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Pokémon Park, Near the Beach
Aniu, hearing Red's question, immediately placed his fingerless flipper on his chin and pondered, mimicking Red's thinking posture. After some time, he suddenly clapped his flippers together as inspiration flashed in his small eyes.
"Woo~Woo!!!" Aniu barked excitedly to Red.
Chopper, standing nearby, conscientiously translated like a living Den Den Mushi, matching Aniu's expression and tone:
"Master Red, forget about the cave! If possible, I hope you can prepare a gym for us to train! It's not easy to receive the powerful abilities you've granted us—we must seize every moment to become stronger! Only then can I better help you protect and manage this land!"
"In fact... there's no need to push yourself so hard."
Hearing this, the corners of Red's mouth curved upward into a satisfied, relieved smile. He hadn't expected that words he'd casually mentioned earlier would be remembered by Aniu until now.
"Young one, you have a bright future ahead," Red silently thought to himself. Without further explanation, he simply nodded with a smile and recorded Aniu's request.
At that moment, the Den Den Mushi on his person suddenly rang with a distinctive "Pere Pere~" sound.
As Red removed the miniature Den Den Mushi and lifted the receiver, the snail's face immediately transformed, displaying an extremely excited and... greedy expression!
"Red! The plans for the commercial street and tourist center are almost complete. When can you come take a look?" Nami's voice emerged from the Den Den Mushi's mouth. Just from her impatient tone, it was obvious—she must have devised the perfect money-making scheme!
Ever since Nami had learned from Red that somewhere along the Grand Line they were about to visit, there existed a resort capable of earning 10 billion Berries annually, she had remained in this state of excitement. The revenue plan she was creating now worked toward exactly this goal!
"So fast?!" Red exclaimed in surprise. The next second, he realized that where money was involved, Nami's ability and execution couldn't be measured by common standards.
After briefly considering his upcoming arrangements, he responded into the receiver: "I still need to plan suitable living areas for the Moving Crabs and Super Spot-Billed Ducks..."
"Let's do this—call Robin over first and have her review the plans. After all, she has experience managing Rain Dinners and Baroque Works, so she might have valuable suggestions. If she approves, we'll finalize the plan."
"Ah!" Nami responded clearly. "That works perfectly~"
Robin's management skills were obvious to everyone. During this period, the agents and bounty hunters of Baroque Works had accepted their identity change so seamlessly, transforming into members of Alabasta's Thirteen Defense Division—largely due to Robin's efforts.
Robin, who understood the personalities of Baroque staff and possessed certain cunning attributes, found it easy to make them obedient and compliant!
With the combined efforts of the Straw Hat Pirates and support from the Kingdom of Alabasta, construction of the entire Pokémon Park progressed at an astonishing pace.
Abundant greenery began sprouting across the hot desert, while lakes formed by groundwater created the desert oasis that many Alabasta citizens had dreamed of their entire lives!
At the park's center stood an enormous fountain, excavated by Miss Merry Christmas and connected directly to the sea, continuously bringing salty, humid seawater into Pokémon Park. Along this underground current, fish and other marine creatures could enter the park, providing rich food resources for the "Pokémon" residing there.
Through Red and Chopper's efforts, increasing numbers of desert creatures settled in Pokémon Park, greatly enriching its ecological diversity. However, most of these creatures lived in the desert and primarily possessed Ground or Rock attributes, with few displaying Poison, Grass, Flying, or other types.
Time passed steadily as Pokémon Park evolved rapidly, presenting a new appearance each day.
Half a month later, King Cobra—who had finally managed the kingdom's affairs—was stunned by the massive oasis park that had materialized in the barren desert.
"This... is this truly something my country deserves?!"
Looking at the vibrant Pokémon Park under the scorching sun, even from several kilometers away from its entrance, Cobra felt each step forward brought him closer to a dream world.
Vivi, standing beside him, was equally amazed and whispered in disbelief: "I can't believe they would be so extraordinary."
Although she had mentally prepared herself and even participated in much of the park's early construction, she still couldn't comprehend how Red and the others had managed to grow a tropical rainforest in the arid desert in just a dozen days!
Cobra and Vivi turned simultaneously toward each other, immediately recognizing the shock in each other's eyes. They composed themselves before continuing forward on camelback, escorted by Igaram, Pell, and Chaka.
As they approached, the spectacular sight of Pokémon Park's entrance appeared before them. In this desert region where water was incredibly precious, a blue turtle-shaped sculpture with two massive cannons on its shoulders stood above the gate, spraying crystal-clear water from its cannons.
The water broke apart in midair, transforming into soft mist that drifted downward. More impressively, ice crystals could be seen within the mist, forming a magnificent rainbow under the sunlight that arched over the Pokémon Gate.
Cobra dismounted his camel and stepped forward in amazement. He instantly felt a cool sensation beginning at his head and slowly spreading throughout his body.
After traveling under the scorching sun for hours, his body was drenched in sweat and his skin extremely dry. But now, an unprecedented refreshing feeling instantly rejuvenated him, causing King Cobra to involuntarily exclaim: "Ah~ That feels wonderful~"
"Welcome to Pokémon Park, Your Majesty Cobra!"
At that moment, the park entrance slowly opened from within. A figure dressed in red suddenly appeared before Cobra, Vivi, and their escorts.
Vivi, who had left early to handle kingdom affairs and oversee the assessment and selection of the Thirteenth Division, immediately displayed a genuine smile and stepped forward, waving: "Red, it's been a while!"
"Ahem~! Sir Red!"
