"An item that can increase a Pokémon's attributes?"
Looking at the brand-new item he had never seen before inside his backpack, Red's eyes flickered as a look of surprise and delight appeared on his face.
If this were the Pokémon world, he might have stopped to think it through more carefully.
After all, gaining an additional type also meant gaining an additional weakness—pros and cons always went hand in hand.
But in the world of pirates, Red could throw those concerns straight out the window.
Because the rules of the two worlds simply weren't compatible.
Type advantages in the Pokémon world, when applied to the pirate world, were nothing more than manifestations of natural laws.
After all, no one here could use moves powered by Pokémon energy.
"It feels like eating a Devil Fruit that isn't especially strong, but also has no side effects at all."
Red let out a soft sigh, closed the backpack interface, and shifted his gaze toward the massive door not far away.
Based on what he knew about the system—and the description from the notification just now…
This ice crystal seed was probably only the beginning.
There were definitely more surprises waiting for him ahead!
"Let's go, Sanji!"
After sorting out his rewards, Red casually lifted a hand and gestured toward Sanji.
Creeeak—
The heavy doors slowly opened, and brilliant light shone out from the darkness within.
Ten minutes later…
"Diable Jambe · Beef Burst!!!"
Amid a sky-filling sea of flames, a lightning-fast shadow shot forward, carrying overwhelming momentum as it charged straight toward the stunned Onix below.
BOOM!!!
Despite Onix's massive body—nearly ten meters long—Sanji looked incredibly small in comparison.
Yet the moment his kick smashed into Onix's head, the giant Pokémon was sent flying like a limp noodle, slamming violently into the wall at the edge of the battlefield.
Fwoosh—!
After the strike, Sanji landed confidently, dispersing the flames wrapped around his body.
Using the last flicker of fire, he lit a cigarette and spoke calmly:
"Speed is power."
"Onix!!!"
Seeing this, Bruno, the Fighting-type Elite Four member facing Red, shouted anxiously.
He hurriedly recalled the injured Onix into its Poké Ball, then turned toward Red and Sanji with a complicated, stunned expression.
At that moment, his already muscle-filled brain was crammed full of confusion.
"What kind of Pokémon was that?!"
"How can something move that fast?!"
"Could it be some undiscovered Legendary Pokémon?!"
Realizing that Red was far from an ordinary Trainer, Bruno's expression turned serious.
After careful consideration, he released his second Pokémon—
A pure Fighting-type Pokémon at the same level 62 as Onix: Hitmonlee!
"A battle of speed, huh?"
"Then let's see… whose speed is faster!"
"Go, Hitmonlee! Show them the results of our training!!!"
"Yaaah—!!!"
Upon hearing its Trainer's encouragement, Hitmonlee's fighting spirit flared instantly, flames blazing in its wide eyes as it displayed the ferocity unique to Fighting-type Pokémon.
Although a level 62 Hitmonlee couldn't compare to the Straw Hat Pirates at the same level due to its lower base stats…
Its strength was still on par with an elite Marine Vice Admiral—second only to powerhouses like Boa Hancock and the Seven Warlords of the Sea!
However—
"Hitmonlee, use Sucker Punch!!!"
Fully aware of Sanji's terrifying speed, Bruno ordered his fastest move right from the start.
Though Sucker Punch was a Dark-type move rather than Fighting-type, it synergized surprisingly well with Fighting Pokémon!
Under the move's effect, Hitmonlee's body transformed into a streak of light, zipping across the open battlefield at extreme speed.
In the blink of an eye, it appeared behind Sanji.
Its extendable leg lifted high, aiming straight for Sanji's head.
Meanwhile, Sanji stood there calmly, cigarette in hand, as if he hadn't noticed anything at all.
"Will it hit!?"Knowing Sanji's strength, a flash of anticipation appeared in Bruno's eyes.
But the very next second—
"Too slow."
