An abstract trainer who taught Charmander the Incinerate move

Chapter 220 I am Luca, the King of the Navy, the fully-fledged Marines of the Military Cap! (One chapter completes the East Blue Saga)

While Tang She and Mo Zhen were busy and enjoying moving sleepers every day, on the other side, Blue Dog Luca was assigned to the track-building team, responsible for embedding track spikes.

Its job is to use a hammer to drive the cold rail spikes one by one into the hard sleepers to secure the rails.

Luca's claws were too clumsy to grip the heavy hammer handle. Every attempt caused the hammer to slip from his claws and smash into his feet, drawing a furious scolding from the overseer.

It can only use its most resolute and hardest iron elbow to confront the road spikes.

Faced with the hard spikes, it gritted its teeth, pushed off the ground with its hind legs, and slammed its body down like a taut bow, concentrating all its strength in its right elbow!

"Boom!"

The fleshy elbow struck the cold steel with a dull thud.

Each impact felt like an electric current shooting through his body from his elbow, bringing excruciating pain.

The blue hair on its elbows had long been worn away, the skin was cracked, and the oozing blood mixed with dust and rust, forming a dark brown scab.

Sweat mixed with blood trickled down its forehead, blurring its vision, and dripped onto the dusty sleepers.

The once intact elbow has become a bloody mess, and every time it is lifted, it causes a tearing pain.

When the foreman saw it slow down even slightly, he mercilessly lashed its back with the leather whip, making a crisp "crack" sound and leaving a red, swollen welt.

"Hurry up! Get it done faster! Blue-skinned dog, he's talking to you!"

The foreman roared, spitting as he spoke, looking like a ferocious demon.

"If you don't finish paving ten miles of land today, you're not getting dinner! You piece of trash!"

The pain of being whipped is nothing compared to the humiliation in one's heart.

At that moment, Luca felt an overwhelming sense of humiliation and powerlessness.

Its Mamba Iron Elbow once sent a coastal king flying across the Grand Line, defeated Alvida, and even unleashed a black flash to defeat a grandmaster like Hu Baoguo.

But now, he can't even drive a small spike completely into a solid sleeper!

The harsh reality stands in stark contrast to the past glory.

Recalling its previous failures, a deep sense of self-doubt crept into its heart.

What exactly happened here?
Could it be that... I, Luca, am actually just a useless piece of trash who can't even tighten a screw?
The bold words of the past now sound like the most ironic joke.

After hammering rivets all day, my arms felt as heavy as lead, and the wound on my elbow was burning with pain.

When it got completely dark and the dim lights on the construction site came on, it was finally time for dinner.

Dragging its exhausted body, it followed a group of equally dusty-faced, numb-eyed elves and humans, slowly moving along in line to receive its dinner.

The long queue moved slowly forward, and finally it was Luca's turn.

It lifted its tired eyelids and looked at the overseer distributing the food.

The foreman glanced at it and casually tossed it half an energy cube.

Looking at the half-minor energy cube in his hand, hunger and resentment made Luca glare at the other party.

However, the other party only snorted coldly and said impatiently.

"Hmph, what are you looking at? You're such a piece of trash, you don't even know any steel-type skills, and you're so slow at rivet making, wasting my time! I'm already being generous by giving you a bite to eat, so get lost! If you glare at me again, you won't even get half a bite!"

Speechless after being rebuked by the other party's words, Luca lowered his head and looked at the pitiful amount of energy cubes in his hand.

It recalled its life experiences, having worked as a security guard at the Suanmu Farm for ten years, day after day, doing nothing but standing guard and patrolling, its skill pool pitifully shallow.

After all these years, he only knows four skills: [Lightning Flash], [Power Release], [Guard], and [Guidance]. He can't even master the most basic [Metal Claw].

He's just as useless as Tang Long, who can't even properly spray sparks!

Lucario, which doesn't even have a decent skill, is a disgrace to the noble blue-skinned dog race.

At this moment, it finally painfully realized the cold truth: a piece of trash like it could do nothing but work as a security guard!

The Grand Line, the dream of the Naval King, may truly be just an unattainable fantasy.

Late at night, with his body riddled with heavy injuries and his stomach bloated with hunger, Luca huddled in a cold corner of the work shed, lying on only some dry grass beneath him, and drifted into a deep sleep...

"Luca! Get up! It's not time to give up yet! How can you lose to someone like that!"

