Mafia, assassins, prison escapees…
Now, yet another figure from a different world has arrived.
After hearing Ace's introduction about himself and the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce, Tsuna was oddly unfazed. In fact, he found himself thinking, "Is that all?"
At that moment, without anyone needing to point it out, Tsuna realized something—his nerves were totally frayed!
——
With Mukuro's defeat, Reborn finally stepped down from his position as a mere observer. He used Leon's modified phone number to call Vongola's Japanese branch. Within minutes, ambulances arrived at the center of the battlefield.
On the surface, these people looked like doctors and nurses from a regular hospital, but in truth, they were members of the Vongola branch.
This scene showcased just how vast Vongola's influence really was.
As Tsuna watched Hayato, Takeshi, and Kyouya being carried into ambulances for urgent medical care, his tension eased, and he let out a deep sigh of relief.
Just like in the original story, at the last moment, a group of Avengers dressed in black cloaks and bandages suddenly appeared, as if they had emerged from the depths of hell. They captured Mukuro and the others, giving Tsuna his first real glimpse into the brutality of the mafia world.
With that… the entire Mukuro Rokudo incident had finally come to an end.
Unlike the original version, where Kyouya had many shining moments, Ace's presence left him with less to show in this fight. On the other hand, Takeshi and Hayato, who had been trained by Ace, performed remarkably well.
However, today's battle revealed an undeniable truth about them—their individual strength was still lacking!
After all, they were just ordinary middle school students who had undergone less than half a month of training. Competing against mafia members who had undergone human experimentation was a task far beyond their current abilities.
Therefore, in the days ahead, Ace had already prepared a specialized training plan for them—a program tailor-made based on the Navy boot camp regimen.
With this complete plan, and given the exceptional talents of both Hayato and Takeshi, Ace was confident that it wouldn't take long for them to reach the strength level of naval officers, equivalent to Pokémon levels between 15 and 20.
As for Tsuna, who had already neared level 20 strength in his Hyper Mode, Ace had much stricter expectations.
No more leniency.
He would ensure that Tsuna mastered all six of the Navy's combat styles as soon as possible. Though Tsuna's overall power might not reach level 30, the mastery of these techniques would allow his combat effectiveness to surpass that benchmark.
Fortunately, summer vacation for middle schoolers like Tsuna was just a few days away. Ace and Tsuna would soon have ample time to focus on their training.
Ace was certain that in the near future, Tsuna and his companions would experience a very "enjoyable" holiday!
Another significant point…
Once all the Vongola branch members had withdrawn, Ace and Reborn exchanged a glance. The corners of their mouths curled into identical, mysterious smiles, a silent understanding passing between them.
Ace thought to himself with satisfaction:
"With the Vongola family capable of producing such unique bullets, I'll surely be able to rake in even more points…"
——
Later that evening...
In a ward controlled by the Vongola family.
After the grueling battle earlier that day, and with Hayato and the others still undergoing treatment, Ace didn't schedule any training for them that night.
Instead, he and Reborn silently watched over a sleeping Tsuna.
The full moon's light beamed through the window, illuminating the quiet room.
"Finally, it's just the two of us," Ace said softly, staring into the distance with a cryptic tone.
Reborn instantly lowered the brim of his hat, patiently waiting for Ace's next words.
Ace then asked, "So, regarding my previous suggestion—has there been any response from the Vongola family?"
"Oh, yes," Reborn replied with a smirk. "The Ninth has given his permission to use the full power of the Vongola Family Headquarters to purchase a batch of what you call Pokémon and give them to Tsuna and the others."
"But…" Reborn's voice trailed off. He looked up at Ace and continued, "Ninth—the old man—said he might come to Japan soon. After all, your request was a bit… unbelievable. He wants to meet you face-to-face."
"As expected," Ace said with a smile, not surprised by the Ninth Vongola's boss' decision.
In Ace's eyes, this world was indeed far too weak.
The recent battle with Mukuro had fully awakened the latent power within Tsuna and his companions. It had shown that they could rise to the occasion when faced with overwhelming challenges.
To ensure each of them found a suitable training partner, Ace had proposed to Reborn that the Vongola family arrange a dimensional trade for their future heirs.
