Pokémon Breeder In One Piece!

July 31st, the 31st day of the closed beta test, also marked the day players advanced to the tenth floor.

So far, out of the 50,000 players in SAO, 2,500 had already "died," with more than half of these fatalities resulting from conflicts with other players.

In the original story, within the first month, 2,000 players perished from the initial 10,000, and only the first floor was cleared. At that time, the highest-leveled player, Kirito, was at Level 14.

Compared to the original timeline, the current progress was far superior. The increased number of players and the integration of Pokémon mechanics significantly sped up the clearing of the game.

Three weeks ago, after clearing the first floor and defeating the Kobold Lord, Madara immediately led the 200 players present to establish the [Clearer Group], a concept that was originally introduced in the fourth month under Kayaba Akihiko's leadership.

The Clearer Group functioned like a coalition, uniting multiple guilds to defeat floor bosses while allowing members to manage their own affairs in between boss fights.

Currently, at least 10% of the remaining 47,000 players—around 4,700—had gathered on the tenth floor. This meant that these players were part of the top echelon, eligible to join the Clearer Group.

During this month, several guilds of varying sizes had also been established.

The Three Major Guilds

1. [Dawn]

Founded by Madara, [Dawn] was the first guild to emerge in the game.

Though small, with only 70–80 members, these players were among the elite. Madara maintained a strict recruitment standard, accepting only those with outstanding combat abilities and potential, while ensuring the guild could provide gear and training for its members.

2. [The Army]

This guild, which appeared in the original story, was the largest in SAO, currently boasting over 500 members.

The guild leader was Kinka, the manager of the MMO information hub "MMOTODAY," the largest of its kind in Japan. Kinka's goal in founding [The Army] was to liberate players from SAO, restore order within the game, and lead everyone back to the real world.

In the original story, Kinka was later betrayed and trapped in the dungeon beneath Black Iron Palace by Vice Commander Kibaou. Though Kibaou managed [The Army] as its de facto leader, his incompetence led to numerous failures, ultimately causing dissent among the members.

Despite the eventual dissolution and restructuring of [The Army], the guild made substantial contributions to maintaining order among lower-tier players, preventing chaos within SAO.

In the current timeline, Kinka remained the leader, but the vice commander position was filled by someone far more capable than Kibaou. [The Army] was also the largest faction within the Clearer Group, regularly contributing 100 players for boss raids and serving as a core force.

3. [Trainer Association]

The most unique guild, the [Trainer Association], exclusively welcomed players who were Pokémon Trainers. Currently, the guild had around 50 members.

Its leader was the vice president of the Japanese Animal Protection Association, a compassionate middle-aged vegetarian woman whose Pokémon was a Bellsprout. She had even saved two beta players on the first floor.

The guild's two vice leaders were "Celia the Cat Tamer" and "Asuna, the Shining Trainer."

Although there were over 200 Trainers in SAO, not all of them joined the [Trainer Association]. Some were drawn to other guilds like [Dawn] or [The Army], while others remained unaffiliated.

Joining the [Trainer Association] required passing a strict screening process. Players who treated Pokémon as mere tools were rejected. The guild valued those who believed that Pokémon were not just data but sentient beings.

Because of this mindset, other players often viewed the [Trainer Association] as eccentric. For instance, members would buy food from shops to feed wild Pokémon or build shelters for them in the wilderness, despite the lack of tangible rewards.

While these actions baffled most players, Trainers admired and sometimes secretly supported such efforts, understanding the motivations behind them.

Aside from these three major guilds, a few smaller but notable guilds existed.

[Holy Dragon Union]

Once the second-largest guild, boasting over 300 members, [Holy Dragon Union] specialized in following players to steal last-hit rewards or rare drops.

However, after being ambushed by [Dawn] and [The Army], the guild lost most of its members, leaving behind only a small group of diehard rogues.

[Wanderers]

A guild comprised entirely of solo players, [Wanderers] was led by "Kirito, the Dual-Wielding Trainer." Its vice leader was a mysterious and powerful swordsman rarely seen by others.

This guild was established under the encouragement of Izuna after Kirito witnessed a solo player being ambushed while grinding monsters. Determined to protect solo players, Kirito formed [Wanderers], with Izuna supporting his decision.

Although player-killing incidents were rare in the game at this stage, darker guilds, such as [Titan's Hand] and [Laughing Coffin], would inevitably arise later.

Floor 10: The Desert Kingdom

The tenth floor was an expansive desert. Even within its towns, sandstorms frequently swept through, creating harsh living conditions. Players were eager to complete this floor and move on.

The average level of players here was Level 16, with a cap of Level 18. Due to increasing experience requirements, it now took about a week of grinding to reach the level cap.

In a tavern on the edge of the central town:

"You remember the boss of the tenth floor, right?"

Izuna took a sip of her beer, labeled [Shirley], and found it decent. She then turned to Kirito with a sly smile.

"The Samurai Lord."

Of course, Kirito remembered. This boss left a deep impression on him.

It was the most human-like boss during the beta test and, ironically, the one most similar to himself.

The Samurai Lord wielded two katanas in a dual-wielding style. While it lacked flashy skills, its swordsmanship was terrifyingly precise, earning it the title of the "strongest solo combat boss" during the beta.

Though its lack of area-of-effect attacks made it relatively easy for groups to defeat, Kirito once challenged it alone and was utterly crushed. This experience left him convinced that no player could solo this boss.

Later, however, Madara, Izuna, and Dak effortlessly defeated it with their superior skills, earning Kirito's heartfelt respect and the honorific title "sensei."

"I've already spoken with Nii-san. For this floor's boss, it's just you and Sneasel."

Izuna grinned mischievously, her eyes gleaming with amusement as she glanced at Kirito.

Kirito & Sneasel:

"Huh? Me?"

"Snee?"

(End of Chapter)

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