Chapter 281

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When the list and groupings for the top sixteen competitors were announced, it led to some rather entertaining scenes.

"Hey, Sabo, don't go losing before you run into me," Sachi teased, waving at his dorm mate, Sabo, upon seeing that they were in the same bracket.

Sachi knew his own abilities well enough. Even if he didn't lose to Saul, he'd likely be taken out in the next round by someone like Hancock or some unknown competitor. His words were just meant to encourage Sabo.

But it didn't matter too much. Making it to the top sixteen and winning a property in Yggdrasil was already more than enough for Sachi. In the future, when he retires from the seas, he could open a Pokémon daycare there, sharing his stories with the young Pokémon he cares for.

"Haha, I'll do my best," Sabo replied, though not with great confidence.

After all, the only Pokémon he truly raised himself was Typhlosion. His other Pokémon, like Infernape and Emboar, had either grown by training in Mount Gorbo or been raised by Garp, so they lacked synergy with him in battles, sometimes even clashing with his planned strategies.

Take Infernape, for instance. It had a fierce and independent personality, often ignoring Sabo's commands and fighting according to its own instincts, throwing off his tactics.

Meanwhile, the Pokémon that did listen to him weren't particularly strong, lacking the dedication to rigorous training. Consequently, Sabo was ranked among the lower competitors in the top sixteen.

Especially since his next opponent was none other than "Dull-eye" Mihawk—a mysterious contender whose battles had only two outcomes: either he crushed his opponent or was crushed himself, with no clear explanation why.

If Sabo was lucky, he could win effortlessly; if unlucky, he'd be carried off the field.

"Do your best, Sabo," Brook said, noticing Sabo's hesitation and encouraging him. "I'll be waiting for you in the next round."

If both Sabo and Brook won their matches, they would face each other in the next round.

Sabo grew more anxious, imagining Brook's Ghost-type team, which rendered Fighting-type moves entirely ineffective. This weakness was a significant disadvantage for Sabo's Pokémon team.

Apart from Typhlosion, which was purely Fire-type, the other five Pokémon in his lineup had Fighting attributes, with two being pure Fighting-types. It felt like his journey would end in the quarterfinals.

"The quarterfinals aren't too bad!" Sabo cheered himself up, remembering his main goal was to gain experience rather than to win the tournament.

"Yes, the quarterfinals aren't bad at all…"

A voice of lament came from beside him. Sabo turned to see Morty, a Fairy-type specialist.

Her goal was simply to reach the quarterfinals, as she wanted a "Shiny Stone" to evolve her Togetic into Togekiss. Unfortunately, her upcoming opponent was the infamous "Ghost King" Brook, one of the strongest contenders for the title of Elite Four.

Morty wasn't ready to give up so easily. She would work hard with Togetic and hope for a miracle. After all, coming this far, from being a socialite in East Blue to making a name for herself here, was already miraculous.

"Just wait—I'll win this!" Charlotte taunted Sabo, indicating that she aimed to meet him in the finals.

During the preliminary rounds, Sabo had defeated Charlotte in their first match, a memory that still stung. She came here for fame, yet she was humiliated by Sabo right at the start.

Though Sabo didn't respond, Law, standing nearby, felt a bit offended by Charlotte's words, as she was his next opponent.

"Hmph, I won't lose to a little kid," Law scoffed, glancing at her with no pretense of gentlemanly manners.

"Kid? You're about my age!" Charlotte retorted, her face flushing red with anger.

Law ignored her entirely and walked away, nearly giving Charlotte an aneurysm. The scene bore an uncanny resemblance to Naruto's rivalry with Sasuke, where Naruto's threats were met with Sasuke's indifference.

"Kuzan, looks like we're on track to meet in the finals," Saul the Giant said, adjusting his hat and looking down at Kuzan beside him.

They were placed in opposite brackets, meaning they'd have to defeat all their opponents to face each other in the finals.

Saul was confident in his ability to do so.

