Ten minutes later.
After equipping the four Pokémon with Armament Haki, Observation Haki, and the Navy's Six Powers, Zoro's point balance once again dropped below five digits, leaving him with only 8,000 points.
However, Koby and Alvida's choices had taught Zoro a valuable lesson: as long as he didn't go for high-powered fighters like Johnny and Yosaku, 5,000 points was enough to cover everything.
With that in mind, Zoro turned to the last person behind him.
"Kuina, it's your turn to choose your Pokémon!" Zoro called out with an encouraging smile.
"I..." Kuina hesitated, taking a step forward but then stopping.
While Zoro had spent many points buying Pokémon for Johnny and the others because they had done much for him, Kuina felt different. She hadn't done anything to help Zoro and had only relied on him.
This was the main reason for her hesitation.
But that hesitation lasted only a second before Kuina broke free from it.
With firm strides, the 11-year-old girl moved forward, her posture like that of a seasoned warrior.
Kuina had a clear mindset. From the moment Zoro brought her back to life, she knew she could never fully repay him.
Since she could never pay him back, what harm was there in owing him even more?
At worst, she would dedicate her life to Zoro.
Kuina already knew that Zoro planned to leave Shimotsuki Village and start a mercenary company with King Laurent, facing challenges across the sea.
When Zoro left, she would follow him. Once she matured, she would serve Zoro for life, without asking for anything in return.
This was the only way she could think of to repay him.
These thoughts passed in a flash, and in the next moment, Kuina was standing beside Zoro and in front of James.
Seeing her, Zoro smiled and said:
"Sir James, please choose a highly talented baby Pokémon for Kuina, one that can grow alongside her."
"As for the budget, use all of my remaining points."
Zoro's smile was relaxed and natural.
"I see..." James nodded, signaling his understanding.
He turned his attention to Kuina and asked,
"Miss Kuina, could you specify any preferences or requirements for your Pokémon?"
"Preferences..." Kuina bit her lip thoughtfully before responding, "Please help me choose a Pokémon that is skilled with swords!"
"Oh?" James replied softly.
"That's a somewhat vague request."
"How about this: I'll select a few sword-wielding Pokémon and let you pick from them. Does that sound good?"
Kuina's request was indeed a bit challenging for James, the dimensional business assistant.
After all, unlike Leo, James didn't know Kuina's personality beforehand and hadn't prepared anything in advance. Initially, he thought of selecting Pokémon like Alolan Vulpix based on her temperament.
However, after hearing her request, he quickly reviewed the Pokémon that fit the criteria in his mind but found none that perfectly matched Kuina's personality.
Given the situation, he decided to offer her a few options to choose from.
Kuina's face lit up with a smile when she heard the proposal.
As someone who had been told by her father to give up on swordsmanship, what she wanted most was to take control of her own destiny.
So she fully supported James's idea.
"Thank you, Sir James!" Kuina bowed respectfully, her movements marked by the grace of a trained swordsman.
Coming from a family of swordfighters, Kuina's etiquette was refined, a trait rare among her peers.
"Then... let's begin!" James said, after receiving her approval.
With a wave of his hand, several Pokémon appeared on the screen of the Rotom-powered tablet.
James began introducing them:
"The first one is Honedge."
"You might be familiar with this Pokémon since Mr. Zoro uses its evolved form. I won't go into much detail here."
"The second one is Scyther."
"This is also a Pokémon Mr. Zoro uses. This Scyther is in its regular form, a Bug and Flying type, and is adept at using double-edged moves."
Kuina looked at Scyther on the screen, using its arms like blades, but her brow furrowed slightly.
James continued:
"The third option is Kabutops."
"A Pokémon revived from ancient fossils using special technology. Its arm blades are extremely sharp, much like Scyther's."
Kuina's frown deepened, showing no particular interest.
Noticing this, James quickly moved to the next option.
"The fourth one is Gallade."
"A humanoid Pokémon with arms shaped like dual swords. It excels in combat."
"The fifth one is Kartana."
"This is an Ultra Beast from the Ultra Space. Its body is as thin as paper, but it's as sharp as a blade. Once fully grown, it wields incredible power!"
Upon seeing Kartana, Kuina's frown momentarily eased. But after watching its arms slash through the air like swords, her expression returned to its previous state.
It wasn't that Kuina was being overly picky.
She simply didn't feel that any of these Pokémon suited her.
Kuina was well aware of her circumstances. Though she didn't want to admit it, being a girl had created barriers for her in the path of swordsmanship.
But it was precisely because of these obstacles that Kuina was determined to become a swordsman, proving that even as a woman, she could be just as powerful and skilled with the sword as any man.
Of course, Kuina doesn't shy away from reality.
She acknowledges that, as a woman, she is inherently at a disadvantage compared to men in the world of swordsmanship.
But since the current methods of swordsmanship aren't suited to her...
