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Deep in Ariel's eyes, a flash of sharpness flickered.
He decided not to delay any longer. He knew it was time to change the tide of battle.
He gave Mega Gyarados a single simple command, one enough to turn the situation around:
"Dive underwater and power up with Dragon Dance!"
Mega Gyarados churned beneath the surface, its massive body kicking up a spray of water before vanishing into the deep sea.
The surface of the sea regained a brief moment of calm, as if everything that had just happened was merely an illusion.
Seeing this, a hint of mockery appeared on Brother Chao's face.
He raised his voice, sounding somewhat piercing in the sea breeze:
"You brainless fool! You sent your Gyarados into the sea, now let's see how you'll survive!"
In his view, Ariel's move was no different from cutting off his own arm, leaving himself isolated and without help.
He believed Ariel had lost his final reliance; next would be the moment he harvested his victory.
Sharpedo and Poliwrath seemed to receive their orders. They no longer tangled beneath the surface but instead shot like two arrows toward the deck where Ariel stood.
Sharpedo's sharp teeth glinted coldly in the sunlight, and Poliwrath's fists were brimming with energy, their targets aimed straight at Ariel.
Danger was imminent.
However, Brother Chao's smile did not last long.
Just as Sharpedo and Poliwrath were about to pounce onto the deck, the Greninja beside Ariel moved.
Its movements were so fast they were difficult to track with the naked eye, leaving only a few blurry afterimages behind.
Double Team was activated, and several illusory copies of Greninja scattered, drawing all the attention of Sharpedo and Poliwrath.
The real Greninja took Ariel and leaped lightly backward, creating a safe distance from the two pokémon.
The entire process was smooth and seamless, without a single hitch, as if it had been practiced a thousand times.
Brother Chao's expression froze on his face before his smile could even fade.
His gaze moved past the Sharpedo and Poliwrath that were attacking the shadows and stared at Ariel.
In mid-air, a Malamar hovered quietly. Its eyes were like two cold searchlights, firmly Locked-On to Brother Chao.
A chill ran down Brother Chao's spine as an unprecedented sense of crisis surged in his heart.
The next second, Malamar's figure vanished from its spot, and when it reappeared, it was already behind Brother Chao.
Eight tentacles, like eight flexible chains, instantly bound Brother Chao tightly, pinning him so he couldn't move.
"What?!"
Brother Chao panicked, his mind in total disarray.
He had never imagined that this seemingly young opponent would have such hidden methods up his sleeve.
He began to look back—when did this Malamar appear?
It wasn't a backup or a surprise reinforcement.
It had been there from the beginning, but he had ignored it, or rather, it had been monitoring him in an inconspicuous way all along.
This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment trap; Ariel had absolute control over the battle from the start, and everything was within his calculations.
The Squad Leader beside Brother Chao was so frightened by this sudden turn of events that he slumped to the ground, his face deathly pale.
He tried to save Brother Chao from Malamar's tentacles, struggling to stand up.
However, with just a single look and a silent Psychic wave, Malamar caused the Squad Leader's brain to instantly cease functioning.
There was no struggle, no scream; the Squad Leader's body simply stiffened before he collapsed to the deck, his eyes wide open but devoid of life.
Brother Chao looked at the fallen Squad Leader beside him, the chill in his heart spreading throughout his entire body.
He realized he had been dead wrong; he had completely underestimated his enemy.
He turned to look at his Sharpedo and Poliwrath. They were attacking Greninja's Double Team clones, but because their master was controlled, their movements showed clear hesitation and doubt, not daring to truly approach Ariel.
"Come protect me!"
Brother Chao screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice tinged with despair.
Ariel's voice rang out at that moment, calm yet carrying an unquestionable authority:
"If you dare move, Malamar will tear you directly into pieces."
He paused, his tone carrying a cold cruelty.
"Do you know about the two fins under Malamar's tentacles? They are incredibly sharp and can slice you in half like cutting through tofu."
Ariel's words painted a clear and terrifying picture, making the hair on Brother Chao's neck stand on end.
Beads of sweat rolled down Brother Chao's forehead as he felt the tentacles tighten further.