"Good luck," Kuzan replied casually. "I'm just here for the Elite Four spot."

"Hmph! I still owe you for freezing me back in Ohara," Saul playfully clenched his fists, pretending to be angry.

Kuzan just scratched his curly hair, thinking how bothersome it all was.

"Don't worry—you won't get that chance." A hand suddenly clapped Kuzan's shoulder. Marco had come to throw down the gauntlet against this Navy Admiral.

These days, Marco was incredibly cocky; he'd challenge anyone from the Navy without hesitation. His power as an Elite Four candidate was undisputed, especially with his Ludicolo, who hadn't lost a single one-on-one battle so far.

Kuzan narrowed his eyes, intrigued by Marco's boldness. Ever since the age of peace began, he hadn't felt this way in a long time.

Meanwhile…

"Oyaji, it seems we'll have to face each other soon," Vista said, addressing his father, Newgate.

If they both won their respective matches, they'd eventually face off.

"Gurarara! I'll give you a good thrashing before moving on to Marco," Newgate laughed, maintaining the Whitebeard crew's characteristic arrogance. He wasn't holding back against any of his "silly sons."

"Haha! We won't go easy on you, either," Vista replied without hesitation. "It's a rare chance to beat Oyaji; I'm not wasting it."

"Sasuke, who are you rooting for?" Newgate then picked up young Sasuke, who was standing by Vista's side.

Newgate was Sasuke's adoptive father, and Vista was both his brother and swordsmanship mentor.

"…"

This put Sasuke in a difficult spot, causing him to break into a sweat, ultimately pretending to stay aloof and silent.

"You won't get that far. I'll send all of you packing!" A loud, grating voice came from a figure who appeared nearby, directing his taunt at Newgate and Vista.

Despite Pokémon Island's restriction on abilities beyond those of ordinary humans, few dared to challenge Whitebeard's crew, even within the Navy.

But there were always people who hated these former pirates, no matter their reformed reputation. Hannyabal was one of them.

With a strong sense of justice, Hannyabal's commitment to protecting civilians was second to none, rivaling even Kuzan and Garp.

In fact, the Navy had more members like him, including Captain T Bone, whose lack of fame was merely due to their comparatively lesser strength.

If these kinds of people became Admirals or Fleet Admirals, they'd likely first set their sights on the World Government and the Celestial Dragons.

For now, Hannyabal harbored no fondness for the likes of Newgate, Hancock, or Mihawk, and he made no effort to hide it.

"I'll step on you pirates and rise to the top as this tournament's champion! You won't even make it to the finals if I have anything to say about it!" Hannyabal declared, striding away without waiting for a response.

"Is this guy nuts?" Sasuke asked, annoyed.

As a member of the Whitebeard crew, he naturally disliked seeing his father and brother treated this way.

"Gurararara! Relax. Plenty of people hate us. Should we really waste time addressing each of them?" Newgate was unperturbed; Whitebeard's crew wasn't known for being thin-skinned.

The tournament would settle things.

The top-sixteen elimination rounds would be completed over two days, with four matches per day—two in the morning and two in the afternoon, keeping the pace brisk.

The first match was Boa Hancock versus some unknown competitor.

The result, naturally, was Hancock's victory, though she narrowly avoided defeat. By the end of the battle, Hancock was drenched in sweat, her purple qipao clinging to her form and highlighting her figure, drawing appreciative howls from the crowd.

Anyone who had made it this far was no pushover; the lack of a name didn't mean a lack of strength—it just meant more training was needed.

The second match was Saul versus Sachi.

This was a bit of a grudge match, as Marco, a fellow member of Whitebeard's crew, had beaten Saul in the group stages.

This time, Saul emerged victorious, claiming his revenge.

Sachi, primarily a Pokémon breeder, had spent less time training for strength and had already pushed himself to the limit by making it to the top sixteen.

The third match…

Mihawk versus Sabo.

(End of Chapter)

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