"Looks like another troublesome issue has come up…"
Red's gaze shifted as he focused on Sanji.
Just as he had expected, he sensed an extremely powerful Aura emanating from Sanji's body.
Under the rules of the Pokémon world, Aura itself was not a rare form of energy.
Much like the two types of Haki in the pirate world, it was a power that any intelligent being could potentially master.
The difference lay only in talent—some were born with gifts so overwhelming that others could only look on in awe, while some had to struggle forward step by step, like climbing a towering mountain with unsteady footing.
"Come to think of it, Aura feels a lot like a fusion of Armament Haki and Observation Haki."
"It can be used directly in combat, and it also has detection capabilities."
"But Aura is easier to control than Armament Haki and can be used for long-range attacks, though its raw strength and destructive power are far inferior to Armament Haki."
"And likewise…"
"Aura's detection range is much smaller than Observation Haki's, but it focuses far more on detail."
"Even invisible targets can be discovered with ease. There's no way someone could sneak up from behind and stab you while invisible."
"Hiss—!"
"When you think about it that way, teaching Aura to my companions actually seems pretty important!"
At that thought, Red suddenly froze.
After all, there were no shortage of invisibility abilities in this world, and Observation Haki—unlike the spiritual perception in fantasy novels—couldn't be kept active at all times.
Learning Aura as a precaution against sneak attacks was definitely worthwhile.
"Looks like I'm going to have to go back online as a toolman again," Red muttered self-mockingly.
But he quickly shifted his focus, temporarily setting aside the matter of Aura and turning his attention back to the upcoming Elite Four challenge.
Aura could wait.
It wasn't something that would show results in the short term.
Right now, Red was more curious about what kind of surprises the system would bring him next.
Just then, Sanji—having downed two bottles of Super Potion and restored himself to peak condition—walked over.
"I'm ready, Red."
"We can continue."
Red lifted his head, saw Sanji's fighting spirit burning brightly, and immediately nodded.
"Alright!"
"But the next opponent won't be as easy as the last one."
"Relax," Sanji said with a confident grin. "You saw the previous fight too, didn't you?"
"Even Pokémon raised by the so-called Elite Four didn't force me to go all out."
"Perfect. I want to test where my limits really are."
"Fine," Red replied, no longer trying to dissuade him.
From the last battle, it was clear that Sanji still had plenty to spare.
But if Red remembered correctly, their next opponent would be the Ghost-type Elite Four member—Agatha.
And Ghost types just happened to be immune to the Fighting-type moves Sanji possessed.
"…Though lately," Red muttered to himself, "Luffy and the others seem to rely less and less on Pokémon moves."
"I'm starting to feel like my existence as a Trainer is getting thinner by the day."
With that thought, Red led Sanji forward into the third area of the Elite Four challenge corridor.
A flash of light—
In an instant, the two of them entered a completely new environment.
Unlike the bright ice zone and battle zone before…
This time, it felt as though they had returned to Thriller Bark.
A gloomy, ghostly aura manifested as pale purple mist, enveloping the entire area and making the atmosphere eerily unsettling.
"Keh keh keh keh…"
Suddenly, a shrill, sinister laugh echoed into Red and Sanji's ears.
Following the sound, they saw a short old woman leaning on a cane, her head lowered. Like a character straight out of a horror movie, she tilted her head at an unnatural angle and sneered at them.
"I never expected you to make it this far."
"But I regret to inform you—your journey ends here!"
"What an utterly unlovable old lady," Red muttered.
Even though he knew this was all just part of the system's programming, the sudden scare still made him complain.
Sanji, on the other hand, was unfailingly tolerant toward women and immediately spoke up in her defense.
"She's just a mature woman with… unique tastes."
"Red, you shouldn't be so harsh toward women."
"?"
Red shot him a sideways glance. "I just hope you won't be defeated by this 'mature woman' you're talking about."
"Don't forget—Zoro is still waiting outside."
"If you waste too much time, he'll definitely laugh at you."
"Hmph! That damned moss-head bastard!"
At the mention of Zoro, Sanji's fighting spirit ignited instantly.
"Don't worry. I'll go all out!"
"Then let me see your limits," Red said with a grin as he stepped forward and activated the battle mechanism.
The mysterious battle field instantly expanded, enveloping the entire gloomy chamber.
Within the field, Agatha—granted temporary intelligence by the system—radiated an even more sinister presence.
"I'll show you the power of the Ghost-type Elite Four!"
"Go! I choose you!!!"
Whoosh—
A red beam of light shot down onto the battlefield.
In the blink of an eye, a massive, dark-purple cobra with an enormous hood appeared before them.
[Arbok, Lv. 63]
A clear information window appeared above its head, proving its formidable strength.
However…
"Wait, what?" Red frowned. "Isn't she supposed to be a Ghost-type Elite Four member?!"
"Why did she send out a pure Poison-type Pokémon?"
Red couldn't figure it out.
But on the battlefield, Sanji had already begun moving the moment Arbok appeared.
Boom!!!
Blazing flames erupted beneath Sanji's feet, and he instantly transformed into a streak of lightning, charging straight toward Arbok.
"What?! That speed!"Seeing Sanji's movement for the first time, Agatha exclaimed in shock—just like Bruno before her.