A deep, angry roar instantly ripped through the fog, and Luca abruptly opened his eyes.

pain!
it hurts!

My whole body aches!
The excruciating pain overwhelmed its nerves in an instant, like a tidal wave.

Luca struggled to turn his eyes, and what came into view was an endless golden desert, with scorching winds whipping sand and gravel against his face.

Right in front of it, a shadow as large as a small mountain stood tall—that was a giant rogue crocodile nearly three meters tall!
It was draped in an exaggerated leopard-print fur coat, and a rough, stitched scar, resembling a centipede, ran across its face.

Its left claw has been replaced by a gleaming iron hook, and it is now using its right claw to hold a thick cigar, grinning as it exhales smoke rings.

"Hahahaha—you little brat in the military cap! With your meager skills, you think you can ruin my plans? Keep dreaming! This country, Alabasta, is already mine! Today, every single one of you ignorant bastards will be turned into dried corpses!"

The rogue crocodile's voice was like sandpaper rubbing against rock, carrying absolute arrogance and cruelty.

Upon hearing this, Lucana's brain, already dazed from the excruciating pain and sandstorm, instantly went blank.

A kid in a military cap? Who? Talking about me? Country…Alabasta? Plan? What plan?
I...wasn't I just in that shed, enduring hunger and the torment of whip marks all over my body?
How did I end up in this godforsaken place the moment I opened my eyes, and run into this monster that looks like it could swallow Snorlax whole?!
In an instant, the holy letter D (Deaf) – silence reigns, activated!

"Like a deaf man," Luca roared.

"What are you talking about?!"

However, the rogue crocodile merely grinned, revealing a cruel, silent smile, clearly not intending to answer.

"Luca, what are you doing! Get up and keep fighting!"

GSD's familiar yet unprecedentedly anxious voice rang out again, this time clearly coming from Luca's side and rear!
Luca jerked his aching neck and looked in the direction of the sound!

Not far away, on a relatively open sandy area, GSD—the Azure Flame Blade Demon whose arms were burning with dark flames—was fiercely fighting a flying mantis that moved as fast as lightning!
GSD's arms transformed into two streaks of dark blue flame blades, each strike accompanied by a sharp whistling sound as if tearing through the air.

The Flying Mantis's twin blade arms are like a whirlwind, its arms are actually made of real steel, and the silver-white blade light weaves an impenetrable net of death!
Clang! Clang! Sparks are flying everywhere!
Both reached speeds that were too fast for the naked eye to perceive; all that could be seen were two blue and white afterimages colliding, separating, and colliding again at high speed in the sandstorm!

Each clash of blades exploded with blinding energy fragments, and the sand beneath their feet blasted open with each stomp!

The intensity of the battle far exceeded the level Luca remembered from the time at Shells Fortress!

"G...GSD?!"

Seeing his old comrade-in-arms, Luca's chaotic brain finally grasped a familiar anchor.

It instantly realized that it had returned to the magnificent world of "Naval King"!
But the intense battlefield and the unfamiliar, powerful enemy before it still left it bewildered.

This...this is such a hellish start!
And... just how many times did I press the Skip button?!

"Damn it, Luca, how long are you planning to lie on the ground?! You're our captain, for crying out loud! This is outrageous!"

Just then, a strange roar, full of masculinity yet clearly impatient and dissatisfied, pierced Luca's ears like a thunderclap!

Luca instinctively turned in another direction following the sound!
The sight that came into view almost burned out its already confused dog brain!

A robust Blaziken engulfed in fiery orange flames was locked in a passionate clash with a graceful Gardevoir whose skirt billowed in the wind!
Blaziken's every kick was accompanied by explosive flames, while Gardevoir danced like a ghost, its skirt fluttering as it wielded the Great Root with great force, managing to withstand Blaziken's fiery kicks!
"A... a huge root?! No... it doesn't seem to be a prop?!"

Luca's limited Pokémon knowledge base was instantly overloaded, and his bewildered expression was off the charts!
What made it even more bewildered was that Blaziken—who is this thing?!
What's with this overly familiar yet exasperated tone in his reprimand?!
Luca was certain that he had no idea what kind of chicken could spew fire and be so irritable!

"Luca, get up! We're counting on you!"

Another high-pitched voice, trembling with sobs, rang out.

Luca, feeling dizzy, turned toward the source of the sound.