Noticing the presence of others and recalling his undignified behavior moments earlier, Cobra blushed, quickly stepped out of the cooling mist, and formally greeted Red.
Although they had communicated several times through Den Den Mushi, this was their first face-to-face meeting!
Their hands—one old, one young—clasped firmly together.
Cobra spoke emotionally: "Your Excellency Red, thank you for everything you've done for the Kingdom of Alabasta! The Nefertari clan will never forget your great kindness!!!"
As he spoke, crystal tears formed in the old king's eyes. No one else understood the despair and helplessness he had felt upon learning that the person harming his country and people was someone they could never defeat!
If not for the Straw Hat Pirates' arrival, his kingdom would have lost countless lives. What moved him even more was that despite Red's busy schedule, he had sent thousands of Water-type Pokémon, led by former Baroque Works members, to various drought-stricken locations throughout Alabasta. They brought rain and moisture to parched regions, saving many citizens who were near death from dehydration.
Though Red was technically a pirate, everything he had done for Alabasta proved far more beneficial than what the king himself had accomplished!
"Haha~ You're too kind, Your Majesty Cobra!"
Facing such politeness, Red responded humbly. He immediately gestured toward Pokémon Park's interior and invited: "Please, everyone, don't just stand here. Since you've made this rare visit, allow me to introduce you to the Pokémon paradise we've built!"
"Yes, yes, of course..." Cobra nodded repeatedly.
The next moment, however, he turned his gaze to the Blastoise statue behind them and asked about an issue that had troubled his country for generations: "Your Excellency Red, how did you create so much water in this desert?"
"Ah... you mean this~"
Red smiled calmly. "It's quite simple! All you need is a clever partner like Usopp and a Water Stone containing abundant water-attribute energy!"
"Water Stone?!" The puzzlement on Cobra's face intensified.
Meanwhile, Vivi clapped her hands in realization: "That's it! Is this a new item created by Usopp?! I didn't expect that after the Leaf Stone, he would utilize the Water Stone—an evolutionary stone completely unrelated to his attributes."
"No, wait! There are clearly ice crystals in the falling mist! So it must be a combined application of Water Stone and Ice Stone! Brilliant!"
Seeing that Vivi had guessed everything instantly, Red praised her without hesitation. But judging by the pride hidden in his eyes, rather than complimenting Vivi, he seemed more gratified by Usopp's craftsmanship.
Of course, besides Usopp, Wapol's existence was also crucial. However... who would credit a mere tool?
"As expected of Usopp~" Vivi couldn't help but admire.
Red continued: "It's more than that! Usopp has now mastered energy transmission methods for all evolutionary stones, creating various external devices installed at Pokémon Park's four entrances."
"The Blastoise entrance leads directly to the leisure area, so the sprayed water refreshes visitors physically and mentally under the scorching sun."
"The Charizard entrance connects to the Pokémon battle area, where blazing flames invigorate people and identify the strong!"
"Entering through Venasaur brings you directly to the wilderness area where 'Pokémon' live. There, Venasaur's petals continuously emit a floral fragrance filled with vitality, calming visitors and preventing restlessness."
"Pikachu's entrance connects to the commercial district, though it's mostly empty since few businesses have moved in yet. At that entrance, mild electromagnetic waves pulse outward, stimulating people's brains to encourage impulsive purchases."
"Of course~ whether this effect is real remains debatable, as Thunder Stones don't possess the hypnotic properties of Psychic-type energy."
"And naturally~ all four areas I mentioned require admission fees..."
"Or rather..."
"From the moment you enter Pokémon Park, consumption happens invisibly."
Red smiled slightly as he explained frankly to Cobra and the others.
After all, his hard work and investment of game time in matching moves for "Pokémon" wasn't solely to test whether Pokémon genetic move configurations would function in the real world...
More importantly, he wanted to create a revenue source for the Straw Hat Pirates.
Looking at major pirate groups worldwide, they either controlled their own territories and industries like Donquixote Doflamingo, or they covered numerous islands and countries like the Whitebeard and Red-Haired Pirates, visiting certain locations regularly to collect "protection fees."
However...
Given the Straw Hat Pirates' principles, neither option suited them.
So Red had placed his hopes on this Pokémon paradise.
In the future, whether upgrading the Thousand Sunny to compete with battleships in the New World, transforming Laboon's internal structure to create more stable space inside his body, or establishing research facilities for Usopp to create magical inventions—none of these would come cheaply.
Combined with Luffy's tendency to spend money hosting banquets for others, if Red didn't prepare revenue projects for the Straw Hats in advance...
They would face severe financial strain when they truly needed funds.
"Come, Your Majesty Cobra! Let me show you Pokémon Park's attractions in detail..."
Knowing that after their departure, the park would require Cobra and Vivi's care and promotion, Red was extremely enthusiastic, leading the bewildered Cobra toward the park's interior.
Over the next few hours, Cobra explored every corner of Pokémon Park like a child discovering wonders for the first time!
The more he saw, the more astonished he became.
The more he explored, the more overwhelmed he felt!
Especially when he witnessed familiar desert animals in the wilderness area suddenly breathing fire, spitting water, or even levitating into the air...
And through food enticement or battle conquest, visitors could—with the creatures' approval—spend Berries to remove them from the wilderness and make them personal pets.
In that moment, Cobra envisioned the remarkable sight of magical creatures becoming commonplace throughout Alabasta within a few years.
But would this truly benefit the Kingdom of Alabasta, a nation accustomed to peace and tranquility?!