Robin arrived at the castle in the middle of Grand Jipang. She entered where she found Vivi. "Good morning, Robin," she greeted.

"Princess, I got your reply when I woke up," Robin briefed. "Did you have Igaram send it?"

"I wouldn't have if I didn't deem it as important." The reply made Robin realize Vivi's point.

"That's why you wanted to have me first thing. I wouldn't have minded if you had other people to see you first."

"Not when the subject has this much of a factor. Come inside and close." Complying, Robin entered and slid the door closed. A little while later, Vivi was seen with her eyes ballooned and hands over her mouth. "I figured that was the reason. After hearing it from the rest at the Pinwheel, I figured that you'd be the perfect candidate."

"Yes, which is why I wanted to ask if this is possible and you'd help make it possible."

"You're not wrong… but have you asked him about it?" The reply made Robin blink.

"No, but I thought that…"

"Robin, I'm all for the movement, but I can't force it onto him. If he was still a baby, it's not a problem… but he's grown enough to make this decision as well. If he refuses, which I find unlikely, I cannot grant it." The refusal made Robin realize her mistake.

"Of course… I can ask when I see him again." A bow from Vivi was enough of a gesture. Robin left to think about the result. 'I guess I need to ask him about it.'

Revenge! Nelson Attacks Grand Jipang

Ash, Luffy, Usopp and Pikachu left a new place to eat. "Man, it's good, but it's not the same as the Pinwheel," Luffy sighed.

"At least that didn't have you on a tab like Onami's workplace," Usopp muttered.

"Don't get me wrong, Boss," Ash voiced. "I do believe Onami will not feed you and that no one will be there to bail you out."

"Oh, don't say that, Ash!" complained Luffy. "There's always you." Ash and Pikachu groaned to the rebuttal.

("You are learning from Sanji,") Pikachu squeaked. Ash nervously laughed from Pikachu's remark.

"Anyway, how have you and Pikachu been doing here in Grand Jipang?" asked Usopp. "I know asking you like this might be a bit upfront, and I learned about how you tend to move on to the next destination…"

"It's not too upfront, Usopp," Ash eased. "Grand Jipang is a great city, and there are still places and districts I want to check out." Luffy giggled to the reply.

"It would be easier to have something to remember by if you do move on from this, not that I'd allow you to," he sneered.

"Sure, Boss…" returned Usopp. "I'm sure being his employer will make it sound worthwhile…" Suddenly, they felt shakes from the ground. They seemed to stop and wonder.

"What's going on?" questioned Luffy. "I don't think it's an earthquake."

"No, it would be constant!" corrected Usopp. "It feels as if we have a giant coming our way!" Looking ahead, Ash and Pikachu gasped to the sight. Nelson arrived with several men that came from the destroyed castle.

"Lord Nelson?" realized Ash. Nelson and the men stopped and faced the three.

"Out of our way!" he demanded. "We're searching for someone, namely 'The Summoner'." Luffy and Usopp turned to Ash and Pikachu as he stared at the Lord who survived the castle's collapse.

"He's here, alright," Usopp confessed. "In fact, he's with us." Everyone turned to Ash and Pikachu with the human's arms crossed. There was a minute of dead silence before Nelson's men burst out laughing. They believed Usopp made a joke about the case.

"That little runt!?" one of Nelson's men laughed. "Oh, fear the Summoner as he's just a little boy! Gimme a break!" Ash sighed.

("They always underestimate us,") Pikachu murmured.

"My thoughts exactly," Ash agreed. Nelson eased himself faster than his men.

"Now, I'm being serious," he reminded. "Tell me where the Summoner is, or this city will crumble by my weight." To Ash, they won't accept him being their wanted man without showing the proof.

"Looks like I have to show you who I am," he shrugged as he brought out a gray scroll and unrolled it. "The arms of wild abandon crushes those in its sight! COME FORTH, MELMETAL!" The light emerged before it dimmed, a giant metallic creature appearing. There was a giant hex nut as a head with only an eye. The silver body had a hole with a silver hex nut in the middle. There was a gold hex nut holding the head while silver hex nuts formed the shoulders, elbow, feet and fists. Nelson and his men gawked to the summoned.

"Lord Nelson?" one of the men gulped.

"That's a summoned!" another man trembled.

"That boy?" realized Nelson. "He's the one who destroyed my castle? He's really the Summoner?" His disbelief soon became anger at how he felt humiliated. He seethed in anger. "That is the last time I will be humiliated! Men, kill them!"

"SIR!" the men accepted. They charged at the four which the humans brought out their jitte. Luffy stretched his punches that struck the men in the faces. They fell as Usopp used his jitte to block sword attacks while Pikachu shocked some more.

"Melmetal, Flash Cannon!" commanded Ash. Melmetal gathered light before it emitted a blast of energy. It made most the men scorched and unconscious while some were blasted out of the city.