A little further back, behind a natural shelter formed by a pile of giant rocks eroded by the wind, three shivering little ones huddled together.

A fluffy, alert, yet fearful pickpocket cat; a tearful lizard whose body seems to be made of flowing tears; and... a yellow electric mouse with its signature electric pouches on its cheeks—Pikachu?!
"Luca, you have to beat it! If you lose, we're all doomed!"

The pickpocket cat cried out in a tearful voice, its claws gripping the edge of the rock tightly, its body trembling like a leaf in a storm.

The tearful lizard's tears flowed like a burst dam, pooling on the ground to form a small puddle. It sobbed, "Hoohoo... Boss Luca... we don't want to die..."

"Luffy! Hurry up... oh wait, wrong show! It should be... Pikachu! Pikachu! (Healing electrotherapy!)"

The yellow mouse—Pikachu—seemed to have mispronounced the name in its haste, but it reacted quickly and corrected itself immediately.

Its small body burst forth with astonishing power, and the electric pouches on its cheeks shone with golden light!

Shila-

A golden electric snake, as thick as an arm and crackling with blinding arcs of electricity, traversed space with perfect precision and struck Luca, who was slumped on the ground!

"Ooh o ...

Extreme pain instantly swept over Luca's entire body!

Its blue fur stood on end, and its bones were clearly visible in the electric current!
This is not treatment! This is torture!

However, amidst this indescribable pain, a powerful electric current, like a key, forcefully pierced the depths of its chaotic consciousness!
The floodgates of long-sealed memories were violently flung open!

Countless forgotten images surged forth like a burst dam, violently washing over its nerves!

Those past scenes suddenly unfolded before my eyes!

Orange Town.

In a bustling port town, a suction cup puppet named "Kiba the Clown," dressed in a comical clown costume but with unpredictable and bizarre movements, is leading a group of noisy henchmen in a rampage of looting.

Luca, wearing his iconic navy cap, fights alongside GSD, who wields flaming twin blades.

GSD's Wave Slash tore through the puppet's barrier, and Luca's Iron Elbow slammed into the clown Kiba's twisted smiling face!
In the chaos, a nimble and cunning pickpocket cat named Nami takes advantage of the confusion to steal gold coins from Kiba's treasure chest, while cleverly tripping several pursuers with her tail.

After the battle, Nami joined their ranks, carrying gold coins and a sly smile.

"Hey, kid in the military cap, how about a ride with me since I've 'helped' you? I know the secret route map of the Grand Line!"

Silob Village.

The peaceful village was shrouded in fear.

A cat boss dressed in an elegant butler's uniform, but with sinister and cunning eyes—[Hundred Chicken Dick]—uses hypnosis to control the villagers and control them to build an evil fortress.

Tearful Lizard Honest Cloth, a cowardly "sniper" who dreams of becoming a sea warrior, trembles in the treetops while providing "firepower support".

Luca and GSD teamed up for a surprise attack. Xiangjishi's Flame Kick sent the cat boss's claws flying, while Luca shattered "Hundred Chicken Dick's" hypnotic bell with a "Shave" followed by a "Power Elbow"!

After the battle, Honest Cloth cried her eyes out, but still mustered the courage to jump down.

"Boss! I...I want to join you! I want to be as brave as you! Hehe..."

McDonald's Chicken at the floating restaurant.

A chaotic battle erupts atop the giant floating restaurant!
A massive, armored Heracross, wielding enormous insect horns—Admiral Dick—is commanding its 5000-strong "insect-type fleet" to besiege the restaurant. (In the original story, this guy has 5000 troops; thinking about it, only insect-type rabble could probably muster that many.)
The chefs at Luca's joint restaurant with GSD fought back fiercely.

The Flaming Chicken's kicking skills are like a whirlwind, accurately kicking away one Keroro after another.

Luca and GSD weaved through the enemy ranks to rescue the chefs.

At the crucial moment, Luca used his Tempest Kick to sever the giant Dick transformation device of [Admiral Dick], bringing the battle to an end!
After the battle, Xiangjishi, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, coolly said to Luca.

"Hey, blue-skinned dog, I'll stick with you for now, since you helped save my kitchen. But food expenses are on the side!"

Cocoa West Village.

A seaside village shrouded in dark clouds.

The vicious Arlong Pirates leader, Three-Headed Arlong, is using his immense power and intimidation to rule the villagers and extort protection money.

