Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

"What's fun in Taiwan?"

"It's said to be a tourist destination, so there should be plenty of nice attractions."

"That's a bit naive. I've heard that the local snacks are absolutely amazing."

On the plane, everyone's spirits were high. Talking about the International Youth Baseball Tournament in Taiwan, no one seemed nervous at all.

Even Coach Takeda seemed confident of victory.

Although Japan hasn't won the championship in the World Series in the past, their overall performance hasn't been bad because they always give their best effort. They consistently finish in the top ranks, usually in second or third place.

In terms of points, they were 60 points ahead of America.

Currently, Japan holds the No. 1 spot in the world rankings.

America, the "baseball kingdom," was ranked No. 2.

The place they were going to, Taiwan, was currently ranked No. 3 in the world.

Cuba held the fourth spot.

South Korea was ranked fifth.

Looking at these rankings, one could roughly estimate the strength of each team.

Even among the five major baseball powerhouses, the gap in strength is significant.

Generally, America is considered the top tier with strength surpassing the other teams.

Following them are Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and Cuba.

Strictly speaking, the strength gap between the top teams in these regions isn't very large.

Among these regions, Japan is relatively stronger.

Especially in the high school stage, Japan is essentially No. 1 in the world.

There is a saying in international baseball: "Little League—look at Taiwan; Youth League—look at Japan; Professional League—look at America."

America has the most prestigious professional baseball league in the world, something that others can't match.

In recent years, Taiwan's ranking has risen, jumping to No. 3 in the world.

But their strength in Little League has been impressive long before their rankings improved. Even when they were ranked No. 5 or 6, their Little League teams would often win championships at the World Series.

In America, apart from the legendary Dream Team, the performance of their youth baseball teams hasn't been that great.

This has a lot to do with their style of play.

Japan, Taiwan, South Korea—these Asian teams are particularly strong in terms of tactics and skill application.

In contrast, America places more emphasis on individual player development.

Baseball, after all, is a sport, and players refine their physical fitness to the extreme, blending their skills in batting and defense into their very bones.

American players who believe in this style of baseball may not showcase their full potential in their youth, but as adults, their powerful physical fitness combined with developed skills makes them unmatched.

Saying all this is just to help everyone understand a concept.

The reason the players on the plane are so relaxed is not without reason.

First, they are the strongest players of their age group.

Because of the existence of Koshien, Japan has gained worldwide fame in high school baseball.

Second, these players are very confident in their abilities.

The "12 rising Talents," the "Demon King," and a continuous stream of other top players...

This current era in Japan is undeniably the age of superstars.

The media directly calls them "The Generation of Miracles."

Their talents and skills are unprecedented.

With all these top-star players gathered together, how could they possibly lose?

Of course, the reason everyone is so confident is partly due to the experience that Sawamura previously had, leading the Seidou High School baseball team on a tour of America.

Before that, Japanese players weren't this proud.

Although their strength was indeed great, they had no idea how strong the foreign players really were.

In such a situation, they couldn't submit easily.

Before, when Seidou High School's baseball team was on a tour of America and played against their most famous Dream Team, they didn't lose in the slightest. They didn't embarrass themselves at all.

To be blunt, based on that game, the two teams were evenly matched.

It was that game that gave the other Japanese players tremendous confidence.

Even with the "Demon King" Sawamura and a few 'weak' teammates from Seidou High School, they could achieve such results. How could they possibly lose with all their top players together?

"Are we being too optimistic?"

Of course, not everyone was that optimistic. Miyuki, who had faced America's players before, seemed more concerned.

When people watch games, all the passion is usually focused on the score.

"We can't help it. We'll see when we actually face a tough opponent," Sawamura said.

This thought wasn't just held by Sawamura; Coach Takeda had the same mindset. Before they left, Takeda had warned his players not to be careless. "Although our strength is strong, we must remain cautious. We are in an era where information is highly transparent. Many of our games are available online, especially the ones with Sawamura. Wherever he goes, the school cafeterias are always empty."

Because of Koshien, it's easy for opponents to research their team.

They may not have fully realized Japan's strength at first, and could have been negligent. But once they arrive and Japan starts to show its strength, they can no longer hide it.

Moreover, their biggest competitor, America, had already seen the strength of Sawamura's team on their previous tour.

