One Piece: Luffy is My Pokemon

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"Is it about time?"

"Has there been no news from Miss All Sunday?"

Night.

As the world was enveloped by gloomy darkness, the desert country—scorching hot during the day—was now shrouded in a chilly atmosphere.

In the Spider's Cafe located on the outskirts of the city, a place that had no intention of entertaining too many guests.

Mr. 2 Bon Clay, dressed flamboyantly despite being a man, leaned back in his chair and complained.

He turned his attention to Miss Goldenweek, a small girl quietly sipping her drink.

"By the way, Mr. 3 went out on a mission and then disappeared."

"Are you, his partner, not concerned at all?!"

"Huh!?"

Miss Goldenweek turned her head blankly, her face so expressionless one might mistake her for a mannequin.

She replied calmly, "I have already requested a new partner from the boss, so don't worry."

"Hey, hey, hey! Mr. 3 hasn't been confirmed dead yet?! You've decided to change partners so soon?! Are you that cold-blooded?!"

After hearing this, Mr. 2 turned his face away in dramatic disgust.

"Kuhahaha~" At that moment, an old woman who resembled a mole laughed strangely from the corner of the table.

It was Miss Merry Christmas, the user of the Zoan-type Mole-Mole Fruit!

Her unfriendly face displayed contempt.

"What's the point of keeping someone who can't even complete a mission?!"

"Even if we find Mr. 3, I'm sure the boss will issue a bounty on his head."

"Speaking of which, it would be better if we replaced Mr. 3 directly, so our commission and payment could be more generous."

"Hehehe..."

"What a cold-blooded organization!"

Mr. 2 complained again.

At that moment, Mr. 1, who had been sitting silently in the first seat, moved his ears slightly and suddenly said in a low voice:

"Someone's coming!"

The next second, the entire cafe fell silent.

The sound of footsteps immediately became clear to everyone.

Gulp~!

Instantly, the Officer Agents of Baroque Works, who had been waiting in anticipation, all tensed up.

According to the instructions from the secret report, today they would finally meet their mysterious and elusive boss!

The leader of their entire organization!

Ding, ding, ding~!

With the sound of delicate wind chimes, the door of the Spider's Cafe was suddenly pushed open.

The noise immediately captured everyone's attention.

A familiar figure appeared in the doorway.

"Miss All Sunday!"

Seeing Robin, none of the Baroque Works agents were surprised.

After all, from beginning to end, all the coordination and arrangements for the entire organization had been handled by Robin alone.

As the boss's partner, her presence was expected.

"Ah~ Everyone's getting along so well!"

"It seems our next plan will proceed smoothly!"

Robin, who had changed back into her Baroque Works attire—a wool coat and wide-brimmed hat—placed one hand on her hip as she leaned against the doorframe.

She took long strides into the cafe.

At that moment, all the Officer Agents focused their attention on the area outside the door, trying to peek through the gap created by Robin's swaying figure.

In the dim moonlight, two silhouettes suddenly appeared.

However, because the lights inside the cafe were so bright, the figures remained blurred.

"Miss All Sunday, are those two people..."

Paula, disguised as the cafe owner, pointed toward the door with both hands and asked curiously.

"Oh? Have you noticed?"

Robin, exuding the unique charm of a deadly flower, raised the corner of her mouth slightly and stepped aside to fully reveal the doorway.

She extended an arm and said with a smile:

"That's right, I suppose you can't wait any longer!"

"In that case, let me formally introduce the mysterious boss you've never seen before..."

"The leader behind our Baroque Works..."

"Portgas D. Ace!!!"

Robin suddenly raised her voice. Like an excellent host, she used her words to build anticipation at the critical moment.

Just as Robin's voice faded, brilliant flames suddenly rose outside the cafe door.

The blazing fire illuminated everything outside.

A young man with freckles on his face stepped into the cafe, displaying a confident smile.

"Hey~ Nice to finally meet you all~!"

"The time is right to make my appearance!"

Ace greeted them with practiced ease, a commanding smile on his face.

The flames around him instantly ignited all non-electric lighting in the room.

The chill that had lingered in the cafe was immediately swept away.

Unlike Luffy, who would have needed Red to write his lines on his palm, Ace performed perfectly.

Though Red had warned him that this identity might have many loopholes, Ace's commanding presence instantly stunned all the Officer Agents!!!

"Portgas..."

"D..."

"Ace...!!?"

Several agents gasped in shock, staring at Ace's youthful face, barely daring to breathe.

"How is this possible...?! Have we been working for a pirate all along!?"

Mr. 2 murmured in astonishment:

"Our boss is actually the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates?!"

"Hey, hey~ I'm not dreaming!" The hot-tempered Miss Merry Christmas found herself speaking in a hushed voice.

Miss Doublefinger quickly added: "He truly is an incredible figure!"

Mr. 4 was sweating profusely, making trembling noises.

Only Mr. 1 frowned, his thoughts unreadable.

"Fire Fist Ace... I never expected you to be our boss."

Tap, tap, tap, tap...

Ace walked into the cafe without a hint of discomfort. Following Robin's guidance, he sat directly in the main seat, then scanned the agents with a contemptuous look.

