Facts have proven that when people push themselves beyond their limits, they discover what they are truly capable of.
"What—!!!"
Zoro let out a guttural cry, one that sounded like he'd finally cleared a three-day case of constipation. Veins bulged on his arms as he strained to lift the massive dumbbell. Slowly but surely, it rose from the deck and hovered in the air.
But...
Thud!
The weight dropped back down with a muffled impact, making the hull shake slightly.
Zoro, breathing heavily, straightened up, his face red from the effort. Despite his exhaustion, the corners of his lips twitched into a proud grin, his eyes betraying a mix of surprise and satisfaction.
"I... I did it!" he gasped, laughing between breaths.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the deck...
"Slow down, Luffy! I just bought this ship, and I need to sell it later to recover some funds!!!"
Red ran forward in a panic as Luffy excitedly hefted a dumbbell, only to set it down just as quickly.
In terms of raw strength, Luffy was clearly ahead of Zoro.
But…
"Stop, stop! Luffy!!!" Red hurried to intervene as Luffy reached for the dumbbell again.
"Huh? What's wrong, Red?" Luffy blinked, tilting his head.
"That's not how this works!" Red waved his hand, exasperated. "Didn't you hear me earlier? This is a dumbbell, not a barbell! You're supposed to lift it with one hand!"
Red grabbed Luffy's arm and gave it a light slap. "Now let go and try lifting it with just one hand!"
"One hand? That's impossible!"
From the sidelines, Nami muttered skeptically, crossing her arms.
But then, Luffy casually switched to one hand. His arm muscles bulged, veins popped along his forehead, and he let out the same kind of roar Zoro had earlier:
"Ahhhhhh!!!"
Boom!
The enormous dumbbell left the deck once again, this time suspended in midair by Luffy's single hand.
Though it wasn't as smooth as his two-handed lift, he managed to raise it successfully.
"Is this... is this a joke!?"
Both Zoro and Nami stared in disbelief, their jaws nearly hitting the deck.
For Nami especially, watching Luffy's sheer strength in action triggered a memory of what Red had told her earlier that afternoon:
"If you really have any difficulties, you can feel free to trouble us!"
Her heart wavered as she quietly thought, 'Can I really… trust them?'
Thanks to Nami's expert navigation, the crew set sail that very evening, leaving Shells Town behind and heading toward their next destination.
Traveling through the night held no risks with her at the helm.
After setting Luffy and Zoro's training schedules, Red and Nami returned to the cabin to settle in.
Red, after a quick wash, flopped onto his bed.
Unlike Luffy and Zoro, who relied on physical training to grow stronger, Red focused inward.
As he lay there, he closed his eyes and entered a meditative state. A strange, mysterious energy coursed through his body, nourishing his muscles and fortifying his strength.
On the other side of the cabin, Nami sat at the desk, her chin resting on her hand. Her bright eyes sparkled faintly as she stared out the window.
The moonlight reflected off the calm sea, and the rhythmic sound of waves lapping against the hull filled the room.
Her thoughts wandered as she gazed at the serene view outside, the emotions swirling in her heart kept her awake longer than she intended.
Morning came in the blink of an eye.
Nami had eventually fallen asleep at the desk, her head resting on her folded arms.
Out on the deck, Luffy and Zoro lay sprawled on the wooden planks, snoring loudly. Their bodies were drenched in sweat, evidence of the grueling training session they'd endured the night before.
The dark, damp stains left behind marked just how hard they had pushed themselves.
Step… step… step…
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed through the quiet, breaking the peaceful stillness of the morning.
Red gazed at the two figures sleeping soundly on the deck. A soft smile crossed his face.
"What comforting companions," he murmured.
"With people like this around, I can't afford to slack off~!"
Carefully, Red lifted Zoro and Luffy, one at a time, carrying them back to their respective rooms before returning to his own cabin.
Once inside, he stretched and flopped onto his bed, muttering to himself:
"When it comes to training, there's not much I can do to help directly... but cheating? That's my specialty!"
He closed his eyes and focused.
"Machine, start!"
Suddenly, a blinding white light appeared before him, enveloping his vision.
But this time, things were different. Instead of being transported directly into the familiar world of Pokémon, a new interface materialized—a window hovering in the white void.
It was the Pokémon storage box screen from the game!
At the top of the screen, a line of bold black text read:
[Please select the Pokémon to battle.]
Beneath it, two cartoonish icons stood out.
One depicted Luffy with his iconic straw hat, and the other showed Zoro, complete with his moss-green hair!
Red's eyes lit up, and he laughed excitedly. "I knew it! I guessed right!"
The conditions for transforming his crewmates into Pokémon were exactly as he'd theorized. All his effort during the day had paid off!
Without hesitation, he silently apologized to Luffy in his heart.
"Sorry, buddy, but I'm going with the new guy this time!"
He selected Zoro.
The screen shifted, transitioning into the familiar Pokémon game animation. A burst of light enveloped him, and when it cleared, Red found himself standing in Pewter gym interior—the location he had recorded earlier.
Beside him, Zoro lay unconscious, still snoring softly.
"It seems like when someone enters this world, their consciousness carries over in the same state as outside," Red mused aloud. "Good to know. If they don't get enough rest beforehand, it could affect their performance here."
He decided not to wake Zoro immediately. Instead, Red opened the game interface and examined Zoro's stats.
[Pokémon: Roronoa Zoro]
[Level: 38]
[Gender: Male]
[Nature: Serious]
[Type: Dragon, Steel]
[Ability: Intimidate (When entering battle, the opponent feels a strong sense of pressure.)]
[Moves: None currently learned.]
[EXP: 0/4500]
[Stats:]
HP: 143
Attack: 117
Defense: 115
Special Attack: 140
Special Defense: 100
Speed: 91
"Dragon and Steel types, huh?" Red raised an eyebrow, analyzing the information.
"The Steel type makes sense—Zoro is a swordsman, and years of wielding blades would naturally tie him to that attribute."
"But Dragon? That's interesting…"
In the Pokémon world, the Dragon type wasn't just about energy but also often tied to biological ancestry or a majestic lineage.
"Wait… are you telling me Zoro isn't fully human!?" Red snickered, dismissing the thought. "Nah, maybe the Dragon type just represents his overwhelming power and will. Either way, it's a perfect match for someone as badass as Zoro."
The ability Intimidate wasn't groundbreaking but was still a solid defensive option. However, Red couldn't help but compare it to Luffy's regenerative ability, which he found far more versatile.
As for Zoro's stats, the high Special Attack stood out.
"Huh, that's surprising. Zoro's Special Attack is ridiculously high for his level. Higher than Luffy's by a long shot."
Red grinned. "A special attacker, huh? That's unexpected but interesting. Maybe we can integrate those moves into his swordsmanship!"
With his plans forming, Red knelt beside Zoro. Instead of shaking him awake, he pinched Zoro's nose and covered his mouth.
The result was immediate.
In less than ten seconds, Zoro's brows furrowed as if he were having a nightmare. A few more seconds passed, and he shot up with a startled gasp.
"Hoo! Hoo! What the hell, Red!?" Zoro growled, catching his breath and glaring at him.
But as Zoro looked around, his annoyance was replaced by confusion.
"Wait… wasn't I on the ship? Where is this place!?"
His eyes darted around, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings.
Red extended a hand to help him up, a mischievous grin on his face.
"Welcome, Zoro," he said with dramatic flair, "to my world!"