A massive city stood with many huts and flats to live in. People in robes and lifted hairstyles walked through the streets in straw or platformed sandals while wearing thick socks. Children played around with balls and rings. "So, this is Grand Jipang…" the Summoner spoke, though there was no horn to be seen. The view was behind a young man as he wore a saucer-style straw hat. "I can only imagine what it'll be like to meet the royal family." He journeyed through the crowd on their own schedules. The young man wore a blue robe and white trousers while his feet had the same sandals and thick socks while his legs were wrapped in thick cloth. A redhead girl in a brown and yellow robe saw the raven-haired.

"Oh, I never saw you before," she greeted. "Are you new to Grand Jipang?" Her face blushed at who she saw. 'Gosh, he's handsome...'

"I am," the raven-haired replied, sounding like the Summoner.

"You look a little hungry," she replied before handing the raven-haired a rice ball.

"Thank you," he praised. The redhead giggled.

"There's more at the Pinwheel just down the road if you want," she offered. A head turned to find the row of flats where he headed.

Teaming Up! The Summoner & Boss Unite

Inside one had a set of tables as a young redhead woman wearing a coral robe and sushi roll-like sash around the waist held a tray while watching a young raven-haired man chow down on a bowl of rice, shrimp and other pieces of food. The raven-haired wore a red robe and black trousers while a straw hat was on his back.

"You'd think after two years that you'd have enough ryo Berries to pay off your tab, Luffy!?" she emerged scowled. The raven-haired didn't seem bothered by the notion.

"Can't you let me eat?" he complained. "You should know better than to disrupt a meal, Onami."

"You should speak for yourself!" yelled Onami. A blond young man leaned out of a small serving hole to face Onami.

"Let's not get too uppity, Onami," he sighed with a slim smoke pipe in hand and wearing a blue robe. Part of his hair covered one eye and a curled eyebrow was over the other. "Business has picked up since we had more customers that we hired more staffing. Not to mention that the kitchen tools Franky made have helped keep me busy with cooking new foods." A brunette young woman in a lime green robe and pink sash like Onami arrived to see the confrontation.

"That doesn't excuse his constant dine-and-dashing!" argued Onami.

"I was getting to that," the blond started before looking to Luffy. "Do you know how much that treasure is back doing the Mochimaki Race? Right now, you owe that and a half of it!"

"Oh, don't be such a stickler, Sanji," the brunette excused. "It's because of him that the restaurant's still standing and offered to help with the renovations to add to the service."

"I'm not saying that he's not helpful in any way," Sanji sighed. "He should be glad that his tab's not any higher. Also, where's the new girl?" Looking around, Onami and the brunette couldn't see anyone else.

"Yeah, where's Ocarrot?" wondered Onami. "I know she's still really young, but she's got to take responsibility in learning the time of day."

"I'm sure she'll get here," the brunette assured.

"Are you sure, Omao?" questioned Sanji. Suddenly, a hand came to the door. Everyone, including another raven-haired woman wearing a black robe and red sash like Onami and Omao before, turned to see a raven-haired young man walking in.

"Welcome to the Pinwheel!" greeted Omao. The boy found an open table and sat down. He never turned his stern face to the group as he removed his hat, revealing another raven-haired.

"Water…" he ordered. Everyone blinked to the sudden request.

"Water?" repeated Omao.

"Yeah, water…" the boy confirmed. Onami wasn't wanting a freeloader in her restaurant.

"Look, you may be new here," she started. "But water is for paying customers! If you're broke, go somewhere else."

"Now, Onami…" the other woman voiced. They all turned to the woman, the bridge of her nose rather flat than round. "This is a child. It would be best to make sure he's quenched… or rather…" She walked over to the table. "If it makes you feel better, I can pay for tea. It might help." The boy seemed humbled and smiled.

"Thank you," he accepted. Luffy studied the boys wardrobe, including an emblem on the robe.

"Is that from the Temple by the summit of the mountains?" he guessed. The boy seemed stunned at how Luffy recognized his outfit.

"It is…" he confirmed. "But how would you know?"

"Oh, you know…" scoffed Luffy. "I have my ways."

"You know what temple that guy's from, but you don't remember to pay your two-year tab?" criticized Onami. Luffy ignored the waitress as another raven-haired man entered in a panic. He had a long nose and a patch of tiny beard while wearing what seemed like a lime-green jumpsuit.