"Of course…" realized Nelson. "I know you now… I heard from other lords that you're the one whose father betrayed the Emperor's Shogunate. It's no wonder why the Shogunate wanted not just him, but those close to him to die." Ash's eyes lit up. This new revelation had him start to realize more of his father's background.

"My father stepped down after the Shogunate didn't give him the recognition he deserved," he remembered.

"Your father led the assassination on the Shogunate. His crimes have more into them than you've been led on!"

"Crimes? How do you know he was the one who wanted the Shogunate dead!? Besides, wasn't the Shogunate in charge of you guys to maintain your statuses as lords? That you didn't abuse it?"

"Silence! We Great Lords under Rosward have the ability to make sure you obey the laws we interpret!" The name made Usopp's eyes widen.

"Rosward?" he repeated. "He's the Shogunate your father served under?" Ash shook his head.

"I don't know who the Shogunate was, back then," he shrugged. "Even if it was him that died after he left, that's still no reason to come after me." Nelson agreed with Ash on the claim.

"Rosward took over the Shogunate not long after the last one was assassinated," he informed. "But that doesn't offer an excuse to what your father did, and I'm here to make sure you pay for it, as well as my castle!" He leapt into the air and crashed on the ground, causing the area to quake. Luffy stood perfectly still while the others wobbled, trying to regain footing. Nelson brought out a giant club with metal studs on them. "I'll club your brains out!" He swung, but the boys ducked at the last second. The swing did hit a flat, destroying the structure into mud, straw and splinters. The others gasped at Nelson's strength with his men running to save themselves.

"Whoa, that's some power!" gulped Usopp.

"No kidding," Ash agreed. "A bash like that and you'll be going into another country." Nelson couldn't move well. Still, each stepped quaked the ground. "He's got too much weight on him that he relies on strength over speed."

"Then, I'll have to take it up to a new gear," Luffy advised as he swung his arm out to the side where a wave of flesh rolled through his arm before it returned back to him. His body became red with steam emitting from his body.

"That's new," Ash gulped.

("Why is his body all red?") asked Pikachu. Rather than worry, they faced Nelson who swung down his club. Melmetal sprinted to catch the club. Nelson's swing sliced through Melmetal with the club smashing the ground.

"Melmetal!" cried Usopp. However, Melmetal reformed his body to normal.

"It's okay," Ash assured. Nelson lifted his club, only that it was just the handle. The club's head splintered into dozens of pieces. Melmetal glared at Nelson with its eye. It sparked up before it unleashed Thunderbolt. The electric attack struck Nelson, but it didn't look like it did anything.

"Wait, Melmetal can do Thunderbolt as well!?" gawked Luffy.

"Never mind that, it didn't look like it did anything," Ash growled.

"That's not good," Usopp gulped. Nelson drew out a large katana.

"Now, die!" he roared as he swung the blade down. Everyone jumped out of the way as the blade smashed the ground from the swing, leaving a large divot on the ground. Luffy sprung back with a punch that appeared to come in twice as fast into the gut. Nelson didn't react as the punch was absorbed. The belly started to pull Luffy into him.

"Luffy!" cried Ash and Usopp. Luffy flung an arm out, stretching to Ash and Usopp. Ash caught the arm.

"Melmetal, here!" urged Ash. Melmetal reached as Ash got Luffy to grip the hand of Melmetal. With a hold, Melmetal pulled Luffy out. He landed on his feet and regrouped.

"Thanks!" he praised.

"Hold those thanks for when he's done!" warned Usopp. "We still need to find a way to hurt him! He's far too fat to strike head on!"

"Yeah, especially with those weak attacks," Luffy groaned. Ash had an idea.

"Leave the attack to me," he suggested. "Melmetal, Double Iron Bash!" Melmetal set himself before swinging the arm at a leaping Nelson, surprisingly high from the ground. Melmetal swung down an extended arm like Luffy's punch, but it was more of a hammer. It knocked Nelson from the air and into the ground with a painful smash, leaving a crevice in the ground and many buildings off the foundations. Nelson rolled to where he was about to be on his back while Melmetal was about to swing down another which crushed Nelson's gut. Watching the impact quickly inflate Nelson's cheeks, the boys realized that the lord was going to explode.

"I think he's gonna blow!" warned Luffy.

"Get behind Melmetal!" warned Ash. They hid behind Melmetal before a geyser of vomit ejected from Nelson's mouth. Melmetal huddled over the others. The vomit burst out and coated the damaged flats. After a minute, the geyser ended and Nelson's flabby body was flattened. He had labored breathing as he lied in a stunned state. As soon as he started to move, the patrolling boys prepared for more.

"My body!" he cried. "What have you done with my body!?" He started to stand, his once humongous girth now nothing more than a flabby pile of loose skin.

