For Law, his only goal in the Pokémon Battle Tournament was the champion's grand prize.
As for the positions of the Elite Four and the Champion, he wasn't particularly interested.
At first, he had only joined this competition to bring Corazon back to life. But throughout this journey, he had learned how to become a qualified Pokémon Trainer and had found something even more important along the way.
Now, he would still use the grand prize to revive his benefactor, Corazon.
However, he no longer lived solely for that goal. He wanted to travel to greater heights with his Pokémon, to make their names heard across the entire sea and even other worlds.
They wanted to live freely, doing whatever they wished.
When the final award ceremony arrived and Law announced his wish to resurrect someone, the entire venue erupted into chaos.
Last year, Brook's choice for the grand prize had been utterly unremarkable. Many had felt he had wasted such an incredible opportunity.
But this year, Law's choice was exactly what they had been hoping for.
They wanted to witness a miracle—to see if this legendary reward was truly as magical as the rumors claimed.
Dak was well aware of this anticipation.
However, Law had no intention of reviving Corazon in front of a massive audience. He was worried that an awkward situation might arise and, more importantly, that Corazon might be frightened by the sudden revival.
The Pokémon League respected the winner's wishes. After informing the audience of Law's decision and receiving a chorus of boos in return, they moved on to the next segment.
If people wanted to know whether Law's wish had been fulfilled, they could seek him out later. The League certainly wasn't going to force the resurrection to happen publicly.
As for the next segment—
It was time to see if the four semifinalists wanted to continue their challenge.
And what would they challenge?
Naturally, the Elite Four.
"Now, it's time for our four semifinalists to make their choices!"
"Please welcome X Drake, Ben Beckman, and Edward Newgate to the stage to select their opponents!"
At the referee's call, the three competitors stepped onto the stage.
Even though they were technically "losers," making it to this stage was proof enough of their strength. The audience gave them a warm reception, showering them with applause and cheers.
With Law still standing on stage, all four semifinalists were now gathered.
Meanwhile, the four members of the Elite Four sat above, watching the challengers with smug expressions.
Anyone who had made it this far in the tournament had no intention of admitting they were inferior to others.
Besides, the position of an Elite Four member came with countless perks—ones only those who held the title could truly appreciate.
Every month, they received top-tier Pokémon items, gained early access to the League's latest technological advancements, and could exchange their accumulated merits for rare, valuable rewards in the League's exclusive stores.
And those were just the official benefits. Behind the scenes, an Elite Four member could accomplish far more using their status.
For instance—
Near the League's main city, a newly developed village called "Nine Snakes Village" had been established. The majority of its inhabitants came from the Amazon Lily Kingdom and specialized in training snake-type Pokémon.
Having enjoyed such privileges, it was only natural that the current Elite Four weren't willing to give up their positions so easily.
"I choose you."
The first to speak was Newgate.
Standing tall, he raised his hand and pointed directly at the most arrogant member of the Elite Four—"Evil King" Hannibal.
Newgate had no interest in the Elite Four position. But he couldn't stand Hannibal's cocky attitude.
"Very well! I'll teach you what it means to be 'humble'!"
Hannibal immediately sprang to his feet, crossing his arms as he looked down at Newgate with a condescending smirk.
He had always disliked these former pirates. Seeing Newgate challenge him was a golden opportunity.
He would make sure to teach the so-called "strongest pirate of the old era" a harsh lesson.
"Ohhh! This is gonna be good!"
"No way! 'Call-Me-Daddy of the Seas' doesn't stand a chance against the 'Evil King'!"
"Yeah! He's up against an Elite Four member, after all!"
The electric tension between the two sent the crowd into a frenzy, with many jumping to their feet in excitement.
"I'm not interested."
Standing nearby, Beckman was far more relaxed.
He had only joined the tournament for fun and to test out the unconventional strategies his ninja crewmates had in mind.
The Elite Four position didn't appeal to him—it would only restrict his freedom. Staying with his crew, drinking, and partying sounded far more enjoyable.
"Boo! Boo!"
The crowd's reaction was brutally honest. Led by the Trainers Beckman had previously defeated, a wave of boos echoed through the stadium.
The spectators who came to watch the tournament loved excitement and wanted to see exhilarating developments unfold.
However, Beckman's battling style had never been particularly well-received, and now, he was pulling this move as well.
It was almost identical to what Brook had done in the previous tournament when he chose a lackluster grand prize, completely killing the hype.
"As for me…"
The last remaining competitor, Drake, seemed to have already made his decision. He looked up at the platform and directly announced, "I challenge the Dragon Elite Four."
