Chapter 210: Land of Flowers

"In that case, during the World Summit, you won't need to bring up the matter yourself. When the proposal is raised by another member nation, just support it alongside some of Alex's allies," Li Yuan said after some thought.

In the East Blue, Luowang already exerted covert influence over two of the World Government's allied nations. While not fully controlling these nations, Luowang held enough sway to ensure they would act as directed, effectively turning their rulers into puppet kings.

"I understand!" Queen Elle replied. She hadn't realized that, besides the Kingdom of Alex, Li Yuan also held sway over other allied nations. His methods seemed far more strategic than what one would expect from a mere pirate.

In her mind, pirates were ruthless, plundering without regard – much like John and the other outlaws who had once raided the Four Seas through the Calm Belt. But Li Yuan felt different, not like a pirate at all; he was more akin to a powerful king, ambitious and cunning, who merely wore the guise of a pirate.

After spending half the day exploring the Kingdom of Alex and using Luowang to eliminate some potential threats, Li Yuan had them establish a covert branch in the kingdom. He then returned with Queen Elle to the palace.

Upon arriving, he was greeted by the sight of Ashura Doji and Roosevelt, both covered in injuries.

"Lord Li Yuan, I lost," Roosevelt admitted as he approached. "A swordsman's skill level doesn't fully translate to combat power."

Compared to Ashura Doji, his physical strength was lacking. Although his swordsmanship was superior, it couldn't compensate for the difference in their physical capabilities.

"Captain, how long will we stay here?" Ashura Doji asked eagerly.

This was a renowned swordsmanship nation in the West Blue, somewhat reminiscent of the Land of Wano. Ashura Doji was eager to stay a few extra days, hoping to learn from the skilled swordsmen here.

"We'll stay here for seven days. Make the most of it and explore the Kingdom of Alex," Li Yuan replied, fully aware of Ashura Doji's intentions. He'd brought him here precisely so he could study the local swordsmanship.

Ashura Doji had been stuck on the threshold of the master swordsman level for two years. If he could break through to this stage, he would qualify as one of the core officers of the Infinite Pirates.

During these seven days in the Kingdom of Alex, Li Yuan wasn't just letting Ashura Doji and the others take action; he was also absorbing the swordsmanship knowledge of this renowned nation to broaden his own horizons.

Last time he had come, it was too rushed to explore the sword techniques of Alex. Now, he had time to take in the entirety of their swordsmanship knowledge.

After seven days, Li Yuan left the Kingdom of Alex and set off for another powerful nation in the West Blue—the Land of Flowers.

---

Marine Headquarters, Marineford:

After months of searching, Zephyr finally tracked down the pirates who had killed his wife and child, exacting his revenge by taking them down one by one.

But his wife and child were gone forever.

After returning to Marineford for a month, Zephyr finally made his way to the office of Fleet Admiral Kong once more.

"Fleet Admiral, I request to resign from my post as admiral!" Zephyr's once-vibrant spirit was now completely gone. At forty-two, the prime of his life, he looked like an old man in his sixties, his eyes devoid of light.

"Zephyr, we understand your situation. But you're a marine, an admiral, and you know the precarious state of the Navy better than anyone. I won't allow you to resign, and neither will the rest of the Navy," Kong said, tearing up Zephyr's resignation letter. With the Navy already struggling, Zephyr's departure would be a devastating blow.

"Fleet Admiral, my mind is made up. I can't go on chasing pirates. I'm exhausted," Zephyr replied, his voice filled with resignation. He had failed to protect his own family—how could he protect anyone else?

"You—!" Kong lifted his fist, tempted to knock some sense into Zephyr.

If it had been Garp standing there, Kong wouldn't have hesitated. But with Zephyr, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Zephyr, how about this: step down from your role as admiral for now and focus on training new recruits," Kong sighed, lowering his hand. "We've lost a lot of good men. We need to train a new generation, elite marines with the potential to become admirals."

"This is a new department I've established, called the Marine Training Camp, also known as the Elite Training Camp. You'll be in charge of it from now on."

He wouldn't let Zephyr leave, but if he no longer wanted to be an admiral, then he could focus on training new marines until he was ready to resume his duties.

