The sun was starting to set as Xpovac stood on the deck of his ship, gazing out at the horizon. Luffy and his crew had already headed toward their ship, the Going Merry, their faces a mixture of exhaustion and satisfaction after defeating Arlong. Xpovac glanced at his Pokémon team, who were all relaxing after their role in the battle.
"Mew," Xpovac called, and the playful pink Pokémon floated down to his side. "Give Lugia the signal to blow our ship toward the Merry. I'm going to check in on Luffy's crew before we head out."
Mew nodded, teleporting over to Lugia, who soared into the sky. The massive Legendary Pokémon released a controlled gust of wind, gently propelling Xpovac's ship in the direction of the Going Merry. As they neared, Xpovac opened the system store and browsed for a potion.
"Let's see… something that'll heal their wounds a bit," he murmured, scanning the items until he found what he was looking for. Purchasing the potion for 100 SP, Xpovac held it in his hand, ready to help the Straw Hats.
Once his ship was close enough to the Merry, Xpovac jumped onto their deck, landing lightly. Luffy and his crew all looked up, surprised to see him, but they smiled in recognition.
"You guys look beat up," Xpovac said with a smirk, holding out the potion. "Here, this will help with your injuries a little."
Nami eyed the potion with suspicion, but Usopp and Luffy immediately took it, their trust in Xpovac unwavering. After they drank the potion, their faces eased as the healing effects took place.
"Thanks, Xpovac!" Luffy grinned, stretching his arms out to give his brother a playful smack on the back.
"No problem," Xpovac replied, his eyes glinting as he scanned the crew. He decided to have a conversation with each of them individually, starting with Zoro.
He approached the swordsman, who was sitting near the ship's railing, quietly sharpening his remaining sword. "Zoro, right? Luffy mentioned you fought Mihawk, the World's Strongest Swordsman."
Zoro looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah. He destroyed two of my swords. I'm left with this one," he said, tapping the hilt of his remaining blade.
"Hm," Xpovac said thoughtfully. "So, you use three swords normally?"
Zoro nodded again. "That's my style—Three-Sword Style."
Xpovac smiled. "That's interesting. I have something that might interest you, but you're going to have to prove yourself worthy of it." He reached into his inventory and pulled out the massive Dragonslayer blade, the very same sword from the world of Berserk. It gleamed menacingly in the evening light.
Zoro's eyes widened as he stared at the enormous weapon. "That sword…"
Xpovac lifted it with ease, holding it out for Zoro to examine. "This is called Dragonslayer. But it's not something just anyone can wield. If you want this blade, you'll need to reach a point where you can cut everything... and nothing at the same time."
Zoro's grip tightened on his remaining sword as he stared at the massive blade, determination burning in his eyes. "When I'm able to do that, this sword will be mine."
Xpovac nodded, satisfied with Zoro's resolve. "We'll see." With that, he returned the sword to his inventory and left Zoro to his thoughts.
Next, Xpovac made his way over to Sanji, who was leaning against the ship's kitchen door, puffing on a cigarette. The cook raised an eyebrow as Xpovac approached.
"Sanji, right?" Xpovac asked.
Sanji nodded, taking a drag from his cigarette. "Yeah. You're Luffy's brother?"
"That's right. I heard you fight with your feet?" Xpovac said, curious.
Sanji exhaled slowly, a smirk on his lips. "Yeah. A chef should never dirty his hands. So I keep my hands clean for cooking and fight using my legs."
Xpovac grinned. "That's an interesting philosophy. Have you heard of a fighting style called Renewal Taekwondo?"
Sanji's interest piqued immediately. "Taekwondo? That's a martial art, right?"
Xpovac nodded. "Not just any martial art. Renewal Taekwondo is a powerful style based around kicks. If you're interested, I can teach it to you."
Sanji's eyes gleamed with excitement. "I'm always interested in becoming stronger. Show me what you've got."
Without hesitation, Xpovac handed him the Renewal Taekwondo manual from his inventory. "Take this. Study it, and you'll learn how to fight with even more precision and power."
Sanji took the book, his excitement barely contained. "Thanks, Xpovac. I'll make sure to master this."
With Sanji satisfied, Xpovac approached Luffy, who was leaning on the ship's railing, staring out at the sea. "Luffy, I've got someone I want you to meet."
Luffy turned around, his face lighting up as Xpovac gestured to Articuno. The legendary ice bird flew gracefully toward them, its wings shimmering with frost.
"Whoa! Another Pokémon?!" Luffy's eyes were wide with awe. "It's beautiful!"
"Yeah, this is Articuno. One of the Legendary birds," Xpovac said proudly.
Luffy was clearly fascinated. "When am I gonna get my own Pokémon, huh?" he asked with a big grin.
Xpovac chuckled. "When I find one that's perfect for you. You'll have to wait a bit, but I promise you'll have your own Pokémon someday."
Luffy's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I can't wait!"
After the conversation, Xpovac turned to Mew. "Mew, mark this ship and every one of Luffy's crew members. Just in case they ever need us, we can get to them quickly."
Mew gave a cheerful nod and floated over the Straw Hats, leaving behind a subtle energy mark on each of them and the Merry itself.
Once Mew finished, Xpovac turned to Luffy with a smile. "I'll see you in the Grand Line, little brother. Keep getting stronger."
Luffy grinned back. "You too, Xpovac! Don't slack off!"
With that, Xpovac returned to his ship and instructed his team to prepare to leave. He had another mission in mind. "System, can you locate Dracule Mihawk?"
The system responded in its usual monotone. "No exact location available. However, Mew can be used to search based on description."
Xpovac nodded and turned to Mew. "You heard the system. I need you to find Mihawk, the man who defeated Zoro. He's a swordsman with a huge black sword, and he's known as the strongest."
Mew saluted playfully before vanishing to begin its search.
After two days of waiting, Mew finally returned, teleporting directly onto the deck. The mythical Pokémon telepathically relayed the location of Mihawk's current whereabouts. Xpovac petted Mew's head, satisfied. "Good job, Mew."
"Now," Xpovac said with a grin, "let's go meet Mihawk." He ordered Mew to teleport the ship directly to Mihawk's location, and in an instant, they disappeared, reappearing on calm seas near a small boat where the famous swordsman sat.
Mihawk's eyes flickered with interest as Xpovac's ship materialized in front of him. He looked up from his book and gazed at the newcomer.
Xpovac stepped to the edge of his ship, looking down at Mihawk. "I'm a friend of Shanks," Xpovac said, his voice clear and strong. "And I've come to ask you for a spar."
Mihawk's yellow eyes glinted as he slowly closed his book. "A friend of Shanks, you say?" He stood up, intrigued. "Very well. Let us see if you are worthy of that title."