"What, you don't accept it?!"

"No..."

The group of Officer Agents shook their heads repeatedly.

Paula crossed her long fingers and asked hesitantly:

"It's not that we don't accept it, but it's difficult to believe."

"As an important figure in an Emperor's crew, surely you have more important matters to attend to?"

"Why would you establish Baroque Works in Paradise?"

"Of course it's because..."

Ace remained composed as he leaned forward and said:

"This is the organization I created before joining the Whitebeard Pirates!"

He smiled and explained:

"Three years ago, when I first entered the Grand Line, I met Miss All Sunday. With her help, we successfully built Baroque Works!"

"Originally, I wanted Baroque Works to become a force under my control in Paradise, clearing my path forward!"

"Unfortunately, after entering the New World, I realized... my idea was too naive!"

"To make us the sword in my hand?"

Ace shook his head and gave a self-deprecating sneer before continuing:

"No matter how many ants gather, they can't muster the strength to fight an elephant!"

"I thought high-quality bounty hunters from across the world would surprise me..."

"But the reality is you're all too weak!!!"

Ace's voice suddenly turned cold as he played his role according to Red's plan.

Neither Red nor Ace wanted Whitebeard's name involved in this matter, so after some discussion, they had devised this explanation.

The main activities of Baroque Works had indeed begun around three years ago.

That year was also when Ace had first set sail.

And because he had refused the Navy's invitation to become a Warlord, he had been considered a prominent figure in Paradise.

There were loopholes in their story.

But Ace's title as Second Division Commander and the strength he frequently displayed in newspaper reports prevented the Baroque Works agents from examining the details too closely.

...

...

"Weak!?"

The agents immediately frowned after being insulted without provocation.

Although they knew they couldn't compare to the officers of an Emperor's crew, they were nearly invincible in Paradise. How could they accept being called weak?

The outspoken Mr. 2 opened his mouth immediately, wanting to object.

But Ace didn't give him the opportunity, continuing:

"So..."

"To prevent you from becoming a stain on my reputation, I've specially found an expert to take over my position and become the next leader of Baroque Works!"

Clap!

After saying this, Ace clapped his hands twice, then called toward the cafe door:

"Red, you can come in now!"

"Finally, my turn!"

Red, who had been waiting outside for some time, chuckled and then stepped to Ace's side under the puzzled gazes of the agents.

Ace stood up, allowing Red to take the main seat, and then announced to everyone:

"Alright, the handover ceremony is now officially complete."

"From today on, you will obey Red's orders!"

"Wait... wait a minute!"

Miss Doublefinger immediately stood up in surprise:

"Isn't this rather strange?!"

"Why suddenly hand over leadership?!"

"And..." She focused her eyes on Red.

Though she didn't say anything more, her silence expressed her doubts about Red.

Several other agents displayed similar expressions.

Though they dared not question Ace directly given his identity, they regarded Red with suspicious eyes.

Fortunately, Red was prepared for this.

He raised the corners of his mouth indifferently. Though not as commanding as Ace's previous performance, he still projected an aloof, authoritative aura.

"It seems your former subordinates don't trust me very much, Ace~"

"No surprise there—you've always preferred to stay out of the public eye!"

Ace laughed, playing along with Red:

"But since you plan to use these underlings, shouldn't you properly demonstrate your power to them?!"

"You're right."

Red chuckled, then suddenly extended his hand, pointing his palm toward the cafe window as everyone watched.

The next second, he calmly announced: "Surf!!!"

BOOM!!!!

Blue waves condensed rapidly in Red's palm at a speed visible to the naked eye, then suddenly poured out through the cafe window like a waterfall!

With a crash, the closed window shattered under the mysterious force, allowing all the agents to clearly see what was happening outside.

Under their astonished gazes, a massive wave suddenly appeared in the arid desert, surging toward the distant sands with overwhelming power.

All rocks and sand were pummeled and driven deep into the earth along its path.

The bizarre wave seemed to possess infinite kinetic energy, roaring hundreds of meters into the distance before slowly dissipating into the night.

In the blink of an eye, a huge channel had been carved through the desert outside the cafe.

"Gulp~!"

Witnessing this, the Baroque Works agents were speechless.

When their eyes shifted back inside the cafe to look at Red...

Deep fear now resided in their gazes.

At this moment, compared to the pressure brought by Ace's identity, Red's simple, direct, and visceral demonstration truly allowed these self-important "big fish in a small pond" to glimpse the vastness of the world.

Even Ace, who was acting alongside Red, completely forgot the script at this point. He stared at Red with a shocked expression that lingered.

Though he had mentally prepared himself after learning the Straw Hats had defeated Blackbeard...

When Red demonstrated this ability, he was still stunned.

The power to create waves?!

As a Devil Fruit user, Ace knew perfectly well how terrifying such a move was!

"The Pokémon world... is truly mysterious and frightening!" Ace thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Red, having demonstrated his power, remained seated in the main chair. His eyes traveled across the faces of the Baroque Works Officer Agents one by one before he suddenly smiled:

"Now, I believe you're ready to calmly listen to what I have to say, right?!"