[Pokémon Breeder in One Piece] Chapter 348 (Patreon)

May 7th.

It was the seventh day of SAO's beta test. All 1,000 testing slots had been filled, and the players were fully immersed in the game.

Meanwhile, Kayaba, Vegapunk, and Porygon-Z continued adding new features to the original Aincrad design, creating a comprehensive content package. However, this package would only be implemented during the public release. During the 30-day beta, only minor updates and information tweaks were introduced.

Kayaba, now residing on Pokémon Island, had become so captivated by the place that Dak had to convince him to return to his body on Earth twice.

Kayaba even admitted he didn't mind letting his body on Earth perish. After all, once SAO's public launch began, it would become a "death game," and his own demise seemed inevitable.

However, Dak firmly rejected this idea, explaining the reasons.

In the original timeline, after Kayaba's death, most of his administrative privileges within ARGUS and SAO's backup servers were inherited by Sugou Nobuyuki—better known as the perverted Fairy King from Fairy Dance. Sugou exploited Kayaba's technology to trap 300 players from SAO, using them as test subjects in his horrific experiments.

His goal was to implant false memories and emotions into their brains using virtual reality technology—a project secretly funded by a small American company. Sugou intended to manipulate Asuna into falling in love with him, though his plans were ultimately thwarted by Kirito.

These incidents led to a global ban on VRMMO games, as no one could replicate Kayaba's groundbreaking work in virtual reality after his death. VR gaming nearly faced extinction.

However, before disappearing, Kayaba left Kirito with The Seed, a program that allowed anyone to create their own virtual worlds. Kirito released it online for free, spawning countless new VRMMOs such as GGO, ALO Reborn, UW, and UR.

Dak was determined to prevent Kayaba's premature death and the subsequent chaos. Kayaba's responsibilities boiled down to three critical tasks:

Recover SAO's Administrative Privileges
Kayaba needed to reclaim most of the permissions tied to ARGUS to prevent future misuse of the game's infrastructure.

Secure or Destroy His Research
Kayaba had to decide whether to transfer his remaining research to Pokémon Island or destroy it entirely to stop others from exploiting his work.

Retain Control Over The Seed
Kayaba would keep The Seed to himself, ensuring that no other VRMMOs would emerge on Earth for decades.

Even if SAO was infamous as a death game, there would still be players eager to experience its virtual reality. Once they realized the game was safe, Aincrad would regain its vibrancy as word spread among gamers.

To facilitate Kayaba's research, Dak purchased a new laboratory from the Pokémon Mall and set it up in the outskirts of Alliance City.

With this, Alliance City now hosted three research facilities, and Kayaba became the second deputy director of the Research Division. Although his lab staff consisted solely of himself for now, Dak provided him with a Porygon-Z as his assistant.

Porygon-Z's capabilities in virtual environments were unparalleled, effectively replacing thousands of researchers. That very night, Kayaba transferred all his research, including The Seed, to Porygon-Z and erased the data from Earth's servers.

The administrative privileges left with ARGUS couldn't be reclaimed immediately, as such actions would raise suspicions among ARGUS staff. Dak emphasized the importance of maintaining the beta test and public launch, as the Pokémon Alliance couldn't handle SAO's marketing on Earth.

Aincrad, Third Floor, Forest Cabin.

"This feels oddly refreshing. It's been a while since I've felt this weak," a man remarked, standing with his arms crossed.

"Indeed, it's almost like being an ant," another voice chimed in.

Dak found himself staring at the Uchiha brothers, momentarily at a loss for words.

[Madara]
[Lv.10]

[Izuna]
[Lv.10]

As for Dak's avatar:

[Cynthia]
[Lv.10]

"Seriously, who uses their real names in a game?" Dak sighed, eyeing their youthful appearances, nearly identical to their real selves—minus the Sharingan.

The three of them weren't physically in SAO. Instead, their real bodies were lying in Kayaba's lab, connected to the game via NERvGear.

All three avatars started at Level 10 with basic white-tier equipment. The Uchiha brothers had chosen to replicate their original appearances, while Dak opted for something entirely different.

"Wait, even in a virtual world, who turns themselves into the opposite gender?" Izuna asked, scratching his head as he studied Dak.

"Agreed, Dak. I'm seeing you in a new light," Madara added, his expression a mix of disbelief and amusement.

"Haha, isn't it beautiful? You just don't understand," Dak replied, flipping his golden hair with a smirk.

His avatar was modeled after Cynthia from the Pokémon world. Since Cynthia's height and hair length matched his real body, he felt no discomfort—except for the "two anomalies" on his chest.

"So, what should we do now? Go pick a fight?" Izuna asked, his excitement clear.

"No, we need to grind. Gaining experience and collecting rare gear is essential. No matter how skilled you are, you won't beat a higher-level player with superior equipment," Dak explained, assuming the role of a guide for the two newcomers.

"I don't believe that," Madara retorted stubbornly. He was more interested in a personal challenge. "Since we're all on equal footing now, how about a duel, Dak?"

"Heh, you're courting death!" Dak laughed confidently, standing up to face him.

Three minutes later…

"Curse it!" Dak respawned in the forest cabin, angrily tossing his basic sword to the ground.

Unlike Madara and Izuna, who had their pain levels set to 100%, Dak had reduced his to 5%. Even then, he couldn't land a single hit on Madara.

"Dak, your melee skills are abysmal. There's no way you can train disciples like this. Once we're out, I'll have Zefar help me drill some sense into you," Madara scoffed, having fought barehanded the entire time.

Izuna, a swordsmanship prodigy, added, "Even a five-year-old from the Uchiha clan could handle a blade better than you."

"Hmph," Dak crossed his arms, feeling the soft sensation of his avatar's chest. At least one aspect of this experiment was amusing.

"This SAO thing is such a waste of talent. Kayaba should've applied his skills elsewhere," Dak muttered.

"Let's spar, Izuna," Madara suggested.

"Alright, brother. Don't expect me to hold back," Izuna replied with a grin.

(End of Chapter)

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