"Let's face it, you needed to lose some weight," Usopp taunted. Angered, Nelson ran after Ash, his loose skin dragging on the dirt. He was moving faster, but it was not helping with the loose skin. Luffy raced after Nelson who still had more to release.

"Let's see how you like a Gum-Gum…" he started before his arms were extended and shaped like scythes as pieces of the broken sword finally rained down. It was destroyed by Melmetal and its swinging arms. "Jet Scythe!" He swung and the attack sliced through Nelson who then fell, his torso severed from the rest of the body as blood pooled from the wound. The blade parts fell from Luffy's arms. Ash and Pikachu irked at Nelson's body sliced in half. He was still alive. They gathered around him as he weakly turned to the boys.

"Yo- You will… pay…" he winced. "He is… He is the… the last of… the mage breed… and he does… does not need… to live…" Ash lifted his severed body.

"You mean to tell me that this Rosward killed my family to get to me?" he questioned. Nelson struggled to breathe, less talk.

"The Nobles… will make you… suffer… for your… family's… sins…" he coughed. Finally, his body gave out and fell limp. Usopp put his hand over Nelson's chest. He shook his head.

"He's dead," he announced. Ash stood up while Pikachu and Melmetal looked away, not wanting to look at the fallen man.

"The Nobles will make us suffer?" he repeated.

"I think he's warning us about what's coming," Usopp believed.

"Let's not worry about what he said and focus on reporting the findings to Rayleigh," Luffy suggested. Everyone agreed as they had to find out how to dispose of Nelson's body.

"Well, at least he's gone like his castle," Ash shrugged. He summoned Charizard and Torkoal to burn the body to nothing. After burning the body, they reported to Cobra at the castle. When Usopp told Cobra and Vivi about the incident, Vivi's face had gone pale.

"Lord Nelson and the Nobles…" he repeated.

"Is there something about it?" asked Luffy. There was a pause.

"So, they must be on the move," he whispered to himself. "Nelson's demise has only been a warning. What's going on is that the Nobles, the highest ranking people in the country, have been learning about Ash being alive." Ash and Pikachu groaned at the possible information.

"Why would the Nobles want to go after Ash, aside from attacking Nelson's castle to start?" wondered Usopp.

"It's not that they've been after Ash, but Nelson brought up a special breed in his dying breath, right?" recalled Cobra.

"The mage breed," Ash replied. "That's what he said. You think the Nobles want to eliminate magic?" Cobra thought for a few seconds.

"It's too soon to tell," he replied.

"I think it's better that we keep it within these walls," Vivi suggested. "If Grand Jipang learns about them coming after you, who knows if those people will protect or abandon you." Ash sighed, thinking his nightmare was about to begin.

"Not to mention with the upcoming festival in a handful of weeks, panic is the last thing we need," Cobra added.

"Oh yeah…" awed Luffy. "I forgot about that. It's also supposed to have visitors from other kingdoms stopping by." Pikachu became excited about the ordeal. "Someone's excited!" Pikachu and Vivi giggled. Vivi allowed the boys to clean themselves with the bath before they headed back to their homes. Ash reached the inn where Shakky stood by.

"Welcome back, boys," she greeted. "Tough day at work?" Ash and Pikachu sighed.

"That's one way of putting it, Shakky," Ash admitted.

("What a day…") squeaked Pikachu.

"Princess Vivi was kind enough to let us bathe and wash away stuff that got on us," Ash added. "Right now, Pikachu and I want to relax in our room for a bit before we eat." Shakky nodded to the request.

"Speaking of your room, Ash…" she voiced. "A certain someone came by earlier and wished to see you." Ash and Pikachu became curious.

"Really?" he pondered.

("Who?") asked Pikachu. Shakky refused to answer but did smile.

"Go on and see for yourself," she offered. "She's waiting in there right now." Ash and Pikachu looked to each other and shrugged their shoulders. They reached the room where Robin was sitting on her knees. Ash and Pikachu were a bit surprised.

"Robin?" realized Ash.

("What's up?") questioned Pikachu. Robin giggled to their reactions.

"Hello, Ash," she greeted. "I've been waiting for you."

"So I'm told. Did you come here to visit?"

"Not quite. There's something awfully important that I need to discuss with you… if you don't mind…"

"Not at all. Is it just between you and me?" Pikachu had a feeling that he didn't feel needed.

("I can go play with Makino and the baby,") he offered. Robin giggled more to Pikachu's offer.

"No, no, Pikachu can stay," she corrected. "In fact, I think it's best that he's in on this too, for what I wish to discuss with you, Ash, involves him as well." Pikachu felt welcomed as he came to and sat on Robin's lap. She caressed and petted the creature.

"Alright then," Ash accepted as he closed the door. There was a discussion in private, noting the future with Ash in the city.

TO BE CONTINUED...