"Wow—so that's Red's move!? That's seriously spectacular!"
In another corner of the town, Luffy raised a hand to shade his eyes, amazement written all over his face.
Of course, compared to his own Hyper Beam, Red's Surf could only be considered child's play.
But even so, seeing a companion wield such overwhelming power made Luffy burst out laughing from the bottom of his heart.
Zoro, standing to the side, also grinned as he spoke:
"Come to think of it, this seems like the first time Red ever took the initiative to fight an enemy, right?"
"Really makes you wonder what's so special about those two."
…
…
Inside the town.
Under the onslaught of Red's Surf, over half of Baroque Works' base collapsed outright.
As the Pokémon energy slowly dissipated, the massive wave vanished without a trace, not leaving behind even a single drop of water on the ground.
All that remained was a field of ruins—and Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine, who had been swept far away by the tidal surge.
This was the marvel of Pokémon moves.
"That was a truly refreshing battle,"Red said with a faint smile.
Behind him, Vivi and Igaram were screaming inwardly: Refreshing for you, maybe—definitely not for us!
But the next moment, the two exchanged a glance in perfect unison.
If even a crew member without a Marine bounty possessed such terrifying strength, then just how powerful must the captain of this crew be!?
It seemed the kingdom really was saved this time.
That night passed without incident.
Golden morning light poured over the boundless sea, cloaking the rolling waves in a radiant sheen, as if each one wore a golden crown.
And just then, in the waters near Whiskey Peak, the sea suddenly began to churn as though it were boiling.
A massive shadow slowly emerged beneath the surface, rapidly expanding outward.
Soon enough, an enormous mountain rose from the depths of the sea.
And that mountain was the Straw Hats' new companion—Laboon!
Seeing this from the deck of the Going Merry, Red immediately manipulated the seawater to form a guiding wave. Then, together with Usopp, he stepped onto the wave, each of them carrying the bound prisoners Miss Valentine and Mr. 5.
"Thanks for guarding the ship, Laboon!"
Arriving beside Laboon, Red gently patted his skin.
Laboon let out a cheerful cry in response, clearly answering Red's affection.
Though they still couldn't understand Laboon's words, they could unmistakably feel his joy.
Fifty years ago, he had been too weak and lost the chance to travel with his companions.
Fifty years later, he had finally become strong enough—no longer someone who needed protection, but someone who could protect others in return!
Unfortunately, Red still couldn't fully grasp Laboon's feelings.
"Looks like we really need to bring Chopper into the crew as soon as possible…"
With a soft sigh, Red exchanged a few more words with Laboon based on guesswork. Then, together with Usopp, he led the two captives through the passage atop Laboon's body and into the small world inside him.
…
…
Bang!
After tossing the two Baroque Works prisoners onto the ground, Red dragged over the beach chair Crocus had left behind and leisurely sat down.
Usopp naturally took up a position behind him.
The scene carried more than a hint of an underworld boss holding court.
A barely perceptible smile tugged at the corners of Red's lips as he spoke calmly:
"By now, you should both have had time to calm down."
"I'll give you two options."
"One: I throw the two of you into the digestive acid outside right now, and you'll be set free once and for all."
"Two: behave yourselves, don't do anything stupid, and maybe—just maybe—we can reach some kind of partnership and become good friends."
"Now… make your choice."
The perceptive Usopp stepped forward at once and tore the tape from their mouths.
In the next instant, the two shouted at the top of their lungs:
"Th-the second one!!! I choose the second one!!!"
"A wise choice."
The smile on Red's lips deepened slightly as he signaled Usopp to untie them.
After witnessing Red's true power—and fully understanding that this was an enclosed space they couldn't escape from—neither of them dared show the slightest hint of resistance.
Once freed, they immediately stood straight, like elementary school students summoned to the teacher's office, barely daring to breathe.
Seeing their cooperation, Red nodded in satisfaction.
"Very good. With attitudes like that, our conversation should go quite smoothly."
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Red, vice-captain of the Straw Hat Pirates."
