Trader In The World Of Pirates!!!

The battle erupted in an instant!

Boom! 

At Varia Base, dozens of elite assassins aimed their guns at Hayato, who was floating in the air. On the squad leader's command, they all pulled the trigger simultaneously. In a flash, a torrent of bullets flew toward Hayato, resembling a heavy rainstorm.

But suddenly...

"rem~"

A small, mischievous pink figure appeared before Hayato. It was his Pokémon, Hattrem!

A strange light flickered in Hattrem's bright eyes as a powerful psychic force emerged, forming a telepathic barrier in front of Hayato. The shield effortlessly blocked all the bullets heading his way.

"What!? How is this possible!?"

The Varia elites were shocked as they watched their bullets defy the laws of physics, suspended in mid-air. Their expressions turned to horror.

Meanwhile, Hayato, who had been bombing Varia's base, noticed the situation below.

"Huh? Varia's people?"

He turned and spotted the elite assassins attacking him. His eyes narrowed with a fierce glint.

"I was going to let you off easy." 

"But since you've come looking for trouble, don't blame me for what happens next!"

Originally, Hayato hadn't planned to harm Varia's members. His newly developed bombs were incredibly powerful, and he hadn't yet mastered their full potential. He knew Tsuna disliked unnecessary killing, so he had focused solely on destroying Varia's buildings.

But now, Varia's use of firearms had crossed a line.

"If they're going to use lethal force, I won't hold back!"

"Tenfold bomb! Tear everything apart!"

Without hesitation, Hayato pulled three tracking bombs from his vest and hurled them at the Varia soldiers below.

A small spark ignited on the tail of each bomb as they rapidly adjusted their flight paths. Within seconds, the bombs scattered through the air, locked onto their targets.

"No! It's a bomb!"

Having witnessed Belphegor's defeat from a similar explosion, the assassins panicked. Even Bel had been severely injured by one of Hayato's attacks—there was no way they would escape unharmed.

Chaos ensued as they desperately tried to flee.

But it was too late.

Boom! Boom! Boom! 

The bombs exploded in succession, engulfing the area in flames.

In an instant, the assassins were consumed by the explosions, with none spared from the deadly blast. Hayato's sharp mind had already calculated their escape routes, ensuring no one would get away.

"You dared to challenge me? Don't expect to leave in one piece!"

As he watched the assassins writhe in agony amidst the flames, Hayato disdainfully brushed back his hair and reloaded his bomb-launching device.

Without a second glance at the burning enemies, he leaped into the air, continuing his relentless bombardment of Varia's base.

For him, the lives of the assassins caught in the explosion meant nothing.

Witnessing the devastation, the remaining Varia killers hesitated. Overcome by fear, they retreated in search of other guardians to attack.

...

"Maximum Cannon!"

Boom! 

Ryohei's fists glowed with a brilliant golden light as he unleashed a powerful surge of energy, blasting through the surrounding assassins.

In an instant, the shockwave of light ripped through dozens of enemies.

"Aghhhh!!!"

A chorus of screams echoed as the assassins were sent flying in all directions.

Seeing this, the remaining Varia soldiers trembled in fear.

"Damn it!" 

"Does this guy have unlimited stamina!?"

Their frustration was understandable. In just a few minutes, Ryohei had used his Maximum Cannon over ten times, wiping out more than a hundred of their comrades. To make matters worse, Ryohei showed no signs of fatigue. Instead, the smile on his face only grew wider with each attack, as if he had merely been warming up.

And in truth, that's exactly what it was.

For Ryohei, who had fully awakened his Sun attribute, the energy he expended fighting Varia's killers was barely a dent in his reserves.

The previous battle with Lussuria had left Ryohei unsatisfied. Instead of wearing him down, each strike seemed to make him feel even more alive.

As he continued to unleash his Ultimate Sun technique, Ryohei grew more adept at controlling it, and his strength increased with every use. After all, he had to concentrate all his energy while dodging the surrounding assassins' attacks—a real-life combat scenario that posed a high risk of injury only pushed his potential far beyond any safe, controlled training regimen.

But that wasn't the only thing that sent Varia's killers into despair.

"Lee~!"

As Ryohei fended off the attackers with his fists, a lively voice echoed from behind him. The next second, a pink, childlike figure zipped through Varia's ranks like a streak of lightning. Every time it stopped, another assassin collapsed, unable to fight.

In an instant, the pink figure appeared behind Ryohei, revealing itself.

It was his trusted Pokémon, Tyrogue.

"Lee~!"

The energetic Pokémon, standing back-to-back with Ryohei after the onslaught, let out a joyful cry. It was clear that this battle, where it could let loose without restraint, thrilled Tyrogue, a creature born to fight.

For a brief moment, a sacred light seemed to shimmer around Tyrogue's body. But as soon as it appeared, the Pokémon suppressed it.

Evolution is a sacred process for all Pokémon. Almost none would shy away from it.

But...

For Tyrogue, evolution was a complicated matter. It had three possible evolutionary paths, and it hadn't yet decided which one to take.

Adding to the difficulty, Ryohei, who was a battle fanatic, had little knowledge of Pokémon care beyond fighting. He provided no help in guiding Tyrogue's evolution.

Even though Tyrogue enjoyed having a trainer who shared its love for combat, it would have appreciated if Ryohei were a bit more dependable in other areas.

But...

It pushed those worries aside. At that moment, Tyrogue just wanted to seize the opportunity and show off all the fighting skills it had honed!

...

Elsewhere on the battlefield, the thorn-covered ground had brought Varia's assassins to a halt.

