Chapter 294: Cooperation?

[Tl/n: Don't worry, I'm not deleting anything. However, I've read some comments about how WN removes unofficial translations, so this is just a precaution.]

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Zoro frowned.

For some reason, the moment he laid eyes on Doflamingo, a sudden wave of disgust rose within him. But remembering Kuina's instructions, he quickly eased the tension in his expression.

"Nice to meet you, Yonko Doflamingo," Zoro said, his face serious.

Doflamingo's grin widened instantly at the mention of "Yonko." It seemed the title suited him well. He made a welcoming gesture, saying with a strange smile:

"Miss Kuina has already informed me of your purpose, Mr. Zoro, during our phone call."

"Now, let's move to the reception hall and discuss the details of our joint operations."

"Alright," Zoro responded calmly. Under Doflamingo's guidance, he began walking toward the castle.

Behind him, Koby and the others followed closely.

When Kuina first heard that Momonosuke had been taken by Kaido and his crew, she feared the deal with Doflamingo would fall through. But after thinking more deeply about Kaido's behavior, she realized...

Kaido's abduction of Momonosuke wouldn't disrupt their agreement with Doflamingo.

In fact, it might even strengthen the likelihood of cooperation between them and the Yonko.

Logically speaking...

Kaido, having regained his footing in the New World with the help of Big Mom's forces, wouldn't need to mobilize such an army just for Momonosuke.

When something seems off, there's always a deeper reason behind it. Since Kaido had made such a bold move, whatever his intentions, they could leverage it to their advantage in their dealings with Doflamingo.

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The seemingly tranquil world of pirates was full of hidden currents.

However...

None of this concerned Leo.

"How interesting... Zoro actually teamed up with that man, Doflamingo," Leo mused to himself.

With the widespread use of Rotom phones, nothing that happened on the seas could escape Leo's attention.

But now, having seen the vastness of the world, Leo had no desire to get caught up in the stormy seas.

He would leave it to those already shaping the legends to make the world more exciting on his behalf.

At this moment, Leo was seated on the throne of Sky Island.

And standing before him was Enel, revered by many across the New World as a god.

---

"Is... is what you said really true, Sir Leo?" Enel's voice trembled with excitement, his heart racing at the news.

Just moments ago...

Leo had informed him that his probationary period had officially come to an end.

In other words...

From today onward, Enel would no longer be just an assistant. He was now a full-fledged dimensional merchant of the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce!

Seeing Enel's overjoyed expression, Leo smiled gently.

"There's no need to get so worked up, Enel," Leo said with a wave of his hand. "You've earned this."

"The Chamber of Commerce has been keeping a close eye on your progress. Seeing you pass their evaluation, I, too, am pleased as your guide."

Enel's eyes sparkled with bolts of lightning as Leo confirmed the news again. He immediately dropped to one knee, bowing before his mentor.

"Everything! I owe it all to you, Sir Leo! Without your guidance, I, Enel, would never have reached where I am today!"

Enel would never forget...

It was Leo who had transformed him from an arrogant and ignorant user of natural powers into the dimensional merchant revered by billions of souls today.

Leo chuckled softly at Enel's display.

"Haha... alright, that's enough flattery."

"But don't think that just because you've passed the Chamber of Commerce's evaluation, you've truly made it as a dimensional merchant."

"You're still in your internship."

"Only when your transaction volume reaches 1 million points will you be considered a qualified dimensional merchant."

"One million points!?" Enel's eyes lit up once more, brimming with confidence.

"Don't worry, Sir Leo! I won't let you down!"

Though the figure of one million points sounded daunting, Enel knew that in the past two years alone, his transaction volume in the New World had already reached hundreds of thousands of points.

Though those previous trades wouldn't count toward his current assessment, he didn't fear the challenge ahead.

However...

Seeing Enel's confidence, Leo shook his head lightly and added:

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Enel."

"While you may still be an intern, my status in the Chamber of Commerce is already independent."

"The Pirate World has long been assigned to me by the Chamber of Commerce."

"That means..."

"All the points you've earned in the Pirate World won't count toward your internship performance."

"Huh?" 

Enel's face froze at those words.

He had thought that by continuing his dealings in the Pirate World for another two or three years, he could become a full-fledged merchant.

But if what Leo said was true, then... wouldn't that mean he'd never be able to complete his internship?

Upon thinking this over, Enel suddenly asked in a panic, "Then… what should I do, Sir Leo?"

But Leo remained calm, waving his hand to unleash his power, gently calming Enel's panic.

With a smile, Leo reassured him, "Don't panic. Look at how nervous you are—do you still look like a dimensional merchant?"

Under Leo's comforting words, Enel quickly regained his composure. Leo continued his instruction:

"Enel, you must remember this: even if you're just an intern dimensional merchant, from this moment onward, your actions represent the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce."

"So, starting today, you need to abandon all panic, fear, and other negative emotions. Even if you feel these emotions, you cannot let them show on your face, nor let anyone discover them in any way!"

"I... I understand!" Enel replied, straightening his expression and regaining his composure, showing no trace of emotion.

"Good..." Leo murmured with satisfaction, then added with a smile, "Although you mustn't reveal your emotions, there's no need to completely suppress them."

"In fact, I believe you should be true to yourself when interacting with traders."

"After all... that's who you are!"

Seeing Enel's slightly embarrassed look, Leo continued:

"There are countless dimensional merchants out there, and many have eccentric personalities."

"As long as we maintain a respectable image of the Chamber of Commerce and don't engage in unethical or evil actions, the Chamber won't restrict our behavior."

"Whether you're arrogant or easygoing, as long as you benefit the Chamber, your behavior will be accepted."

