Summoner in One Piece

The familiar scent of salt and decaying vegetation filled Alex's nostrils as he stepped through the shimmering portal. Beside him, Erza, Tsunade, and Olvia emerged into the humid air of the One Piece world. They stood on the same ravaged battlefield where they had last fought, now a grim testament to the passage of time. Bones lay scattered amidst overgrown weeds, and the clear signs of corpses having been devoured by scavengers painted a desolate picture. The eerie silence, broken only by the distant calls of gulls, felt heavier than the din of battle.

"It's... exactly as we left it," Erza murmured, her hand instinctively going to her side, where her sword usually rested.

Alex scanned the morbid landscape. "The Corrupted Spinosaurus... we need to confirm if it's no longer on this island or not."

"Discretion is paramount," Erza urged. "A direct confrontation without knowing its current state would be foolish, especially after our last encounter."

Tsunade, ever practical, took charge of the scouting. "I'll handle it," she declared, her fists glowing faintly with chakra. She quickly created several clones, identical to her in every detail. "They'll scout the island. If they find it, they'll report back instantly." With a nod, the clones dispersed, moving with surprising speed and stealth into the dense jungle.

The wait was tense. Minutes crawled by, feeling like hours. Then, a pulse of information slammed into Tsunade's mind. Her clones dissolved, their mission complete.

"I found it," Tsunade stated, her voice grim. "It's in a village, about half a day's march inland. Or what was a village. It's a complete ruin now, devoid of humans. Just... devastation. It seems to have made itself a nest there." She relayed the coordinates and the Spinosaurus's current position within the ruins – it appeared to be resting, perhaps even asleep.

A plan quickly formed in Alex's mind. "Excellent. This changes things. Tsunade, Erza, you two will initiate the attack. A sneak attack, to disable it as much as possible before we engage directly. We will confront it as a group and finish it together."

They set out, moving through the overgrown jungle with practiced silence. The journey was arduous, but the thought of vengeance spurred them on. As they approached the ruined village, the stench of decay grew stronger, mixed with a faint, sulfuric odor. They found the Corrupted Spinosaurus amidst the rubble of what looked like a central plaza, its massive, mutilated body sprawled out, its remaining eye closed in fitful sleep.

Alex gestured. Tsunade and Erza moved with silent precision, each scaling a different, sturdy tree overlooking the beast. From their vantage points, they drew their chosen weapons. Tsunade held a simple, yet robust, iron spear, its tip now glowing with a vibrant, emerald chakra. Erza, on her opposite perch, grasped a similar spear, the metal shimmering with the potent, crimson glow of her infused mana.

With a shared nod, they launched their spears simultaneously. The twin projectiles streaked through the air, piercing the beast's thick hide with sickening force. One spear buried itself deep into the Corrupted Spinosaurus's remaining eye, eliciting a guttural shriek of agony. The other plunged into its exposed throat, tearing through tissue and severing vital arteries.

The creature thrashed, its body convulsing violently, its roar a strangled gurgle. It rose, blind and bleeding profusely, its remaining forelimb flailing wildly, desperate to strike. The ground shook with its dying struggle.

"Now!" Alex roared, charging forward, his Longsword held high. Olvia was a blur beside him, her lithe form weaving through the rubble, her elegant light sword a silver gleam. She moved with an almost ethereal grace, her blade blurring as she expertly carved deep wounds into the monster's legs and flanks, further destabilizing it. Her combat efficiency from the "Goddess's Consort" blessing was astonishing to behold. Erza and Tsunade remained strategically positioned, observing the beast's desperate struggle, ready to intervene if necessary, but the critical spear wounds had already decided the main engagement.

The Corrupted Spinosaurus roared its final, desperate challenge, attempting one last, massive, blind tail swipe. But Alex, fueled by the rage of his fallen comrades, seized the moment. With a powerful thrust of his Longsword, enhanced by his divine blessing, he plunged the blade deep into its already fatally wounded throat, right beside Tsunade's embedded spear. He twisted the blade with a furious roar, ensuring the blow was absolute.

The colossal beast shuddered, a final, rattling breath escaping its mangled throat, and then crashed to the ground, dead. Silence descended once more, absolute and profound.

Alex pulled his blade free, panting, and looked down at the monstrous corpse. A wave of exhaustion washed over him, quickly replaced by a surge of triumph and profound relief.

"We did it," Erza said, her voice hoarse, a grim satisfaction in her eyes. "Revenge."

Olvia knelt, checking for any lingering signs of life, then straightened, a rare, genuine smile on her face. "It's over."

