Chapter 71: Kidnapping Yadina

"Since you've made your choice, let's go without saying goodbye. Let the villagers think that you and the Seven-Star Sword have gone missing together."

After putting away the Seven-Star Sword, Li Yuan picked up Yadina and headed outside.

"Let go of me! I can walk by myself!" 

Yadina instinctively tried to refuse as Li Yuan held her.

"No, you're injured and can't walk," Li Yuan replied, glancing at the bloody marks on her lower body.

"You—ah!" 

Seeing Li Yuan's gaze, Yadina instinctively tightened her legs, unintentionally agitating her wound, causing her to wince in pain.

"Senior Brother, you're back!" 

Once outside, Li Yuan was greeted by the already awakened Karu and the others.

Though they had been knocked unconscious earlier, they quickly regained their senses; after all, it wasn't their first time being knocked out.

After waking up, they didn't venture into the back mountain because they trusted Li Yuan and chose to stay on guard.

"Yes, I've got what I wanted. Let's head back," Li Yuan affirmed.

"By the way, this is Yadina, your senior sister-in-law," he added, nodding while introducing Yadina.

"Hello, Senior Sister-in-law!" 

Seeing Yadina in Li Yuan's arms, Karu and the others promptly greeted her in unison.

"..." 

Yadina could only shyly bury her head in Li Yuan's embrace, too embarrassed to look at Karu and the others.

Soon after, they returned to the pirate ship at the port.

"Wow, you went out and brought back a sister for us!" 

Back on the ship, Shaki and Lazili looked at Yadina in Li Yuan's arms, feeling a twinge of jealousy.

"Yes, her name is Yadina. From now on, she's your sister. Please take good care of her and introduce her to our situation," Li Yuan said without feeling shy or embarrassed.

He directly handed Yadina over to Shaki and Lazili, encouraging them to get along well.

In the pirate world, one advantage is that the strong can have many women without fear of a love rivalry.

There's nothing a fierce battle can't solve; if there is, just have a few more.

"Yadina, I'm Shaki. Nice to meet you!" 

"Yadina, I'm Lazili. Glad to be sisters with you!" 

Although Shaki and Lazili pretended to be jealous, as Li Yuan's women, they had long accepted that he would never have just the two of them.

Thus, they made an effort to maintain a good relationship with their new sister.

"Hello, big sisters, I'm Yadina. It's nice to meet you too," Yadina replied, feeling more at ease with her two friendly sisters than she did with Li Yuan.

Before long, they were all chatting away, showcasing the peculiar camaraderie of women.

Li Yuan, indifferent to these interactions, arranged for Yadina to be with Shaki and Lazili and stepped out.

"Senior Brother, our supplies on the ship are running low. We need to replenish in town," Karu informed Li Yuan as he stepped outside.

In their haste to reach Aska Island, they hadn't restocked for days.

"Alright, let's send someone to town to restock," Li Yuan replied. "Then let's rest here for a day before setting sail again."

Since the Navy had already been cleared out, they should not expose their identities. 

Even if they did, by the time the Navy arrived, he would have already left Aska Island, so Li Yuan felt no concern.

However, his nonchalance allowed the Navy to track his movement route.

"Senior Brother, I found this Devil Fruit while patrolling on Aska Island!" 

At that moment, Karu handed Li Yuan a banana-shaped Devil Fruit.

"What? You found a Devil Fruit while patrolling?" 

Li Yuan looked at Karu, astonished. How could this guy be so lucky? 

He had never stumbled upon a Devil Fruit before!

Moreover, he didn't recall any Devil Fruit users or fruits on Aska Island in the original story.

However, with 39 years until 1520, it was plausible for a Devil Fruit to appear.

"Why aren't you eating it?" 

Li Yuan curiously asked, knowing that this Devil Fruit could be a great treasure for Karu, enhancing his strength.

"Senior Brother, I don't know what kind of Devil Fruit this is, so I'll leave it to you," Karu scratched his head.

"Alright, I'll check the Devil Fruit encyclopedia to identify what it is. If it suits you, you can eat it. If not, I'll find a suitable one for you later," Li Yuan said, wanting to nurture Karu since he only had Kanon as his subordinate.

"Zoan Type: Tiger Tiger Fruit, Ancient Species, Sword-Winged Tiger Form!!"

"Wow, Karu's luck is incredible! He casually finds an Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit!" 

"This luck is off the charts! He might just be the protagonist; even Luffy in the original story never found an Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit!" 

Li Yuan exclaimed in disbelief, expecting an ordinary Zoan fruit, only to discover it was an Ancient one.

And a flying type at that! This was far more precious than a typical Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit.

"Karu, this is an Ancient Zoan Tiger Tiger Fruit, Sword-Winged Tiger Form. It's very powerful and suits you well. Go ahead and eat it," Li Yuan handed the Devil Fruit back to Karu.

"Okay!" 

Hearing Li Yuan's affirmation, Karu was thrilled.

After all, watching his strength gap with Kanon grow wider, it was impossible for him to not feel anxious.

Kanon had rapidly advanced in strength after receiving the Devil Fruit from Li Yuan, and now he too had a suitable Devil Fruit. He believed his strength would also spike.

"Ugh!!!"

Karu was much more straightforward than Kanon; without needing Li Yuan's reminder, he quickly devoured the entire Devil Fruit.

After consuming the Devil Fruit, Karu instinctively transformed into a Sword-Winged Tiger.

A six-meter-tall white giant tiger, with the character "King" prominently displayed on its forehead, and six pairs of sword-like wings on its back, its claws gleaming with a cold shine.

"Roar!!!"

Karu's roar echoed throughout the pirate ship, causing the other disciples to rush over.

"Senior Brother, what is this..." 

Kanon gulped as he gazed at the massive tiger in front of him.

"Kanon, it's me! Karu!" 

Before Li Yuan could speak, Karu had already chimed in, though his tiger voice made it sound somewhat awkward.

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