John couldn't help but be a little skeptical. His first game had been a huge hit, then he found himself overwhelmed, and now here he was again, crashing into yet another unexpected situation!
"Then, this game…" John asked hurriedly.
He hadn't forgotten the costs of becoming popular before. Pokémon was bound to the "Second World," and he couldn't afford to play around with it too much—especially with so many eyes monitoring server data.
But at least back then, he had been in control. Now, this kind of official intervention made him cautious. He wouldn't just hand his game over to others without a fight.
"Don't worry, the game is still yours. We're just looking at the player feedback after you open the two-way exchange, and we won't interfere with your management of the game," David Cooper said with a smile, reading John's thoughts.
"Oh, that's a relief," John sighed, feeling some tension leave him.
If they had wanted to take ownership of his game, John wouldn't have given in so easily. After all, he had built up quite a treasure trove of resources by now. The system's current exchange store offered more than just Devil Fruits and famous weapons—it even had options for Haki abilities.
Still, John wasn't about to create unnecessary chaos. He just wanted to focus on building a great game.
Suddenly, a thought crossed John's mind, and the corners of his mouth curled into a slight smile. "Ahem, Master David, since I'm helping you test whether the game's two-way exchange can be successful, shouldn't I get something out of this as well?"
Michael, who was sitting nearby, relaxed in his chair but trembled slightly at John's boldness. You really dare to ask for more?
David Cooper laughed heartily, then narrowed his eyes as he said, "Of course, we wouldn't leave you hanging. We'll deal with anyone trying to stir up trouble for you."
John knew David was referring to those whose interests might be threatened. While John wasn't worried about them, it was definitely a relief to have the Dragon Kingdom's officials handling it.
"Anything else?" John asked, pushing his luck.
David smirked. "Besides that, we're also genuinely interested in your game's deeper mechanics."
"My game's mechanics?" John raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," David said, his tone shifting. "Specifically, the unique features. You know what I'm talking about. Your AI system is groundbreaking. The Pokémon in your game don't just follow scripted paths—they think, react, and even change based on how players interact with them. That's not something we've seen before in other virtual worlds. Care to explain how you managed to pull that off?"
John was caught off guard for a moment. So, they had noticed. He kept his face calm, though, and responded casually, "It's just a matter of design. I wanted the Pokémon to have a dynamic feel, so I programmed them with multiple layers of responses to give them a lifelike presence. It's part of what makes the game immersive."
David's eyes narrowed as he studied John. "Impressive. We had a feeling it wasn't just regular programming."
John nodded, maintaining his calm demeanor, though inwardly he was amused. If only they knew about the system helping me out…
David continued, "All we're asking for is cooperation. We won't push too hard. As for benefits, how about we talk about a few Devil Fruits?"
"Devil Fruits?" John echoed, raising an eyebrow.
"We're strangers to this world," David explained. "But as the game's creator, you should know which Devil Fruits are worth having, right?"
John paused, thinking it over. David wasn't making unreasonable demands, and it could work out in John's favor. If the Dragon Kingdom started buying Devil Fruits, other players would see their value. It was an opportunity to grow the game even more.
Smiling, John said, "If the kingdom wants to enter the game world, it's an honor for me. But I can't just hand out Devil Fruits directly. If you're serious, let me know when you're ready, and I'll arrange for you to 'buy' them in an auction."
"Can't we just find them lying around?" David asked with an amused smirk.
John coughed lightly, "That would be too obvious. The players would catch on immediately."
David chuckled. "Fair enough. You really are as sly as your father was when he was young."
John glanced at Michael, who sat there with a stern face. The idea that his father had been sly when he was younger was surprising—he had always thought of Michael as more of a straight arrow.
With that, David wrapped up the conversation. "Alright then, I'll look forward to seeing what happens next. You've got some big shoes to fill."
The meeting was over, and the rest of the group shifted into their regular business discussions. John knew that from this point forward, the real excitement in the game world was only just beginning.
A/N; Thanks for reading, donate some power stones for extra chapters.
Also check out my Patreon if you want extra chapters up to chapter 65: Patreon.com/AncestorX
Enjoy ✌️.
"Michael, Your Son is the Real Hidden Gem"
After John left the room, David Cooper looked at Michael and joked, "Your son is quite the dark horse."
