April 15.
A month had passed since the second Pokémon Battle Tournament concluded.
During this time, the most talked-about topic was undoubtedly the results of the three challengers.
Newgate was utterly crushed by the 'Dark Elite' Hannibal—the two were simply not on the same level.
Anyone who watched the live broadcast could tell that Hannibal's skills had improved drastically compared to the first tournament.
This was the first challenge match, and after this battle, public opinion completely shifted. Fewer people believed in Law and Drake's chances.
Sure, these three challengers were from the same tournament generation as the Four Elites, but anyone could see that after joining the League, the Four Elites had experienced explosive growth.
The reason? The Four Elites enjoyed unparalleled resources.
This even included specialized mentors to help their Pokémon master Haki and Ninjutsu.
How could the ordinary trainers outside, who had to spend their own money hiring trainers, possibly compare to the top-tier experts backed by the League?
Just when everyone thought no one could successfully challenge the Elites, Drake immediately proved them wrong.
The 'Serpent Elite' Hancock was defeated.
It wasn't that Hancock wasn't strong—her team's average level was actually five levels higher than Drake's.
But a five-level gap couldn't make up for the severe type disadvantage.
Both of Hancock's ace Pokémon—Serperior and Milotic—suffered from halved damage output against Dragon-type Pokémon. That was a huge blow, and her team lacked any Fairy- or Ice-type Pokémon to compensate.
Moreover, Drake wasn't a trainer who paid much attention to type matchups; he specialized in utilizing Pokémon abilities to create strategic advantages. This further disadvantaged Hancock in their battle.
Even though Hancock's Pokémon had a better grasp of Dual Haki than Drake's team, the difference wasn't significant enough.
Sure, Hancock hailed from Amazon Lily, an island renowned for its mastery of Haki, but Drake was a former Marine. Out of his 24 years of life, 22 were spent in the Navy. He was once the reserve captain of the Special Operations Unit 'SWORD.' His mastery of Haki was not much inferior to Hancock's.
With all these factors in play, Hancock ultimately lost.
The 'Serpent Elite' fell, and the new Four Elites welcomed their latest member—'Dragon Elite' X Drake!
The seas were in an uproar over this, an event comparable to the past generations of Yonko being replaced.
However, before Drake could even warm his seat, Law showed up at his doorstep.
The 'Champion Challenge' begins immediately after the 'Elite Challenge' concludes, meaning Drake now had to face Law's challenge.
Even if Law failed in his Champion bid, he could still claim the seat of any Elite he managed to defeat.
Everyone knew that challengers preferred to take on the weakest opponent first.
Law had never met Luffy in this lifetime, so he wasn't about to do something reckless.
Now, the tables had turned.
Hancock was the 'easy target' for Drake.
And now, Drake became the 'easy target' for Law.
Law had watched Hancock's battle against Drake and could see that Drake had won by the slimmest margin.
That meant, among the new Four Elites, Drake—just like Hancock before him—was considered the weakest link.
When the battle between Drake and Law began, no one believed in Drake's chances.
After all, not long ago, Law had already defeated Drake once in the tournament.
Everyone was just waiting for another embarrassment.
But once again, they were proven wrong.
Law's challenge failed.
Having learned from his past defeat, this time, before dealing the finishing blow to any of Law's Pokémon, Drake ensured that his own Pokémon activated Protect.
This effectively countered Law's usual last-ditch moves like Destiny Bond and Explosion.
Unlike in the tournament, where Drake's first Protect attempt had failed, this time, in the challenge match, he successfully used the move four times—every single attempt succeeded.
These four well-timed Protects became the final straw that crushed Law's challenge. His two ace Pokémon were completely obliterated by Turtonator's fiery onslaught.
However, Law wasn't too frustrated.
After all, Corazon had already been resurrected—his mood was excellent.
A failed challenge was just a failed challenge.
Besides, he had already made a promise to Corazon to face off in the third Pokémon Battle Tournament, which seemed even more exciting.
