"Was there something annoying nearby just now?"
"Probably. Anyway, it's already been dealt with."
That kind of insignificant ant didn't even catch the attention of Zekrom and Reshiram; they certainly didn't deliberately aim their attacks at him. But in order to capture clear footage, the CP0 agent had practically disregarded his own life.
Just because he went unnoticed, however, did not mean he could leave this place intact.
Arceus's demand was not to let the island below be affected, which was a rather difficult requirement to meet. If the area below couldn't be touched, then they were restricted to the area above it, so the sky was filled with scattered lightning and flames.
This CP0 agent was simply caught in the full-force aftermath of Zekrom and Reshiram's attacks. Even so, at the very least, he still dutifully pressed the shutter one last time instead of trying to escape.
This CP0 agent was countless times more dedicated than the one who intervened in the battle between Kaido and Luffy in the original timeline. Of course, the consequences of being caught in stray aoe attacks and provoking Kaido in the middle of a battle are entirely different.
At least Zekrom and Reshiram didn't glare at him with their terrifying eyes.
"You know, Reshiram, I've wanted to beat you up for a long time."
"What a coincidence. I've been feeling the same way."
The battle between the two dragons raged on tirelessly, not stopping whether it was day or night. Their attacks didn't affect Dressrosa, but it made the night sky as bright as day. To them, a little light and noise hardly counted as any real disturbance.
In fact, in a way, that brightness actually helped a lot.
First, the earthquake triggered by Pica changed all of Dressrosa's terrain. Then there were battles everywhere, followed by the shockwaves from Mother Flame's attack. Dressrosa was almost entirely remade.
Most buildings were badly damaged and needed to be rebuilt.
But most people in Dressrosa were cheerful about it. They had gained their freedom and recovered lost memories, and were now looking forward to the future. The people of the entire country, together with the Tontatta Tribe, were rebuilding their home.
To get things back to normal as fast as possible, everyone was working day and night. The light from thunder and fire acted as artificial suns, giving them a new light source.
They even experienced something completely different from it.
Pokémon possess diverse abilities, especially those with "authority" like these. Their mere presence, even without engaging in battle, can trigger extraordinary phenomena across the world.
The torrential rain within Kyogre's domain, the magma lands under Groudon's feet.
Xerneas sharing life and bringing everything to bloom.
Yveltal plundering all living things, causing everything to wither and die.
These are all Pokémon with powerful external manifestations.
Zekrom and Reshiram do not have the power to reshape the land and sea, nor do they wield the fearsome authority of life and death; their influence lies more in the realm of the mind.
This power also affected everything around them in subtle ways.
Boom!
Along with the rumbling of Zekrom's lightning, a craftsman below swung his hammers.
There weren't many countries with widespread electricity, and what Dressrosa had was already destroyed in the battles. Now, all their lighting relied on torches and the like.
But the long-lasting lightning was far better than torches. The thunderous light dispelled the darkness, and the craftsmen could see his building materials much more clearly.
But in the shadows cast by the lightning, he seemed to spot something strange.
It was clearly just a patch of shadow, but he saw himself in it, or rather, the self he dreamed of being.
He seemed to see himself building wondrous machines with ease, leading everyone to fly into the sky amid cheers.
Rubbing his eyes, the craftsman looked in disbelief at his dream-self. That was the dream he once had, the ideal from his past, but it had been gradually abandoned as time passed.
It was a legendary and romantic experience for him, and only under this magical lightning did he recall those memories.
"So, I never really stuck to my dreams… But that's fine, I guess. Maybe I just never had what it takes."
After reminiscing about his younger days, he turned back and continued swinging his hammer.
Each time he swung his hammer, that ideal version of himself waved at him.
This filled him with a surge of emotion, and even his heartbeat quickened.
Just as the beating of his heart reached its peak, the light of flames replaced the lightning, and the version of himself in the shadows vanished.
In its place appeared a road full of thorns, with layers of thorns burning in brilliant white flames. At the end of the road stood a figure, aged yet upright, looking back at him.
Though the face looked a bit older, it was clearly himself. Not his past ideal self, but the version forged by real life.
Though it had been a hard journey, there was a look of contentment on his face.
This craftsman was just one example. That night, it seemed as if everyone on the island saw a reflection of themselves.
Some have lived out their ideals, some continue to strive for them, and others have chosen to keep their feet on the ground, walking the path most true to themselves, which also made them realize that the future seems to hold even more choices.
This was the influence that Zekrom and Reshiram's power had on them. With their main bodies fighting at full strength, the power of ideal and truth unconsciously affected everything around them.
This power could stir emotions in people's hearts, but what choices to make still depended on the individuals themselves.
The next day, Dressrosa's reconstruction work continued, but the area around the Corrida Colosseum had been turned into a memorial hall.
Luffy's presence was greatly diminished; very few people in Dressrosa remembered him. However, the faces of Usopp and Buggy had been remembered; after Sugar's ability was cancelled, they became the heroes of Dressrosa.
People remembered their faces and placed their statues behind Kyros's statue.
Meanwhile, on the high ground created by Pica's power, under Violet's guidance, some craftsmen were casting statues of Zekrom and Reshiram.
Aside from those taken away by the Beasts Pirates, the remaining members of the Donquixote Family were either arrested by the Marines or disappeared in the chaos. The terrain changed by Pica's power was difficult to restore, so they simply made use of it.
In the eyes of those here, no matter what, Zekrom and Reshiram had stopped the mysterious attack.
Originally, only Violet could see Zekrom and Reshiram clearly with her powers, but after that night, many people had glimpsed the shadows of Zekrom and Reshiram and understood more about what had happened that day.
At the same time, a group of World Government agents arrived on the island. Officially, they were there to offer condolences and help Dressrosa deal with the ruins, but in truth, their real mission was to search for fragments of Mother Flame.
They were determined to retrieve every remaining piece.
King Riku didn't bother with these agents and instead focused on dealing with all kinds of troublesome issues.
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