A fierce battle unfolded in the village!

GSD's Wave Sword clashed with the Three-Headed Dragon's breath! Shank's Flame Kick struck one of the dragon's heads!

The tearful lizard, being honest and straightforward, accidentally extinguished the fire on a villager's roof with its water gun, which was a contribution in itself...

Finally, with the cover of his companions, Luca unleashed his full power, delivering a "Lightning Whirlwind Elbow" imbued with the Mamba Mentality and Aura, which slammed into Hydreigon's chest, crushing him!

After the battle, Nami's identity as a navigator was officially confirmed.

"Hmph, let's make it clear beforehand: voyage fees, food expenses, lodging fees, intelligence fees... not a single penny less!"

A torrent of memories swept by!

All the battles, comrades, vows, laughter and tears... rushed into Luca's mind like a chip forcibly activated by Pikachu's Thunderbolt!

It remembered! It remembered everything!

He is Luca, the "boy in the military cap," a spirit who aspires to become the King of the Navy and bring true justice to this sea!

It has already ventured into the Grand Line and gained companions with whom it can entrust its life and death—the Blazing Chicken Chef, the Azure Blade Demon Mentor GSD, the Pickpocket Cat Navigator Nami, the Sob-eyed Sniper Usopp, and...

This yellow-skinned mouse, Ciokachu, is now recovering its memory with electrotherapy at a crucial moment!
They formed the increasingly renowned "Military Cap Navy Regiment," whose name, "Military Cap Boy," gradually resounded throughout the Grand Line, becoming a force to be reckoned with by pirates!

Right now, they are in Alabasta, at the request of Princess Vivi of Shiny Psyduck, to fight to the death against Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords who stole the kingdom!

During a break in their intense kicking exchange, Blaziken took a moment to roar at Luca, his voice filled with frustrated disappointment.

"Damn military cap! Is this all it takes to defeat you?"

The tearful lizard hid behind a rock, its face covered in tears and snot, waving its little paws and shouting with all its might.

"Boss! We're counting on you! Go for it, boss!"

Although Nami the pickpocket cat was so frightened that her tail bristled, she still forced her head out, her voice filled with tears and hope.

"Commander! You can't fall! Think of Princess Vivi! Think of this country!"

Pikachu stood on the rock, its small body ramrod straight, the electric sacs on its cheeks glowing again, its eyes fixed firmly on Luca.

"Pica! Pica!"

GSD's voice was steady and powerful, like a stabilizing force, clearly reaching Luca's heart.

"Luca, get up! Remember, you are destined to become the King of the Navy!"

Ah, everyone... everyone...

Looking at his comrades who were shouting for him and fighting for him in the wind and sand, Luca's heart, which had been frozen by the cold reality and humiliation of the real world, was instantly ignited by this sincere bond and expectation!

It turns out... in everyone's heart, it is so important!

He is the backbone of the ship! He is the team's banner! He is a trustworthy and reliable... captain!
Encouraged by everyone and inspired by those epic memories, the last trace of confusion and self-doubt in Luca's eyes completely disappeared!

Deep within the blue pupils, obscured by sand and dust, a flame as blazing as the sun reignited!

That's right! I'm Luca the boy in the military cap! I'm an elf destined to become the King of the Navy!

How could I forget my dreams, my partners, and the "justice" I bear on my shoulders just because of some insignificant setbacks in the real world?!

That pathetic, self-pitying guy at the construction site isn't me!

That blue-skinned dog who elbowed the King of the Near Sea, defeated Alvida, comprehended the true meaning of wave under GSD's tutelage, and shouted "I'm going to be the King of the Navy!" surrounded by his comrades, that's the real me!

The heavy shackles of reality were completely broken by this boiling fighting spirit and belief!
An unprecedented sense of power filled its battered body!

war! ! !
"Ooh o ...

A roar, wilder than the sandstorm and more awe-inspiring than thunder, resounded across the entire battlefield like an indomitable war drum!

To everyone's astonishment, Luca, relying on his strong willpower, suddenly stood up again from the scorching sand!

The desert storm seemed to pause for a moment in response to this figure standing up again.

The flag of the Naval Regiment of the Military Caps has never fallen!

The real battle has only just begun!
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

They've directly stormed the Grand Line; the weaker enemies from the East Blue Saga can't keep up with their strength anymore.
(End of this chapter)