As Erza spoke, a sudden, intense surge of mana coursed through Alex's body, a feeling of immense pressure building from within him, threatening to tear him apart. He gasped, dropping to one knee.

"Alex! Sit down! Try to withstand it!" Erza screamed, instantly recognizing the signs of an overwhelming power surge, her own experience with such phenomena making her voice sharp with urgency. "Don't fight it, guide it! Or else you might die!"

Not wanting to die, Alex instinctively followed her instruction, forcing himself to sit, trying to ground the surging power. The pressure mounted, his muscles screaming, his vision tunneling. It felt like an arrow straining against an unbreakable barrier within his very soul. He gritted his teeth, sweat beading on his forehead. This lasted for what felt like an eternity, but was likely only a couple of minutes. Then, with a sudden, internal snap, something broke free within him, like that arrow finally shattering its confines. An immense power surged, and an invisible, oppressive aura pulsed outwards from him, sweeping across the desolate battlefield. He was unaware of this outward release, focused solely on containing the internal explosion.

A notification flashed in his mind, clear and concise:

"System Notification: Rank Up! Knight has ascended to Dragon Knight!"

Alex, leaning on his sword, suddenly felt a flicker of doubt. "Did we... did we waste months waiting? Was this just an easy kill now?"

Tsunade, walking past him, cuffed him lightly on the head. "Don't be an idiot, Alex. It was an easy kill because it was a perfect sneak attack, and it was asleep. And because we used those months to grow stronger. Every single one of us. That 'wasted' time ensured this victory, you buffoon." Her playful chiding brought a much-needed lightness to the grim scene.

"She's right," Erza added. "We've all refined our skills considerably. And you are far more powerful than before."

"Before that," Tsunade interjected, already creating several clones. "A quick hunt. We need to eat something substantial after that fight." Her clones dispersed into the jungle, returning swiftly with freshly caught game. Olvia and Tsunade's clones quickly set up a fire and cooked the meal. As they finished the hot, replenishing meal, Alex felt revitalized.

Alex finally grinned, pushing away the lingering doubts and the fading discomfort of the rank-up. "Right. You're both right. Now, then... let's try something new."

His gaze swept over the desolate island. "I want to try a summoning. Let's find an appropriate spot."

They soon located a secluded cove with a sheer cliff face dropping into the sea below, where jagged, spiky rocks jutted out from the water – a perfect natural trap if a summon went wrong.

Alex activated his system, carefully selecting the components. "I'll use the Fire Stone," he muttered, drawing the crimson crystal from his inventory. This was the result of his fief's growth, of the faith spread in Afureia, and the system points he had accumulated. He then selected the essence of the Corrupted Spinosaurus, a chilling, yet powerful, component. "And the Kou Ri Gen, Kyuu Gen, Go Kei." These were rare, potent materials he had acquired over his time managing Tonryuu, known for their powerful properties.

He poured a large amount of mana into the ritual, feeling the familiar hum of the system. The air crackled around him, energy swirling into the cove. 

The ritual continued, growing in intensity, until with a sudden BANG! a blast of harmless, vibrant flames and molten magma erupted, which quickly dissipated into smoke, covering the cove in a dramatic haze.

As the smoke cleared in a few seconds, a small silhouette became visible. 

A tiny lizard? Alex blinked, surprised. It was an unknown magic beast, small and reptilian, yet radiating an undeniable aura of power. 

A wave of relief washed over him that it wasn't another corrupted monstrosity.

The System promptly chimed with a notification of a successful summon.

"Would you like to name this summon?"

Alex considered for a moment, then shook his head. "Not yet. I'll name him when the time is right." He spoke aloud, and the System responded.

"All details regarding the new summon can be gathered for 50 SP. Would you like to proceed?"

Alex sighed begrudgingly. "Yes, spend it." He watched his SP count drop to 550.

Immediately, a stream of information flooded his mind:

Name: Acronix (current stage: Acronox Line, Pseudo-legendary Pokémon Line)

Type: Dragon and Fire

Abilities: Blaze, Intimidate

Current Form: Acronix (evolves into Acroflare, then Acronox, and Mega Acronox)

Bonded Status: Due to the Beast Bond skill, Alex gains a small amount of shared stats from Acronix. Fire Type chakra and Magic is boosted.

Note: This Acronix is a newborn.

Alex stared at the information, a slow grin spreading across his face. A pseudo-legendary Dragon-Fire type Pokémon. A Dratini for Ammar, and now this. His summoning powers might have changed, but they were certainly delivering.