Trader In The World Of Pirates!!!

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The faint red light pierced through the mottled walls of the dilapidated mansion, dispelling the sinister darkness.

As the last few spots of crimson light faded into the air, the three demons that had once haunted the mansion disappeared completely.

Following their vanishing, the entire mansion began to shrink.

No longer sustained by demon blood art, the mansion suddenly reverted to its original size.

However, this change did not affect the expressions on Tanjiro and his companions' faces.

"Was each of those Demons really worth 800 points?"

Glancing at the point balances displayed for Zenitsu and Inosuke by Enel, Tanjiro's face showed a hint of surprise.

Who would have thought that those two relatively weak demons were worth so many points?

But this also confirmed something—after his recent transaction, Tanjiro's strength had grown rapidly.

Even formidable demons like Kyogai, once part of the Twelve Demon Moons, now seemed insignificant in his eyes.

Especially after evolving through the bond with Larvesta, Tanjiro could feel a new power welling inside him, as if being drawn out by the pokemon energy.

It was clear now…

The Pokémon introduced to him by Enel, a mysterious merchant from another dimension, was even more compatible with his power than he had imagined.

And with greater power came the opportunity to hunt higher-value demons.

Stronger demons could be exchanged for more points…

In this way, Tanjiro could form a perfect cycle of growth, quickly becoming even stronger.

Perhaps he could even…

Soon become a VIP 6 member of the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce and ask Sir Enel to restore Nezuko's humanity!

And…

Tanjiro shifted his gaze to Zenitsu and Inosuke, who were staring at him in awe.

As he had mentioned before, Tanjiro had generously allowed the two to claim the Demons themselves, letting them experience the thrill of a dimensional transaction firsthand.

However, this generosity had also slowed down Tanjiro's own VIP level advancement.

"It would be great if there was a faster way to raise my VIP level!"

"Wait a second..."

Suddenly, a thought struck Tanjiro.

"If I can do this… maybe Nezuko could return to being human even sooner!"

Looking at the 2,000 points displayed on Rotom's screen for defeating Kyogai, Tanjiro quickly made up his mind.

He abruptly turned around and interrupted Enel, who was explaining the items in the shop to Zenitsu and Inosuke, asking:

"Sir Enel, can I make a trade right now?"

"A trade?"

Caught off guard, the imposing Enel paused for a moment before regaining his composure and smiling calmly.

"Of course," he replied.

Turning back to Zenitsu and Inosuke, he added, "Please wait here for a moment."

"Yeah," they nodded quickly.

Even Inosuke, with his brash and wild personality, couldn't hide his curiosity in front of the mysterious dimensional merchant.

Though they had the knowledge of dimensional transactions, they hadn't yet witnessed one in action. Naturally, they were curious about what Tanjiro was about to do.

But what Tanjiro said next shocked them both.

"Sir Enel, I'd like to use my points to buy Pokémon for Zenitsu and Inosuke."

Zenitsu and Inosuke: "???"

"Wait… what?!"

"Hold on, Tanjiro..." Zenitsu quickly waved his hands in protest. "We appreciate the thought, but what are you doing?"

Now that they understood the value of dimensional trading, they knew just how precious points were. They were already grateful to Tanjiro for letting them participate in the fight and earn points.

But buying Pokémon for them? This was beyond generous.

Yet, despite Zenitsu's interruption, Tanjiro's expression remained calm. He gazed at them earnestly, pleading.

"Zenitsu, Inosuke, can I ask you a favor?"

"Huh?"

The two of them were stunned.

It was the first time they had seen the normally confident Tanjiro with such a serious expression.

"Of course… of course!" Zenitsu stammered.

Inosuke, standing beside him, nodded silently.

To be brought into the world of dimensional merchants was already a huge favor from Tanjiro, and they understood that well.

Satisfied with their response, Tanjiro continued in a sincere tone, "I hope that the three of us can form a demon-hunting team."

"If one of us can't defeat a demon alone, the three of us together can. We'll be able to kill them faster and become stronger more quickly."

"Will you two join me in hunting Demons?"

Tanjiro's idea was simple: to unite himself, Zenitsu, and Inosuke as one team.

"Huh?"

Zenitsu, caught off guard by the proposition, quickly regained his composure and smiled brightly. "Of course! Forming a demon-hunting team with you? That sounds amazing!"

Inosuke, calmer but equally determined, added, "As long as we're hunting powerful demons, I'm in."

Forming a team with Tanjiro, an experienced demon slayer, was clearly beneficial to them.

Even Inosuke, who wasn't known for overthinking things, understood the opportunity.

However, Inosuke's face suddenly darkened beneath his boar mask.

Though he enjoyed the idea of becoming stronger, he wasn't someone who liked accepting handouts. With a determined look, he said:

"If we're just forming a team, there's no need to buy us Pokémon."

"I don't accept charity for no reason."

"We can become strong trainers on our own!"

Unlike before, when Tanjiro gave them demons and allowed them to gain points, this time, Inosuke wouldn't accept such a gift without earning it himself.

"That's right, Tanjiro," Zenitsu quickly chimed in.

