[Pokémon Breeder in One Piece] Chapter 345 (Patreon)

Though Kayaba harbored suspicions that Dak might be some extraordinary figure manipulating him from the real world, the probability seemed impossibly low.

There was one thing Kayaba was certain of:

In the realm of virtual reality, no one on Earth could surpass his expertise. Tampering with his creation, Sword Art Online, under his watchful eye was an absurd notion.

For this reason, Kayaba found himself half-believing Dak's claims.

"Don't rush. I know you have a lot of questions, and I have some matters to discuss with you as well. Let's talk somewhere else," Dak said with a wave of his hand, signaling Kayaba to remain calm.

He understood that Kayaba wanted to believe him but hesitated to fully commit to the idea. Dak, however, had methods to make Kayaba a believer.

"…Alright."

Kayaba maintained his composed demeanor, nodding slightly.

If what Dak claimed was true, he certainly wouldn't want Earth's inhabitants discovering the existence of "other worlds."

"I can't transport you," Kayaba said after attempting to move Dak within the system.

"Got it. I'll take us there instead," Dak replied, placing a hand on Kayaba's arm.

Kayaba barely had time to process his confusion before the environment around them shifted dramatically.

Moments later, they stood by a serene lake.

"I just moved us to a higher floor. Where are we now?" Dak murmured, the scenery tugging at his memory.

"This is the 22nd floor," Kayaba responded. "What just happened?"

"Psychic power," Dak replied, raising a hand to suspend Kayaba mid-air with telekinesis.

Dak recognized the area now—it was the floor where Kirito and Asuna had purchased a lakeside house and where they later encountered their AI daughter, Yui.

Kayaba attempted to adjust his avatar's parameters but quickly realized it was futile.

In Sword Art Online, avatars became more powerful as their stats increased, but the world had an upper limit. Dak's abilities, however, far exceeded this limit, rendering Kayaba's adjustments meaningless.

Rather than fear, Kayaba was intrigued. He reasoned that even if his avatar was "killed," his real-world body would remain unharmed.

At least, he hoped so.

The mere thought of Dak possessing the ability to kill him in reality left him hesitant.

"While I'd love to take you to my world as proof, it's currently impossible without our combined efforts," Dak admitted with a shrug.

He explained that Kayaba's data-based existence couldn't safely traverse the space-time wormhole, as it might shred his consciousness during the transfer.

"I believe you," Kayaba said, his tone unwavering. "I've always believed in the existence of other worlds. But how do you know about me? And how did you get here?"

Dak smiled. "That brings us to the Pokémon."

Dak began explaining the existence of Pokémon, focusing on their diversity and powers. He highlighted Dialga and Palkia, the gods of time and space, to illustrate how interdimensional travel was possible.

Kayaba listened intently, his expression gradually softening.

"With such control over time and space, it's no wonder you can traverse worlds. And these 'Pokémon'... their capabilities are extraordinary," Kayaba remarked.

Unlike others, Kayaba didn't struggle to accept Dak's revelations. His belief in higher realms of existence and other worlds aligned seamlessly with Dak's story.

Dak referenced Kayaba's vision of Aincrad—a dream that had driven him since childhood.

Kayaba nodded, recalling his own words:

"I still believe—somewhere, in another world, that castle truly exists."

"You've come to me for a reason, haven't you?" Kayaba asked.

"Indeed," Dak confirmed. "I want you to join my faction. In return, I'll arrange for my scientists to help you journey to another world."

Kayaba considered this for a moment. For someone like him, such an offer required little deliberation.

"Can you elaborate?"

"Of course," Dak replied. He retrieved a camera from his system inventory—a device that briefly appeared as distorted data before stabilizing. Once converted into Aincrad-compatible data, it couldn't be returned to the inventory.

The camera contained photos of various locations: the Pokémon Alliance headquarters, Alliance City, Fish-Man City, Angel City, Yggdrasil City, and even glimpses of the pirate and shinobi worlds.

As Kayaba scrolled through the images, his eyes gleamed with wonder.

"These fantastical worlds... far more intriguing than Earth," he muttered.

"So, do you want to join the Pokémon Daycare or the Pokémon Alliance?" Dak asked.

Kayaba quickly discerned the relationship between the two entities.

The Daycare resembled a close-knit guild of trusted companions, while the Alliance functioned more like a broad coalition safeguarding peace.

"The Daycare."

"Good choice," Dak said with a grin.

Kayaba's decision was strategic—membership in the Daycare meant direct access to the "primordial gods" of the Pokémon world, something the Alliance couldn't offer.

Just as Dak was about to discuss their plans, a system notification popped up.

[Your account has been designated as a Game Master.]
[You have received the hidden buff: Immortality. Your HP will never drop below 50%.]

"I've set you as an administrator of Aincrad, equal to myself," Kayaba said, his tone calm.

Dak raised an eyebrow. While the designation was meant as a gesture of goodwill, Dak found little use for it—he lacked the expertise to modify Aincrad's systems directly.

Kayaba's focus returned to the camera, unable to tear his gaze away from the fantastical photos.

"These images... they're from three different worlds?"

Dak nodded. "Yes. Aincrad is the third world successfully linked to Pokémon Island. Before this, we connected to the pirate and shinobi worlds. Pokémon Island itself was created by Giratina, the 'Lord of the Distortion World,' and serves as the central hub."

Dak used his new administrative access to generate a diagram illustrating the relationships between the worlds.

"Three worlds... fascinating," Kayaba said with a smile. "And there will be more, won't there?"

"Absolutely," Dak replied. "A visitor from a century in the future once claimed that in her time, Pokémon Island had linked with dozens of worlds."

Kayaba's smile widened. "This is exactly the type of exploration I've always dreamed of. How do I reach Pokémon Island?"

Dak explained that transferring Kayaba's consciousness to another world would be a complex process requiring collaboration between Kayaba and the Daycare's scientists.

"Understood," Kayaba said, his enthusiasm undeterred.

(End of Chapter)

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