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Zoro vs. Hawkeye!
This legendary duel, a pivotal moment in the original One Piece story, was destined to play out once again in the world where Red now existed.
Even if the outcome wouldn't differ much from the original timeline—ending in Zoro's defeat—it was still a battle that Zoro wanted.
And since this was his dream, Red had no reason to stand in his way.
Besides…
"They've always talked about strength, but this will be the first time they actually witness the power of the world's strongest."
Red muttered to himself.
Meanwhile, with Nami and Usopp's efforts, a box of limes was quickly squeezed into juice and fed to Joseph.
It was already late.
After settling Johnny and Yosaku in an empty storage room, Red and the rest of the crew returned to their quarters to rest.
The night passed in silence.
The calm sea reflected the endless stars above, carrying the Merry steadily forward.
The Next Morning
Luffy woke up bright and early, excited to meet Johnny and reconnect with Zoro's old acquaintances.
Then…
He was promptly grabbed by the collar and dragged off by Red to resume his special resistance training in the seawater tub.
The rest of the crew found their own tasks and got to work as usual.
Under Johnny and Yosaku's stunned gazes, the Straw Hats' daily life unfolded before them.
In the blink of an eye, another day passed.
Thanks to Red's constant use of Surf to accelerate the Merry, their speed had nearly doubled compared to a normal ship of its size!
By noon tomorrow at the latest, they would arrive at Baratie, the sea restaurant.
At dinner, upon hearing the news, Luffy cheered, dancing with Usopp in excitement.
"Finally! We'll get to eat delicious food every day!!!"
That Night…
As the moon rose, Red and Nami once again returned to the Pokémon world.
"So, Usopp got transported to the breeding house automatically?"
Seeing "Training" displayed on Usopp's status bar in the Pokémon list—just like the day before—Red couldn't help but smile in satisfaction.
Sure, an extra 200 experience points per hour wasn't that much… but hey, free progress was free progress.
Even better, the old woman running the breeding house had mentioned that fees were only required when retrieving a Pokémon.
Which meant—
"If I never take Usopp back… doesn't that mean I get unlimited free experience!?"
Red chuckled to himself.
"Good thing this game doesn't include Pokémon breeding. Otherwise, imagine a mini-Usopp suddenly appearing—I wouldn't even know how to explain that to Miss Kaya~"
Shaking his head at the thought, he led Nami toward the next map, ready to grind some levels.
By now, they had arrived at Route 6, north of Vermilion City.
Although they hadn't encountered any Pokémon yet, Red could already guess—based on the game's logic—that the Pokémon here would be at a higher level than those on Route 5.
That meant better experience gains.
As they stepped out of the underground passage, they were met with a vast stretch of lush green grass and a crystal-clear lake, its surface as smooth as glass.
Compared to Route 5, this area felt much more open.
In fact, it was shorter than Red had expected.
Even from the entrance of the underground passage, he could already see the distant silhouette of Vermilion City.
Seeing it in the distance, Red immediately began strategizing.
"Vermilion Gym specializes in Electric-types… and Electric moves only deal half damage to other Electric-types. It'll be tough for Nami to handle this one..."
"If that's the case, we'll have to use that trick again!"
Opening the Pokémon list, Red glanced at Luffy and Zoro's statuses.
Seeing that Zoro was only 1,000 experience points away from leveling up, he instantly made his decision.
"Alright. When we get to Vermilion Gym, Zoro will fight!"
"That way, he can level up right before facing Hawkeye—keeping him in top condition."
Even though Zoro's upcoming duel was inevitable, Red didn't want him to lose too miserably.
And besides, it wasn't every day you got to fight a top-tier powerhouse like Dracule Mihawk—someone who, at the very least, wasn't the type to kill indiscriminately…
With Shanks' endorsement, this was a rare opportunity.
If Red didn't use it to let Luffy and the others experience the sheer pressure of a world-class powerhouse, it would be a waste!
His red eyes gleamed as he thought about the battles that lay ahead.
But his feet didn't slow down. He and Nami continued forward, stepping into the grassy fields of Route 6.
The moment Red set foot on the lawn, a bright orange canine Pokémon with a soft mane suddenly leaped out in front of them.
A Growlithe!
One of the most beloved first-generation Pokémon and the standard partner of every Officer Jenny!
The battle screen unfolded.
A [LV: 16] marker floated above Growlithe's head.
"A level 16 Fire-type? Looks like the battles are finally getting tougher," Red mused.
Even though Growlithe was only in its first evolutionary stage, its base stats were already comparable to some second-stage Pokémon.
The difference in combat power between a level 16 Rattata and a level 16 Growlithe was huge!
Fortunately…
That didn't matter to Red and his team!
"Nami—Zippy Zap!"
As Red waved his arm, an intense energy fluctuation erupted around them.
Nami, already prepared, swung her climatact, unleashing a flash of golden lightning!
At the same time—
Several jagged rock fragments, condensed by Red's Ancient Power, shot forward like cannonballs straight at Growlithe!
The wild Growlithe hesitated for just a second upon seeing two simultaneous attacks coming its way.
But in the next instant, it crouched down—
Blazing flames erupted around its body, forming a massive fire wheel as it charged forward!
Flame Wheel!
But... Lightning is Faster than Fire!
ZAP!!
Before Growlithe could even gain momentum, Nami's Zippy Zap struck first!
Electricity crackled through its body, forcing it to a complete stop.
And before it could recover—
BOOM!
Red's Ancient Power rocks smashed into its body, dealing a super-effective hit!
"Arrooo!!" Growlithe howled in pain.
Nami seized the opportunity.
She activated Pay Day, dealing extra damage. Then, using Buzzy Buzz, she rushed forward and landed the final blow!
Battle Over!
In just a few minutes, the once-fierce Growlithe lay dazed and defeated, taken down by this unexpected duo.
[Nami defeated the wild Growlithe! Gained: +106 EXP.]
[Command Execution Rating: Average.]
[Bonus Reward: +21 EXP.]
"Finally…"
"The wild Pokémon here are giving over 100 EXP now?"
Red smirked as he watched the notification fade away.
At this rate, not only Nami but even Luffy and Zoro would get to enjoy the thrill of leveling up quickly!
With that in mind, Red and Nami continued their journey through Route 6.
Since they had to circle around a lake, the walk took slightly longer than expected.
But even so, after just over an hour, the two successfully arrived at the gates of Vermilion City!
Along the way, they encountered 1–2 Pokémon every 10 minutes.
By the time they reached the city—
Nami had leveled up to 20!
Her strength had improved significantly!
Compared to Pewter City's heavy atmosphere and Cerulean City's oceanic feel…
Vermilion City, despite being a port town with an Electric-type Gym, felt strangely ordinary.
It didn't have any standout features.
"Guess the game's creativity started to drop off here."
Red sighed as he and Nami stepped into the city gates.
Their first stop?
The Pokémon Center.
They needed to restore their stamina before deciding whether to keep progressing or head back to Route 6 for more training.
But Then…
Just as they entered the city, a tall woman in a short skirt and police uniform suddenly stepped in front of them.
"Trainer over there—please wait!"