Chapter 94: Wald Joins the Rocks Pirates

"Momo: Hundredfold Shot!"

At that moment, the power of the Devil Fruit activated. The bullet, initially the size of a finger, suddenly expanded to a size larger than a cannonball, its power amplified a hundredfold!

"Gahahaha! This is truly impressive!" 

Shiki's eyes widened as he realized that what Li Yuan had said was indeed true.

If this guy could amplify the power of a cannon, wouldn't that be even more terrifying?

"This level of power isn't enough to stand on equal footing with me!"

As Wald fired his gun, Silver Axe stepped forward. Facing the hundredfold-amplified bullet, he simply swung his axe and split it in half.

Let alone a bullet amplified a hundredfold; even a cannonball amplified a hundredfold would be nothing more than a single swing for Silver Axe.

Wald didn't expect that a single shot would prove his worth. When Silver Axe appeared, he recognized him as a formidable opponent.

"Shave!!"

"Momo: Fiftyfold Speed!!"

Wald activated his Devil Fruit, instantly exploding with fifty times his normal speed. In the blink of an eye, he broke the sound barrier and appeared right in front of Silver Axe.

The sudden surge in speed caught even Silver Axe off guard. He instinctively raised his axe to block.

Wald drew his sword from his waist, coating it in Armament Haki, and unleashed his strongest strike.

"Momo: Hundredfold Slash!!!"

The slash, already enhanced with fifty times the speed, was further amplified a hundredfold by Wald's fruit ability. The immense power sent Silver Axe flying over a thousand meters!

Silver Axe was a user of the Strength-Strength Fruit and possessed immense physical power, yet he was sent flying by Wald's strike, showcasing just how powerful that attack was.

However, Li Yuan sensed that Wald was breathing heavily after that attack, indicating it had taken a significant toll on him.

"Wahahaha! Bondi Wald, welcome to the Rocks Pirates! From today on, you are an officer of the Rocks Pirates!"

Seeing this spectacle, Rocks immediately granted Wald the title of officer, not allowing him to continue fighting Silver Axe.

"Hey, hey, hey! That Wald guy is truly a monster! He actually managed to send Silver Axe flying!"

"Has the Rocks Pirates gained another officer? This is terrifying! I can't imagine how strong the Rocks Pirates will become!"

"Hahahaha! Our Rocks Pirates have become even stronger! I want to join that new officer!"

With Rocks announcing Wald's status, the pirates present erupted into cheers.

The addition of a new officer signified further strengthening of the Rocks Pirates, and as members of the Rocks Pirates, they were thrilled to witness such an event.

"Hahahaha! Brother, I've become an officer of the Rocks Pirates!!"

Wald laughed excitedly upon hearing Rocks' declaration, immediately wanting to share his joy with his brother.

Wald had a great relationship with his brother and liked to share good news with him.

"Everyone! To celebrate our new officer Wald joining us, let's have a feast!!!"

Rocks boomed enthusiastically.

"Whoa!!!"

"Let's have a feast!!"

"I love feasts the most!"

The entire Hive Island was soon engulfed in the revelry of the feast due to Wald's arrival.

"New Officer of the Rocks Pirates: Bondi Wald!!!"

"The supreme ruler of the New World, the Rocks Pirates, has added another officer!!"

"Shockingly, the Roger Pirates refused the invitation from the Rocks Pirates!!"

"A fierce battle erupted between the Roger Pirates and two officers of the Rocks Pirates!!"

As the feast continued on Hive Island, various reports about the Rocks Pirates spread throughout the world.

**Marine Headquarters:**

"Bang!!!!"

"Damn Wald! That guy actually joined the Rocks Pirates!!"

Blac looked at the newspaper in his hand, furious enough to almost smash the table in front of him.

"Damn it! We were so close to catching him before, only to miss it at the last moment!"

Sengoku was also quite enraged. Previously, he and Garp had teamed up to capture Wald, but he managed to escape using his fruit power.

Sengoku had planned to bring Zefa along to hunt Wald down, but now Wald had joined the Rocks Pirates first.

This was quite troublesome. The Marines were well aware of the terrifying power of Wald's Momo Fruit ability.

If the Rocks Pirates equipped Wald with a super cannon and utilized his abilities to the fullest, the losses they would face during future encounters with the Rocks Pirates could be catastrophic.

"Where's Roger? I'm going to capture him!"

While others were focused on Wald, Garp was specifically interested in Roger's information. Hearing that Roger's crew had clashed with the Rocks Pirates, he felt this was a golden opportunity to capture Roger.

"Garp, quiet down!"

"Right now, the conflict between the Roger Pirates and the Rocks Pirates is a good thing for us. We can feed Roger's location to Rocks, allowing the Rocks Pirates to clash with Roger's crew, thus alleviating some pressure from us Marines and exhausting the pirates' strength."

Blac said sternly.

"No way! If Rocks acts personally, he might just subdue the Roger Pirates outright. Marshal, that risk is too great; we should reconsider."

Upon hearing Blac's words, Tsuru interjected with a warning.

"Hmm, indeed, I overlooked that."

"Let's increase Wald's bounty for now. As for the Roger Pirates, we'll hold off. They're in the New World, and there's no way for us Marines to sneak past the Rocks Pirates to capture them."

"Once we've dealt with the Rocks Pirates in conjunction with the World Government, we can handle the Roger Pirates afterward."

Blac rubbed his temples, feeling overwhelmed by recent troubles. Nothing seemed to be going smoothly, and it all stemmed from the toxic presence of the Rocks Pirates.

**Hive Island:**

After the feast concluded, most of the pirates collapsed from exhaustion, while a few officers and crew members left to return to their quarters.

For instance, Black Carbon Kurozumi, one of the officers, stumbled back to her quarters, drunk.