"So, you're a fellow esper, huh?"

Mammon, who was bound by thorny vines, winced from the pain but maintained a cold, emotionless expression, as if nothing could shake him.

"Give up! You can't overcome our combined strength!"

Chrome, trident in hand, pointed its sharp tip at Mammon and shouted. Her dark green miniskirt swayed as she moved, revealing just a hint of mystery beneath—but never quite enough.

Despite her words, Mammon remained unmoved.

He muttered to himself:

"Give up? With XANXUS's power, it really is tough to beat these kids." 

"I'm only getting paid a small fee for this job—no reason to break a sweat for them." 

"But..."

A gentle breeze rustled through Mammon's cloak, causing it to billow slightly. Underneath, a faint purple mist began to seep out, like a venomous snake silently slithering toward Chrome.

Suddenly, Mammon turned to face her, continuing:

"But..." 

"To surrender to a little girl like you? If word got out..." 

"People would laugh me out of the esper community!"

Boom! 

As soon as Mammon finished speaking, a small volcano erupted beneath Chrome's feet. In the blink of an eye, scorching magma shot into the air, completely engulfing her.

The searing magma also burned away the vines restraining Mammon, allowing him to stand tall and hover above the battlefield.

Gazing down at Chrome, who was submerged in lava, he sneered:

"Is that all you've got?" 

"You dared to provoke me with such pitiful strength?" 

"Whoever taught you illusion magic must be weak too..."

But then...

"Huh?"

Mammon suddenly felt the air around him grow cold. Despite the magma still flowing and radiating heat, he shivered.

A voice, cold and ominous, came from behind him.

"You shouldn't insult Mukuro-sama like that."

Mammon turned, surprised. To his astonishment, Chrome—who should have been incinerated—stood behind him, head bowed, exuding a dark, foreboding aura.

"This atmosphere... something feels off."

Mammon narrated his own battle like a detached observer.

Chrome, meanwhile, reached for a red-and-white Pokéball on her waist.

"Oh?" 

"So you're finally going to summon that creature."

Mammon's expression grew more serious.

Chrome, her head still lowered, let a dark glimmer flicker in her eyes as she spoke:

"Yes, my illusion magic may not be great." 

"And I know I can't defeat a powerful esper like you on my own." 

"But..."

Chrome's head snapped up, her voice rising dramatically as she threw the Pokéball:

"But I never fight alone!"

"Mukuro-sama, lend me your strength!" 

"Come forth, Murkrow!!!"

A flash of red light cut through the air.

A mysterious crow, its feathers as black as night, suddenly appeared high above in the sky.

"Caw!"

As soon as it appeared, Murkrow let out a piercing cry. Its sharp, predatory eyes immediately locked onto Mammon.

Chrome raised her delicate hand, fingers poised, and commanded Murkrow with authority:

"Murkrow, use Black Eyes!"

"Caw!"

Due to the aura of Mukuro that surrounded Chrome—a power linked to Mukuro who had entrusted Murkrow to help protect her—Murkrow didn't hesitate. It instantly used the Black Eyes, a Normal-type move.

Suddenly, a strange black eye manifested behind Mammon, silently morphing into a dark mist that enveloped him.

"Huh?"

Sensing something amiss, Mammon tensed. But having never encountered the power of Pokémon before, he dismissed it.

Seeing Chrome summon Murkrow, Mammon chuckled darkly:

"Ha... Do you really think this ugly crow can defeat me?" 

"You're far too naive!"

As he said this, an ordinary chain clattered to the ground.

And then!

A sudden, immense surge of energy burst from Mammon's body, flooding the battlefield.

He soared into the sky, his voice echoing eerily like a child's:

"Let me show you..." 

"How a real esper fights!" 

"Feel the torment of hell, weak little girl!"

A fierce wind whipped through the air.

The entire space seemed to shift, the atmosphere turning dark and oppressive.

Around Mammon, multiple craters erupted, spewing lava that rapidly spread across the landscape. The rivers of molten rock, searing and furious, surged toward Chrome.

"So... hot!"

Chrome gasped for breath.

Even though she knew the scene before her was just an illusion, the overwhelming heat made it hard to breathe, as if her body was actually being scorched by the intense flames.

She was on the verge of being swallowed by the endless lava when—

"Caw~!"

A hoarse cry echoed from above.

The next second—

A streak of black lightning sliced through the blazing magma and the stifling air, striking from the sky with precise force.

In an instant—

"Ah!"

A cry of pain pierced the air.

The magma vanished as if it had never been there.

Reality snapped back into place.

High in the sky, Murkrow relentlessly pecked at Mammon's body with its sharp beak, causing the baby to contort in agony.

Boom!

With the sheer force of the attack, Mammon plummeted to the ground like a meteor.

Though he was a powerful esper and one of the Arcobaleno, his physical endurance was not his strength. Under the full-force assault of the level 30-plus Murkrow, he was gravely injured in an instant.

The illusory magma disappeared completely.

Chrome's senses returned to normal.

She stood unsteadily, her trident still in hand, a victorious smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"How... how were you able to find me?"

Mammon struggled to rise after his fall, the lower half of his face concealed beneath his hood, but his exposed features showed pure bewilderment.

Chrome, amused by his earlier arrogance, smiled and replied:

"Murkrow's Black Eyes marks your body, making it impossible for you to hide." 

"Even in an illusion, Murkrow can find you instantly!" 

"Which means..." 

"Your illusions, in front of Murkrow..." 

"Are useless!"