"Hahaha, everyone, the enemy has left! Let's set sail and continue our adventure!" Roger shouted enthusiastically to his crew, ignoring the spies watching from afar.
The Roger Pirates had faced such disasters before, so they quickly adjusted and continued their journey with renewed excitement and vigor.
"Big news! The Flying Pirates and Roger Pirates fought to a draw!"
"Is the Roger Pirates about to join the ranks of the legendary pirate crews like the Flying and Infinite Pirates?"
"The Battle of Ed War Sea ended unexpectedly!"
With the Roger Pirates back at sea, spies quickly relayed the information, and the World Economy News' seagulls delivered the story worldwide. The Roger Pirates were now recognized as a legendary pirate crew, alongside the Flying and Infinite Pirates—a title earned through strength, acknowledged by all in the New World.
Thus, the New World hosted three legendary pirate crews.
The New World, home to many powerful pirates, maintained a delicate balance without widespread chaos. This was largely due to the new ship propulsion systems from Thomas Dock, created by the Infinite Pirates, allowing pirates to cross the Calm Belt and raid the Four Seas, providing an alternative source of wealth beyond the New World's limited resources.
With more ways to obtain resources, major pirates no longer targeted the territories of legendary crews or rival pirates, as these were difficult to seize without risking their lives. Instead, they focused on raiding the Four Seas while avoiding the Navy and World Government's watchful eyes.
This was the common mindset among the New World's major pirates, including the Infinite Pirates. They knew the New World was their stronghold, the only place safe from sudden Navy and World Government attacks.
The New World was pirate territory, and any attempt by the Navy or World Government to intrude would be met with unified resistance, protecting pirate interests.
Whitebeard Pirates:
"Pops, pops! Big news! The Flying Pirates and Roger Pirates fought to a draw, and the Roger Pirates have become a legendary pirate crew!" Marco announced excitedly, bringing the newspaper to Whitebeard.
"Gurararara! So Shiki and Roger ended in a draw? I thought Shiki would win. It seems he hasn't gone completely mad," Whitebeard mused, reading the paper.
He knew the Flying Pirates were stronger overall than the Roger Pirates, so a draw meant Shiki hadn't committed all his forces or was unwilling to suffer the losses of defeating Roger.
"Pops, now that the Roger Pirates are a legendary crew, when will we challenge one of them? If we win or draw against one, we can become a legendary crew too!" Jozu suggested eagerly.
Becoming a legendary pirate crew was prestigious. Among the many crews in the New World, only three held this title, and the Whitebeard Pirates weren't among them, frustrating Whitebeard's children.
To them, their father was the strongest man, and the Whitebeard Pirates deserved to be legendary.
"Gurararara! Becoming a legendary crew is fine, but you must defeat Rayleigh and Jabba of the Roger Pirates, or Reinhardt, Harold, and Aslan of the Flying Pirates, or Barrett, Ashura Doji, and Chinjao of the Infinite Pirates first!"
"I can defeat Shiki, Roger, and Li Yuan, but you must hold your ground until I do!" Whitebeard laughed.
Having learned Life Return from Li Yuan and regaining control over his body, Whitebeard had healed many old injuries and grown stronger, confident in his ability to defeat any opponent.
But becoming a legendary crew required more than just him; his children needed to hold their own.
"Don't worry, Pops! In a few years, we'll be ready to challenge those legendary crews!" Jozu and the others promised, setting aside their pride.
Three years ago, attending the World Swordsmanship Tournament had shown them the gap between themselves and Ashura Doji, Rayleigh, and others. They realized they held Whitebeard back. Otherwise, with his strength, they would already be on par with the legendary crews' captains.
Exposure to the world's top fighters had humbled them, unlike the fearless ignorance of before.
"Gurararara! All that matters to me is your well-being. Your safety means more than any legendary title, which can't compare to even half a finger of yours!" Whitebeard reassured his children, seeing their guilt.
