NOVEL NEXT Chapter 189: Chapter 188: Selling Ships
"Thank you, husband!" Yadina said, accepting the Devil Fruit from Li Yuan without hesitation and eating it. She wouldn't refuse a gift from him.
"How do you feel?" Li Yuan asked curiously.
"Hmm, it's like my thoughts are much clearer now. Problems that seemed difficult before don't seem so hard anymore," Yadina answered after a moment of contemplation.
"Now think about how you're going to handle my attack," Li Yuan teased, seeing Yadina's cute and slightly dazed expression, as if discovering a new side to her.
Yadina, usually gentle and graceful, now appeared adorably bewildered, captivating Li Yuan completely.
"The sisters are still here!" Yadina blushed, glancing at Lazuli and Shakky nearby.
Such a situation, with her and Li Yuan in combat while the sisters watched, was unprecedented for them.
"You two go ahead and chat; Lazuli and I will step out," Shakky said, noticing the interaction between Li Yuan and Yadina and offering to give them space.
"Don't worry, Shakky and Lazuli will join the fight too!" Li Yuan insisted, stopping them from leaving.
They had never engaged in such a multi-person battle before.
Facing all three women, even for the first time, Li Yuan was confident, utilizing his physical prowess, size-shifting abilities from Life Return, and techniques developed over years. In the end, he managed to overwhelm them completely!
With the emergence of the Infinity Pirates and Flying Pirates as the victors of the New World war, and the defeated pirates battling for half a year, the New World's power dynamics finally settled into place, marking the year 1489 in the Sea Calendar.
The New World now saw the Infinity Pirates and Flying Pirates as its leading crews, each considered a "Legendary Pirate Crew."
Although the Roger Pirates and Whitebeard Pirates boasted strong individual members, the New World valued dominance, usually measured by territory size.
The Roger Pirates' low profile during the New World struggle led to them being overlooked.
As the defeated, John, Silver Axe, Wang Zhi, Branton, and Wald showed signs of forming an alliance.
However, today, John unexpectedly contacted Li Yuan.
"Yohoho, Li Yuan, it's been a while!" John's voice came through the Den Den Mushi.
"John, what do you want?" Li Yuan asked, surprised, looking at the Den Den Mushi mimicking John's face.
"Yohoho, nothing much. Just thought we hadn't talked in a while and wanted to see how you're doing," John chuckled.
"If you don't have anything important, I'm hanging up. I don't have time for idle chat!" Li Yuan said, lounging on a chair, enjoying grapes peeled by Lazuli, watching Akame and others play on the beach.
He was savoring his post-training relaxation, only for John to disrupt it. Had it not been for their past, he wouldn't have answered.
"Yohoho, Li Yuan, you're as impatient as ever. I'll get to the point. What will it take for you to sell me that steel ship?"
"It's not just me; Wang Zhi, Silver Axe, Branton, and Wald all want one."
"I'm representing them and myself in this discussion," John stated plainly.
"Oh? Are you trying to threaten me?" Li Yuan asked, smirking.
"If you want them so badly, why not team up and come to the Infinity Sea? If you defeat my Infinity Pirates, you can have the steel ships, even the Hades itself!"
Li Yuan laughed coldly. Silver Axe and Branton, as the defeated, wouldn't dare attack the Infinity Sea unless pushed to desperation.
Even if John, Wang Zhi, and Wald attacked, Li Yuan wasn't afraid.
He knew John was bluffing.
"Yohoho, the New World war just ended. We can't start another conflict."
"We just want to peacefully purchase the steel ships."
"Li Yuan, just tell us what you want for the steel ships. Don't give us excuses about the technology being immature."
John, seeing his bluff failed, laid his cards on the table. They wanted the ships.
"Hahaha, John, business is business. Why the pretense?"
"I don't understand. My steel ships are just sturdier than yours. Why are you so eager to buy?"
Li Yuan laughed.
"Li Yuan, you're pretending not to know. Everyone knows your Hades doesn't need sails and is much faster!"
"If we had such ships, we could cross the Calm Belt to the Four Seas and raid them!" John explained, gritting his teeth.
As losers, their territories were smaller than those of the Infinity and Flying Pirates.
Smaller territories meant less protection money.
To gain more land, they had to fight, but they couldn't defeat the Flying or Infinity Pirates or other major pirates.
If this continued, the Flying and Infinity Pirates would widen the gap with them due to territorial advantages.
Seeing the Hades, they realized they could cross the Calm Belt to the Four Seas without needing Golden Lion's abilities.
The Four Seas were larger, richer, and seen by the World Government and Navy as a backyard of wealth.
Their past raids on the West Blue with Rocks revealed the Four Seas' wealth.
John saw an opportunity.
Sea Kings in the Calm Belt were no issue for powerful Conqueror's Haki users like them.
"So that's your plan. But you know, building steel ships requires a lot of steel and minerals."
"What resources do your territories have?" Li Yuan asked, intrigued by John's proposal.
Letting these pirates raid the Four Seas seemed interesting. All they needed were ships that could cross the Calm Belt.
The New World was just half the Grand Line, small compared to the world's seas.
Yet it birthed the world's top fighters. The World Government hoped to contain these powerful individuals in the New World with the Calm Belt.
As long as they couldn't leave, they posed no threat to the World Government, maintaining its dominance.
Once the Calm Belt no longer restrained them, the world's chaos would be fascinating to Li Yuan.
"What resources do you need? Give us a list, and we can sell them to you at regular prices," John offered.
He knew buying the ships required payment. As long as Li Yuan wasn't unreasonable, they'd agree.
"No, John, not regular prices. Thirty percent below," Li Yuan said with a smile.
He wouldn't buy at regular prices. He wasn't desperate. Normal business tactics were fair, considering his pirate occupation.
"Thirty percent? No way, twenty at most!" John retorted, frustrated by Li Yuan's bold demand.
"Fine, twenty percent. If you want the ships quickly, bring the materials to Thomas Island in the Infinity Sea."
"Coordinate your orders and contact the person in charge there," Li Yuan instructed.
"Yohoho, Li Yuan, I hope we have a pleasant cooperation!"
"But Li Yuan, you won't reveal our plans to raid the Four Seas, right?" John laughed.
"John, I'm a pirate. Why would I reveal it?"
"Besides, I should thank you. You've given me an interesting idea. The New World is small, but the Four Seas are vast and rich."
Li Yuan chuckled, ending the call, uninterested in further conversation.
"Li Yuan, are John and the others really planning to raid the Four Seas?" Yadina asked curiously.
"Probably. With the Infinity and Flying Pirates holding the central and front New World, they don't fear the Navy."
"But it also blocks their expansion. For more wealth, they can either collect protection money or develop trade."
"As pirates, they rarely understand trade, so raiding the Four Seas is an option," Li Yuan explained.
"I see. I'll arrange for the Thomas shipyard to build their ships," Yadina nodded.
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