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

"By the way, what about other developments? For instance, a signal generator that can send a completely different signal from the Den Den Mushi, potentially replacing it," Li Yuan asked.

"Captain, the signal generator is currently in development. We haven't had enough time to complete it yet," Yuma replied, wiping away a bit of sweat.

"When do you think it will be ready?" Li Yuan inquired.

"The signal generator might be ready within a year, but to achieve what you described—combining it with a signal receiver and shrinking it to the size of a Den Den Mushi—will take at least two more years," Yuma estimated after some thought. Creating something to replace the Den Den Mushi is no easy feat.

"Two years in total? That's acceptable," Li Yuan nodded. "Keep up the good work. And don't neglect your Devil Fruit research; I'm still waiting for you to upgrade my Seven Star Sword."

Li Yuan's primary goal was to replace the Den Den Mushi within the Infinite Sea, as it posed a potential security risk. Eliminating this threat would give him complete control over his territory.

"Rest assured, Captain, I won't let you down!" Yuma said confidently. He enjoyed spending his days in the lab, conducting experiments without worrying about funding or safety. Occasionally, he could enjoy personal time, which felt like paradise.

"Hahaha, Captain, what brings you here?" Li Yuan arrived at Caesar's lab, surprised to see a giant factory with Caesar's face displayed on it.

After consuming the Swallow-Swallow Fruit, Caesar had developed it well, capable of swallowing various materials to produce different substances. These materials significantly advanced the Infinite Pirates' technology, such as improving weaponry, creating more durable materials for structures like the Battle Pyramid, and forging high-grade swords.

"How's the experiment I assigned to you, the one about having inanimate objects consume Devil Fruits to gain their powers? How's it progressing?" Li Yuan asked.

He frequently checked in to ensure Caesar wasn't slacking off.

"Hahaha, Captain, you tasked me with producing many materials and developing Devil Fruit powers, which took up a lot of time. The experiment isn't complete yet," Caesar admitted, somewhat embarrassed. He had boasted about completing it quickly, only to find himself behind schedule.

"Caesar, that's no excuse. I provided you with Vegapunk's life design schematics, which include extensive Devil Fruit research. After two years, you still haven't completed the experiment. It seems your scientific prowess isn't as great as you claimed," Li Yuan said, his tone turning cold. He understood Caesar's challenges but didn't accept them as an excuse. This experiment was crucial to him, as its success could mean enhancing the Infinite Pirates' overall strength and creating useful tools.

"Hahaha, Captain, give me one more year, and I promise the experiment will be completed," Caesar said, wiping non-existent sweat from his brow.

"Alright, you have one more year. If it's not done by then, your salary and vacation time will be cut in half," Li Yuan said, leaving no room for negotiation.

Caesar needed motivation to stay focused and productive.

"Judge, how's the clone experiment progressing?" After leaving Caesar's lab, Li Yuan visited Judge's lab.

"Captain, the cloning process has five stages. We're in the fourth stage now, and within a year, we should produce clones. There may be some issues that take another half year to resolve, so at most, in two years, we'll have fully functional clones," Judge reported honestly. Despite having Stussy's cloning data, it was Judge's first time conducting such experiments, so progress was slow.

"Alright, let me know when it's done," Li Yuan said, nodding in understanding. He was aware of the progress and could afford to wait.

The Infinite Pirates had grown significantly, no longer fearing the Navy. Given the current global climate, with the World Government hesitant to enter the New World, the Infinite Pirates had ample time to develop further.

"Husband, congratulations on defeating the Navy!" Upon returning home, Li Yuan was greeted by Toki and Shakky.

As for Lazuli and Yadina, they were busy managing post-war affairs.

"Hahaha, it's all thanks to you ladies supporting me from behind the scenes," Li Yuan said, embracing Toki and Shakky. While he was the captain, much of the detailed work was handled by his wives, allowing him to focus on training and honing his strength.

As the saying goes, behind every successful man, there are many women who have quietly supported him.

"Husband, during the war, the World Government's CP agents infiltrated Wano," Shakky mentioned while resting in Li Yuan's arms.

"This time, they didn't send any top combatants, but I'm concerned that next time, if we confront other forces, the World Government might send top fighters to disrupt us from behind."

