One Piece:Becoming the King of the World from the Rocks Era

"Where's your sincerity?" Li Yuan asked with interest.

Swearing allegiance isn't just about words; there must be something tangible. Otherwise, Li Yuan wouldn't know how to trust him.

"This is my Vivre Card, along with the location of my hidden treasures," Umit said, handing over the prepared items.

"In that case, I accept your allegiance. Yadina will make the necessary arrangements for you. Also, we will not disclose your complete membership in the Infinite Pirates. You'll continue to operate as you have, understood?" Li Yuan said as he took the items from Umit.

Though rumors spread that the Shipping King had joined the Infinite Pirates, they were just that—rumors without confirmation. What Li Yuan needed was an unverified truth.

"I understand. Going forward, I, Umit the Shipping King, will remain just a business partner of the Infinite Pirates, nothing more," Umit replied, quickly grasping the meaning behind Li Yuan's words, befitting one of the underworld's dark kings.

"Alright, you can go now!" Li Yuan said, waving his hand.

"Phew!!!" Umit breathed a heavy sigh of relief as he stepped outside, feeling that his business with the Infinite Pirates had been satisfactorily resolved.

"How should we handle the Shipping King in the future, husband?" Yadina asked once Umit had left.

"Proceed on both legs. Give him what he's due, but also provide certain resources to our own trading fleet. Maintain a balance between the two. Also, have Shaki help you plant some spies within the Shipping King's forces to keep tabs on their movements," Li Yuan advised after some thought.

"Got it, I understand!" Yadina said, snuggling closer to Li Yuan.

"The New World is relatively calm right now. The World Government is still recovering from its previous defeat, so the seas are rather peaceful. The Infinite Pirates should focus on development for the time being," Li Yuan said, stroking Yadina's hair.

After spending some time together, Li Yuan and Yadina went their separate ways to attend to their respective duties.

"Husband, I want to learn your swordsmanship!!" Toki declared one day, finding Li Yuan while he was practicing his sword skills.

"Oh? What made you want to learn the sword?" Li Yuan asked curiously.

"Husband, I see that the other ladies all have their own roles. They're all helping you manage different aspects of the Infinite Pirates, and I want to contribute too. But unlike Sister Shaki, I can't manage intelligence; unlike Sister Razili, I can't conduct medical research; and unlike Sister Yadina, I can't handle the various affairs of the Infinite Pirates. I used to be a samurai, so I want to become stronger and help you protect our territory," Toki said with determination. She didn't want to be just a decorative figure by Li Yuan's side; she wanted to grow strong enough to assist him.

"Actually, if you want to become stronger, there are faster and more powerful ways than swordsmanship," Li Yuan remarked with a smile.

Toki possessed the Paramecia-type Time-Time Fruit, granting her the ability to travel through the river of time. While this travel was irreversible, it was incredibly powerful, offering time manipulation abilities.

Currently, Toki was only using the most basic, simple applications of the Time-Time Fruit.

"What ability?" Toki asked curiously. Did she have other talents she wasn't aware of?

"The Time-Time Fruit's abilities... However, when developing the fruit's powers, you must be careful not to continue traveling through time or venturing into the future," Li Yuan explained, outlining some directions for developing the Time-Time Fruit's capabilities to Toki.

"Understood, husband, but I still want to learn your swordsmanship. Even if the Time-Time Fruit is powerful, I can't abandon swordsmanship," Toki insisted.

"Of course, there's no problem with that. You're my wife, after all, so I'll teach you all my sword techniques," Li Yuan said with a smile.

His partner didn't need to fight, but since Toki was eager to learn, he was more than willing to help her grow stronger.

Within the Infinite Pirates, as long as you had talent, determination, and the willingness to work hard, becoming stronger was relatively straightforward.

Li Yuan had already developed a comprehensive training regimen, including gravity training, martial and swordsmanship guidance, the Battle Pyramid training, and Elbaf giant training, among others.

In his free time, Li Yuan began teaching Toki swordsmanship and how to develop her Devil Fruit powers. Fortunately, her talents were commendable, as she made steady progress in both areas.

Time flew by, and two years passed in a blink. It was now the year 1495 in the Sea Calendar!

After completing a day's extreme training, Li Yuan relaxed in the pool, enjoying the soothing touch of Shaki massaging his back.

"Shaki, is the Roger Pirates still in the Four Seas?" Li Yuan asked casually, with his eyes closed.

Over the past two years, New World pirates had remained relatively subdued. The Infinite Pirates focused on developing strength through the Battle Pyramid and trade, growing quietly stronger. The Flying Pirates recruited members far and wide, with Shiki occasionally flying to the Calm Belt to seek islands and sometimes leading the Flying Pirates to pillage the Four Seas.

