[TL/N: New Book -
Anime Group Chat in a Doomsday World!]
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Time: One month after Blackbeard traveled through world
Location: Pirate World, Celestial Island.
Standing before the dimensional gate, Jinbei, seasoned by a life of grand adventures, and Bartolomeo, raised in the gritty world of gangsters, were both brimming with excitement.
The two turned around, respectfully bid farewell to Leo, and stepped into the dimensional gate leading to the new worlds Leo had assigned to them.
These were worlds Leo had discovered long ago, but their levels of complexity were difficult to define.
The first world, based on Leo's observations, seemed to range between C-level and B-level. However, its composition was peculiar, hinting at a power that might surpass the B-level threshold.
The second world also presented mysteries.
From an external perspective, this world appeared to have an energy level between E and D, barely stronger than the dimensions of ordinary humans. Yet, its sheer scale was immense, with a territory in the void comparable to that of the Pirate World.
At first glance, neither world seemed particularly valuable.
One was a relatively ordinary small world, and the other was even more unassuming.
However, to truly understand the unique traits and rules governing each dimension, Leo deemed it necessary to send someone to carefully observe these worlds.
Thus, Jinbei was assigned to the first world, while Bartolomeo was sent to the second.
Leo believed that only by exploring the diversity of worlds and unraveling their underlying principles could the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce expand further into the infinite void.
In the future, Leo planned to explore not only abnormal worlds but also seemingly ordinary E-class worlds.
His vision for the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce was to evolve into a super-dimensional organization that governed the entire void!
As Leo delved deeper into different worlds, he began to formulate distinct strategies for each one.
For instance, the Pirate World was not ideal as a primary "point-producing" world due to its unique traits—such as Devil Fruits, which consumed vast amounts of the world's original power, and the specialized systems of Haki and martial arts insights.
However, the inhabitants of the Pirate World were exceptional, making them highly suitable as potential dimensional merchants or for other roles. Consequently, Leo classified the Pirate World as a "Talent Reserve World."
Meanwhile, other worlds, like the Bleach (Shinigami) World and the Fairy Tail World, offered entirely different opportunities.
The Shinigami World relied on the transformation of spiritual energy into tangible objects, while the Fairy Tail World used the world's origin to create magic that evolved based on each spellcaster's understanding.
Both worlds provided ample opportunities for point generation by exchanging spiritual artifacts or new forms of magic. As a result, they were classified as "Sustainable Development Worlds."
On the other hand, worlds like the Reborn! (Hit-Man Reborn) World—recently reclassified as an A-level world—along with the Demon Slayer and Tokyo Ghoul worlds, were considered "Unsustainable Worlds."
Although these worlds could yield a significant amount of points in a short period, they lacked the renewable resources or scalable production capabilities needed to sustain point generation. Crafting items in these worlds required extensive materials, long cycles, and other constraints, making large-scale manufacturing unfeasible.
So far, Leo had defined three categories for the worlds he explored:
Talent Reserve Worlds Sustainable Development Worlds Unsustainable Worlds
However, he anticipated creating more categories as his exploration progressed.
For example, he planned to include a category for "Useless Worlds"—those with no practical value.
---
At the same time.
After dispatching Jinbei and Bartolomeo, Leo turned his focus back to another dimension's "Room of Spirit and Time."
Nami, Robin, Doflamingo, and Crocodile were nearing the end of their training as dimensional merchants, preparing to officially assume their posts.
"Sir Leo!"
Emerging from the Room of Spirit and Time, the four stood before Leo, exuding both respect and reverence.
After a year of intense training and growth in the Time Room, they had fully mastered the skills and responsibilities of dimensional merchants. Along the way, they had also come to a profound realization—just how invaluable this opportunity truly was.
Becoming dimensional merchants granted them the ability to control original power.
In essence, they had transcended the ordinary limits of existence, stepping beyond the constraints of the three realms and the five aggregates.
Now, after a year of transformation, standing before Leo again, the four were filled with admiration and deep gratitude. They knew exactly who had given them this unparalleled adventure.
Leo's lips curled into a slight smile as his golden eyes glimmered with satisfaction while he regarded the four.