Sanji suddenly raised his head and murmured softly:
"Shave."
Whoosh!
Before Hitmonlee and Bruno's stunned eyes, Sanji's figure blurred and vanished from the spot.
Hitmonlee's kick smashed only into an afterimage, shattering it.
Hiss—
Intense heat flared once more behind Hitmonlee.
In an instant, raging flames surged skyward, filling the air above the battlefield.
Waves of heat rippled through the air, lifting Sanji's hair as it gleamed in the firelight.
Entering his demonic state once more, Sanji wore a look of utter disdain.
"Your speed is impressive."
"If it were that moss-head, you might've kept him busy for a while."
"But unfortunately…"
"The one you're facing today is me!!!"
Whoosh!
With the dual boost of the Speed-Speed Fruit and Shave, Sanji transformed into a jet-black beam of light, charging straight at Hitmonlee.
"Not good!"Bruno shouted immediately, having already witnessed Sanji's terror firsthand."Hitmonlee, use Double Team!"
"Cha!"
Startled by Sanji's speed, Hitmonlee instantly obeyed, creating a solid-looking clone beside itself in a flash.
Sanji, moving at high speed, didn't hesitate at all—randomly picking one target and attacking.
"Diable Jambe · Char-Grilled Steak!"
BOOM!!!
Blazing flames tore through Hitmonlee's figure—passing straight through it.
The real Hitmonlee, narrowly avoiding being scorched, quickly turned to look at Sanji behind it.
"He dodged it!"Seeing Sanji strike the clone, Bruno lit up with joy and shouted again:"Hitmonlee, use Vacuum Wave!!!"
Vacuum Wave—Fighting-type, power 40!
Not particularly strong, but just like Sucker Punch…
In-game, Vacuum Wave also had guaranteed priority.
When manifested in real combat, that meant faster execution speed!
BOOM!!!
Hitmonlee kicked out sharply, launching an airborne shockwave reminiscent of Tempest Kick, though far less sharp, racing toward Sanji.
On the other side, Sanji narrowed his eyes slightly.
Though he looked casual, none of his attacks held back.
That attitude was a deliberate habit—applying psychological pressure on opponents during battle.
After all, the Speed-Speed Fruit consumed tremendous stamina.
If not for the strange power constantly erupting within his body, he couldn't afford to use it so recklessly.
"Pretty tough opponent."
Sanji's thoughts flickered as he suddenly halted midair, spun around, and lashed out with a kick.
"Diable Jambe · Flaming Rice Cracker!"
BOOM!
Flames condensed instantly around his foot, then exploded outward, fused with the technique of Tempest Kick.
The fiery flying kick collided head-on with Vacuum Wave, erupting into a massive explosion in midair.
And from that moment on, the real battle truly began!
Perhaps because both loved close combat, Bruno's sense of timing far surpassed Lorelei's.
Of course, it also didn't help that Usopp's fighting style had left Lorelei little room to shine.
Regardless, under Bruno's guidance, Hitmonlee relied on clever combinations of Pokémon moves to trade blows with Sanji for dozens of exchanges.
"Get up!!! Hitmonlee!!!"
"Remember our efforts! Remember our training!"
"This isn't where we fall!!!"
Fired up, Bruno was practically boiling over.
If not for the battlefield's rules, he might've jumped in to fight alongside Hitmonlee himself.
Watching Bruno shout about bonds and dreams, causing a Hitmonlee that Sanji had knocked down multiple times to keep getting back up…
Black lines instantly formed across Red's forehead.
At that moment, he finally understood the true role of a Trainer.
A few words, and a Pokémon could keep doing sit-ups forever.
That ability was almost on par with a Pokémon Center's recovery machine.
Unfortunately…
Bruno's Talk no Jutsu, powerful as it was, still couldn't overcome Sanji's raw strength.
With the combo of the Speed-Speed Fruit and his scientific body, Sanji only needed a little extra time to win decisively.