But in the next instant, she reacted.
"Arbok! Use Sludge Wave! Don't let him get close!"
"Hisss—!!!"
Arbok responded, baring its sharp fangs as poisonous energy rapidly gathered in its mouth.
Before Sanji could close the distance, Arbok roared and unleashed a massive wave of toxic sludge.
"Watch out! That poison can cause poisoning!" Red called out reflexively, fulfilling his Trainer duties.
But to his surprise—
The moment Red finished speaking, Sanji—who had already leapt up to evade—suddenly twisted his body and dove straight downward, allowing the Sludge Wave to splash over him completely.
Splash!
Like a stone plunging into water, Sanji smashed through the toxic sludge and landed directly in front of Arbok.
The sheer recklessness of it left both Agatha and Arbok stunned.
In the next moment, Sanji's skin turned a sickly dark purple—he was clearly poisoned.
"Did you really have to push it this far…?" Red sighed helplessly, instantly understanding Sanji's intentions.
There was no need to say it out loud.
Sanji clearly felt that the poisons Chopper had made for him weren't strong enough—so he wanted to try something even more potent.
All of it was to force his body to draw out even greater power.
"Facade!!!"
Boom!!!
Just as Red expected, Sanji—now poisoned—activated Facade without the slightest hesitation.
The ravaging poison and the violent stamina drain of Facade struck his body simultaneously, causing his aura to turn bizarre and distorted.
Perhaps influenced by the eerie atmosphere of the battlefield, the flames around Sanji suddenly stalled—then surged behind him, forming a massive skull of fire before slowly merging into his body.
"Gaaah—!!!"
Sanji let out a painful roar.
It was unclear whether the agony came from his own flames or the poison coursing through him.
But in the next instant, brilliant bursts of fire began exploding within his body like fireworks—shattering the limits of flesh and tempering his organs.
At the same time, his muscles began to harden and gleam, as though forged by flame.
"This is…?"Even Red, as Sanji's Trainer, was momentarily stunned.
Fortunately, the flames devastating Sanji's body didn't last long, slowly extinguishing like a dying candle.
"No—this isn't the time to stop!"
Suddenly, Sanji roared hysterically:
"If that moss-head can do it—there's no way I can't!"
"This damn body—if you're hiding any more power…"
"Then release it all right now!!!"
"AAAAAAH!!!"
Sanji raised a fist—one he never used on enemies—and slammed it into his own chest.
Boom!!!
In an instant, surging flames burst forth once more, flooding outward and engulfing the entire battlefield.
Seeing Sanji's abnormal state, Agatha—true to her warrior's honor—did not order Arbok to attack, giving him ample time.
For a moment, the entire battlefield became Sanji's stage alone.
Carried by the raging flames, his body slowly rose into the air, eyes closed, as though he had entered some strange state.
And when Red heard Sanji's words, he finally understood what he was trying to do.
Clearly, during the battle on Amazon Lily, Sanji had witnessed Zoro's brand-new form.
Whether it was an "evolution" granted by the system, or something Zoro himself had awakened—like Primal Reversion or Mega Evolution—didn't really matter.
What mattered was this—
In that new form, Zoro had gained power that leapt across an entire tier.
With stats below level 60, he had unleashed strength worthy of level 70.
Even if it lasted only a brief moment, it was enough to prove how terrifying Zoro's talent truly was.
Though Sanji's overall power—thanks to his scientific enhancements—might still be debatable…
In pure offense, Zoro's new form had already surpassed Sanji, reclaiming the position of the Straw Hats' second strongest combatant.
And after witnessing that, Sanji now wanted to push himself—completely—through this very battle.
"This is… such an unreasonable rivalry," Red muttered, laughing helplessly as he spread his hands.
They were partners who trusted each other completely, yet Sanji and Zoro's rivalry felt engraved into their genes, written into fate itself.
Pointless—and yet impossible not to smile at.
Still, it was precisely this rivalry that had forged two monstrously powerful pillars of the Straw Hat Pirates.
"No wonder you two are the strongest wings of the future Pirate King~!"
Red willingly yielded the spotlight, his gaze fixed on Sanji in the air, anticipation building.
And spurred on by Zoro, Sanji did not disappoint.
After hovering for several seconds, a faint white light suddenly bloomed around him.
"That is… the light of evolution?!"Agatha stared in shock.
Under the system's influence, she had already accepted Sanji's identity as a Pokémon.
But she never imagined someone would challenge the Elite Four with a Pokémon that hadn't reached its final form!
Whooo—
The roaring flames spun violently, forming a raging fire tornado centered on Sanji, rapidly shrinking and condensing as if being absorbed.
In the blink of an eye—
Just like the flaming skull before, the fire tornado sank into Sanji's body.
Crack!
The evolution light shattered, scattering like stardust into the air.
And in the sky above, a brand-new figure emerged.
A billowing, ethereal cloak of flame…Sharp, gleaming full-body armor…A golden V-shaped helmet symbolizing justice…
Sanji had evolved—manifesting a mysterious suit of flame armor, standing proudly in midair like a knight of justice.
"Thank you for your generosity, beautiful lady," Sanji said politely.
"Now—let our battle continue."
(End of Chapter)