Michael remained stoic, his expression unreadable. "Master Cooper, you give him too much credit. He's just designing games."
David shook his head. "You're downplaying it. Those games are something else. Do you know how many jobs that Pokémon game has created?"
"My daughter is obsessed with dressing up her Pikachu. She's even organizing a beauty contest for it!" David chuckled before turning serious.
"This is what we need to discuss today. Pokémon has taken Seaside City by storm. The league competition you implemented there had an overwhelming response. Now, the higher-ups want to expand this into a national league."
David continued, "John has already provided the framework for us. Every participant needs to collect eight gym badges. So far, Lily has the only gym in Seaside City. We need to establish more gyms in your regions."
As he spoke, David gestured to the people around him, who all received an email.
"The purpose of these gyms is to test the trainers' abilities. You'll need to follow these guidelines for setting up your gyms. For now, they will only be in first-tier cities. It's up to you to decide who runs them, but let me remind you: there will be oversight. It's best not to get any funny ideas."
David's demeanor shifted, and the atmosphere in the room grew heavy. The leaders around the table nodded in acknowledgment, sensing the gravity of the situation.
"Additionally," David continued, "it's not just about league battles. We've discussed how the value of Pokémon isn't just in combat. There's training, customization, even beauty contests. We want to explore all these aspects. We'll start the testing in Seaside City, under your watch, Michael. If successful, we'll roll it out nationwide."
Michael nodded. "Understood, Master Cooper."
This was another opportunity for Seaside City to shine, and for Michael to cement his political success. The groundwork was being laid for his ascension as the leader of Eastflower Province.
"That's it for now. You all know what to do. Prepare accordingly."
On the other side, John logged out of the "Second World" game. There wasn't much more he could do for the moment.
The Dragon Kingdom moved quickly. Shortly after John returned to the real world, just as he was contemplating what Devil Fruits to introduce next, the Dragon Kingdom reposted an announcement about "One Piece" on the official WebNet page for "Second World." Their stance was simple and clear: they supported him.
The move caught game companies off guard. They were gearing up to accuse John of "destroying the game market," but now, with the Dragon Kingdom backing him, their protests seemed hollow. The message was clear: the market hadn't complained, so why should they?
Inside "Second World," after the Dragon Kingdom declared their support, five men quietly gathered in a modest house. These five were titans of the virtual gaming industry. Aside from "Second World," almost every other top-tier game was under their control.
At first, when "Second World" was developed, these men sought to divide it among themselves. Any time a talented game designer appeared, they either bought them out or crushed them. But John was different. He rose too quickly and didn't follow the usual rules. They couldn't find an opening.
Now, with the Dragon Kingdom behind him, they were furious.
"Dammit!" one of them snapped. "Why did the government approve this? Aren't they worried about the game market collapsing?"
A square-faced man chuckled darkly. "I think they knew this was coming. John's just the pawn they're using to see how we'll react. It's a message: don't try any underhanded tactics."
"We'll give them a response all right," another man muttered, his face grim.
"We don't need shady tactics to deal with a kid like him. We'll just enter his game and tear it apart from the inside!" One of them slammed his fist on the table.
"Didn't he allow in-game currency exchange? We'll make sure he loses everything."
"I've studied his game. I admire his vision, but this game is still a tool we can use against him."
"Are you worried he might manipulate the game to block us?"
"That'd be a mistake on his part. If he pulls something like that, it gives us a reason to take him down. Even the Dragon Kingdom can't protect him from that kind of backlash."
"We've got more resources than civilians. In his game world, we can buy up everything and force him to pay us back."
They were confident. This method had worked before against other rising game designers. The victories they'd achieved made them feel unstoppable.
"Let's start slow. Each of us will invest 100 million Dragon coins."
A collective murmur of agreement passed through the room. 100 million Dragon coins converted into 10 billion Beli inside the game. A small test for them, but enough to begin shaking things up.
"Agreed. We'll recruit specialists to dive into his game. If John makes even a small mistake, we'll pounce."
They smirked, already envisioning John's downfall. It was a tactic they'd used to crush countless others before. To them, John was just another name on that long list of victims.
A/N; Thanks for reading, donate some power stones for extra chapters.
Also check out my Patreon if you want extra chapters up to chapter 70: Patreon.com/AncestorX
Enjoy ✌️.
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