"Laboon! Use Surf!!!"
The Pokémon world—sunshine, beaches, bikinis, and…
A colossal, roaring wave that seemed ready to swallow the world whole!
Under the incredulous gaze of a dark-skinned man in swim trunks, the terrifying island whale Laboon rode the massive surge and slammed head-on into his Tentacruel.
In an instant, the Tentacruel—originally a Level 40 Pokémon, strong enough to rival a pirate with a hundred-million-Beli bounty—rolled its eyes back and lost all fighting capability.
The crashing waves thundered down, throwing the once-peaceful sea into utter chaos.
Raindrop-sized beads of water began to fall from the sky, splashing across the ocean's surface and sending spray everywhere.
Yet as the battle zone dissolved, the dark-skinned man—who had been frozen in shock just moments ago—returned to his emotionless NPC state. After dropping the defeat rewards, he began aimlessly swimming in circles in the water.
"As expected, Laboon's sheer size is absolute dimensional suppression against ordinary Pokémon,"
Floating in midair, Red looked down at the roaring sea, the corner of his mouth lifting into a relaxed smile.
With matters in the real world temporarily settled, Red hadn't paused for even a moment, immediately throwing himself back into progressing the Pokémon game storyline.
Having completed the Abandoned Power Plant and Zapdos events, their next objective was to cross Routes 19 and 20, reach the Seafoam Islands—where Articuno lay hidden—and then proceed to the location of the seventh Gym, Cinnabar Island, the volcanic island.
And since they had finally returned to the open sea, Red took the opportunity to summon a partner who struggled to display his strength in the Pokémon world—Laboon—so he could properly experience its wonders.
"Roar~"
At that moment, Laboon, having defeated Tentacruel, suddenly let out a puzzled cry.
In the next instant, a dazzling light burst across the surface of his massive body.
The level-up effect that usually remained subtle on other companions now erupted into blinding brilliance when manifested on Laboon's enormous form.
As the light rapidly faded, Laboon—who had long been stuck at Level 62—finally tasted the sweetness of the Pokémon system, advancing to Level 63, his strength increasing modestly.
"That wasn't easy at all."
Seeing this, Red's smile grew even brighter.
After all, they had been roaming the waters around the Seafoam Islands for quite some time.
If Laboon hadn't leveled up soon, there would have been no trainers left nearby capable of providing substantial experience.
"Congratulations, Laboon!"
Red floated directly in front of him.
Despite the vast difference in their sizes—Red looking like nothing more than a sesame seed stuck to Laboon's face—the bond between Trainer and Pokémon allowed Laboon to instantly notice him, letting out a joyful cry.
"Roar~!"
The sound wave swept across Red's face like a storm.
Already able to communicate with Laboon through Psychic Power, Red chuckled and gently patted Laboon's forehead.
"Hahaha, I know, I know."
"Don't worry—we'll see Brook very soon!"
"He's right ahead, waiting for us out there on the sea!"
After briefly communicating with Laboon, Red's figure suddenly flickered, Teleporting directly to the vicinity of the Seafoam Islands' cave entrance.
And the Pokémon beside him was no longer the colossal island whale Laboon, but instead a sleepy-eyed Sanji.
The abrupt change didn't surprise Sanji in the slightest.
Seeing Red and the enormous cave before him, he first rubbed his eyes to wake himself up, then lit a cigarette, an eager smile curling at his lips.
"So… it's finally my turn, huh~"
...
...
Two hours later.
Deep within the Seafoam Islands' cavern.
Frigid glaciers coated the rocky walls, turning the depths of the cave into a vast expanse of icy blue.
And at that very moment—
A roaring blaze erupted from the depths like a volcanic eruption.
Fiery light reflected off the translucent ice crystals, instantly transforming the entire cavern into a world of flame.
Sanji, now transformed into a Flame Knight, slowly lifted his head, eyes burning as he stared at the blue giant bird ahead—wings beating, frost radiating from its body.
"So this is a Legendary Pokémon… definitely a troublesome opponent."
Feeling the terrifying icy aura emanating from Articuno, Sanji's cigarette-clad grin widened.
Behind him, Red chuckled.
