Chapter 188: The King and the Cook!

"Good morning, dear audience!"

The familiar voices and outfits of the Team Rocket trio filled the stadium as they stood center stage, microphones in hand, beaming brightly as they waved to the surrounding crowd.

Jessie, with her hair slicked back from excessive wax, transformed instantly into a determined beauty with a touch of allure.

"Thank you all for your enthusiastic support of this event!"

"The six-day preliminary round ended successfully amidst great excitement. After a day of rest, we now welcome the main competition of this Pokémon League Tournament!"

"Let's greet the top 16 contestants with a warm round of applause!"

[Legends never die]

[When the world is calling you…]

A deep melody suddenly echoed across the arena. As the first drumbeat thundered, a heavy foot stepped onto the ring's stage.

Garp, draped in his cloak of justice, solemnly approached the center, the BGM playing in the background. Following him, Ace and the other qualifiers ascended the stage in order of their rankings.

The sixteen contestants lined up. It was evident that each person's makeup and attire had been meticulously designed by professionals to match their fighting style and personality.

Suddenly, a massive holographic projection appeared in the sky above the arena, ensuring that the audience could see it clearly from any angle, thanks to special technology.

The projection played the highlights of the top 16 contestants from the preliminary rounds—Garp's powerful Iron Fist, Ace's blazing flames, Zoro's sharp slashes, Nami's thunderous attacks, Sanji's fierce kicks, Usopp's jungle mastery…

These thrilling moments, combined with the heart-pounding BGM, captivated audiences around the world. The carefully edited clips made the highlights even more dramatic than witnessing them live.

The audience, especially those unfamiliar with such intense, emotionally charged scenes, was instantly electrified by the display.

Loud cheers erupted from the crowd!

"Go, Ace! You're the fifth emperor of the sea!" shouted a young pirate inspired by Ace's feats.

"Give it your all, Vice Admiral Garp, Colonel Smoker! Show these young ones the might of the Navy!" cheered the sailors from East Blue, who had taken time off to witness the grand event.

"Don't embarrass us, Sanji!!!" hollered the chefs from the Baratie restaurant.

"Go, Brother Zoro! Finish them!!!" yelled Johnny, Joseph, and others in the crowd, with Alvida and Koby waving flags in support of Zoro.

"Miss Nami, Miss Robin, I'll capture your most beautiful moments!" declared a Sanji-level enthusiast, camera in hand, ready to immortalize every missed detail.

"You're the best, Usopp!!!" Kaya cheered, accidentally crushing the metal rod she was holding into a palm shape. Under the startled eyes of Buggy and the others, she waved her hand, summoning gusts of wind, and chanted Usopp's name.

As the thousands of spectators roared in unison, the song concluded, and the light projection faded in sync with the rhythm.

James, always dapper with noble poise and charm, stepped forward. The energy of the crowd amplified his charisma.

With a flourish, James raised his arm and pointed skyward, mimicking a pistol.

Whoosh~!!! 

Bang!!!

A massive firework exploded, illuminating the entire island.

James then grabbed the microphone and declared:

"I hereby announce…"

"The Pokémon League Tournament has officially begun!!!"

"Let's welcome the first match of this competition…"

"Nefertari Cobra versus Blackfoot Sanji!!!"

"And that's the way it is! Meowth!"

Meowth's voice chimed in, not missing the chance to be heard.

At the announcement of the first match, a buzz of excitement spread through the crowd.

"What!? His Majesty Cobra is first again!? Did he pay off the organizers?"

"Come on, buddy, this is the knockout round, 16 to 8, and Sanji, one of the new Four Heavenly Kings, is no pushover. If there was a bribe, then that was some seriously misplaced cash!"

"Hahahahaha..."

Despite his formidable performance in later matches, Cobra's shaky start in the preliminaries left the audience viewing him with skepticism.

But as he stood there, Cobra's lips curved into a subtle smile.

He had deliberately kept Suicune's evolved form hidden—saving it for this moment!

Cobra was no stranger to Sanji. After all, running a restaurant outside the battle zone required administrative approval from the Kingdom of Alabasta.

