At this moment, the war in the Belloso Kingdom had ended, and the forces of the Sea Transport King had emerged victorious.
Li Yuan only needed to take over the Belloso Kingdom now, without expending any of his own forces.
"Yes, honorable Li Yuan!"
Upon hearing Li Yuan's words, the person immediately gathered the remaining forces and left, not daring to delay.
Watching them depart, Li Yuan immediately instructed his people to take over the Belloso Kingdom.
"The rulers of the underworld: the Sea Transport King, the Usury King, the Queen of Pleasure District, the King of Assassins, the King of Intelligence, the King of Storage—these underworld figures from the original story are starting to show themselves, huh?"
"It seems the structure of the New World is about to change."
Li Yuan couldn't help but smile.
With Rocks' death and the disbandment of the Rocks Pirates, the ties between these underworld rulers and the Rocks Pirates had also collapsed.
As a result, the interests of those who once supported Rocks were disrupted, and they were eager to find new partners to continue amassing wealth in the New World.
The New World's wealth pales compared to the four seas, but the seas are under the World Government's control, making it difficult for them to gain more benefits there.
Only in the chaotic New World could they achieve immense profits.
But to gain enough wealth in the New World, one must have enough power, or else all riches would become targets for other pirates.
After dealing with the Belloso Kingdom, Li Yuan returned to Wano, coinciding with Ashura Doji's return.
"Captain, I've made up my mind. I want to eat a Devil Fruit to enhance my strength!"
Upon knowing Li Yuan had returned, Ashura Doji sought him out.
"Oh? It seems you've thought it through!"
"Ashura Doji, with your talent, if you focus on swordsmanship without a Devil Fruit, reaching the level of a great swordsman shouldn't be a problem."
"But if you consume a Devil Fruit and split your focus, your path in swordsmanship might waver, making it harder to reach the level of a great swordsman."
Li Yuan said seriously.
A great swordsman needs to comprehend the essence of the sword, and those who are single-minded can grasp their own sword intent more easily.
As a great swordsman, Li Yuan understood the way of the sword deeply.
The way of the sword emphasizes an unwavering heart. It doesn't mean a Devil Fruit user can't become a great swordsman.
But after obtaining a Devil Fruit, reliance on the sword decreases, weakening the initial sword heart, making it harder to grasp sword intent.
As far as he knew, all great swordsmen in the pirate world were not Devil Fruit users when they became great swordsmen.
Of course, Shiki the Golden Lion ate a Devil Fruit after becoming a great swordsman.
"Captain, I've thought it through."
"I seek absolute power. Once, swordsmanship was my only path to strength, so I devoted myself to it."
"Now that a Devil Fruit can quickly enhance my power, I won't give it up."
"So I'll take both paths. Even if it slows my progress in swordsmanship, my overall strength will increase, and that's enough!"
Ashura Doji said earnestly.
"If that's your choice, then I won't say more."
"This is the Zoan-type Crocodile Fruit, Ancient Model: Emperor Crocodile. It's a very powerful ancient Zoan Devil Fruit."
"It grants you immense physical strength and recovery abilities, which I think suits you."
"After eating it, you'll fear the sea and Seastone. If you fall into the sea, you'll be powerless and drown."
"Similarly, touching Seastone makes you powerless, an ideal time for enemies to strike. Remember these points!"
"As for developing the Devil Fruit, consult Karu or Barrett."
Li Yuan handed Ashura Doji a Devil Fruit he had kept.
This ancient Zoan Fruit was one of the most precious in his collection, second only to mythical Zoans.
The Emperor Crocodile is a king among crocodiles, known for its immense strength and defense.
"Thank you, Captain!!"
Ashura Doji thanked him and immediately consumed the Devil Fruit.
"Roar!!!!"
After eating the fruit, Ashura Doji transformed into a ten-meter-long massive crocodile, resembling the ancient Emperor Crocodile reborn.
"Ah, Captain, how do I change back?"
Ashura Doji, looking at his reflection, asked in surprise.
"Use your will to control your body's power and revert back."
Li Yuan, though not a Devil Fruit user, knew some techniques.
"As expected of an ancient Zoan Fruit, my strength has increased greatly!!"
After returning to human form, Ashura Doji clenched his fists excitedly.
Even without transforming, the ancient Zoan Fruit's abilities had partially enhanced his body.
"Develop this Devil Fruit well and enhance your power. Our pirate crew will soon face strong Navy forces and pirates!"
Li Yuan nodded in satisfaction.
Once Ashura Doji familiarized himself with the fruit's powers and integrated them into his swordsmanship, his strength would see a rapid boost, finally giving Li Yuan a formidable subordinate.
Shortly after Ashura Doji left, Kano and Karu entered, seemingly planned.
"Senior brother, we're here to ask about becoming swordsmen."
