"We are willing to follow you, sir!"
Seeing the gruesome fate of the woman just moments ago, the slaves dared not resist and could only obey Li Yuan's orders.
"Karu, once we're aboard, quietly deal with those few slaves who harbor ill intentions. The others will serve as labor on the ship."
Li Yuan, using his Observation Haki, detected several slaves who held hostility toward him. It went without saying that those few were doomed.
"Li Yuan, they are..."
As the Wuji pirate ship drew closer, Yadina noticed the slaves.
Kind-hearted Yadina, even as a pirate, still retained her innate goodness.
"These are captured slaves. I'm rescuing them and letting them work on the ship to escape their fate as slaves."
Li Yuan explained. He didn't expect Yadina to change her kind and naive heart so quickly; it required a gradual process.
"Can I take them as my maids?"
Upon hearing Li Yuan's words, Yadina looked at the dozen or so girls with a compassionate gaze.
She understood that for some girls aboard a pirate ship, without anyone to protect them, life would be incredibly difficult.
"Of course, they can be under your care. You can have them do the laundry and cooking on the ship."
Since Yadina had asked, Li Yuan wouldn't refuse.
"What are your names?"
Li Yuan turned to the group of slaves, noticing a male Fish-Man and a male member of the Mink Tribe.
Li Yuan had many thoughts about Fish-Men.
After all, the ocean covered the largest area in the world, and Fish-Men could swim freely in the sea. Their natural strength and physique were superior to humans.
If he could recruit more Fish-Men to form a Fish-Man fleet, it would greatly benefit his future endeavors.
He also had thoughts about the Mink Tribe, as their Moon Lion form was a remarkable racial ability.
If he could harness that form, coupled with their strength, it would be comparable to a low-level Superhuman Devil Fruit.
"I'm Gerald," the Fish-Man said nervously, aware of the many evil perceptions humans held toward them.
"I'm Kumus!"
Kumus, in contrast to Gerald's anxiety, remained relatively calm.
"I'm quite optimistic about you two. I want to train you as my crew members. How about it? Do you want to join my crew?"
Li Yuan asked.
Putting aside their potential talents, just their races already made them candidates to become his crew.
Whether they ultimately earned his favor would depend on their future performance.
"Uh? Crew members?"
Gerald and Kumus were both excited upon hearing Li Yuan's words.
Although they had been captured as slaves, they had seen reports about Li Yuan before becoming slaves and knew how powerful he was as a pirate.
Now that Li Yuan said he wanted to recruit them, it felt like a pie dropped from the sky, leaving them momentarily stunned.
"What? Are you unwilling?"
Li Yuan pressed on.
"Ah, no, no! I mean, I'm willing! I'm willing!!"
"I am too!"
Gerald and Kumus quickly responded, eager and stumbling over their words.
"Good! From now on, you are officially my crew members. You won't have to do the same labor as the other slaves; you can enjoy all the benefits that come with being part of the crew."
"I have only two requirements for my crew: loyalty to me and sufficient strength!"
Li Yuan stated.
"Yes, we will absolutely be loyal to the captain, and we will work hard to grow stronger!"
Once they confirmed that Li Yuan genuinely wanted to take them as crew members, Gerald and Kumus replied excitedly.
The treatment of crew members was far superior to that of mere laborers.
"Gerald, you should know Fish-Man Karate, right?"
Li Yuan nodded in satisfaction.
"Yes, I know a bit, but my Fish-Man Karate isn't very strong."
Gerald responded.
"That's fine! Just make sure to train well in Fish-Man Karate; it's a very powerful martial art suitable for Fish-Men."
"Karu, take Gerald and Kumus below deck. Let them join the training with the other disciples and help them quickly enhance their strength."
After arranging for Gerald and Kumus, Li Yuan left the matter in Karu's hands.
Gerald and Kumus were a part of his strategy for the future, considering the Fish-Man Island and the Mink Tribe.
In the days that followed, they smoothly passed through the Calm Belt and returned to the New World.
However, Li Yuan didn't want to return to Honeycomb Island just yet; instead, he opted to explore the New World a bit.
Cuilin Island was a bustling place, with a thriving economy and various factions converging, creating its prosperity.
Since their ship needed supplies, they arrived at this island to restock.
Li Yuan entrusted the supply tasks to his subordinates and decided to take Yadina, who had never been to Aska Island, to explore the island.
Of course, he had Xiaqi give her a full makeover, enhancing her makeup, hair, and even her facial appearance.
He left the Wind-Cutting Blade behind. After all, the Seven Star Sword was now integrated into his body and could be summoned at any time, so the Wind-Cutting Blade was effectively retired.
Karu followed behind them like a bodyguard.
This time, he was out for a break and didn't want any distractions that might spoil his leisure time due to his identity being revealed.
"Wow, that's so beautiful!!"
"Li Yuan, come look! That smells like it would taste amazing!"
"What's that?"
"..."
Yadina resembled a small girl who had just stepped into the big city from the countryside, curious about everything around her.
"I told you, Yadina, I've told you before, don't call my name."
Li Yuan helplessly pulled back the little butterfly that seemed ready to fly away and covered her mouth.
"I know, I just got too excited and forgot! How about I call you Stephens instead?"
Yadina playfully stuck out her little tongue.
"Stephens, what's that place? There are so many people, and it looks so lively."
Yadina pointed at a tall building in front of them.
"That's an auction house. You can buy all sorts of rare items there. I've never been, but let's go check it out."
To be honest, Li Yuan's experiences were only slightly more extensive than Yadina's. He had never visited places like Joy Street, casinos, or amusement parks.
He was either training or traveling for training, or he was busy robbing—he never really enjoyed the unique aspects of this world.
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