"And you two—aside from your Baroque Works codenames—you should have your own names, right?"
"…Well…"
After a brief hesitation, both spoke up together.
Mr. 5: "Gem."Miss Valentine: "Mikita."
"Gem and Mikita, huh?" Red nodded. "Those are nice names."
"In that case, I'll address you by your real names from now on."
"After all, with your mission having failed, you're probably facing the trouble of being hunted down by your own superiors, aren't you?"
He raised his head slightly, an amused glint flashing in his eyes as he looked at them.
Though neither said a word, the helplessness and fear flickering in their eyes told Red everything. He continued, gently coaxing them along:
"Instead of running all over the seas, constantly dodging assassins, wouldn't it be better to take this chance to leave Baroque Works?"
"Your abilities are far too valuable to simply let them go to waste."
"How about it—any interest in cooperating with our Straw Hat crew?"
Red abruptly stood up, no longer treating them like prisoners.
Instead, he extended his hand sincerely.
"As you can see, inside Laboon, you don't have to worry about being hunted at all."
"And by giving up a little freedom, you gain a place to live in safety. That's a pretty good deal, don't you think?"
"Well… this…"
Faced with Red's sudden shift in attitude, Gem and Mikita were momentarily stunned.
Gem asked cautiously:
"May I ask… Red, sir—what exactly do you want us to do?"
"Very simple!"
Red gestured to Usopp, then slung an arm over his shoulder.
"Let me introduce him—Usopp, our crew's sniper!"
"And also a genius when it comes to ammunition!"
Flattered, Usopp sniffed proudly and scratched his nose, an embarrassed grin on his face.
Red then turned his gaze back to Gem.
"And your ability happens to be closely related to explosions."
"So I want the two of you to work together."
"Inside Laboon, you'll set up a small research center, mainly responsible for the production and development of shells and ammunition."
"What do you say?"
The Bomb-Bomb Fruit was an absolutely offensive-type power—far too strong to be wasted!
Even if Gem couldn't bring out its full potential, Red had no intention of letting such an ability disappear.
If killing Gem didn't guarantee a 100% chance of obtaining the Devil Fruit, then it was far better to extend an olive branch and put him to use.
With his Devil Fruit ability, Usopp's ammunition research would undoubtedly reach a whole new level!
And even if Gem's personal strength eventually fell behind, it wouldn't matter.
With the Pokémon world around, he'd have more than enough means to break through his limits.
Compared to monsters like Luffy and Zoro—who would inevitably become unbeatable as long as they lived—
The game-like leveling system of the Pokémon world was simply the perfect cheat for someone like Gem, neither overwhelmingly strong nor truly weak.
"…You want to use my Devil Fruit ability, don't you?"
After hearing Red's proposal, Gem instantly saw through his intentions.
Yet it was precisely because of that that he let out a long sigh of relief.
As long as he still had value, it meant the other side wouldn't kill him so easily.
Gem understood all too well—
No matter how friendly Red looked right now, choosing to refuse would mean only one of two outcomes: death, or being beaten into submission.
Either way, there would be no happy ending.
This so-called choice was nothing more than a formality. In truth, there was only one option.
"I agree!" Gem replied without hesitation. "I'm willing to stay here and become this long-nosed gentleman's assistant!"
"Excellent!"
"Then there's no time to waste. Starting today, Usopp, you'll stay inside Laboon to train and work here."
Red's grin widened, but he immediately added a note of caution:
"However… safety must be guaranteed."
"You absolutely cannot cause any damage to Laboon's body due to mistakes."
"Given your abilities, I trust such low-level errors won't happen."
Hearing this, Gem quickly demonstrated his worth and spoke up proactively:
"Please rest assured, Red. My Devil Fruit ability lets me control whether nearby objects—or those I touch—explode."
"I'll strictly manage all safety concerns!"
"In that case, I'm relieved."
"Then…"
Red smiled and reached out, gripping Gem's hand tightly.
"Here's to a successful partnership!"
"A successful partnership!"
(End of Chapter)