She is determined to create a new style of swordsmanship, one that works for her!
This belief has always existed deep within her.
Even after experiencing life and death, it has never wavered!
While she might not be able to fully grasp such profound concepts at her current level, Kuina had already set the foundation for her own style of swordsmanship...
A style that relies on technique rather than sheer strength!
So, when she saw the five Pokémon that James had displayed, Kuina couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment.
These Pokémon all used their bodies as swords, relying heavily on physical power rather than sword techniques.
Such swordsmanship might be ideal for Zoro, but not for her.
Similarly, while these Pokémon might be a good match for Zoro, none of them resonated with her.
Sensing Kuina's disappointment, even James was slightly taken aback.
It was the first time he had encountered such a selective customer.
To remain unmoved, even when seeing an Ultra Beast like Kartana, was truly rare.
Since he didn't fully understand what Kuina wanted, James felt unsure of how to proceed.
Nevertheless, he pressed on and introduced the next option:
"The sixth Pokémon, Sirfetch'd (Galarian form)."
[Tl/n: Sirfetch'd is the one with sword and shield. The little one is in its Galarian form.]
"The Galarian form of Sirfetch'd is different from its regular counterpart. Instead of holding its leek in its mouth, it wields it like a sword."
"Though it may not look like a traditional swordsman, its mastery of the leek as a weapon is not inferior to any of the previous Pokémon."
After finishing, James glanced at Kuina's expression once again.
He had been prepared to contact Leo for help since none of the previous five Pokémon had piqued Kuina's interest.
How could this last one, a Pokémon that fought with a leek and didn't even resemble a swordsman, win her approval?
However...
To James' surprise, Kuina's expression changed dramatically when she saw Sirfetch'd.
Her previous disappointment gave way to joy, forming a stark contrast.
James was momentarily left wondering if he didn't know Pokémon as well as he thought.
Shaking off the unnecessary doubts, he asked, "Miss Kuina, have you made your decision?"
"Yes, I've decided!"
Kuina nodded firmly, extending her small hand to point at the image of Sirfetch'd.
"The Pokémon I want is this one—Sirfetch'd!"
"Sirfetch'd?" Zoro, who had been eyeing the other Pokémon on the screen, was taken aback. He turned to Kuina with a confused expression.
In his mind, he wondered, "Is this Kuina's sense of aesthetics?"
With that thought, Zoro began to focus intently on Sirfetch'd, trying to figure out its appeal.
Meanwhile, after confirming that Kuina had indeed chosen the leek-wielding duck, James let out a sigh of relief.
Good.
At least he didn't embarrass Lord Leo.
James quickly tapped on the screen of the Rotom tablet, bringing up the information for a top-tier Sirfetch'd.
---
Pokémon: Sirfetch'd
Type: Fighting
Ability: Steadfast (This Pokémon's attacks can affect Ghost-type opponents, even when using Normal- or Fighting-type moves. It is also immune to fear effects.)
Level: 8
Price: 2000 points
---
James gestured toward the screen and explained,
"This Sirfetch'd possesses exceptional talent, even surpassing the usual limits of its species. It's been strong since birth."
"Is Miss Kuina satisfied?"
"Very satisfied!" Kuina nodded enthusiastically, her gaze fixed on the image of Sirfetch'd wielding its leek.
As for why she was so drawn to Sirfetch'd...
It was because, during James's introduction, a short clip had shown Sirfetch'd waving its leek like a sword.
Kuina had witnessed the Pokémon, holding what appeared to be a fragile, round leek, cut through a thick tree trunk with a single swing!
What was this?
Wasn't this exactly what Kuina had been striving for: using skill instead of brute force?
Though the world of pirates didn't have martial arts novels or famous quotes about swordsmanship like "using leaves and flowers to wound others,"
Kuina still grasped the concept intuitively.
Even though she knew that Pokémon and humans couldn't be compared directly, she couldn't help but be drawn to Sirfetch'd's swordplay.
As the light flickered, a red-and-white Pokéball materialized in James's hand.
"Miss Kuina, please accept your Sirfetch'd."
With eager eyes, Kuina reached for the Pokéball as James handed it to her.
He snapped his fingers, and a bond link immediately formed, connecting Kuina to the Sirfetch'd inside the Pokéball.
Without skipping a beat, James began his usual routine of promoting various abilities and skills, including Armament Haki.
Naturally, Zoro wasn't about to skimp, so he made sure Sirfetch'd was fully equipped.
He also purchased enough energy cubes for the entire team of Pokémon, along with various training tools and combat items, leaving his point balance at 3,000.
It wasn't that James was unwilling to drain Zoro's points all at once.
Rather, Zoro planned to save the remaining 3,000 points to prepare for his future mercenary company.
With that, Zoro's transaction was finally complete.
And from this moment on, his legendary journey would officially begin!