"Everyone!" he shouted from outside. "He's approaching!" He entered the Pinwheel where everyone saw him.

"Usopp?" wondered Sanji.

"What are you shouting about?" wondered Onami. "Who's he?" After a minute to catch his breath, Usopp faced the group while the boy had a side-eye on the new arrival.

"Haven't you heard!?" stammered Usopp. "The Summoner! He's coming here to Grand Jipang!" Everyone but the boy blinked in confusion.

"The Summoner?" repeated Luffy. Usopp gawked, thinking that it's the first time they've heard of the Summoner.

"No one here has heard of the Summoner!?" he reacted. "I'm talking about someone that can call forth creatures out of nowhere to do his bidding! And get this: Last night, he attacked and destroyed the Castle of Lord Nelson, one of the Great Nobles!" Gasps from the older set filled the room.

"That man full of lard!?" realized Luffy. "Man, this Summoner is a real beast!"

"That's for sure!" agreed Sanji. "It makes me wonder what he looks like. Part of me actually sees him as actually her, having warriors who are as voluptuous as she is!" Some of the others didn't think of the same thing.

"You're making it sound like the Summoner is actually a sorceress," Onami muttered. "I see him as a carrier of beasts of mythical proportions."

"Nah, I see the Summoner as a Beastman," Luffy figured. "He probably summons beasts and takes their forms to strike." Omao giggled to the idea, but Onami shook her head.

"Where the hell did you get that idea!?" she snapped. "Sanji's idea is much more likely than yours!" The other woman started to picture an elderly man with long white hair, white beard and white robe with horned demons by his side.

"YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOU!" he shouted. "SHALL NOT… PASSSSSSSSSSSS!" Her vision broke as she shook her head.

"That wouldn't work at all," she muttered to herself. Luffy came to the boy to hear his suggestion.

"What about you?" he asked. "I bet that you have an idea on what the Summoner can do, right?" The boy turned his head away as he sipped on tea Omao handed to him.

"If you know about the temple, I'm from," he reminded. "You'd know that students like me don't engage in conversations like that." Luffy whined to being denied the boy's vision.

"Anyway, I should've mentioned that despite Nelson's castle reduced to rubble," Usopp brought up. "No one died. There were several serious injuries with burns and broken bones, but that's all there was to report." Shrugging, Luffy wondered how there were no deaths.

"Being one of the Great Nobles who targeted weaker villages," Sanji pondered. "It feels like a slap on the wrist." Onami turned to the boy in curiosity.

"Did you hear about it as well?" she questioned. The boy shook his head. "So, it's news to you as well…"

"Perhaps it's because he just arrived from the temple to here in search for someone," Omao guessed. The boy turned to Omao, fascinated with her query.

"I am," he replied. Omao quickly turned in a stunned state.

"You are?"

"Yeah, I was told that an old man named Rayleigh is here in Grand Jipang." The others gasped in realization about the boy's journey.

"Luffy, how about that!" awed Onami. "He's looking for your boss!" Luffy giggled to the coincidence.

"I guess he came to the right place," he laughed. Suddenly…

"Alright, give us your food!" two men shouted. The group turned to two large, muscular raven-haired men with goatees. One had shoulders twice as big as his head which had a scar across the forehead. He wore a blue robe with red linens and trousers. The other had his hair protruding three prongs. He wore a red robe with black trousers while his forehead looked like black claw marks. Quickly, Sanji recognized them.

"Dick!" he gasped to the one in the red robe. "Billy!" The one with the over-sized shoulders, Billy, pulled out a long sword that had holes in it. Dick had a large bazooka in hand.

"It's plain and simple!" urged Dick. "Your money and food, or the restaurant is destroyed!"

"Alongside all of you!" sneered Billy. Luffy stood up.

"You dare damage this place," he growled. "You've got to answer to me." Billy and Dick seemed eager to fight.

"Detective Luffy," Dick scoffed. "You may have that ability, but even you can't take us both down." That's when the clay mug that the boy drank tea from shattered off Billy's face. Blood trickled from the cut. Turning, Billy saw the boy approaching.

