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The plan was solid and had been thoroughly discussed in advance.
But now, with Ikki no longer around, there was some doubt about whether Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and Chopper could cause enough of a commotion on their own. However, with Sabo and Ace joining the fray, the scale of chaos would undoubtedly be on a whole new level.
After listening to Smoker's plan, Sabo agreed without hesitation. He too wanted to uncover Crocodile's true motives behind everything happening in Alabasta.
Ace, on the other hand, had originally intended to continue his journey to hunt down Blackbeard. But seeing his two brothers involved, he abandoned that plan and decided to stay. Fighting side by side with Luffy and Sabo once again was a rare opportunity he couldn't pass up.
With the plan agreed upon, the next challenge was hiding Ace and Sabo's identities.
"How about wearing masks?" Smoker suggested, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
Ace frowned. "A mask can't hide the powers of my Devil Fruit," he said, clearly distressed.
At that moment, Luffy's face lit up with realization. He smacked his hand against his palm and shouted, "I know!"
Everyone turned to look at him.
Luffy then grinned at Zoro. "Didn't Ikki give you a talisman?"
Hearing the word "talisman," Zoro slapped his forehead as if he'd just remembered. He reached into his pocket and pulled it out.
The moment the talisman was revealed, Smoker, Ace, and Sabo stared at it in shock.
"You used this thing to turn Luffy into a goose? So… are you planning to turn us into geese too?" Sabo asked, raising an eyebrow.
Before Zoro could answer, Ace crossed his arms and shook his head firmly.
"No way. Turning into a goose would weaken us too much!"
Usopp, however, had a mischievous grin. "Not necessarily. Last time we used it, it turned us into a dragon! We dismantled an entire ship like it was nothing!" He hesitated for a moment before glancing at Smoker and amending, "I mean… a pirate ship, not a Marine ship."
Hearing that the talisman could transform them into something as legendary as a dragon piqued both Ace and Sabo's interest. Even Smoker seemed curious, though he tried to hide it behind his usual stoic demeanor.
For Smoker, this wasn't entirely unfamiliar. His mind flashed back to the time Ikki had used a jellybean to turn him into a sword—only for Tashigi to play around with him for a full fifteen minutes before giving him the embarrassing nickname Smoky!
"Is this another one of Ikki's creations?" Smoker thought to himself, his expression darkening slightly at the memory.
While Smoker was lost in thought, Ace and Sabo had already begun discussing what they wanted to transform into.
"I want to be a dragon," Sabo said decisively.
"I'd rather turn into a flying creature," Ace countered. "Back on the Whitebeard Pirates, I was always jealous of Marco flying around like it was nothing. It'd be great to soar through the sky."
Just as Zoro was about to use the talisman to grant their transformations, Psyduck suddenly waddled up and pecked Zoro's hand holding the talisman.
"Hey! What the—" Zoro exclaimed, startled.
The sudden peck caused Zoro to loosen his grip, and the talisman slipped from his hand, tumbling to the ground.
Seeing this, Psyduck held the talisman in its beak and pointed it at Sabo and Ace.
"Oi! Psyduck, what are you doing?!" Zoro yelled, reaching out to stop it.
But before he could act, two rays of light shot out from the talisman and struck Sabo and Ace.
When the light faded, everyone stared in stunned silence.
Ace had transformed into a Charizard—an orange-red dragon with massive wings, a flaming tail, and an imposing frame nearly two meters tall. His iconic hat with the crying and smiling faces still sat firmly on his head.
Sabo, on the other hand, had become a dragon type Mewtwo. His body had changed significantly, sporting sharp claws, dragon horns on his head, and a muscular, intimidating frame standing about 1.7 meters tall. Though transformed, his distinctive eye scar remained, adding a unique edge to his form.
No one recognized the forms they had taken, as they resembled creatures no one had ever seen before.
If Ikki were present, however, he would have identified them instantly. Ace had become Charizard from Pokémon, and Sabo had become a dragon-type version of Mewtwo.
The Psyduck, summoned by Ikki, clearly had seen some incredible things during its time. The monkey talisman could only transform someone into a non-human creature the user had seen before, and this Psyduck evidently had an extraordinary memory.
Luffy's jaw dropped at the sight of his brothers' new forms. His eyes sparkled with admiration.
"Wow! You guys look super cool! Way cooler than when I turned into a dragon or a goose!"
Luffy suddenly turned to Zoro, shouting, "Psyduck! I want to transform too! I want to look as awesome as they do!"
Zoro, trying to piece together the transformations, turned to Smoker and asked, "Hey, Smoker. Have you seen animals like this before?"
Smoker took a long drag from his cigar and exhaled. "Never seen anything like it."
Zoro's eyes narrowed. If Smoker didn't recognize them, then the answer was clear—the Psyduck must have seen these creatures before.
Before Zoro could say anything, Psyduck used the talisman again. A flash of light engulfed Luffy, and when it faded, he had transformed into a Machamp.
Luffy flexed his new arms, laughing excitedly. "This is awesome! Look at me! I've got four fists!"
He immediately unleashed a barrage of attacks. "Rubber-Rubber Double Machine Gun!" His rapid punches left shockwaves in the air as he marveled at his enhanced abilities.
While Luffy's new form wasn't as sleek as Charizard or dragon-Mewtwo, he was still thrilled with the transformation.
Unlike Ace and Luffy, Sabo's dragon-Mewtwo form allowed him to communicate telepathically. "I can speak like this? Amazing…" Sabo's voice echoed in everyone's minds, surprising them further.
Ace, in his Charizard form, discovered that his fire abilities from the Flame-Flame Fruit synergized perfectly with his new body, allowing him to unleash even more powerful flames.
Luffy, now a rubber-powered four-armed fighter, felt stronger and faster than ever.
However, as with Devil Fruits, using Pokémon-like abilities drained their stamina. This meant they would need to manage their energy wisely during battle.
With Ace and Sabo now in their disguised forms, the group was ready to move forward with the plan.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in Alabasta…
Ikki and the others had arrived in Yuba, where they met with Koza, the leader of the rebel army.
Naturally, Nami, Sanji, and Ikki left the delicate task of negotiating to Vivi. Her familiarity with Koza made her the best fit to handle it.
"I hope Zoro and Luffy are doing okay," Nami muttered, worry clear in her tone. "I knew at least one of us should've stayed behind to keep an eye on them!"
"Don't worry, Nami-swan," Sanji reassured her, puffing on a cigarette. "That green-haired moss-head might be an idiot when it comes to directions, but he's got Psyduck and Karoo to help him out."
As he spoke, Sanji noticed Ikki staring into the distance, lost in thought.
"Oi, Ikki. What's up with you?" Sanji asked, raising an eyebrow.
Ikki snapped out of it, sighing. He had been debating whether to use an item he had recently obtained. During a moment of boredom, he had tried his luck with a single-draw miracle and ended up pulling the Justice Character Card: Edogawa Conan.
Using it would allow him to summon Conan, the infamously brilliant "Death Bringing Elementary School Student."
Ikki's hesitation stemmed from Conan's legendary reputation for attracting death and chaos wherever he went.