Kano and Karu said nervously, reminiscent of their feelings on Feiqing Island when they couldn't grasp Li Yuan's teachings.
"I understand your intentions. You haven't reached the swordsman level because you rely too much on the Devil Fruit."
"Other pure swordsmen rely only on their swords."
"Such swordsmen are confident in their swords, believing they can cut through anything and defeat all enemies!"
"But since eating the Devil Fruit, you've reduced your reliance on the sword, losing the purity you once had."
"...."
Li Yuan wasn't angry, still patiently teaching them as he did on Feiqing Island.
He knew his two junior brothers weren't exceptionally talented. For them, the swordsman level was their peak; becoming a great swordsman was nearly impossible.
To become stronger, they must focus on Devil Fruits and Haki besides swordsmanship.
"Find your initial passion for the sword, and breaking through should be possible."
"Specifically, wear this Seastone and use these swords to cut through these steel blocks!"
Li Yuan provided two ordinary iron swords and two steel blocks.
"Yes, senior brother!"
Kano and Karu, hearing this, happily took the swords and steel.
Though not highly talented, they trusted Li Yuan completely.
They never doubted his words, believing whatever Li Yuan said was right.
"Go ahead, I hope you reach the swordsman level soon."
Li Yuan said, pleased.
He appreciated Kano and Karu's confidence in him. Lack of talent wasn't scary; not knowing oneself and refusing to try others' methods was.
Seastone suppressed their Devil Fruit powers and made them weak.
Training with Seastone increased their resistance and reduced reliance on the fruit, helping them regain their original passion for the sword.
In good spirits, Li Yuan visited Wano's weapon factory. The pollution issues weren't fully resolved, but had been halved, with scientist Yumaz working on improvements.
"General!!"
Upon his arrival, workers, blacksmiths, and managers all saluted.
Li Yuan was Wano's most beloved general, respected everywhere.
"How goes weapon production?"
Li Yuan asked the factory manager.
"General, we've produced many weapons. The best match the Wind Cutting Sword you provided as a reference—two in total."
"However, due to material constraints, we've only made these two, using up the best resources."
The manager said, presenting the swords.
"Oh? You've really made them."
Li Yuan admired the swords, which reached the quality of the Fifty Skillful Grade.
The Fifty Skillful Grade wasn't limited to fifty swords; it was a quality level, something Li Yuan was sure of.
As for whether the Twenty-One Great Grade Swords or the Twelve Supreme Grade Swords had fixed numbers, Li Yuan wasn't sure, having never seen more than twenty-one Great or twelve Supreme swords.
Unable to forge Great or Supreme swords himself, he couldn't confirm.
Now, with Wano's technology, his factory could produce Skillful Grade swords continuously with enough materials.
When he first set sail, he didn't even have a Skillful Grade sword, and thinking back, he felt nostalgic.
"I'll handle the materials. You've done well."
"I'm pleased with your performance. Everyone in the factory will get a 50% salary increase, including this month's pay!"
Li Yuan praised.
"Thank you, General!!"
Everyone cheered at the news.
Their factory salaries were already high, and the raise was a delightful surprise!
Li Yuan watched their reactions with satisfaction. Spending money to ensure loyalty and win hearts was worth it.
Moreover, their skills were valuable, likely unique to Wano.
"Emiro, how's your learning going here?"
Li Yuan asked a young man nearby.
Emiro, a Steel Fruit user, was sent to learn blacksmithing at the factory to develop his Devil Fruit abilities.
"Captain, I've just learned to refine ordinary iron."
Emiro replied, scratching his head.
"Good, keep learning. Your Steel Fruit gives you a steel body, but in this world, many can cut or shatter steel."
"I want you to learn to forge your steel body like a weapon."
"When you can apply blacksmithing techniques to your fruit, you can leave here."
Li Yuan nodded.
"Thank you for your guidance, Captain."
Emiro wasn't foolish and understood Li Yuan's intent.
Since joining the Infinity Pirates, he realized his weakness and was eager to grow stronger.
"Hmm, why don't I see little Faraday and the others today?"
Back at the mansion, Li Yuan curiously asked Yadina, who was handling affairs.
Usually, when he returned, the children would run to greet him, but they weren't home this time.
"They're out playing with other children in the Flower Capital."
"They had no peers on Amazon Lily. Now in Wano, they've made many friends their age and are enjoying themselves."
"But they've inherited your excellent genes, and even at a young age, they're strong, having already beaten up other kids and made them subordinates, becoming leaders."
Yadina laughed, covering her mouth.
"Let them play if they want."
"It's been a while since we've played. With the kids out, we should have some fun too."
Li Yuan said, admiring Yadina's black shirt, slim waist, snow-white skin, and flowing blue hair, giving her an elegant charm.
"It's daytime, what if they come back?"
Yadina felt warm under his gaze but worried about the kids catching them.
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