John, Silver Axe, Wang Zhi, Branton, and Wold continued to develop steadily, often forming teams to raid the Four Seas.

The Navy found this troublesome; entire islands and kingdoms near the Calm Belt in the Four Seas were left destitute by John's group, forcing those with wealth and power to flee inland.

Whitebeard roamed his territories with his crew, adopting sons and daughters along the way.

Charlotte Linlin remained a recluse, staying home to give birth, rarely stepping outside.

Only the Roger Pirates had been particularly active over these two years, traversing the Four Seas in search of Poneglyphs.

Two years ago, when Professor Clover returned to the Four Seas from the Infinite Sea, he encountered the Roger Pirates. After meeting, they quickly parted ways, but Li Yuan knew that someone from Clover's group had joined the Roger Pirates.

The World Government, aware of the Roger Pirates' search for Poneglyphs, sought to eliminate them. However, the Roger Pirates were formidable, with three top-tier combatants, making it difficult for the World Government to capture them.

Moreover, with the vastness of the Four Seas, the Roger Pirates could evade even the World Government's continuous pursuit.

Over the past two years, the Roger Pirates had explored the entire Four Seas, leaving many puzzled about their intentions.

"They've left the Four Seas and entered the Grand Line. It might not be long before they return to the New World," Shaki replied, continuing her massage.

"Once the Roger Pirates return to the New World, things will get lively," Li Yuan said with a slight smile.

Roger was already gravely ill, with only a few years left. His death would mark the true beginning of the Pirate Era.

In truth, Roger's illness was not beyond treatment, especially if Razili were to take on the case, there was a chance of curing him. However, Li Yuan had no friendly relations with Roger and had no intention of curing him. He needed Roger to fulfill his unfinished mission.

"Are you referring to the Golden Lion?" Shaki asked, her hands unconsciously applying more pressure as she recalled something.

"Exactly. It's been five years since the last major battle with the World Government. The New World has been too peaceful for too long. The Flying Pirates have likely hit a bottleneck in their development. To further strengthen their forces, war is the best method. War can weed out the weaker members, refining the crew into true elites. It can also serve some purpose for the Golden Lion," Li Yuan said confidently.

"Ancient weapons? Is the Golden Lion suspecting that the Roger Pirates possess information about ancient weapons?" Shaki speculated.

Li Yuan had not kept secrets about ancient weapons from Shaki.

"Yes, the Golden Lion wants information about the ancient weapons from Roger, so he will definitely make a move against the Roger Pirates," Li Yuan said confidently.

"In that case, the New World will indeed become quite turbulent," Shaki remarked.

The Flying Pirates and the Infinite Pirates were both considered legendary pirate crews. Still, if territory were disregarded, the Roger Pirates also belonged in that category. A war between two legendary pirate crews would be monumental, with unpredictable consequences.

"By the way, how are Munis and the others doing in the Navy?" Li Yuan asked, recalling the young spies he had sent to infiltrate the Navy three years ago.

"In the past three years, we've sent forty people in total. The five most outstanding ones have been taken into the Navy training camp by Zephyr, with Munis being the most exceptional. We'll have to wait until they graduate from the training camp to see how they fare," Shaki replied after some thought.

At that moment, the mirror Shaki carried transmitted the latest information.

"Latest intel: On the Grand Line, the World Government has set a trap using a Poneglyph. The Roger Pirates are unaware of the situation, and the Navy and World Government have laid a net to capture them. The World Government has dispatched three top-tier combatants, along with Garp and Zephyr, totaling five top-tier fighters and numerous main forces. It's unlikely that the Roger Pirates will escape this time," Shaki said after reading the message.

"The Roger Pirates probably know about the trap but are willing to risk it because they believe the Poneglyph is real," Li Yuan mused. "We haven't engaged in a major war in five years, and our numbers have swelled to over 400,000, too bloated with parasites. It's time to trim the fat."

As the Infinite Pirates' territory expanded and strength grew, more people joined. Five years ago, during the war between pirates and the World Government, the pirate forces numbered around 400,000 to 500,000. Now, the Infinite Pirates alone were nearing 500,000!

After occupying territories, Li Yuan had implemented various pro-natalist policies. Over the years, combined with many New World residents migrating to the Infinite Sea, the population steadily increased.

Previously uninhabited islands were now being developed, with people relocating to them.

-Support me on Ko-Fi for 35+ advance chapters there.

https://ko-fi.com/zxc1015

Thanks!