Let Tsuna and the guardians around him each acquire a Pokémon.
This way, not only would Tsuna and the others be better protected, but sparring with Pokémon would also accelerate their personal growth. The faster they matured, the sooner Ace could complete his plans for this world.
On this point, Ace and the Vongola family were in perfect agreement.
——
The night was quiet.
But in that stillness, a transaction that could shake the world took place quietly and swiftly.
...
...
The next morning, Tsuna, who had taken sick leave due to his injuries, slowly woke up in bed. He hadn't even had the chance to open his bleary eyes when—
SPLASH!
A powerful stream of water suddenly hit his face.
The cold shock instantly jolted him awake.
"Pfff, pfff…!"
Tsuna spat out water, scrambling out of bed in a daze. He looked around in confusion.
And there he saw it.
Reborn stood nearby, holding a water gun that had been transformed by Leon, aiming it directly at Tsuna's face.
"Hey, hey, hey! Wait! Hold on!!!" Tsuna shouted hurriedly, standing up while glaring at Reborn.
"Reborn!!! What are you doing so early in the morning!?" Tsuna continued, frustrated. "I'm a wounded man!!!"
"If I keep getting soaked like this, I'll catch a cold—ACHOO!"
Under the cold water's relentless assault, Tsuna sneezed violently.
But Reborn smiled innocently and responded flatly, "No, you won't."
Then, without missing a beat, he waved his hand. Out of nowhere, a huge gift box appeared in his hand, and like a bowling ball, he hurled it straight at Tsuna.
"Ahh!!! That hurts…!"
Thud!
The oversized gift box slammed into Tsuna, who had only just gotten to his feet. The impact jarred his waist injury, and he collapsed back to the floor in pain.
Smiling, Reborn walked over to where Tsuna lay sprawled on the floor. Standing over him, he grinned and said, "Starting today, you're going to the deep mountains for 40 days of intense emergency special training!"
"You'll get plenty of exercise and become much healthier, so don't worry!"
"Wha… wha… WHAT!? Special training!?"
Tsuna pushed the heavy gift box off himself, his face pale with shock as he looked up at Reborn in confusion.
"But I just finished a fight yesterday! Why do I need special training now!?" he asked, exasperated.
Before Reborn could respond, a voice that sent shivers down Tsuna's spine suddenly echoed from behind him.
"Hey, Tsuna! You're finally awake!"
"That voice…" Tsuna muttered, slowly turning around robotically.
And there, standing casually on the windowsill of the hospital ward, was Ace, smiling brightly and waving at him.
"A… Ace-sensei," Tsuna stammered, raising his hand stiffly in response.
Yesterday, after entering his Hyper Mode for the first time, Tsuna had passed out soon after the battle. The flood of information Ace had given him still felt surreal, like a dream.
But one thing was clear: the psychological trauma Ace's special training had left on him was very, very real.
A sudden realization struck Tsuna like a bolt of lightning.
With a forced, bitter smile, he asked, "You're in charge of this special training, aren't you, Ace-sensei?"
"Of course," Ace replied, his grin as radiant as the sun.
But to Tsuna, that cheerful smile looked more like the grin of a devil about to devour him. His heart raced with panic.
Tsuna took two cautious steps back and added with a nervous smile, "But… but in a few days, we have our final exams at school."
"I've studied hard all semester, and I can't just throw away my chance to prove myself at the last moment!"
"And the final exam results determine our class placement next semester! If I'm not in the same class as Hayato-kun and Takeshi-kun, things will get really complicated…"
"You do have a point," Ace said, nodding in agreement.
He then turned to Reborn. "Reborn, could you handle this little issue for us?"
Reborn chuckled softly and gave an OK sign. "Don't worry, I'll go to Tsuna's school and hypnotize all the teachers. That way, even if Tsuna and the others don't take the exam, their results will be exactly the same as usual."
"… …"
Why are you so blunt about it!?
Seeing that his last excuse had been effortlessly destroyed, Tsuna gave up all hope. He stopped struggling and accepted his fate.
Clearly, there was no escaping today's special training.
After Reborn confirmed his plan, Ace smiled and reached out to grab Tsuna's arm.