Thus, 'Dragon Elite' X Drake successfully defended his position.
Drake's first action after securing his spot was to establish his own Pokémon 'Dojo.'
But this wasn't a battle-focused Dojo for challengers.
Instead, it was a training school, similar to Zoro's master, Koshiro's Isshin Dojo.
The Dojo was located in Yggdrasil, where one of Drake's runner-up prizes was a property—he named it Ryu no Dojo.
The main focus of the Dojo was teaching students how to train and raise Dragon-type Pokémon.
As the 'Dragon Elite,' his credibility was unquestionable.
Drake wasn't doing this for money.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen Yggdrasil—a city known for its tranquility and natural beauty.
Besides, what Elite lacked money?
Drake genuinely wanted to pass down his knowledge.
Not just about being a Dragon-type trainer but also his mastery of Dual Haki and swordsmanship.
'Ryu no Dojo' was essentially an outer school, where students would be carefully observed. Only the most talented and worthy individual would earn the honor of becoming Drake's personal disciple.
To solidify his commitment, Drake even changed his name.
Ryu no Drake X.
Additionally, as part of the runner-up prize from the tournament, he was allowed to choose a Pokémon Egg.
Drake's choice?
A Dratini Egg.
Meaning, in the future, it would evolve into a Dragonite.
"Well, looks like there's going to be another 'X' family in the sea,"
Dak commented when he heard the news, his expression turning slightly strange.
"I wonder what the Dragon Masters in the Pokémon world will think of this."
...
SAO, 88th Floor.
It had been two weeks since Madara and Izuna disappeared, and the Raid Party had only managed to progress by one floor.
At the cost of twelve lives.
When Lisbeth and Kirito first returned with this news, many players outright refused to continue the raid, insisting on waiting for the two to return.
Some even believed it was impossible to progress without them.
Aside from members of their own guild, most players in the Raid Party weren't inclined to listen to Kirito or Lisbeth, though they showed some courtesy at best.
But under such immense pressure, tensions flared.
Some even outright insulted Lisbeth, calling her nothing more than a 'decorative figure' relying on Madara's prestige.
Before Lisbeth could respond, members of the Akatsuki Guild immediately challenged the offender to a duel to the death.
They had seen firsthand how hard Lisbeth trained every day.
Sometimes, even the guild members themselves thought Madara's training regimen was too harsh for her.
They respected Lisbeth.
Even if she really was just a figurehead, they wouldn't allow anyone to insult her.
Because she was Madara's disciple—the man they respected the most.
Faced with this challenge, the accuser quickly backed down, apologizing profusely.
However, the Raid Party's reluctance to continue hadn't changed.
Lisbeth and Kirito were at a loss.
At that moment, Shouko stepped up and blasted the Raid Party with an intense verbal lashing.
Cowards. Spineless weaklings. Craven lizards.
She spared no one.
Naturally, the players refused to take such insults lightly and fell right into her psychological trap.
Thus, Kirito and Lisbeth were given a chance to prove themselves.
Grateful for this opportunity, they led the party into the 87th Floor Boss Room.
The Akatsuki Guild refused to take orders from Kirito, so Lisbeth led the charge, with Kirito and Asuna assisting her.
Shouko remained in charge of the Pokémon Division.
Despite her worries, Lisbeth exceeded expectations.
Clad in Madara's crimson armor and cloak, she led the vanguard like a Valkyrie.
Though not as strong as Madara, her courage was undeniable.
And so, the Raid Party finally moved forward.
In Akihiko Kayaba's laboratory.
Madara and Izuna silently watched the battle on a large screen.
Finally, Madara let out a breath of relief.
"Lisbeth has become an outstanding leader."
Izuna nodded, sneaking a glance at his brother.
From clenched fists to a relaxed smile—he saw it all.
Though Madara acted indifferent, Izuna knew the truth.
Uchiha, after all, felt deeper than anyone.
(End of Chapter)
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