He cared nothing for fame, only his family's well-being. Others' opinions meant nothing to him.
Infinite Pirates:
"Shiki didn't push to the limit and preserved his crew's elite."
"Nor did he suffer severe injuries. This shows there's no such thing as destiny."
Li Yuan reviewed the report on the Flying Pirates, noting a photo of Shiki without a helm embedded in his head, unlike the original timeline.
Shiki was different now, lacking the bond with Roger, not losing to a storm, and not charging Marineford alone after Roger's surrender.
This affirmed there was no unchangeable destiny, only the changes wrought by his influence.
Even the legend of the Sun God would become irrelevant due to him.
"This world will be mine!" Li Yuan declared, his ambition clear.
"I believe you'll achieve your dreams, Husband!" Shakky said, embracing him with warmth and trust.
Only with her did Li Yuan reveal his true self.
"When I become king, you'll be queen!" Li Yuan whispered, holding her close.
Becoming king was his original dream, now expanded to leading his family and crew to the throne.
"Husband, our trade island in the West Blue, Grimo Island, has flourished, becoming one of the most prosperous trade islands."
"We've expanded our business to the West Blue's major islands and nations, establishing hidden trade depots."
"This fulfills our initial goal. What's next?" Shakky asked after they enjoyed a moment of warmth.
Li Yuan always set the overall direction for the Infinite Pirates, leaving others to execute and develop his plans.
"The West Blue's hidden power isn't its nations but its Mafia organizations."
"Do we have dealings with any of the Five Mafia Families?" Li Yuan asked after some thought.
"Yes, mostly business interactions."
"Recently, the Capone Family attacked our arms shipment. We're planning to retrieve it and make an example of them."
"Also, the Paramecia-type Castle-Castle Fruit you wanted is with the Capone Family. We don't know if they've used it," Shakky informed him.
"The Capone Family, huh? Let's handle this ourselves. We have time," Li Yuan suggested, intrigued.
Since commissioning Caesar to study Devil Fruits, Li Yuan had Shakky track valuable fruits. The Castle-Castle Fruit was one such target.
"Are we visiting the Capone Family directly or retrieving the arms first?" Shakky asked, eager to accompany him.
She cherished outings with him, rare due to his busy schedule.
"Let's go straight to the Capone Family. The arms are with them, and once we control the family, the arms will be ours," Li Yuan decided.
"Great! Follow me," Shakky said, leading him into a large mirror.
Through the Mirror World, they quickly arrived on Escobar Island, the Capone Family's base.
Escobar Island:
Though the Mafia's base, the island was home to over a million, thriving under the Capone Family's rule.
Disguised, Li Yuan and Shakky walked hand in hand, blending in seamlessly.
They explored the island leisurely, like a couple, enjoying the shops, snacks, roses, clothes, and circus performances, before heading to the Capone Family's headquarters.
"Impressive, the Capone Family has over 20,000 Mafia on the island. As one of the Five Families, they have at least 50,000 under them," Li Yuan noted through his Haki.
Despite their numbers, to someone of his level, they were insignificant. Quantity meant little without strength.
"The Mafia has existed for centuries, initially dominating and pillaging islands. But after being suppressed by the World Government and powerful nations, many declined."
"Yet five families remain strong, for unknown reasons, maintaining their power," Shakky explained.
"Just like the legends, they're well-dressed in suits!" Li Yuan remarked, observing the Mafia.
"The Mafia are like pirates, but more accepted. They don't kill and plunder like pirates but collect protection money, offering security to islands against other threats, so they're not hunted by the Navy."
"They earn well, but mainly at the top. The lower ranks are like ordinary pirates," Shakky continued.
"We're from the Infinite Pirates, here to see your boss. Inform him," Li Yuan said to the Mafia guards at the Capone Family's base
-Support me on Ko-Fi for 35+ advance chapters there.
https://ko-fi.com/zxc1015
Thanks!