"Then I'll leave the rest to you!"
With that, Ace yanked Tsuna toward the window and leaped outside.
"W-Wait, Ace-sensei!!! This is the sixth floor!!!"
As Tsuna glanced down at the ground, more than ten meters below, beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead. In that moment, he completely forgot that in his Hyper Mode, he could use the Moon Step to float.
He just closed his eyes in sheer panic.
Since meeting Reborn and Ace, Tsuna had learned one fundamental truth about life:
Life is unpredictable; the large intestine wraps around the small intestine.
If you can't resist, just close your eyes and endure it in silence.
With Ace-sensei around, I shouldn't die from this fall…
…Probably.
Though deep down, Tsuna wasn't entirely sure.
He had no control over the situation, so he had simply given up, resigned to whatever awaited him.
However...
In the next moment, the weightlessness Tsuna had braced himself for didn't come.
Instead, he felt something firm yet soft under his feet.
Strange.
Curiosity piqued, Tsuna slowly opened his eyes—and instantly, his expression changed drastically.
"W-What's happening!?" he stammered, his voice trembling as he looked at the swirling clouds and mist around him. His shock deepened when he saw the creature beneath him, turning his face completely pale.
As if Ace had just remembered something, he flashed a grin and said casually, "Oh, right!"
"This must be your first time seeing Charizard, huh?"
"Charizard, say hi to Tsuna!" Ace instructed.
ROAR!!!
Charizard, soaring through the sky, raised its head and unleashed a long stream of flames from its mouth.
Feeling the searing heat wash over him, Tsuna's worldview crumbled even further.
"D-Dragon… It's a dragon..."
He couldn't comprehend how a legendary creature like this could be right before him, flying with such majesty. Meanwhile, Ace remained completely unfazed.
"This is my partner, Charizard," Ace explained. "Don't be fooled by how weak he looks now…"
"Thanks to Charizard's help, I was able to survive a field of ten thousand warriors and earn a spot in the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce."
"Feels like it happened just yesterday," Ace said nostalgically, petting Charizard's body with affection.
Charizard responded to Ace's touch with the contentment of a puppy, leaving Tsuna speechless.
Weak?
Where did he get that idea!? Tsuna thought, completely bewildered.
In that moment, Tsuna felt like he and Ace were living in two entirely different realities. Well, that was also true, he had to admit.
But…
Forget it.
Let the dragon be a dragon...
He'd already seen so many impossible things these past few days. Why was he even surprised anymore?
He needed to get used to this—he had to get used to this.
He had to get used to this!!!
Tsuna wanted to cry but couldn't shed a single tear.
I'm just a normal middle school student! Why does my life have to involve getting my worldview shattered every day!?
As Tsuna silently lamented his fate, Charizard spread its massive wings and ascended even higher.
Soon, they arrived in a remote mountain range, far from the city.
Thud!
Charizard's large wings kicked up a cloud of dust as it landed gracefully on the ground.
Ace and Tsuna jumped off Charizard's back, with Tsuna quickly scanning the area to avoid encountering any more shocks to his fragile sense of reality.
But before he could finish his inspection, a familiar voice called out from behind him.
"Jūdaime! You've finally arrived!"
Tsuna turned around, his eyes widening with surprise.
"Hayato-kun! Why are you here!?" he asked, clearly caught off guard.
"Jūdaime!" Hayato, beaming, ran over to Tsuna.
Since Hayato hadn't sustained any injuries in the previous day's battle, he was in top condition. Grinning, he said, "Not only me—everyone's here!"
"Huh?" Tsuna blinked in confusion.
Hayato pointed behind him, and as Tsuna followed his gesture, he saw something surprising.
Just a short distance away, there stood a large wooden villa.
In front of the villa, Haru, Kyoko, Lambo, Ippei, Takeshi, Kyouya, Ryohei, and others had gathered around a long table.
Except for Kyouya, whose expression remained as stone-faced as ever, everyone else was smiling and enjoying themselves. The atmosphere was cheerful and relaxed.
"???"
Wait a second... Weren't we supposed to be here for emergency training?
Why does it feel more like a weekend retreat...?