From start to finish, he hadn't even used his strongest technique—Facade mode!
"How is it, Sanji? You holding up?"While Bruno was comforting Hitmonlee inside its Poké Ball, Red asked.
According to the battlefield rules, they couldn't use items while the opponent switched Pokémon.
So Red had no way to help Sanji recover his stamina.
Luckily, Sanji had his own cheat code and didn't need help.
"I'm fine!"
Sanji pressed a hand to his ribs—where Hitmonlee had landed a sneak kick—his flame-lit eyes unwavering.
Unlike Onix, Hitmonlee's strength had genuinely exceeded his expectations.
As a pure Fighting-type, combined with Bruno's Elite Four-level observation and command…
The power Hitmonlee displayed far surpassed that of an elite Marine Vice Admiral.
The reason the battle still looked one-sided was simple—
Sanji's buffs were just too many and too broken.
"Ugh—!"
Sanji braced his hand against his cracked ribs and let out a dull grunt.
The next instant, his slightly caved-in waist snapped back to normal!
This was the power of the scientific factors within Sanji—
A memory-type body capable of rapidly restoring itself to its "original state," combined with flawless Battle Armor, plus the limitless boost of the Speed-Speed Fruit…
Sanji was terrifyingly strong now.
Next, Bruno sent out Hitmonchan and Poliwrath, both also level 62.
But if even Hitmonlee—renowned for speed and leg power—couldn't gain the slightest edge over Sanji…
These two, focused on upper-body combat, performed even worse.
In less time than Sanji had spent fighting Hitmonlee, both were defeated.
There was no helping it.
With no speed advantage and no Observation Haki to track fast opponents…
Their defeat was inevitable.
In the end, only a Golem from the Alola region, possessing Electric- and Rock-type attributes, managed to deal significant damage to Sanji.
If not for the invincible body granted by his scientific factors, Sanji might truly have fallen to its electricity.
And so, half an hour after Red and Sanji entered the Fighting-type Elite Four challenge area…
[Congratulations to the player for defeating the Fighting-type Elite Four — Bruno. Achievement unlocked: Legendary Path Reward.][Congratulations to the player for defeating the Fighting-type Elite Four — Bruno. Special reward obtained: Aura Power.][Congratulations to the player for defeating the Fighting-type Elite Four — Bruno. Special reward obtained: Fighting Crystal Seed.]
[Fighting Crystal Seed][Category: One-time item][Effect: When consumed by any non-Fighting-type Pokémon, grants it an additional Pokémon type: Fighting.]
The same notification window that appeared after defeating Lorelei popped up on the system's main interface.
But what Red hadn't expected was—
After defeating the Fighting-type Elite Four, the achievement reward would be the legendary protagonist-exclusive Pokémon ability—
Aura Power!!!
Compared to that, the Fighting Crystal Seed—capable of granting extra attributes—seemed utterly unappealing.
Feeling the sudden surge of energy within his body and the instinctive memories flooding his mind…
Red slowly spread his palm.
In an instant, a glowing sphere of energy radiating mysterious ripples formed in his hand.
"It really is Aura Power!!!"
Red's lips curved into a wide grin, light sparkling in his eyes as if he were already planning something.
His excitement was fully justified.
This reward's practicality was leagues beyond his previous Ice Incarnation!
In Pokémon lore, aura is a form of life energy that all living beings possess.
Only a select few people and Pokémon with exceptional talent can perceive and cultivate it.
Unlike Aura Sphere, which is merely a Fighting-type attack—
What Red obtained wasn't just raw aura energy.
He gained a complete system of Aura Power applications!
From activating aura, to relinquishing it, even gifting it to others—
An entire body of knowledge was implanted directly into Red's mind.
In other words, if Aura Power wasn't limited solely to Pokémon world rules…
He could even use this knowledge to help others in the pirate world…
Awaken Aura Power!!!
(End of Chapter)