"There are thirty minutes of game time left today…"
"If we can't take this guy down before time's up, I'll bring Zoro over next time~"
"Hey—Red! That kind of provocation is way too obvious, isn't it!?" Sanji frowned and turned back to complain.
Red's smile didn't waver. "As long as it works, that's all that matters—right?"
"Tch—"
Sanji took a deep drag of his cigarette, the flames in his eyes flaring even more fiercely.
"You really are one despicable vice-captain."
"Only half an hour, huh?"
WHOOM!!!
In an instant, the flames wrapped around Sanji surged violently.
The gentlemanly air around him vanished, replaced by ferocious firelight that twisted his expression into something almost demonic.
Raging flames!
A massive fire demon formed in midair, standing in direct opposition to the ice-bound Articuno.
"Gah—!"
As a Legendary Pokémon, Articuno refused to be outdone. It screeched sharply, pale blue light spilling from its eyes.
In the next moment, overwhelming pressure burst from its body, crashing toward Sanji.
"Hmph—Pressure again!? Same as that moss-headed bastard!?"
Feeling the sudden mental oppression, Sanji's irritation deepened.
"What an infuriating ability."
Already provoked, and now sensing the same Pressure ability that Zoro possessed, memories of being the only one without Conqueror's Haki resurfaced—fueling Sanji's fury even further.
Battle erupted instantly!
Whoosh!
Endless flames descended, converging around Sanji's body and forming a savage suit of flame armor.
A red flash streaked through the icy world.
Sanji appeared instantly above Articuno, one leg extended, flames spiraling.
"Diable Jambe · Shoot!!"
BOOM!!!
Sanji kicked, unleashing a vast sea of fire that surged toward Articuno.
Articuno spread its wings and shot upward, refusing to yield.
Its sharp beak opened as immense Ice-type energy condensed within, exuding bone-chilling cold.
A powerful Ice-type move—
Ice Beam!
In that instant, a clash of fire and ice officially erupted within the massive underground ice cavern.
RUMBLE—!
As their energies collided, the entire cavern shook violently, like an earthquake.
Ice crystals melted by flame crashed down, only to refreeze into new forms under the returning cold.
Before the shockwave even settled, Sanji—having used Sizzly Slide—transformed into a blazing streak once more and charged Articuno.
"Gah—!"
Articuno's eyes flashed.
Its wings shimmered with brilliant light as it executed an incredibly agile aerial maneuver, narrowly dodging Sanji's strike. Spinning midair, it locked onto Sanji and turned into a streak of icy light, shooting for his back.
But Sanji had anticipated this.
Using the enhanced Observation Haki granted by lock-on moves, Articuno's actions were completely within his sight.
With a human body granting superior aerial agility, Sanji twisted midair.
Man and bird crossed paths, turned simultaneously, and faced each other once again.
"Looks like you really aren't an easy opponent."
Floating in midair, Sanji grinned—and suddenly pulled out a vial of specially prepared toxin.
Though in terms of level and overall power, Sanji was already on par with the Level 50 Legendary Articuno…
To leave that green-haired bastard absolutely no chance, he decided to go straight to his final form!
As the poisoned needle pierced his chest, Sanji immediately activated the move he had long mastered—
Facade!
In an instant, tremendous energy flooded his body, his physical strength skyrocketing.
The flames around him intensified dramatically—like a stream swelling into a lake.
Towering flames engulfed the entire battlefield.
At this moment, Sanji's firepower rivaled even Fire Fist Ace, the user of the Flame-Flame Fruit!
"Gah—!"
Articuno's face showed clear shock.
It clearly hadn't expected its challenger to be this overwhelming.
Without waiting for Sanji's momentum to fully peak, Articuno opened its beak again, unleashing a devastating wave of icy power.
Blizzard!
A move that was merely single-target on Chopper became, in Articuno's hands, a raging snowstorm that roared toward Facade-enhanced Sanji.
Extreme cold collided with surging flames, endless steam erupting and filling the entire battlefield.
"Wow… definitely not a fight for bystanders,"
Feeling the scorching heat, Red immediately erected a psychic barrier around himself and continued watching.
