“Knights….Templar?”
“We do not advocate violence, but we will not shy away from it. In order to uphold the glory of our Lord, fighting is inevitable. This is a team solely dedicated to the Lord, fundamentally different from pirates.
Their existence is solely to spread the glory of our Lord. This is a chaotic world, and the turbulent seas threaten the safety of the people.
We must make them understand that the Lord can bring peace and allow the world to be reborn.
Come with me. I have an appointment with Miss Shayna to inspect the strength of the knights.”
Tiger, who believed he had understood enough of the doctrines, now realized that he had underestimated the development of the Arceus Cult during this time.
An Altaria flew out from the clouds, bringing Tiger and Misu to an open space in Hakumai.
Thirty members of the Arceus Cult were already waiting here. Among them were men and women, split into five groups of six. They were awaiting inspection.
…
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Shayna. I spent a bit more time explaining the doctrines to the newcomers.”
“It’s alright. They seem to be well-prepared?”
“Of course. They’ve been waiting for this day for too long. From the beginning, we have been prepared to dedicate ourselves to the Lord…”
“There’s no need for that. Don’t forget what the Lord Sacred Beast said, life is the most precious thing. When faced with something you cannot defeat, protecting yourself is the most important thing. I still have things to do, so let’s begin.”
“Understood.”
“Children! The time to evaluate your efforts has come. The Lord is watching you from afar. Let His messenger witness your efforts!”
Under Misu’s lead, their bodies began to change. A Zoan-type transformation ability wasn’t rare in the one piece world, but what was unusual was that all these people looked the same after transforming.
Rather than transforming, it would be more accurate to say that they were all donning armor.
Golden armor covered their entire bodies, and they each grew a golden shield with red protrusions on both hands. Their heads were also covered by golden helmets, and each one had a red metallic crown on their head, with the crowns of five of them being much larger than the rest.
Their shields were also unique, with a triangular notch cut out.
“These are… the Knights Templar?”
“That’s right, this is the power of the Lord. These children lost their original families for various reasons and struggled to survive in the various corners of the sea. We brought them back and taught them knowledge.”
“These thirty people are the ones with exceptional physique and the strongest overall abilities. They are also the first graduates of Rokushiki.”
“They have devout belief in the Lord and passed the trial of the Sacred Mountain, which is why they have been granted this honor.”
Pokémon are not solitary individuals, but rather a biological group. In their natural environment, Pokémon mostly live in groups.
Some Pokémon are less dependent on their groups, while others rely heavily on the support of their companions, such as Wishiwashi.
As individuals, Wishiwashi are weak and fragile, but when countless Wishiwashi gather together, they become fearsome sea monsters.
These thirty people have the same ability: Formation Pokémon – Falinks, a highly unique Fighting-type Pokémon.
In the games, six Falinks collectively count as one Pokémon.
However, when Falinks transformation ability is bestowed upon other people, each Falinks becomes an independent entity. Six individuals with Falinks’ ability together form a complete Falinks squad.
According to Falinks’ habits, the one at the forefront is the strongest and smartest, responsible for controlling the formation and giving commands to the Falinks behind it.
It was the same here. They stood out in the evaluations and became the leader of Falinks.
Unlike individually strong officers, their personal strength may not match theirs, but through teamwork, they can combine their strength to unleash greater power.
Moreover, the limit is not just six people. While six form a squad, five squads can also combine to create an even stronger force.
“Battle formation, assemble!”
The Falinks leader stood at the front, with the others standing behind, quickly forming a triangular assault formation before Shayna.
In order to survive better, wild Falinks leaders have absolute control over the Falinks behind them. They can command them to appear in the right positions, sometimes even sacrificing individuals for the greater good of the group.
But things are different here. The Falinks leader uses its horned crown for better communication, enabling quicker reactions in the shortest time possible. Therefore, discipline and obedience are crucial. Pirates who are used to being undisciplined are simply not suitable for this kind of ability.
Only these faithful believers, united by their shared faith, can achieve such unwavering obedience.
Their existence is not to deal with those monsters. Just as magic is needed to fight magic, facing those monsters, you need monsters at the higher levels to deal with them.
The purpose of these Knights, aside from spreading the glory of the Arceus Cult, is to turn the tide of grassroots-level battles in future conflicts.
This requires them to have real strength, and not just be a pretty facade. Therefore, a test is needed. Shayna flapped her wings, releasing a barrage of flaming feathers toward the young knights.
“Defend!”
The advancing triangular formation stopped in its tracks. The shields in their hands interlocked tightly, forming an impenetrable wall.
Clink, clink, clang!
Facing Shayna’s attack, the Falinks’ ironclad formation remained unmoved. Even if someone was injured, the formation would immediately adjust to shield them from further harm.
“Not bad. It seems I underestimated them. They might be able to handle even stronger forces.”
That was just a casual attack from Shayna. For them to hold firm under such an assault was already impressive in her eyes.
“Scatter! Encircle!”
Falinks’ Ability Users, following their leader’s command, moved outward in different directions, surrounding Shayna. Eventually, they boxed her in with their shield formation.
Since this was a test, Shayna chose not to fly away and instead attempted to break through head-on.
…
The outcome of the battle was no surprise. Their strength was far below Shayna’s, and their numbers weren’t enough to bridge the gap. However, they managed to stall Shayna for a short while, which was already an impressive feat given their strength.
With a suitable person leading them, this elite squad could undoubtedly play an unexpected role.
“Miss Shayna, what do you think of them?”
“Not bad, they didn’t waste the power given to them by Lord Sacred Beast. But this is still not enough. Next comes real combat. The environment of the New World is a bit too dangerous, so start from the first half of the Grand Line instead.”
Chapter 836 Six in One, Falinks Knights
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