Pokémon Breeder In One Piece!

Aincrad.

February 1st, with 64% progress in clearing, the 65th floor.

The environment on the 65th floor resembled a vacation island, much like the Alola region from the Pokémon world.

"Master, why didn't you join the frontlines earlier? With you and Madara, wouldn't we have cleared this game by now?"

Lying on a beach in swim trunks, Kirito sipped a soda while basking in the sunlight.

For some unknown reason, Izuna, who had never participated in the frontlines, had suddenly joined the assault team. This had been a huge relief for all the players working on clearing the game. The morale of the entire assault team had soared.

The moment Izuna appeared, the beta testers hidden among the players immediately recognized him. Although they were extremely excited, they didn't dare to reveal their connection with him.

They couldn't afford to expose themselves as beta testers, and at the same time, they didn't dare expose Izuna either.

To the general players, Izuna's arrival was a massive boost in morale—because his strength was simply beyond imagination.

The sheer damage Izuna dealt was absurd, making many speculate that he must possess some kind of unique, hidden skill.

Now, players had begun referring to him as the "Sword Saint."

If it weren't for Izuna, how could the assault team have cleared 14 floors in a single month?

At the start of the game, they had barely managed 12 floors in the first two months, and in later stages, they could only clear six or seven floors per month.

However...

Just a month ago, after defeating the 50th-floor boss, the "Deep Sea Predator," the assault team had been in a completely different state.

During that battle, two Pokémon had perished.

In order to allow the players to focus on damage output, Pokémon had played an irreplaceable role, using various moves to control the two bosses.

But because of this, they had attracted the bosses' aggro. And since they were underwater, their movement speed was severely hindered—leading to casualties.

At first glance, the death of two Pokémon might not seem like a major incident.

But the sight of those Pokémon dying and the heart-wrenching cries of their devastated trainers left a deep impression on everyone.

This didn't scare away ordinary players.

But it did make many Pokémon Trainers hesitate.

They didn't want to lose their Pokémon.

As a result, 300 of the 800 frontline Pokémon Trainers withdrew after that battle, dealing a massive blow to the assault team's morale.

In the short term, this didn't affect the clearing speed.

But over time, the increased burden on the remaining trainers, along with increased rotation speeds and mounting psychological pressure, would take its toll.

Pokémon Trainers and their Pokémon were the core of the assault team. If their numbers dwindled, the entire clearing process would suffer.

If not for Izuna and his Growlithe, as well as Madara and his Growlithe, joining the assault team and displaying overwhelming prowess, the assault team wouldn't have even cleared six floors this month.

"...I'll tell you when we reach the 100th floor."

Izuna glanced at Kirito but said nothing more.

The reason he had suddenly stepped in to assist the players was because Dak had ordered it.

Dak had grown frustrated with the slow clearing speed—50 floors in half a year? At this pace, clearing the next 50 floors would take over a year. So, he had sent Izuna and Growlithe in to accelerate the process.

Madara + Izuna was not just 1+1.

Especially now, when both had passive skills enhancing their combat abilities. Their performance far exceeded their beta test days.

For Madara, the clearing speed didn't matter.

He was content with leisurely leading a team through the game, watching his timid disciple grow stronger step by step.

This was an experience he had never felt before—because Kiwami was a super genius.

By the age of six, Kiwami had already unlocked the Three Tomoe Sharingan and awakened the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai.

Whatever Madara taught her, she learned instantly.

While this meant he had never had to worry about her, it also meant he never got to experience the satisfaction of nurturing someone's growth.

"100th floor..."

Kirito began to speculate about what his master would tell him at the 100th floor.

Would Izuna reveal some grand secret? Would he send him to a dojo in Japan to inherit the true legacy of the Uchiha-style swordsmanship and become its next successor?

"That murder guild still hasn't been dealt with?"

Izuna suddenly cut off Kirito's daydreaming.

At the same time, he drew a katana crafted by Lisbeth, admiring the blood-red veins running along the blade.

What fascinated him most about this game were two things:

The imaginative designs of Akihiko Kayaba, especially the monsters and maps.The weapon engravings that were rarely seen in real life.

"Yeah..."

Hearing Izuna mention the murder guild, Kirito's expression darkened.

Half a month ago, a guild called "Laughing Coffin" had suddenly gained notoriety.

And they had gained their reputation through murder.

The lower floors of Aincrad were home to many casual players who played the game for fun, particularly sightseers who enjoyed the in-game scenery.

Laughing Coffin members exploited this.

They spread false rumors about hidden in-game wonders to lure sightseers into sealed rooms.

These sealed rooms—hidden areas in the game—didn't always spawn monsters but had a particular trait: Teleport crystals didn't work inside.

As expected, the moment the sightseers entered, they were slaughtered.

This event shocked every player in SAO.

In the past, red players (criminal players) only killed others for loot—rare weapons or valuable items.

But Laughing Coffin?

They killed purely for fun.

What kind of rare loot could be found on casual players below level 10?

Nothing.

They simply enjoyed the thrill of watching their victims beg for mercy, seeing the despair in their eyes.

Because of this, every player loathed Laughing Coffin.

For the past half a month, two groups—"The Avengers" and "The Wanderers"—had been hunting them down.

Yet despite their efforts, Laughing Coffin was still active.

However, they weren't without progress.

Zack's interrogation methods were infamous.

Few knew about his unique skill—one that made his attacks inflict 100% real pain.

Under Zack's interrogation, they learned:

Laughing Coffin had 52 members.

Average level: 58.

None of them were Pokémon Trainers.

Over the past two weeks, Zack had led his team in eliminating 28 members.

Only 24 were left.

These remaining members were waiting—waiting for more floors to be cleared so they could have more places to hide before re-emerging.

"Forget them. Focus on clearing the game. I'll handle them."

"Huh? Master, do you know where they are?"

Before Kirito could react, Izuna and Growlithe had already vanished, leaving behind only a single sentence:

"Growlithe will find them."

"Woof!"

On the 20th floor, within an underground labyrinth, sat a group of red-ID players—the remaining members of Laughing Coffin.

They sat silently in the darkness, their expressions grim.

They didn't care about their fallen comrades.

But they weren't happy either.

Because they knew—any one of them could be next.

Some had already begun regretting joining Laughing Coffin.

Thunk.

A round object suddenly fell onto the floor.

A player threw a glowstick toward it—

And in that instant, everyone's blood ran cold.

It was a severed head.

The victim's mouth was still moving, as if he hadn't realized he was dead.

"Who's there?!"

"Damn it, how were we found?!"

"There must be a traitor among us!"

Paranoia set in.

Just as tensions reached a breaking point...

A voice echoed from the shadows—

"You call yourselves 'Laughing Coffin'?"

"Die."

A kunai flew, embedding itself in a player's throat.

He wouldn't die instantly—but he collapsed in sheer terror.

Izuna had arrived.

Izuna was able to locate Laughing Coffin so quickly not because of Growlithe, but because he logged out and directly consulted Akihiko Kayaba to get the exact coordinates of these players.

This group had severely hindered the progress of SAO's assault team. Yet, Kirito and Zack were unable to eliminate them in a short period of time.

Thus, Izuna had no choice but to take action himself.

(End of Chapter)

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