Under Facade's effect, Sanji's boost exceeded even that of Luffy and Zoro.
After all, Facade was a technique that stimulated the body through pain, drawing out energy to reinforce the flesh.
And pain triggered emotional upheaval.
Emotion was one of the key catalysts for awakening Sanji's scientific lineage factor.
"If Sanji successfully awakens his lineage factor here…"
"He might instantly become the strongest fighter on the Going Merry~"
"I wonder what Zoro's face will look like then."
"I'm already looking forward to it."
A mischievous grin spread across Red's face as he stepped backward, slipping into Hyperspace Hole, finding a safe corner to wait.
The outcome of the battle was already clear.
Facade-state Sanji or Zoro were powerful enough to rival a commander-level gatekeeper like Cracker.
As for this Level 50 Articuno—even with Legendary status and inflated stats—it was at best comparable to an elite Marine Vice Admiral…
Not even close to the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
There was no chance it could defeat Sanji.
And so, the scales tipped.
After more than twenty minutes of combat, Sanji descended from above with a devastating Diable Jambe, shattering one of Articuno's wings and grounding it permanently.
After several more brutal exchanges, Articuno completely lost the ability to fight and fell unconscious.
"Go—Great Ball!"
A red beam flashed, and the fallen Articuno was instantly drawn into the Poké Ball Red threw, converting into a massive influx of experience that surged into Sanji.
[Congratulations! You used a Great Ball to capture Articuno.Experience gained: 2250.]
[Congratulations! You obtained item: TM — Blizzard.]
"Whew… thank goodness."
Seeing the system notifications flash by, Red let out a long sigh of relief.
The last machine had traumatized him—he'd been terrified of receiving some bizarre move again.
Fortunately, luck was on his side this time.
He had successfully snagged an extremely powerful Ice-type move from Articuno.
[Move: Blizzard][Type: Ice][Category: Special][Power: 110][Description: Summons a violent snowstorm to attack the enemy, with a chance to freeze them.In snowy weather or extremely cold areas, this move will always freeze the target.]
"Power 110 Blizzard—now Chopper finally has his own AOE skill!"
After reading the description, Red's eyes gleamed thoughtfully.
Soon, however, his attention shifted to the achievement rewards interface.
Under the Legendary Conqueror achievement, a new option had appeared:
[Articuno LV.50]
[Template: Articuno][Level: 50][Nature: Calm][Type: Ice / Flying][Ability: Pressure][Moves: Gust, White Smoke, Powder Snow, Ice Beam, Freeze-Dry, Avalanche… Blizzard, Brave Bird, Haze]
"Another usable template, huh?"
Murmuring to himself, Red glanced at the nearly depleted battery level on the device. Deciding not to conserve power any longer, he activated the template.
In an instant, his body began to transform!
The right half of his body remained the same as before—golden, sharp feathers emerging as he entered Zapdos's half-beast form.
Brilliant electric currents crackled through the air.
But the left half of Red's body was now coated in magnificent ice-blue crystal textures!
Smooth blue feathers. Razor-sharp claws radiating freezing cold!
At this moment, ferocious Electric-type energy and extreme Ice-type energy coexisted within Red's body.
Though fundamentally incompatible, in Red's hands they fused seamlessly—like sworn brothers—emanating a terrifying aura.
He swung his arm forward.
A blinding lightning strike wrapped in Blizzard tore through the void and slammed into a distant glacier.
BOOM!
The glacier shattered into countless tiny ice crystals, blasting outward in every direction.
"Interesting~!"
Red slowly lowered his arms.
In his mismatched golden-and-blue eyes, a mysterious light flickered.
With the dual Pressure abilities stacked together, an unmistakable aura of dominance radiated from him—so intense that even Sanji, who had just taken an Antidote, froze in shock.
"Red… what the hell is that…?"
Sanji was about to ask—
But at that moment, the battery, drained by the dual-template activation, hit zero.
Darkness fell.
Sanji's consciousness snapped back to his real-world body.
Sitting up, he blinked in disbelief.
Recalling Red's half-golden, half-azure crown…
Even a man who only loved women couldn't help but mutter:
"Red… isn't he way too damn handsome!?"
(End of Chapter)