He had greater expectations for Nami, Robin, Doflamingo, and Crocodile than he ever had for Kaido or Big Mom.
After all, their leadership and management skills had already been proven in the pirate world.
Leo firmly believed that once they ventured into new worlds, these four would soon amass an extraordinary reserve of points for him.
With this sense of anticipation, Leo gave them a few final instructions, then casually summoned four shimmering dimensional gates.
The four had already chosen the worlds they wanted to visit, so there was no hesitation.
After bidding Leo farewell, they stepped into the gates, their hearts brimming with excitement.
---
A Different World.
In a desolate desert, a figure suddenly materialized out of thin air.
"Is this the new world?"
Disoriented at first, Crocodile—the dimensional merchant from the Pirate World—found himself standing in the middle of a massive sand pit.
Though his body felt weak, his eyes glimmered with excitement.
The dry air, devoid of any trace of the sea's salty tang, confirmed his suspicions.
This was no longer the ocean-themed world he once inhabited.
And this barren, endless desert stretching beyond the horizon...
This was his domain!
"Wahahaha..."
"The gods are truly on my side!!!"
Even though his body was frail, Crocodile's heart surged with fiery passion.
No one could possibly understand the depth of his emotions at that moment.
After all, his grand plans had once crumbled halfway through execution. Years of wealth and power had been stolen away—betrayed by none other than Robin, his trusted secretary.
It had been his careless arrogance that provoked the wrath of a dimensional merchant, sending him spiraling into failure.
Even when he later obtained the Sandile Pokémon and became a trainer, his late start put him at a disadvantage.
By the time his Sandile evolved into Krookodile, his chances to rise to the top had already diminished.
Though he managed to climb to the Alliance Conference's Ten League, his best placement was a modest sixth.
Crocodile had resigned himself to being swept aside by the tide of the new era.
But fate had other plans.
Against all odds, the interview application he submitted on a whim was approved by Sir Leo himself.
Following the interview, he was hired as a dimensional merchant for the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce.
What could be more thrilling than this?
After regaining his composure, Crocodile gazed into the distance.
Although he had arrived directly in the desert—a terrain that suited him perfectly—it was a well-known fact that life struggled to thrive in such an environment.
In other words, it might take some time before he encountered any potential trading partners.
Fortunately, Leo had learned from the experiences of previous dimensional merchants and understood the need to provide them with tools to help them survive during their initial period of weakness.
Unfortunately, due to the limitations imposed by the will of the world, overly powerful tools would lose their effectiveness. As a result, Leo equipped each merchant with only basic gear, such as stun guns, thermal goggles, and bulletproof undergarments sourced from the Pokémon world.
After equipping himself with these items, Crocodile began his trek through the barren desert.
Perhaps luck was on his side that day.
After wandering aimlessly for an hour, a deafening explosion echoed in the distance.
Immediately afterward, a massive forest of towering trees sprang from the sandy terrain, as though they were forming an impenetrable prison rooted firmly in the loose desert soil.
"What... What is this!?"
Crocodile froze, stunned by the sight before him.
Even with his new role as a dimensional merchant, the sheer scale of the phenomenon left him in awe.
The power on display was on par with his own abilities when bonded with his evolved Krookodile.
After testing his elemental transformation and confirming that it could still be activated at will, Crocodile gritted his teeth and sprinted toward the scene of the disturbance.
Thanks to the abilities of the Sand-Sand Fruit, his travel speed across the desert was greatly enhanced.
In less than ten minutes, he arrived at the source of the anomaly, only to have his eyes widen in astonishment.
In the distance, an uneven battle was unfolding.
A man in a bamboo hat and robe was trapped inside a cage of massive wooden branches.
Outside the prison, a white-haired man with eyes like a blind sage stood still, his hands forming intricate seals in front of his chest.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
Boom!
The white-haired man took a deep breath, then exhaled forcefully.
In an instant, several massive water dragons materialized out of thin air, twisting and surging toward the imprisoned man.
Each water dragon appeared to weigh several tons, generating powerful gusts of wind as they barreled forward with immense force.
Under the tremendous impact, the wooden prison shattered instantly, and the water dragons slammed into the man in the bamboo hat, sending him reeling.