There was no way they didn't know who the "Demon King" was.

"Forget it. We'll face whatever comes our way. There's no use worrying. Let's just enjoy ourselves for now," Sawamura said, closing his eyes.

Although he said that, Sawamura knew very well that things might not be as smooth as they seemed for Japan.

From what Sawamura understood, there had been many emerging talented baseball players lately.

Not only in Japan.

Taiwan, Cuba, Europe...

All these places had produced outstanding players.

America's Dream Team was at the core, and people referred to this era as the "Explosion Year" for players.

This meant that people officially recognized the strength of the players emerging in this period.

It's said that from the 90s to the early 2000s, human life expectancy and physical fitness saw a huge leap.

For example, the average life expectancy was around 50 years before, but now it's typically 70-80 years.

In competitive sports, records were constantly being broken.

Specifically in baseball, an increasing number of talented players have emerged recently.

Their strength was so beyond ordinary imagination.

The sudden emergence of so many talented players might be due to this.

Looking around at his teammates chatting and laughing, Sawamura didn't know what to say.

Some things, no matter how much he warned, wouldn't make a difference in the future.

People would do what they had to do. That's human nature.

Unless they felt the pain, they wouldn't wake up.

Although Sawamura was worried, he didn't show it.

After all, it could be that he was just overthinking.

The players from the "Explosion Year" became famous after the draft.

As their performances improved, the term "Explosion Year" grew in popularity.

The period was still far off, and Sawamura couldn't be sure if things would unfold this way.

He couldn't provide any evidence, and even if he warned everyone, it might be all for nothing if they hadn't awakened yet.

Baseball players, especially those who play well, quickly reach a plateau.

This is something every outstanding player encounters.

After several hours of flight, the plane landed in Taipei City.

"Warmly welcome friends from all over the world to Taiwan for the tournament…"

As soon as they got off the plane, they saw a banner from the organizers.

"This way, this way."

Along with the banner was a rather gentle young man, leading them to their hotel.

"We'll go to the hotel first. Sorry, the translator hasn't arrived yet. Does anyone speak English?"

There were people who spoke English, but not many who could communicate fluently.

"Lead the way! We'll follow!"

Sawamura stepped forward and gestured simply.

"You can speak English, that's great!"

The organizer in charge let out a huge sigh of relief and immediately led the Japanese players to the hotel.

As they went to the hotel, they looked around and saw many small shops.

These shops sold goods and various products, but most were specialty stores.

Even through the glass windows, they could smell the delicious food.

"These snacks must be amazing," said Kuramochi.

Sawamura had no doubt about it.

This was practically a part of Taiwan's culture.

No matter where you stayed, you could always solve all your needs just by walking one or two blocks.

Whether you wanted food or to buy something, it was all just around the corner.

Such an environment was quite appealing to the team.

"After the tournament ends, we must explore and have some fun here," some teammates started planning what to do after the game.

"There won't be much free time. By the time the tournament is over, school will be starting soon," another teammate replied.

"Well, that's just how it is!"

They lamented their misfortune but also boasted proudly.

After all, others would love to have their tough schedule but didn't have the opportunity.

People really are strange creatures.

After returning to the hotel, the guide had to leave.

Before leaving, he informed everyone that they needed to be ready tomorrow afternoon for the opening ceremony and the group draw.

It was a long tournament with 12 teams battling it out.

The team that remained last would be World No. 1.

Given the higher rankings and with a single-elimination format, Japan, America, and Taiwan wouldn't have to face each other early on.

They'd advance directly to the quarterfinals.

The other 9 teams would battle each other, and the 5 winners would join the top three teams in the quarterfinals.

Then, it would be a series of elimination matches.

The last team standing would be crowned World No. 1.

Everyone was satisfied with the distribution, and after the guide left, they all rested in the hotel.

Of course, not really resting—they were discussing their upcoming opponents.

America, Cuba, Taiwan, South Korea...

What were the strengths of these teams? What was their actual power?

They analyzed their strengths and weaknesses, and the results seemed favorable for them.

Takeda, the Coach, was very experienced, and the assistant coach was also very skilled. They presented professional information.

For Sawamura and Miyuki, however, this was new territory. Although they had won championships before, they had never encountered such an experience.

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