"Just fantastic," he mulled. "I'm in town for a couple of hours on my way to see Rayleigh, stop by here and was offered tea, and now I got this. It's best to know that I got you right where I wanted." Dick and Billy scoffed, thinking the boy was bluffing.

"That's adorable," Dick mocked. "You have us?" Suddenly, a figure with horns emerged.

"Electroweb!" the boy shouted. Dick and Billy turned to where the figure flipped and flung a ball of lightning. It unfurled and wrapped around Dick's legs. Dick was shocked and he fell with his legs entwined.

"Brother!" cried Billy as a large yellow mouse emerged. The ears were long and pointy while there were two brown streaks on its back and a lightning bolt was its tail.

"Perfect timing as always, Pikachu," the boy praised.

("I can't leave you alone for long,") Pikachu squeaked. Onami and Omao gawked in delight seeing Pikachu. Billy turned back, but Luffy threw a punch, his arm stretching long and outward. He also held a baton with a prong to the side. The boy and Pikachu gawked to the sight of Luffy's arm going long.

"Guess we both have secrets to reveal," he teased.

"Right, Detective Luffy?" the boy smiled. That's when he brought out a scroll.

"What's that boy doing with a scroll!?" gawked Usopp.

"I'm more interested in that rodent!" awed Onami. The boy unrolled the scroll. He did a few hand gestures.

"A bonding of animal and nature becomes the bearer of seeds!" he chanted. "Come forth, Bulbasaur!" A flash came from the scroll and formed into a blue four-legged creature with a green bulb on its back. It looked ready to fight. Seeing what occurred, those in Pinwheel before gasped to the truth.

"You have to be kidding!" gasped Onami. "The Summoner… is that boy!?" Billy stood back up before he rose his sword.

"That's cute, but it means nothing!" he roared.

"Bulbasaur, Vine Whip!" the Summoner urged. "Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Bulbasaur fired vines which wrapped around Billy's legs. Billy tried to keep his balance as Pikachu leaped up with a glowing tail. It sliced the sword, breaking it into pieces.

"No way!" gawked Billy. "How did that vermin do that!?" Dick tried to lift his bazooka.

"No, you don't!" shouted Luffy as he used his baton to stab inside the bazooka, causing it to explode and launch Dick to fly. Bulbasaur's bulb began to glow.

"Bulbasaur, use Solar Beam!" the Summoner ordered. Bulbasaur fired a rainbow beam that struck Billy, sending him flying.

"DAMN YOU!" he shouted as he vanished. Luffy and the Summoner took a breath to calm down.

"That was awesome!" smiled Luffy as he and the Summoner bumped fists.

"It was," the Summoner smiled. "Bulbasaur, thanks for your help." Bulbasaur acknowledged before vanishing. Omao came over and picked up Pikachu.

"So brave and so cute!" she cooed as she nuzzled Pikachu's face, much to his delight.

"For sure!" cooed Onami. "And to think, you're with the Summoner!"

("Ash has been known for that!") Pikachu squeaked. Luffy turned to the Summoner.

"You're looking for Rayleigh, huh?" he remembered.

"Yeah, my Sensei sent me here to find him and give him this," the Summoner explained as he presented another scroll. "He and Rayleigh go back, so he'll know what it is when I show him." Luffy nodded to the idea.

"Before we go, you can tell us your name."

"Okay, Detective… I go by Ash… and that's Pikachu." Pikachu squeaked to greet Luffy. Just then…

"I'M SO LATE!" a girl called out. Entering, someone on platform sandals entered but fell on her face. The orange-robed person started to recover, revealing an anthropomorphic rabbit girl with blond hair. Ash and Pikachu gawked to seeing a humanoid rabbit in front of them. "Ow, ow, ow!" Onami sighed to the new arrival.

"Ocarrot, you're late!" she scorned.

"I tried getting here on time, but I got distracted by a lot of carrots someone grew!" explained Ocarrot as she turned to Ash. There was a pause before she pounced on him with a squeal. "HANDSOME! Oh, I now found you!" She hugged and nuzzled her fur to Ash's skin.

"Whoa, what's going on!?" he gawked.

"I'm Ocarrot! I'm a new waitress! I can't wait to feed you as well!" Finally, she started to softly gnaw on Ash's ear and wasn't ready to let go. Everyone, including Pikachu, gawked in shock. What a way to be greeted in Grand Jipang.

TO BE CONTINUED