He understood that Ariel was not joking.
He had lost, and he had lost completely.
He took a deep breath, his voice raspy:
"I lose. As long as you don't kill me, name any price you want."
In his eyes, there was no longer any of his previous arrogance, only deep fear and submission.
Underwater, Mega Gyarados's Dragon Dance enhancement was underway.
On the surface, the Pokémon Defensive Array was tight.
Throughout the entire battle, the opponent had been played by Ariel.
Hearing the other man's words, Ariel smiled.
Ariel's smile was faint, the kind of smile that carried an air of scrutiny.
Because in his eyes, the greatest use of this Team Aqua Great Captain was simply to see what level his Gyarados could reach after its Mega Evolution.
As for Team Aqua's secrets, he wasn't very interested in them for now; besides, a secret from a mere Great Captain's mouth wouldn't likely link to Team Aqua's true classified information.
He said nothing, yet Brother Chao's breathing suddenly became ragged.
The salty stench of the sea breeze now seemed to turn into the metallic smell of blood, pouring straight into his lungs.
His plea for mercy just now seemed so pale and weak in the face of the other's silence.
"I... I'll tell you all of Team Aqua's strongholds nearby! And their personnel deployments, even... even the secret operations of the other Great Captains!"
Brother Chao's voice took on a sobbing tone. He felt the tentacles Malamar had wrapped around him tighten; every bit of pressure felt like a death warrant.
He began to speak incoherently, constantly throwing out bargaining chips, trying to find a glimmer of life in Ariel's calm, unruffled gaze.
He was panicked, truly panicked.
The indifference in that youth's eyes made him more terrified than facing any ferocious beast.
He even began to recall if he had ever offended this youth, but his mind was a complete blank.
He was just a Team Aqua Great Captain, usually overbearing and arrogant, but before this youth, he felt like an ant that could be crushed at any moment.
He even began to wonder if he had said something wrong that angered the other party, but he hadn't said anything; there was only silence.
This silence was the most lethal thing of all.
After waiting a while, Ariel finally spoke, his voice as calm as the sea breeze: "It's a deal."
Before Brother Chao could even breathe a sigh of relief, Malamar's eight thick tentacles suddenly tightened!
With a 'crack,' the crisp sound of breaking bones echoed on the deck. Brother Chao's body instantly contorted as he let out a short, shrill scream that was abruptly cut off.
His eyes bulged, and in his remaining consciousness, he only had time to see Malamar's cold, massive eyes that looked like a deep-sea ghost before everything faded into darkness.
The air on the deck instantly froze.
Brother Chao's corpse hung limp in Malamar's tentacles.
"Roar!"
"Puji!"
Two roars of extreme fury rang out almost simultaneously.
Sharpedo and Poliwrath's eyes were bloodshot. Their master—the person who usually ordered them around but also fed them and fought alongside them—had been brutally killed right before their eyes.
It was a wild rage born of being betrayed and trampled upon. They no longer had any reservations; in their eyes, there was only this cold youth.
Sharpedo's massive body swung violently, kicking up a wave of water, its sharp teeth flashing with a cold light as it pounced directly toward Ariel! Poliwrath's arm muscles bulged, and it pushed off with its feet, following close behind like a cannonball.
Ariel's expression didn't change; he didn't even lift an eyelid.
To him, Brother Chao's death was merely the prelude to the upcoming battle.
What he wanted was for Mega Gyarados to completely showcase its power in this fight.
"Gyarados, it's your turn."
Ariel spoke softly, his tone carrying a hint of barely detectable anticipation.
Following his command, the sea surface suddenly boiled!
A massive pillar of water shot into the sky as if the Sea God were enraged, washing the deck clean of seawater.
At the top of the water pillar, a giant dragon with an even larger body and scales shimmering with a deep blue metallic luster burst out of the water!
Its body twisted as it let out an ear-splitting roar, a sound carrying the majesty of the dragon race that instantly suppressed the roars of Sharpedo and Poliwrath.
Mega Gyarados!
Under the enhancement of Dragon Dance, its momentum had reached an unprecedented peak.