Chapter 212: Trade Fair

"On the 22nd, please proceed to window number four."

Meowth's distinct voice once again emerged from the Rotom speakers.

Crocodile, also known as the Sand Crocodile, dusted off some imaginary particles from his clothing and walked toward the fourth room with a serious expression.

Ever since Leo gave him that menacing glare back in Alabasta, Crocodile had learned not to act recklessly in the domain of dimensional merchants.

Especially now, when he found himself needing their assistance.

The performances of Cobra and Robin had completely shattered his ambitions of finding Pluton and ruling the world with it.

It was clear to everyone now that Pokémon were the new force in this era.

As for Crocodile, he was already one step behind. If he didn't seize this opportunity to ride the winds of change, he would be left watching others soar past him.

Approaching Room 4, Crocodile immediately spotted a young man with bluish-purple hair seated behind a reception desk, his hands folded. A small potted red rose sat at the corner of the desk.

"Sir James!" 

Crocodile greeted him with unusual humility.

From the day he was born, Crocodile had never bowed to anyone.

This was the first time in his life!

That alone showed just how much he desired a Pokémon.

"Hello, please have a seat."

James smiled warmly, gesturing politely for Crocodile to take the chair opposite him.

During the closing ceremony of the Pokémon League Conference, Leo had mentioned that anyone wishing to engage in dimensional trade could stay behind, and he, along with his assistants, would personally facilitate the transactions.

The chance to trade with a dimensional merchant was rare. Having just witnessed the exhilarating Pokémon battles, no one in the audience wanted to miss this opportunity.

However, just as everyone was dreaming about obtaining their own Pokémon, one restriction from Leo caused many faces to turn pale in an instant.

"In order not to disrupt your daily lives, the minimum trade amount for this event is set at 100 points."

As Leo's voice echoed from the Rotom speaker, over 90% of the audience was suddenly disqualified from participating in the trade fair.

100 points—equivalent to 50 million beli in the pirate world.

Out of the nearly 10,000 attendees, only a very small number could afford to spend 50 million beli for a trade.

It was like the illusion of everyone being millionaires on the internet—until you look around and realize that earning 5,000 a month is already considered fortunate.

In the end, only a few hundred remained to take part in the trade.

Of course, there were some truly wealthy individuals among them.

...

...

"Mr. Crocodile, you're familiar with our transaction process, correct?"

James asked with a formal tone as soon as Crocodile sat down.

"I am."

Crocodile nodded, and James flashed a brief smile.

"In that case, let's not waste time. Let's begin the trade immediately!"

As Crocodile's vision blurred momentarily, a special interface suddenly appeared in his mind.

Though he had just been briefed on the transaction process by Meowth, seeing this magical scene firsthand left him both amazed and excited.

However, being a seasoned pirate who had seen many wonders, Crocodile quickly regained his composure within two breaths and began carefully selecting the resources he could offer.

After having his Baroque Works base raided by Robin, Crocodile had returned to his roots—piracy.

And with his unmatched strength in the first half of the Grand Line, his recent plunder had been quite lucrative.

In no time, Crocodile had selected the items he wished to trade and pressed the [Confirm] button.

At that moment!

James's expression visibly changed before Crocodile's eyes. The previously emotionless, professional smile shifted to one of genuine surprise, followed by a heartfelt grin.

"Well done, Mr. Crocodile. The points you've just redeemed total 3,000. Congratulations on becoming a VIP2 member of our Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce!"

James continued with a bright smile, "Here is your Rotom Phone. Please take care of it."

Crocodile accepted the Rotom Phone, inspecting it curiously.

At that moment, the screen of the Rotom Phone lit up, displaying Crocodile's basic information.

[Sand Crocodile]

[VIP Level: 2]

[VIP Experience: 3,000/10,000]

[Current Points: 3,000]

3,000 points—meaning the total value of the resources he had just traded was worth 1.5 billion beli? That was quite close to Crocodile's original estimate.

At this point, James's smile reappeared within Crocodile's line of sight.

"So, Mr. Crocodile, what kind of Pokémon are you looking to exchange for? Feel free to provide as many specific requests as possible, and we'll assist you in finding the perfect match."

"Requests?"

Crocodile pondered for a moment but did not immediately voice his thoughts. Instead, he looked at James and asked:

"Mr. James, if I wanted to evolve my Pokémon through a bond, like the contestants in the tournament, how many points would that require?"

"Bond evolution?" James was briefly taken aback before answering:

"The first bond evolution costs 1,500 points. After that, it's just 500 points for each additional bond with the same Pokémon."

"I see..."

Crocodile nodded thoughtfully. Although he had refrained from smoking his signature cigar to make a good impression, his deep, gravelly voice remained:

"In that case, I'd like to request a Pokémon priced at around 1,500 points. It should have a high potential ceiling, be suited to desert environments, and ideally be capable of using the desert to its advantage in combat."

"Oh..."

James nodded in understanding and began typing on the screen next to him.

He had performed this task countless times, and his fingers moved with practiced ease.

Following Crocodile's criteria, search results began to flash across James's mind: Leo had mentioned that Crocodile was a valuable client in the pirate world, so he was allowed to choose Pokémon with extraordinary talents or higher for training.