"Very well. I'll take charge of the Elite Training Camp in five days." Zephyr sighed as he left the office.

"Hopefully, he'll train a new generation of leaders. If not, we'll be facing a severe shortage of talent," Kong murmured to himself. Little did he know, this first session of Zephyr's Elite Training Camp would indeed produce two exceptional marines: the future admirals Akainu Sakazuki and Kizaru Borsalino.

---

The Land of Flowers, West Blue:

Seated on his throne, King Xia Deqing of the Land of Flowers stared anxiously at the formal visitation letter from the Infinite Pirates.

"General Li Huntian, what do you think we should do? Should we notify the Navy and the World Government?" he asked his chief general.

"If they sent a letter in advance, it means they're not here to plunder. As long as that's the case, we can handle the rest," General Li Huntian replied calmly. "Besides, it's too late to call the Navy and the World Government. After their defeat, they lack the resources to deal with the Infinite Pirates."

"The Infinite Pirates control ships capable of crossing the Calm Belt, allowing them to reach the West Blue from the New World at will. The Navy and World Government can't station forces here indefinitely."

The king sighed. "Then we'll rely on ourselves. Tomorrow, you, I, and Chinjao will take a trusted few and meet with the Infinite Pirates to find out what they want."

The next morning, a few massive ships from the Infinite Pirates arrived at a remote coastal area in the Land of Flowers.

"It's Li Yuan, the World's Greatest Swordsman!" King Xia Deqing, General Li Huntian, Chinjao, and other elite fighters of the Land of Flowers waited by the shore, initially expecting a lower-ranking officer. They hadn't anticipated Li Yuan himself.

The name "Li Yuan" was known across the world. In a recent battle, he had defeated two marine admirals and one of the World Government's top fighters, dealing a crushing blow to their forces. It was a battle that cemented his legend, forcing the World Government into retreat. This had been his ascent to godhood.

"Your Majesty, let me test if his strength is truly as formidable as the legends say!" While King Xia Deqing was still reeling from the shock, Chinjao was thrilled. He had long wanted to face such a powerful opponent. In fact, if the king hadn't stopped him, he would have joined the previous war between the pirates and the World Government.

"Wait, Chinjao!" The king tried to halt Chinjao's rash advance, but it was too late. The moment he saw Li Yuan, Chinjao charged forward like a wild bull.

"Hahaha! So, you're Li Yuan, the World's Greatest Swordsman? Let's see if you can handle my strike!" Chinjao rushed forward, his Conqueror's Haki bursting forth and covering a radius of several thousand meters with its overwhelming presence.

"Captain, let me handle this!" Barrett, watching Chinjao's approach, was eager to fight.

"Oh? Chinjao, is it? Interesting. Let's see if my fist is hard enough to take on your drill!" Li Yuan stopped Barrett. This time, he wanted to test his own strength.

"Eight Impact Fist Ultimate Technique: Drilling Dragon Spike!"

Chinjao's drill-shaped head turned jet black with Armament Haki. His body leapt into the air, spinning rapidly like a poisonous drill as he hurled himself toward Li Yuan.

"Haha! Good timing! Take this!" Li Yuan jumped from the ship, using Moonwalk to soar toward Chinjao. Instead of drawing his sword, he focused both Conqueror's and Armament Haki on his right fist.

"One Serious Punch!"

Pouring his entire strength into his right fist, Li Yuan threw a punch, relying purely on raw power combined with his dual Haki.

"Boom!"

The instant their attacks collided, Chinjao felt as though he had crashed into an unbreakable diamond. His supposedly indestructible drill couldn't even scratch Li Yuan's defense.

A moment later, the impact of Li Yuan's fist sent searing pain through Chinjao's head, as if struck by a sledgehammer.

"Haha! Your drill isn't hard enough!" Li Yuan laughed as his Haki surged, his fist pressing down on Chinjao's head, flattening the once-pointed drill into a blunt, rounded head.

"Urgh!"

The force of Li Yuan's punch left Chinjao unconscious. His body fell to the ground like a meteor, creating a

massive crater.

"How… How is this possible? Chinjao was defeated in a single punch, and Li Yuan didn't even use

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