Cobra knew Sanji was an exceptional physical combatant, and his Blaziken was also a Pokémon adept at close combat.

Before the preliminaries, Cobra might have been uncertain about facing Sanji.

But now, he brimmed with confidence!

Why?

Because the evolved Suicune was just that powerful!!!

Under the gaze of thousands, Cobra and Sanji quickly took their positions on opposite sides of the ring.

Meowth leaned close to the microphone and announced:

"Pokémon League Tournament, 16 to 8 knockout round, first match: Nefertari Cobra versus Blackfoot Sanji, let the battle begin!"

"Come forth, Suicune!!!"

"Let's go, Blaziken!!!"

As soon as Meowth finished speaking, Sanji and Cobra simultaneously hurled their Poké Balls.

In a flash of red light, two Pokémon appeared before the crowd.

And then, something astonishing happened.

Both Sanji and Cobra, the moment their Pokémon were summoned, stood tall and shouted towards the battlefield:

"Burn with all your heart, Blaziken!"

"Suicune, show them your power!"

"Bond Evolution!!!"

You see, during the preliminaries, neither Sanji nor Cobra had showcased their Pokémon's evolved forms.

No one expected them to go straight for Bond Evolution at the start of the battle!

But it wasn't surprising.

Cobra, who had witnessed the might of Sanji and Blaziken, feared being overpowered by their combos, as he had been by Joffrey. So, he immediately triggered Bond Evolution to secure an extra layer of protection.

Sanji's reasoning mirrored Cobra's.

Knowing Cobra might have mastered Bond Evolution, Sanji knew he had to prepare for a fierce fight.

Two lights of evolution burst forth on the stage.

In an instant, two brand-new Pokémon stood in the ring!

Feeling the surge of fiery power within him, intertwined with his own blood, Sanji—now with flames blazing from his head—slowly raised his eyes, revealing a pair of intensely calm pupils beneath the firelight.

"Suicune after Bond Evolution, huh?"

Beyond the transformed Blaziken, Sanji spotted the new form of Suicune across from him.

Evolved through the bond with Cobra, Suicune's once serene and agile demeanor had shifted completely.

The previously tranquil Suicune now exuded an aura of calm and commanding majesty!

After all, Cobra is the King of Alabasta, with the blood of the Nefertari family running through his veins!

No matter how kind or approachable Neferutari Cobra may be to his subordinates... as one of the founding members of the World Government, his bloodline carries the nobility and majesty befitting royalty.

This inherent nobility and majesty in Cobra's bloodline perfectly harmonized with the divine beast lineage within Suicune, allowing it to truly evolve from an ordinary Suicune into the "Incarnation of the North Wind," a title worthy of a [Divine Beast]!

"This is going to be a tough fight…" 

Sanji's brow furrowed as he sensed the overwhelming aura emanating from Suicune. He could feel that this evolved Suicune had become significantly stronger than both him and his Blaziken. 

In other words, after the bond evolution, the opponent had already crossed the threshold into the level 70 ranks.

However...

Even though Sanji isn't one to seek out trouble, there's a noble knight hidden within him, one that no one should ever underestimate!

"Let's go, Blaziken!"

With a spark in his eye, Sanji softly called out. 

No words were needed—under the bond evolution, their thoughts were in perfect sync, and they reacted instantly.

The two figures, wrapped in flames, vanished in an instant, leaving behind only a fiery streak in the air.

This move was none other than one of the strongest physical techniques in the Navy—Shave!

Thanks to Krieg and Gin, who had been tirelessly helping him, Sanji, the restaurant owner, finally gathered enough points to purchase two copies of [Navy Six Styles: Shave].

Though what he acquired was just an introductory experience, through relentless practice alongside Blaziken, they had mastered the technique, turning it into a deadly weapon!

But...

As the two fiery figures disappeared, Cobra remained unfazed.

After all, there were many in this arena who could perform this very technique!

"Suicune, use Roar!!!"

Cobra shouted, deploying the new move he had acquired from Leo six days ago.

