Couples

That night, a man and a woman walked along a path.

"Thanks, Hina. I had a wonderful time today."

Standing at Hina's front door, Luo Sa smiled. It had been a long time since he'd felt so relaxed.

"I had a wonderful time too!"

"Okay, get some sleep. I'll be off, then!"

Luo Sa nodded and turned to leave.

"W-wait!"

Luo Sa turned back in confusion and saw Hina blushing, rubbing her hands against her white dress like a shy little girl.

"Um... could... could you do me a favor?" Hina asked, stumbling over her words.

Luo Sa was stunned for a moment, then nodded.

"Um... could you be my boyfriend?"

The words practically burst out of Hina's mouth. As soon as she said them, she froze. Luo Sa did too.

"No, no, no! I mean, could you pretend to be my boyfriend?!"

Hina hurriedly tried to explain, her heart pounding uncontrollably.

"Pretend?"

Luo Sa glanced down at himself and let out a strange sigh of relief.

"Phew." Hina took a deep breath, then said, "That's right. I want you to pretend to be my boyfriend and come with me to a party!"

"Be more specific!"

Luo Sa didn't agree right away. Honestly, as an orphan, he had always disliked these parties for the rich.

"At this year's Love Festival, the couple who wins first place in the final couples' challenge will receive a Devil Fruit. But you have to enter as a couple!"

Now that she'd explained it, Hina felt more at ease.

Once she'd actually asked, she realized it wasn't so hard after all!

"A Devil Fruit?"

Luo Sa remembered that, in the original story, Hina's Devil Fruit was supposed to be the Kankan Fruit.

Could this be the Kankan Fruit?

Or maybe it was some other fruit. If so, he'd be changing the original story!

But that would be interesting, wouldn't it?

"Sure. I said I'd agree as long as it wasn't too unreasonable!"

"From now on, I'm your boyfriend!"

Luo Sa grinned, looking at Hina with an amused smile.

"Then... then it's a deal!"

Blushing, Hina hurriedly ran into her house.

The next day.

In Garp's family compound, Luo Sa moved at incredible speed.

Suddenly, he stopped, then his figure blurred into a streak of white once more.

Strangely, another Luo Sa remained where he had stopped!

Luo Sa slowly came to a halt. In an instant, there were two of him in the yard!

"Phew, I've gotten the hang of Shadow Clone, but at this level, it's still not much use in a real fight. I'll have to keep developing it."

Only after truly becoming a Pokémon had he realized how difficult it was to master skills.

Take Shadow Clone, for example. To use it, he first needed to move fast enough to leave behind an afterimage.

Then he had to infuse that afterimage with Normal-type energy before it could take the form of a Shadow Clone.

And for now, Luo Sa could only create a single Shadow Clone. He still couldn't control it well enough to move alongside him.

"Phew, that's enough physical training for now. Next..."

Feeling that his Normal-type energy was almost depleted, Luo Sa took a deep breath.

Then he solemnly picked up a book from the chair.

The words "Basic Fist Technique" were clearly printed on its cover.

That's right. Next, Luo Sa was going to train his fists.

Garp was known as the Iron Fist, and he'd used his fists to stand against the Pirate King Roger. His was arguably the strongest fighting style in the world!

Still, Luo Sa wasn't arrogant enough to jump straight into learning Garp's Iron Fist Technique. He planned to start with the most basic techniques, laying the strongest possible foundation.

Besides, his plan was to become a Fighting-type Pokémon, so this would also prepare him for the Fighting-type moves he'd learn later!

Garp agreed wholeheartedly and had found him this book.

This Basic Fist Technique was an essential guide distilled from the Marine Headquarters' vast collection of boxing manuals, after they had been compiled and studied.

According to Garp, he had learned his Iron Fist Technique from it, too!

"If I still can't take first place in the Ranking Tournament after all this, I'll have let Old Man Garp down!" Luo Sa sighed inwardly, his eyes suddenly filled with determination.

Then he lowered into a horse stance in the yard, his legs steady as rock. With both hands free, he studied the Basic Fist Technique closely.

After reflecting on what he'd read, Luo Sa put the book away and began practicing each move carefully in the yard.

Knock, knock, knock.

Just then, someone suddenly knocked on the door.

Luo Sa glanced at the sun sinking toward the horizon, then thoughtfully looked toward the entrance.

When he opened the door, he saw Hina standing outside, her face flushed.

Hina looked especially beautiful today. Her pink one-piece dress fit perfectly, and the butterfly hair clip in her hair gave her a lively look.

"Good morning, Hina."

Luo Sa cleared his throat, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"Mm."

Blushing, Hina answered in a voice as faint as a mosquito's, then handed him a bag.

Luo Sa took it and looked inside. There was an outfit, and a mask as well.

"A masquerade ball?"

Luo Sa's eyes lit up. If he didn't have to show his face, that would be even better!

Soon, Luo Sa came out dressed and ready.

The little suit fit him perfectly, and the Bird Mask on his face looked like it had been carefully chosen by Hina.

When Luo Sa came out, Hina took out a Bird Mask of her own and put it on.

With her face hidden, Hina relaxed. She walked over to Luo Sa and took his hand. "I'm counting on you today, Luo Sa."

Luo Sa nodded. Since he'd agreed, he would do his best!

With Hina leading the way, the two of them headed to the town's Red Light District.

The Meeting Bar was right at its center.

It wasn't even eight o'clock yet, but the place was already packed.

Most of the people were couples. Every now and then, some bold pair would cuddle and flirt in full view of everyone, leaving Luo Sa and Hina terribly embarrassed.

"Please show me your invitation," the attendant at the entrance to the Meeting Bar said with a bow.

Hina quickly took out the invitation and handed it to the attendant. Once they were allowed in, she took Luo Sa's hand and led him inside.

The music thumped!

Inside the bar, lively music rang out as countless young men and women danced and sang. One thing they all had in common was that they wore masks.