"The World Government's focus is on the Roger Pirates. They don't have the resources to target us now, so we don't need to worry. If we ever fully mobilize again, we'll leave a top fighter behind," Li Yuan reassured her.

Although Barrett, Ashura Doji, and Chinjao hadn't yet reached top-level strength, Li Yuan was confident they would in two or three years. In four or five years, Hermes was expected to reach that level too.

By then, the Infinite Pirates, excluding Li Yuan, would have four top fighters, marking a new peak for them.

"Also, during our battle with the Navy, another major incident occurred—Fleet Admiral Kong was killed by Redfield," Shakky added.

"Now the Navy and World Government are searching for Redfield to capture and kill him, trying to wash away the shame on the Navy."

"So Kong was killed by Redfield? No wonder he didn't come to support the Navy against us," Li Yuan mused.

In the original storyline, Redfield defeated Kong but was later saved by Garp, who captured the exhausted Redfield. However, due to Li Yuan's actions, the Navy's top fighters were preoccupied, giving Redfield the opportunity to kill Kong.

"It seems my presence has significantly altered the course of events. Many future developments might change drastically because of me," Li Yuan reflected. But at his current level, the original plot was no longer crucial. He could pursue his goals based on his strength.

"Husband, what should we do next?" Shakky asked.

"We need to replenish our ranks and continue expanding. Money isn't an issue for us. I recall that our intelligence network, Luowang, now covers the four seas. The next step is to expand into the first half of the Grand Line and the Red Line, aiming to infiltrate the Celestial Dragons' circles," Li Yuan instructed.

"Infiltrating the Celestial Dragons? That will require bribery and many treasures and rare items," Shakky noted. To gather intelligence from Mary Geoise, bribing officials was feasible.

However, infiltrating the Celestial Dragons was more challenging. Bribing them required priceless items, and even then, success wasn't guaranteed. The Celestial Dragons were arrogant and dismissed any gifts as their due, making it difficult to gain their trust.

"These challenges are manageable. Given the Infinite Pirates' current resources, it's not a problem. Go ahead and proceed. Also, let's bring back Esdeath and the others," Li Yuan decided.

During the war, Shakky had sent Esdeath and the others to a Calm Belt island for safety. Now that it was over, they could return.

"Hahaha, we've finally reached Fish-Man Island!" The Roger Pirates cheered as they arrived.

After escaping the World Government's pursuit, they headed straight for the Sabaody Archipelago, avoiding detection by sending scouts to secure a safe landing at night. After coating their ship, they submerged and reached Fish-Man Island undetected.

Here, the Navy and World Government couldn't trap them, and they were safe in the New World.

"Indeed, we owe it to Li Yuan and Redfield. Without them, returning would have been much harder," Rayleigh remarked, recalling the newspapers they read while on the run.

Had Li Yuan not kept Garp, Sengoku, and Zephyr busy, and had Redfield not killed Kong, the Roger Pirates would have faced a combined Navy and World Government assault, risking heavy losses or even annihilation.

"Hahaha, Rayleigh, you're right. I have a feeling part of what we're seeking is with Li Yuan. We'll meet him again someday to thank him in person," Roger laughed.

"According to our intel, let's head to Charlotte Linlin's Totto Land. She has the Poneglyph we need. This time, let's go secretly and avoid fighting if possible. Maybe we can trade with her," Rayleigh suggested, adjusting his glasses.

Roger's condition was well known to him; intense battles could worsen his illness. While they didn't fear Charlotte Linlin, she was a former Rocks Pirate officer. If they fought her, other Rocks officers might intervene, complicating their quest for the Poneglyph.

"I heard she loves sweets, so let's bring some from Fish-Man Island," Roger said with a mischievous smile, hinting at a plan.

"Roger, you're not planning to tamper with the sweets and trick Linlin, are you?" Jabba asked, uneasy at Roger's grin.

The last time Roger wore that grin, someone suffered greatly, and both Rayleigh and Jabba had fallen victim to his schemes before. Jabba couldn't help but worry.

"Hahaha, Jabba, why would you think that? I'm an honest pirate. I wouldn't do anything shady!" Roger laughed, patting Jabba's shoulder.

"Oh no, Linlin's in trouble this time," Jabba thought, silently sympathizing with Linlin for what was to come

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