"Rooaarr!!!"

Suicune, instantly grasping Cobra's intention, let out a thunderous roar.

Suddenly, a black-purple energy sphere formed in Suicune's mouth, growing larger and larger!

Roar, a special move of the Dark type, uses concentrated energy to attack the enemy. If the enemy is preparing to attack, the power of Roar will disrupt their intentions, forcing them to abandon their attack. If the enemy is not in an attacking state, their desire to attack diminishes.

Although the Dark type is not Suicune's primary or even secondary attribute...

After bond evolution, Suicune's attacks, even random ones, have the power to shatter worlds.

And Suicune, having learned from the battle with Joffrey, was no longer holding back. Every move was delivered with full force!

As Suicune gathered its energy, the two flame-wrapped figures reappeared in the void, hurtling toward Cobra with unstoppable momentum.

"Cha! (Fire Kick!)"

"Diable Jambe— Flambè Shot!"

Sanji and Blaziken were like a blazing firestorm, rushing at Cobra.

But at that very moment, the enormous dark purple energy sphere shot forward, intercepting them perfectly.

The massive energy ball enveloped Sanji and Blaziken, followed by a deafening explosion!

Boom!!!

The Roar's energy sphere detonated, repelling Sanji and Blaziken, halting their assault.

"Bah!"

After landing, Sanji spat out a mouthful of dust, wiping his mouth as his will to attack faded.

This was the power of the Dark attribute!

The mystical energy that could directly influence the enemy's thoughts!

Fortunately, there wasn't much Dark energy in Suicune, so the attack didn't deal significant damage, leaving Sanji and his partner largely unaffected.

But that didn't matter.

The purpose of Cobra's command was to make one thing clear to Sanji...

A sneak attack was no longer going to work!

Sanji smirked, looking both frustrated and excited as he turned to Blaziken, murmuring:

"What a shame, I thought I could end this quickly."

Sanji then adjusted his tie, completely unscathed by the flames, yet his face revealed a hint of madness.

"In that case..."

"We'll have to take this head-on!!!"

Whoosh! Whoosh!

In two swift movements, Sanji and Blaziken vanished from the battlefield once more.

A showdown between top-tier fighters had officially begun!

"Suicune! Use Rain Dance!"

Cobra took the lead, creating a favorable field condition.

"Suiii!"

Following Suicune's call, the clear sky darkened within moments.

In less than a second, the arena was drenched in a torrential downpour!

Amidst the rain, two red figures could be seen, darting forward like arrows on the slick marble floor.

The same moves, the same strategy.

But this time, Sanji and his partner were charging toward Suicune instead of Cobra.

Facing this fierce assault, Suicune's eyes narrowed, understanding the seriousness of the situation.

It knew that, in terms of speed alone, the enemy was slightly faster.

Without waiting for Cobra's command, Suicune activated its move—Ice Beam!

A freezing wind blanketed the arena in an instant.

The rain-soaked ground was quickly covered by a layer of ice as smooth as glass.

The soles of Sanji and Blaziken's feet crushed the ice underfoot, their speed slightly reduced by the slick surface.

"I've got you!"

Suicune's eyes gleamed with a blue light, sparkling like ice crystals.

Move—Absolute Zero!!!

Boom!!! Boom!!!

The extreme cold and the blazing flames collided, unleashing a violent shockwave that rippled across the arena.

In the stands...

As the shockwave roared against the transparent barrier, the expressions of powerful figures like Crocodile and Doflamingo drastically changed.

They finally understood why the earlier matches were merely the preliminary rounds.

Because the fighters in this main event were as though they had doubled in strength since their previous battles!

Watching the clash between Suicune, Sanji, and Blaziken in the arena...

Doflamingo's face twitched.

At that moment, he realized that if it were him standing in the ring with either of these trainers, he wasn't sure who would emerge victorious.

He had to admit that the combatants on the field now possessed power more terrifying than his own!

"So this is the true power of Pokémon!?"

Doflamingo murmured to himself, awe-struck.

(End of this chapter)