"Damn it, Orochimaru! Aren't you afraid of inciting Konoha's wrath?!"
The man in the bamboo hat, visibly fatigued, shouted as he hastily formed hand seals in front of his chest.
"Magnetic Release: Gold Dust Cube!"
Boom!
From a distance, Crocodile frowned.
The moment the man in the bamboo hat spoke, Crocodile could feel an abnormal shift in the sand under his control.
Almost immediately, a massive golden wall emerged from the desert, rising to shield the man in the bamboo hat.
Moments later, the water dragons crashed into the golden barrier.
The impact caused the man in the bamboo hat to grimace in pain.
Despite his efforts, the overwhelming force of the water dragons pinned him against the golden wall, eventually smashing him aside.
"Damn it!"
Realizing his precarious situation, the man in the bamboo hat quickly formed another series of hand seals, then plunged his hands into the sand.
"Magnetic Release: Gold Dust Shelter!"
As he shouted, a large hole suddenly opened in the ground.
The man dove into the opening and landed inside a golden cube.
Harnessing the power of his magnetic release, he compressed the surrounding sand, creating a protective barrier as the cube began to sink rapidly beneath the surface.
"Huh? He managed to escape!?"
At that moment, a pale-faced, long-haired man with gloomy eyes appeared where the man in the bamboo hat had vanished.
"I didn't expect Magnetic Release to be used in such a way. Fascinating."
The long-haired man smirked, his lips curling into a sinister grin. Then, he turned abruptly to the white-haired man standing behind him and issued a command:
"Use Water Release to soak the area and turn the desert into a muddy swamp!"
"You're too arrogant, junior!"
The white-haired man glared angrily, but despite his indignation, he followed the order. Performing a series of hand seals, he executed a water-style technique that quickly began saturating the surrounding sand.
"Hahahaha..."
Watching a once-legendary figure obeying his every whim, the long-haired man let out a sinister laugh and taunted mockingly:
"Don't forget, Second Hokage, this technique was your invention!"
With that, the long-haired man dismissed the obedient white-haired man and shifted his attention to the surrounding desert.
Having a deep understanding of Magnetic Release, he was keenly aware of its limitations.
If the desert was saturated with water, the effectiveness of Magnetic Release would diminish dramatically.
In other words...
By patiently waiting in this swampy terrain, it was only a matter of time before his opponent, suffocating from the lack of oxygen, would be forced to resurface.
---
Meanwhile, deep underground, hundreds of meters below the surface, inside a large golden cube...
The man in the blue bamboo hat sat quietly, holding his breath, though anxiety churned within him.
The shelter he had created was spacious, and the air inside would sustain him for an entire day.
However...
He knew all too well that this was not a long-term solution.
"Damn Orochimaru! You betrayed me under the guise of a partnership to attack Konoha!"
His voice echoed in the pitch-black void as he gritted his teeth in anger.
"If I make it out alive, I swear I'll make you pay!!!"
Despite his outburst, the man knew his plight. His mission had been reported to the village, but it would take time before anyone noticed his absence.
In other words...
There was no one coming to save him anytime soon.
Realizing the gravity of his situation, despair began to take hold.
"Temari, Kankuro, Gaara... I'm sorry. I may not be there to see you grow."
The weight of helplessness filled his heart.
But just as despair began to consume him, a strange voice broke through the silence.
"Ahaha... Leaving your last words already? That's a bit premature, don't you think?"
"Who!? Who's there!?"
Startled, the man in the blue bamboo hat whipped his head around, trying to locate the source of the voice. Alarmed and on edge, he scanned the darkness, but there was no sign of anyone.
Suddenly, a beam of light pierced the void.
Eyes widening, the man saw...
An upright red crocodile holding a small flame in its claw stood before him.
Beside the crocodile was a peculiar man draped in a thick coat.
"Who are you!?"
The man in the blue bamboo hat demanded warily, his voice trembling slightly.
Crocodile, standing confidently in the dim light, smirked and replied calmly:
"Relax. I'm not your enemy."
"It seems your current situation isn't looking too good."
Crocodile's grin widened as he leaned forward slightly.
"So..."
"How about we strike a deal?"