Though he didn't completely agree with Inosuke's idea of "relying solely on one's own strength," he also felt awkward about accepting Tanjiro's generosity without reason.

However...

In the face of their refusals, Tanjiro gently shook his head.

"Don't be so quick to turn me down," he said calmly. "I'm asking for your help because I have a request in return."

"A request?" Inosuke raised an eyebrow, suddenly intrigued. If there was a reason, he wouldn't mind receiving a Pokémon early and becoming a legendary trainer!

Zenitsu, too, became interested. While not as noble-hearted as Tanjiro, he was willing to help, even if it didn't directly benefit him.

Tanjiro paused, as if carefully considering his words. After a few seconds, he took a deep breath, looked up, and his eyes reflected determination.

"I hope... after you reach VIP Level 2 and obtain the Rotom device, you will give me your opportunities to exchange points!"

"Let me reach VIP Level 6 as soon as possible!"

"I have a very important reason for this!" he added earnestly.

Without warning, Tanjiro dropped to his knees and bowed deeply. His emotions were on full display—he was prepared to sacrifice everything for Nezuko. Asking for help like this was the least of his concerns.

"Wha—?! Tanjiro, what are you doing?!" Zenitsu shouted in panic, rushing over to lift him up.

But Tanjiro stayed firm, refusing to rise. "In return, I'll give you the points to get your Pokémon now!" he continued, his voice resolute. "You might not realize it yet, but strong Pokémon grow rapidly. In just a few days, their power will increase drastically, boosting your overall strength."

He paused for a moment to reassure them. "Don't worry—while you exchange your points, I won't use any of them. The points are still yours. And once I become a VIP Level 6, everything will go back to normal."

Tanjiro's logic was clear—together, they would be far more powerful than any one of them alone. To reach VIP Level 6, at least 100,000 points were needed, and so far, he had only accumulated a few thousand in over a month. It would be nearly impossible to gather 100,000 points on his own. But with their combined efforts, he might reach VIP 6 in just a few months and finally be able to restore Nezuko to her human form.

With these thoughts weighing heavily on his heart, Tanjiro pressed his forehead to the ground once more.

"Please... I'm begging both of you!"

"Ah, I see..." Inosuke, unfazed by Zenitsu's frantic attempts to lift Tanjiro, nodded solemnly. "I agree!" he declared. If that was the reason, he didn't mind accepting Tanjiro's "charity." After all, who could argue against gaining more power?

And, since they were both familiar with the rules of dimensional trading, they knew that the only benefit of leveling up VIP status was access to better products. Helping Tanjiro reach a higher VIP level would only benefit them in the long run, giving them access to more powerful items sooner.

Zenitsu, seeing Inosuke's response, stopped resisting and silently accepted Tanjiro's offer. Little did Tanjiro know, Zenitsu and Inosuke possessed skills that were just as formidable as his own. Zenitsu's heightened sense of hearing and Inosuke's beastly intuition had already given them a clear picture of who Tanjiro was. Even without his gifts, they would have followed him without hesitation.

...

On the sidelines, Enel, who had been silent for some time, finally saw an opening to speak. A small smile appeared on his face as he said, "Well, now that you've sorted things out, shall we continue our transaction?"

"Oh! Sir Enel, I'm terribly sorry!" Tanjiro stood up, his expression apologetic. But he knew Enel wouldn't mind something so trivial.

As expected, Enel chuckled softly, then snapped his fingers, bringing up a new display on the Rotom tablet.

In an instant, two Pokémon appeared on the screen.

The first was a A Pokémon with a dark blue appearance, a mask-like face, sharp eyes and two pointed teeth.

The shape on the top of its head is a bit like a fork, and it looks like a rhinoceros beetle, with short hands and feet.

The second Pokémon resembled a conch shell with two small protruding feet. Its head was encased in a shell that resembled a helmet, which could open and close at will, revealing a small mouth inside.

Alongside the images, details of each Pokémon were displayed:

[Pokémon: Karrablast]

'Type: Bug'

'Ability: Wonder Guard (Only super-effective moves can hit this Pokémon.)'

'Level: 1'

...

[Pokémon: Shelmet]

'Type: Bug'

'Ability: Hydration (Heals status conditions when it's raining.)'

'Level: 1'

...

""Karrablast/Shelmet?"" Zenitsu and Inosuke leaned in closer, practically pressing their faces against the screen. They were both intrigued by the Pokémon's appearance.

But soon after, their brows furrowed.

Though they knew better than to judge based on appearances, these two Pokémon looked a bit underwhelming compared to Tanjiro's fiery Pokémon.

"Uh..."

Zenitsu tried to be polite, but Inosuke, ever the blunt one, scratched his boar mask and said, "Sir Enel?"

"Hm?" Enel responded with a smile.

"These... Pokémon... well, they seem a little weak!" Inosuke finally blurted out.

Zenitsu, who also wasn't particularly thrilled with the looks of his Shelmet, nodded in agreement, though he refrained from speaking up.

But Enel, ever the skilled dimensional merchant, grinned broadly. He would never make the mistake of offering cute Pokémon to traders like Inosuke, who obviously preferred powerful ones. He had his reasons for selecting these Pokémon.

And the reason was...

Their evolutionary potential.