With 1,500 points and such specific requests, it was clear that the Pokémon's overall rarity wouldn't be excessively high, nor would it be too low.

"Set the price at exactly 1,500 points, and rank by highest potential." James searched the system interface.

To adapt to the desert, the Pokémon must have a ground type or thrive in desert-like environments. Ground-type Pokémon were prioritized.

"And for using the desert to attack, prioritize Pokémon that can learn Sandstorm..."

After inputting these simple criteria, a peculiar-looking Pokémon quickly appeared on James's screen.

"I found it!"

James smiled knowingly, folding the screen before turning toward Crocodile.

"Mr. Crocodile, I wonder if this Pokémon suits your taste?"

"Huh?"

Crocodile leaned in for a closer look.

Displayed on the screen was a small crocodile lying on the ground with thick limbs and large, bulging eyes. What stood out most was the thick black rings around its eyes, making it look like the little creature was wearing sunglasses.

Just then, information about the Pokémon appeared on the screen.

[Pokémon: Sandile]

[Type: Ground, Dark]

[Ability: Overconfidence (Each time it successfully attacks an opponent, its attack power increases slightly.)]

[Level: 12]

"Sandile?"

After reading the description, Crocodile was momentarily stunned.

Though he was often referred to as the "Sand Crocodile," he had never imagined the Pokémon that would suit him best would actually be a crocodile.

At that moment, James offered an explanation:

"Sandile is a desert-dwelling Pokémon. Due to its long existence in such a harsh environment, it's completely immune to the extreme heat. As it becomes stronger, it will naturally learn the weather move Sandstorm."

"Its final evolution is known as Krookodile, a Dark-type Pokémon with the title Sand Bully."

"Krookodile's eyes have a unique ability to adjust, allowing it to see prey clearly even in the middle of a sandstorm, from miles away."

"From its potential to its unique traits, this Pokémon meets all of your requirements."

"Hmm, I see."

Initially, Crocodile had thought the Sandile looked a little weak, but now, his opinion had changed. The more he looked at the Pokémon on the screen, the more appealing it seemed.

"This is the one!"

Without further hesitation, Crocodile made his decision on his first Pokémon.

"You'll make a fine partner," James said with a gentle smile, summoning a Poké Ball with a simple wave of his hand and handing it to Crocodile.

However...

Crocodile, who had always dismissed the idea of "companions," now nodded seriously.

Clutching the Poké Ball tightly, he muttered to himself:

"Whether I can rise again depends on you!"

Lifting his head, he declared, "Sir James, please assist me in evolving Sandile through a bond evolution!"

...

"Ahh~"

Jessie stretched her arms and massaged her face, sore from all the smiling, after sending off another trader who exchanged just 100 points.

Through the surveillance video, she could see that more than half of the traders outside still looked exhausted.

Since joining Leo, the Rockets' previous approach of wandering the seas looking for trades had shifted dramatically.

Back then, they would spend days looking for one or two potential customers. Now, handling hundreds of transactions a day was mentally draining.

But no matter how tired she was, Jessie wouldn't slack off. More than anyone, she and the rest of Team Rocket were determined to live up to Leo's trust in them!

Squeak...

The door opened again.

Jessie immediately put on her standard business smile, but when she saw who entered, her expression froze.

It wasn't a human being standing in the doorway.

It was a large, feathered bird with a sharp, hooked beak, dressed in striking, impeccable clothing.

"You are..."

Before Jessie could finish her sentence, the strange bird-man performed a courteous bow and introduced himself:

"Hello, Miss Jessie."

"I am Morgans, a reporter and also the president of the World Economic Newspaper."

"President of the World Economic Newspaper?"

Jessie was taken aback by the introduction.

She was no stranger to the newspaper, which was well-known across the pirate world. When bored, she and her teammates would often purchase fresh copies from the delivery gulls to pass the time.

While conducting dimensional trades in the East Blue, they had been photographed several times by reporters from this very paper.

After each trade, a reporter would catch the trader for an interview.

Their encounters were frequent enough that even Team Rocket had to respect the wide reach of this newspaper's paparazzi.

But Jessie hadn't expected the president himself to be a giant bird.

Still, a guest was a guest, and the smile returned to her face as she gestured toward the seat across from her:

"Hello, Mr. Morgans, please have a seat."

"Thank you, Miss Jessie, but before that, I have a small request."

Morgans tapped the camera in his hand and asked, "May I record the entire process of my transaction here, to publish in the newspaper or use for other purposes?"

"Record?" Jessie hesitated briefly, then smiled warmly. "Of course."

If someone wanted to promote their Pokémon, why refuse?

And now that she knew Morgans was the president of such a major newspaper, Jessie's smile became even more genuine.

"Thank you, Miss Jessie."

Morgans thanked her once more, turned on his camera, and began filming the surrounding area.

In his hoarse, raspy voice, he addressed the audience:

"Hello, dear viewers. This is a recording about dimensional trading. I call it a vlog."

"Today, I, Morgans, the editor-in-chief of the World Economic News, will take you through a firsthand experience of the wonders of dimensional trading."

"Let's begin!"

"Miss Jessie, could you greet our audience for the video?"