.
The door opened, and Ace walked in with a polite smile. "Excuse me, Brother Leo."
Leo greeted him with a kind smile, "I didn't expect you to be the first to come."
"Ahaha…" Ace scratched his head sheepishly. "Maybe Cobra and the others didn't want to bother you, so they're waiting until later."
In their group, it seemed only he and Garp could deal with the Transdimensional Merchant so casually.
"You know how to pick your moments~" Leo teased, snapping his fingers. The steak in front of him froze in time, preserving its texture and temperature.
He then paused the Crayon Shin-chan episode on his tablet and stood up.
Wiping his mouth, Leo asked, "Alright, Mr. Ace, you came for a trade, correct?"
"Yes!" Ace nodded eagerly.
After acquiring several territories from the Big Mom Pirates, the Spade Pirates' coffers were flush again. Ace intended to use this opportunity to power up.
After witnessing Whitebeard's strength, Ace realized how far he still had to go to become the king of the seas.
With the business matter at hand, Leo put aside his half-watched Crayon Shin-chan and snapped his fingers again.
Snap!
A familiar yet alien interface appeared in Ace's mind.
"Alright, Mr. Ace, please redeem your points first," Leo said with a smile, shifting into transaction mode as Ace closed his eyes to transfer the points.
This time, Ace took his time, carefully considering which islands' resources to trade and which to keep as a reserve.
Five minutes later, Ace opened his eyes.
During those five minutes, Leo had waited patiently, like the most attentive salesman.
Seeing the balance increase by 30,000 points, Leo smiled, pleasantly surprised by Ace's quick accumulation of 3 billion Beli.
With a glint in his eye, Leo stepped forward, "Congratulations, Mr. Ace, you now have a balance of 6,000 points."
There was a snap.
A virtual screen appeared before Ace, showing the balance changing from 0 to [6000].
"6,000 points..." Ace nodded, satisfied with the resources he'd traded.
Leo waved his hand, and the virtual screen transformed into the redemption mall interface.
"So, Mr. Ace, what are you planning to purchase this time?"
"I..."
Ace hesitated for a moment before confidently tapping on the VIP4 exclusive page. He pointed to a specific item and declared with determination:
"I want to exchange my points for a Gigantamax device for Charizard!"
Recently, the image of the massive Dragonite of Whitebeard had been stuck in Ace's mind. That enormous stature and commanding presence were simply awe-inspiring!
So, with his newly earned points, he immediately opted for the Gigantamax upgrade.
Even though this might not be the most strategic choice, Ace felt it was worth it for the sheer coolness factor.
"Oh? A Gigantamax device?"
Leo smiled approvingly and then said, "No problem, but we'll need to move to a larger space for the transaction. My small office won't be able to accommodate a Gigantamax Pokémon."
"Right, right."
Ace nodded eagerly. The thought of one day soaring through the skies on the back of a giant dragon made his heart race with excitement.
After all, who could resist the dream of riding a dragon?
Snap!
With a sharp snap of Leo's fingers, both he and Ace vanished.
They reappeared instantly in a training arena at the Celestial Gym, the space around them trembling slightly from the teleportation. Ace, having seen Leo perform many such feats, was unfazed.
As soon as they arrived, Ace quickly summoned Charizard from its Poké Ball.
"I'm ready, Brother Leo!"
Ace looked at Leo with anticipation.
Leo chuckled, then waved his hand, deducting 5,000 points from Ace's balance. With his other hand, he conjured a mysterious dark red mist that began to envelop Charizard.
Gigantamaxing is a transformation that only occurs when a Pokémon absorbs a special energy found in the Galar region of the Pokémon world.
But in the world of pirates, there was no such energy to support this transformation.
So, Leo had to use the powerful points system to permanently infuse this energy into Charizard's body. This is why the Gigantamax device was so costly.
Of course, by doing this, the Gigantamax transformation could be used anytime, anywhere, rather than being restricted to specific locations like in the Pokémon world.
"Mr. Ace, put on this bracelet, and you'll be able to trigger Charizard's Gigantamax form."
After finishing Charizard's transformation, Leo materialized a bracelet about 5 centimeters wide and handed it to Ace.
This bracelet was a customized version of the Dynamax band from the Pokémon world. Not only did it contain the Wishing Stars needed for Gigantamax, but it also had slots for Z-Crystals and Mega Stones, allowing Ace to further enhance his Pokémon in the future.
"Thank you, Brother Leo!"
Ace quickly slipped the bracelet onto his left wrist, grinning from ear to ear.
Immediately, a stream of information flooded his mind, teaching both him and Charizard how to activate Gigantamax.
Ace and Charizard exchanged a glance and nodded at each other.
Ace then recalled Charizard into its Poké Ball.
"I can't wait!"
Ace murmured with excitement, holding the Poké Ball tightly. He then shouted:
"Show them your new form, Charizard! Gigantamax evolution!"
Whoosh!
As Ace spoke, several beams of light shot out from the bracelet, piercing into the Poké Ball.
The Poké Ball suddenly grew in size, swelling with mysterious energy and glowing with a pinkish-white light.
"Go, Charizard!"
Ace hurled the enlarged Poké Ball forward with all his might.
A colossal figure emerged, towering like a mountain, and landed heavily on the ground.
Boom!
The entire training room shook. If Leo hadn't reinforced the ground and buildings, Charizard's mere step would have created a massive crater.
"Charizard!!!"
Ace looked up, his neck craned nearly 90 degrees, and shouted with pure joy.
Charizard, experiencing its Gigantamax form for the first time, also seemed thrilled. It gazed at the vast empty space above the training room and let out a deafening roar:
ROOOAR!!!
The shockwave of sound swept over Ace, forcing him to take a few steps back.
"So powerful!"
Ace exclaimed, eyes gleaming with excitement as he quickly pulled out his Rotom Phone to scan the Gigantamax Charizard.
After a brief moment, the Rotom Phone displayed the information Ace had been eagerly awaiting.
[Pokémon: Charizard (Gigantamax Form)]
[Type: Fire/Flying]
[Ability: Blaze]
[Level: 79]
"Level 79!?"
Ace's face lit up with joy.
In its normal form, Charizard's strength was rated at level 61.
With bond evolution, it could reach level 75—a significant boost.
But now, with Gigantamax, Charizard had skyrocketed to an incredible level 79!
It was just a step away from the next tier of power!
"A Gigantamax Charizard at level 79..."
Ace clenched his fists in excitement.
"What would happen if I combined Gigantamax with bond evolution?"
"What kind of Charizard would that create?!"
"Let's try it! CHARIZARD BOND EVOLUTION!!!
"ROOOAAARRR!!!"
(End of this chapter)