"As for what I said earlier, don't worry about it."

"I'll be using the power of the world to send you to Another World soon. There, you'll adapt to the role of a dimensional merchant and start by selecting suitable trading goods."

"You can rest easy knowing this: until you become an intermediate merchant and fully master the use of world power, I'll still be responsible for your tasks."

"Intermediate merchant?" Enel was startled by the unfamiliar term, his curiosity piqued.

Leo smiled softly and said, "That's not something you need to know just yet. I'll explain it to you when you complete your internship task."

"You're the first dimensional merchant I'm personally training. How we establish this hierarchy will depend on your performance."

Leo, not wishing to elaborate further, waved his hand. 

In an instant, a mysterious force enveloped Enel.

With a serious tone, Leo said, "That's enough for now."

"Your dimensional merchant system has been updated by the Chamber. At present, you can only trade goods from the Pokémon World and the Pirate World."

"As a dimensional merchant, one of your duties is to develop and identify products suitable for trade from various worlds."

"Now, I'll send you to a new world."

"The rest of the journey, you'll have to walk alone."

"Thank you, Sir Leo!" Enel, surrounded by the power of the world, knelt in gratitude. But when he looked up to see Leo, his vision was suddenly engulfed in a mysterious darkness, and his figure vanished from Leo's sight.

Leo gently tapped the armrest of his throne as he gazed at the now-empty ground before him. After a moment, he sighed softly, "Don't disappoint me, Enel."

The idea of promoting dimensional merchants had come to Leo during his confinement in the world of Reborn.

Before finding the Reborn World, Leo had explored no fewer than a hundred worlds, seeing the various scales of world power. 

Some of these worlds, while not as rich in resources as the Pirates' or Reborn' worlds, still held moderate value—worlds not abundant enough to risk venturing into but too valuable to completely discard.

If Leo had to personally venture into these lesser worlds, risking his life for minimal gain, he'd lack the adventurous spirit for such endeavors.

Besides, waiting in the cracks between worlds for his own contamination with world energy would be a dull and wasteful exercise.

So, Leo decided to train a group of dimensional merchants, endowing them with systematic abilities. When the time came, he would also teach them how to harness world power.

These merchants would explore the lesser worlds that Leo had already charted, worlds that wouldn't drain much of the world's energy if they were sent there.

It was a strategy well worth the effort.

At that point…

Leo would collect three-quarters of the points these dimensional merchants earned through transactions, while the remaining quarter would be their wage.

In other words, the merchants would earn one point for every point they brought in from trades.

This 1:1 ratio between earnings and transactions would motivate the merchants.

And Enel was the first test subject Leo had sent out on this venture!

Based on Enel's performance, Leo would shape policies for the future.

Leo already had a rough plan in mind: within one year, these dimensional merchants would complete their internship and become novice merchants, the entry-level employees of the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce.

Within three years, they'd rise to junior merchants, able to claim a world of their own as a base for their operations.

Within five years, they'd reach the level of intermediate merchants, like Leo, capable of freely traversing the void and selecting appropriate worlds for trading.

As for the senior merchants, top merchants, and the upper echelons of the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce above them, Leo hadn't given them much thought yet, as they were still too far beyond his immediate concerns.

However, Leo had decided on a preliminary set of rules and regulations, naming it the "Three-Year Time Travel, Five-Year Transaction" plan. In the future, when the organization expands and the number of dimensional merchants grows, this system would serve as a standard to evaluate whether a merchant is qualified. Only those who meet this criteria will have the chance to advance further.

Leo intended to use the Pirate World as his base of operations, linking other worlds to it. This would synchronize the flow of time across all connected worlds, ensuring that merchants wouldn't risk returning from their travels only to find their homeworld wiped out by an apocalyptic event.

As for whether Leo could create a sanctuary in the void to serve as the headquarters of the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce, a hub where people from various worlds could gather and communicate… that would depend on the commitment and diligence of the dimensional merchants under his wing.

Now, with investigators and dimensional merchants in place, Leo looked forward to the future. He wondered, as the organization grew, would he truly be able to establish a Chamber of Commerce spanning countless worlds, governing thousands of realms?

…

…

Meanwhile, within the void, Enel, wrapped in the power of the world, watched in awe as countless worlds flew past him, each more majestic than the stars and the universe. The grandeur of it all completely captivated him.

Unfortunately, since Leo had preplanned this "route," Enel couldn't freely explore or approach the wonders of these worlds up close. He was like a passenger on public transportation, only able to enjoy the view from a distance.

Yet, despite this limitation, the spectacle was infinitely more magnificent than anything Leo had ever shown him through illusions. Enel was utterly overwhelmed by the scene.

However...

Just as Enel was lost in the vastness of the universe, a sudden, inexplicable pressure gripped his body.

"It's happening!" 

Thanks to the knowledge passed down from Leo, Enel knew this sensation meant that he was about to "land" in a new world.

This squeezing feeling indicated that the world's natural will was rejecting his presence. For dimensional merchants, this was a common occurrence when entering new worlds, and it meant his strength would be severely suppressed—possibly to a level even weaker than an ordinary person.

While death in this state would result in the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce reviving him and sending him back to his original world, it would also mean he would permanently lose his qualifications to be a dimensional merchant.

Therefore, Enel knew he had to be extremely cautious upon his arrival.

...

...

Bang!!!

In a dense, eerie forest, a group of birds suddenly took flight with a chaotic burst of noise. Their frantic chirping added an ominous atmosphere to the surroundings.

Enel, having successfully landed, leaned against a thick tree, his breath quick and heavy. He took in the unfamiliar surroundings while struggling to adjust to his now weakened body.

"I… did it?"

"The time travel was successful!?"