Chapter 96:  Upside Down Mountain (×)  Elf Center (√)

Leo was unaware of Team Rocket's little schemes. His attention was already focused on the looming, fog-shrouded Reverse Mountain.

The towering rock walls of the Red Line stretched endlessly, dividing the entire planet and intersecting with the Grand Line to split the world into four seas. Beneath him, the sea roiled and churned. Above, the sky was dark, as if heralding a storm, though not a drop of rain fell. The water surged upward, seemingly alive, converging at the mountain's peak.

"It's truly fascinating..." Leo muttered, bewildered.

He knew that the reverse flow of water was caused by the global seas pressing against the Red Line, creating this natural wonder in the Pirate World. Yet, despite the scientific explanation, it was still beyond comprehension. It only added to Leo's confusion.

But the Grand Line held many mysteries even more perplexing than this. Even at his current level, Leo couldn't fully grasp the source of the Grand Line's unpredictable weather. The upward flow of water, like gravity or the Pythagorean theorem, seemed written into the world's code.

"Maybe when I reach the level of a god of creation, I'll be able to understand the strange workings of these worlds," he mused.

After putting away the colossal Wailord, Leo snapped his fingers. A flying device, spewing fiery jets, appeared at his feet. It resembled the Green Goblin's glider from Marvel, but with two large, curious eyes at the front, observing everything around them.

"Rotom, fly up and take a look," Leo said, patting the hoverboard expectantly and pointing towards the highest point of the Red Line.

"Roger that, Master!" The Rotom-possessed hoverboard responded, its eyes glowing with digital light before taking off.

As Leo accumulated points, he began redeeming various interesting gadgets from the Pokémon world. When these scientific devices were inhabited by Rotom, they became intelligent, offering an impressive cost-performance ratio.

"Speaking of things that defy science, I've got plenty of those," Leo smiled, dismissing his concerns about the geography of the Pirate World.

The aircraft's flames propelled him upward. Within minutes, Leo had crossed the 10,000-foot peak and reached the top of the Reverse Mountain.

"This should be the pinnacle of the Pirate World," Leo thought as he hovered, looking down at the four wide streams of water rushing up from the East Blue, West Blue, South Blue, and North Blue.

"This place... should be mine," he murmured, a thoughtful smile playing on his lips as he surveyed the turbulent waters.

As the mastermind behind this Pokémon invasion of the Pirate World, Leo had to devise ways to increase Pokémon's appeal. So far, the Pirate World's desire for Pokémon was driven by selfish desires—many sought to resurrect loved ones through the transactions. The requirement of 2.5 billion Beli was manageable for many, and owning Pokémon would eventually fulfill their wishes.

Even Leo eagerly anticipated them reaching this goal, as displaying such a miracle would bolster faith in the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce and lead to more transactions.

However, Leo worried that once these individuals achieved their wishes, they might lose their drive to trade and continue serving as his tools. The Pokémon World had countless creatures, and he didn't want his "tools" to become complacent after reaching their goals.

Take Zoro, for example. If he truly resurrected Kuina, would he continue hunting pirates and earning bounties as he does now? It was doubtful. Without the bonds from the original world line, with money and a loved one at his side, would Zoro still pursue his dream of being the world's greatest swordsman? Perhaps, but the risks of him becoming complacent were too high—a scenario Leo couldn't allow.

To keep them motivated, Leo realized he had to create continuous novelty and anticipation, much like a game where players naturally progress from one stage to the next.

But reality isn't a game...

Thus, Leo's solution was to turn the Pirate World into a game! In games, defeating monsters, leveling up, and completing quests are crucial. The first two were already handled—traders could earn points and enhance their Pokémon's strength. But as for quests, Leo had only issued one: the [Pokémon League Tournament]. That was merely the main quest. To truly engage the players, more side quests with rich narratives were necessary.

So, as Leo reached the top of the Reverse Mountain, he didn't enter the Grand Line immediately. Instead, he refined his ideas. If there were quests, there had to be a place to distribute them.

As an NPC businessman taking players' money, neither Leo nor the Team Rocket trio was suited for this role.

Suddenly, Leo remembered Nurse Joy, whom he had considered earlier. A kind, patient figure like her could easily inspire others and increase their enthusiasm for completing quests!

"A mission-giver like Nurse Joy would be perfect..." Leo decided.

With this thought, the rest of the plan quickly fell into place. An accompanying Pokémon Center was essential. There, while healing Pokémon for a fee, Nurse Joy could exchange points earned from treatments for mission rewards and distribute quests.

In this way, Leo could energize the players without spending too much—a self-sustaining complex, perfectly designed!

"With a mind like mine, it's a shame I'm not a game developer~" Leo chuckled, then immediately set his plans into motion.

After empowering Jessie and the others, Leo had about 30,000 points left—enough to renovate the Reverse Mountain.

It was a massive project, akin to retiling the Great Wall, and would certainly require significant effort.

Rumble, rumble...

On the peak of the Reverse Mountain, unnoticed by anyone, this ancient natural wonder began its second transformation!

(End of this chapter)