He had come here precisely for the Elite Four position.
Drake had grown up in the Navy, receiving a strict education in justice. He was unwavering in his beliefs and deeply loyal.
Three years ago, the World Government and the Navy had originally planned to establish the Secret Special Forces 'SWORD' Unit under the Marine Headquarters.
However, after the World Government was wiped out and the Navy underwent leadership changes, the 'SWORD' unit was repurposed into the Pokémon Maritime Special Forces.
Drake, who had initially been chosen as the captain of 'SWORD,' saw that position instead given to 'White Hunter' Smoker, who became the leader of the new unit.
Filled with unwillingness and frustration, Drake left the Navy upon hearing about the newly established Elite Four positions. He dedicated himself entirely to training Pokémon, sharpening his skills as a Trainer so he could seize one of those spots.
During the first Pokémon Battle Tournament, his team had still been unpolished, and he was eliminated during the knockout rounds.
This time, even though he had not won the championship and the chance to challenge the Champion's throne, he had come very close to achieving his original goal. As long as he won this next battle, he would become one of the Elite Four.
Naturally, he chose what he perceived to be the weakest opponent among the current four.
The Dragon Elite Four, Hancock.
To put it bluntly, from Drake's perspective—
The fact that Hancock, a former Warlord of the Sea, had managed to become one of the Elite Four was already baffling. Furthermore, as a Trainer, Hancock's strength was simply not on the same level as the other three.
The Ice Elite Four, Kuzan—
Drake, a Dragon-type specialist, would never dare to provoke him. Not to mention, Kuzan had once been his superior officer, someone he deeply respected as a former Marine Admiral.
As for the other two, the Ghost Elite Four and the Dark Elite Four, their formidable strength was well-known. Drake believed he had a chance against them, but his odds of winning would not exceed 50%.
But against the Dragon Elite Four, Hancock—
Drake estimated that his chances of losing to her were less than 20%.
Pick the easiest target first.
That was the reason Drake chose Hancock as his opponent.
And everyone present—both the Trainers and even the audience—immediately understood his reasoning.
After all, the idea that "The Dragon Elite Four is the weakest among the four" had already become a widely accepted belief across the entire ocean and even the Ninja World.
"…"
Hancock, of course, could see that Drake was treating her as an easy target, and her expression darkened.
She stood up, looking down at him with a piercing gaze. She said nothing, yet her presence alone carried an overwhelming intensity.
"Hoho~ This is truly exciting! However, the Elite Four Challenge Matches are not scheduled events with live audiences. They can take place anytime within a week, based on an agreement between both parties."
The host, Morgans, grinned wickedly as he widened one eye toward the camera.
"However! Our news agency has secured exclusive broadcasting rights for the matches! So everyone, make sure to stay tuned for updates from us~"
"Next up, it's time for our champion, Trafalgar D. Law, to choose his next path."
"The Champion's Road."
Law didn't hesitate.
If he wanted the world to know his name, then becoming the first-ever Champion of the Oceanic World was undoubtedly the fastest way to achieve that goal.
"Excellent! The Champion's Road can be completed within two weeks after the Elite Four Challenge Matches conclude. We wish Law the best in becoming our first-ever Champion!"
With that, the second Pokémon Battle Tournament officially came to a successful conclusion.
In the coming three days, Alliance City would gradually close, and unauthorized personnel would no longer be allowed to remain, ensuring that League staff could resume their daily operations without disruption.
That same evening, Law made his way to the League Headquarters to claim his champion's prize—the revival of his benefactor, Corazon.
"Champion, may I ask a question?"
At this moment, Law finally came face-to-face with the legendary "Creator God", the First Alliance Leader, Dak, seizing the opportunity to voice his curiosity.
"Speak."
"If I wanted to revive someone else…"
"The League operates an Alliance Member Shop where higher-ranked individuals can exchange their accumulated merit for rewards," Dak explained knowingly.
"The higher your rank, the better the rewards you can access. Among those rewards, there exist items that can bring people back to life. If you were to become an Elite Four, you would gain access to those items."
Dak tilted his chin slightly, as if he had already understood exactly who Law wanted to revive.
He was well aware that there was another person Law wished to bring back.
Most likely, it was his younger sister, Lami—the girl who had been burned alive in "White Town" Flevance seven years ago.
Back then, she had only been around seven or eight years old.
Law probably wanted to bring his little sister into this peaceful new era, let her experience the world, find a few Pokémon, and live a happy life.
(End of Chapter)
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