As for her brother, Kurozumi Kurama, he had already passed out on the spot during the feast.

Li Yuan also left the feast, making his way to Black Carbon Kurozumi's quarters.

"Stop! This is the residence of Lady Kurozumi! Strangers are not allowed to enter!"

However, as soon as Li Yuan arrived, he was stopped by two guards dressed in kimonos, complete with swords at their waists, looking very much like samurai.

"Hmm? I'm here to see Black Carbon Kurozumi. Are you going to stop me?"

Li Yuan's previously drunken expression vanished in an instant upon seeing the guards.

Even without unleashing his Conqueror's Haki, his mere presence suffocated the two guards, nearly causing them to gasp for air!

Seeing the guards frozen in place, Li Yuan strode past them.

"Phew! That was terrifying! I almost made a mistake; that was the Infinite Great Swordsman Li Yuan! I actually stopped the Infinite Great Swordsman Li Yuan!!"

"Is that truly the great swordsman who broke the world record? That's terrifying! Even in Wano, there's no one who can match him!"

Once Li Yuan had passed, the two guards released the tension that had been weighing on them and sighed in relief.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Isn't that Li Yuan, the officer? Why is he here right after the feast?" 

The previously drunk Black Carbon Kurozumi snapped to attention upon sensing Li Yuan's presence, quickly pouring him a drink.

"I won't drink; I've had enough at the feast."

"You must be from Wano, right?"

Li Yuan fixed his gaze on the Black Carbon Kurozumi before him.

"Wano? How do you know that name?"

Upon hearing Li Yuan's words, Kurozumi's expression turned serious. Wano had closed its borders and ceased communication with the outside world for hundreds of years; there had been no mention of Wano in the outside world.

"I encountered a swordsman who claimed to be from the Shimotsuki clan of Wano while in the Four Seas. He told me about Wano and its history."

"With so many samurai following you, I figured you are indeed from Wano and likely hold a significant position."

"I've heard that there's a technique called Flowing Cherry in Wano related to Armament Haki; you should know it. Teach it to me!"

Li Yuan's sharp eyes bore into Kurozumi, making her feel an immense pressure.

The reason she had become an officer of the Rocks Pirates wasn't due to her strength but because she could translate some historical texts, which caught Rocks' attention.

Her strength paled in comparison to Li Yuan's.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! If you want the Flowing Cherry training methods, I could consider it."

"But you should know that there's no such thing as a free lunch. If you agree to one condition of mine, I will give you the Flowing Cherry training methods. How about that?"

Black Carbon Kurozumi was no novice; she wouldn't be easily intimidated by Li Yuan.

Moreover, they were on Hive Island, surrounded by many officers and Rocks himself. She didn't believe that Li Yuan would dare to kill her here.

With Flowing Cherry in her possession, she felt emboldened, knowing that Li Yuan was the one asking her for something.

"Clang!!!"

However, the response to Kurozumi's proposition was Li Yuan's Seven Star Sword, the eerie blade piercing the skin of her throat, blood being absorbed by the sword.

In that moment, Kurozumi clearly felt the coldness of the blade against her throat, realizing that it could take her life at any moment!

Looking into Li Yuan's cold, indifferent eyes, she remembered that this man had once been called the Decapitation Swordsman.

During his first recruitment meeting with the Rocks Pirates, he had personally beheaded over a thousand people!

"There's no such thing as a free lunch. That saying is meant for equals to use. In this cruel world, you, as a weakling, have no right to negotiate with me, nor can you threaten me!"

"Tell me the training methods for Flowing Cherry, along with what you know about the swordsmanship of Wano!"

Li Yuan said coldly.

In an instant, the beguiling sword intent of the Seven Star Sword invaded Black Carbon Kurozumi's mind.

Simultaneously, Li Yuan's mind-reading ability was extracting information about Flowing Cherry and Kurozumi's knowledge of Wano's swordsmanship.

Kurozumi's lack of strength meant that the intoxicating power of the Seven Star Sword could temporarily daze her under Li Yuan's influence.

In that brief moment, Li Yuan gathered the information he sought.

He not only learned about Flowing Cherry and its sword techniques but also about Wano's specific location and various details within.

"What… what did you do to me?!"

As Kurozumi regained her senses, she stared at Li Yuan in horror.

Although the sword was no longer at her throat, that earlier sensation of her mind being manipulated terrified her.

It felt as if Li Yuan could have killed her without hesitation; such power was too frightening!

"Nothing much. Consider yourself lucky this time. Next time, when you're in the presence of someone stronger who could take your life at any moment, don't be so arrogant and unwise!"

"Even if I killed you, do you think Rocks would avenge you?"

"That would be impossible. In the Rocks Pirates, strength reigns supreme. The weak do not deserve a place, and Rocks certainly wouldn't lift a finger for a dead subordinate like you!"

Having acquired what he wanted, Li Yuan felt satisfied and decided not to linger with the bothersome Kurozumi any longer.

After saying that, he turned to leave, not wanting to remain near her any longer.

"Damn it! How infuriating!!"

As an officer of the Rocks Pirates, being humiliated like that left Kurozumi seething with anger. 

After smashing everything in the room, she finally vented her pent-up frustration.

"Strength, it's all about strength!!"

At that moment, Kurozumi realized that in this world, strength was the most vital thing. All schemes and tricks were futile in the face of absolute power!

"Do you think the Infinite Great Swordsman did something unbelievable to Lady Kurozumi?"

"Something unbelievable, you mean that kind of thing?"

Once Li Yuan had left, various whispers filled the room, causing the two guards at the door to speculate.

If Li Yuan had been closer, he might have struck down those two guards for their foolishness!

Even if he were desperate, he wouldn't be interested in someone like Black Carbon Kurozumi!

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