"My husband, that Doflamingo is really just as you said, a sustainable fat pig. He has quite a few tricks up his sleeve to gather many Devil Fruits. Every now and then, when we take him down a notch, we reap quite a harvest."
Yadina said with a smile after hanging up the phone.
"He is indeed a good middleman. With his identity, he can operate in both the underworld and the legitimate world. Since he is trading with us, we naturally need to take good care of him so that we can gain more benefits from him. However, we can't over-exploit him all at once; we need to find the right balance."
Li Yuan stroked his chin and said.
He did see Doflamingo as a fat pig to be slaughtered, but each time he only took a piece that was neither too big nor too small. Although it pained Doflamingo, it was still acceptable for him, as he indeed gained what he wanted from the Infinite Pirates.
It could be said that both sides were engaging in a clear transaction, but the Infinite Pirates were getting much more than they were giving. After all, Doflamingo was weak, while the Infinite Pirates were strong. In the New World, this is the stark reality where the weak have no rights!
"Yes, yes, I think so too. Once he arrives in the New World, he will definitely hit a wall. At that time, I will find someone to keep an eye on him in the shadows. As long as he doesn't die, we can make him work for us completely, letting him be a tool for gathering Devil Fruits without any worries."
Yadina, who had been managing the Infinite Pirates' affairs for many years, had learned quite a few ways to handle people.
The Infinite Pirates' Venice Island had become one of the busiest and most populated islands in the Limitless Sea Area. After eight years of development, this island had become the most famous fighting island in the New World and even the entire world, without exception!
On this bustling island, there was a large singing stage, specifically set up by the Infinite Pirates for musicians and singers from all over the world to perform. Occasionally, when the Infinite Pirates held events, they would also use this stage to showcase it, letting the whole world know.
Today, the area around this stage was filled with people, many of whom had come specifically for today's performance.
"Hey, bro, is Miss Stella performing in this show?"
"Hahaha, bro, you came at the right time! It's indeed Miss Stella who will be performing. I heard she has a new song, and I rushed over from the Grand Line!"
"Miss Stella is my idol! Let's go, if we don't get in now, there won't be any seats left!"
Stella had started performing on stage six months ago. Initially, she performed in other parts of the Limitless Sea Area, and after accumulating a large fan base and showcasing her beautiful and melodious voice, she finally met the conditions to perform on this stage half a month ago.
At this moment, Stella was nervously standing backstage, trying to calm her excited heart.
"Stella, my love, you must believe in yourself. You can definitely do it!"
Tesoro cheered for Stella from the side.
Two years ago, they were still in the hellish hands of slave traders, but ever since being rescued by Captain Li Yuan, they had arrived in the Limitless Sea Area, as if they had come to paradise.
Here, Tesoro worked hard to grow his strength, and in just over half a year, he had risen from a weakling to the level of a squad leader in the Infinite Pirates.
Then, he learned martial arts from the core member Chinjao and spent another year growing into a captain.
Now, Tesoro had learned the Six Powers, Eight Impact Fist, Armament Haki, and Observation Haki. Although he had only grasped them at a basic level, his strength could be considered top-tier among the captains.
It was precisely because of Tesoro's strength that he gained recognition from many in the Infinite Pirates, and with core member Chinjao backing him, Tesoro's status in the Infinite Pirates continued to rise.
With Tesoro's help, Stella picked up her dreams again and began performing various shows in the Limitless Sea Area, eventually becoming a singer and a star! With her beautiful and melodious voice, Stella became the dream lover of countless people.
"Yes, Tesoro, I believe I can do it too!"
Seeing Tesoro cheering for her filled Stella with strength, and she confidently walked from backstage to the stage.
"Hello everyone, I am Stella. Thank you for coming to watch my performance!"
"Next, I will sing a new song called 'We Are.' It's a very passionate and uplifting song, and I hope you all enjoy it!"
Stella beamed with a confident smile as she briefly introduced herself and the song.
Then, as the accompaniment began, Stella's heavenly voice started to sing her song.
"They are the weakest
They don't even know
Anything they say
Will never break our hearts of gold
When you're standing on the edge
So young and hopeless
Got demons in your head
We are, we are
No ground beneath your feet
Now here to hold you"
As the accompaniment and singing filled the air, the originally lively and noisy audience suddenly fell silent.
The beautiful and stirring song, along with Stella's angelic presence on stage, deeply captivated all the audience members.
Everyone present stared blankly at Stella, who danced like a fairy on stage. The melody surged like a tumultuous sea, piercing through the confusion in countless hearts, reminding them of their initial dreams of setting sail.
The audience seemed to be trapped in a dreamlike space created by Stella's voice, where they sailed the seas fearlessly, ultimately reaching the shores of their dreams.
Many even found themselves shedding tears as they listened.
"Thank you, everyone!"
As the accompaniment ended, Stella's singing also came to a stop.
"Stella!"
"Stella!"
"Sing it again!"
"Sing it again!"
After the initial silence, thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the audience.
Even though the song had ended, they were still unable to recover from the shock they had just experienced.
"Thank you all for your support. Let's sing it again!"
Feeling the enthusiastic cheers from the crowd, Stella didn't hesitate and continued to sing once more.
After all, she had an hour of stage time, and she would sing other songs afterward!
"That's great, Stella succeeded!"
Tesoro stood behind the stage, feeling deeply happy for his beloved.
"Stella is indeed very successful, but I hope you can be even more successful because your current strength can't protect her!"
A voice came from behind Tesoro.
"Captain, I will train harder. One day, I will become a cadre, even a core cadre!"
Tesoro turned around and saw Li Yuan, expressing his gratitude.
If it weren't for Li Yuan rescuing them back then, they might have long been separated from this world, let alone living such a heavenly life in the Infinite Pirates.
"To become a core cadre, mere effort is far from enough. You also need talent, time, and opportunity."
"Given your current conditions, to become a cadre, you will need at least fifteen years. To become a core cadre, the hope is slim!"
Li Yuan shook his head.
The core cadres of the Infinite Pirates could be said to be comparable to the level of Marine Admirals. For Tesoro to become a core cadre relying solely on Haki and physical strength would be exceedingly difficult.
After all, not everyone possesses the kind of talent that Karp or Zephyr has.
"Captain, although I know it's difficult, I will never give up. I will definitely become a core cadre because only by becoming a core cadre can I truly have the power to protect Stella!"
Tesoro said firmly.
Only after coming to the Infinite Pirates and the New World did he realize how important powerful strength is.
In the past, he was obsessed with wealth, thinking there was nothing in this world that money couldn't buy. But later, he learned that the most important thing in this world is strength; only with powerful strength can one protect their wealth and the people they want to safeguard.
"Good determination. Your talent may not be enough, so I will give you this talent. This is a Paramecia-type Gold-Gold Fruit, which can control gold and temporarily turn any object into gold. If developed to the extreme, it can even permanently turn objects into gold."
"This is a very powerful Devil Fruit, and it is the talent I am giving you. I hope to see your name on the list of core cadres of the Infinite Pirates in the near future!"
Li Yuan sensed the aura of Conqueror's Haki from Tesoro and nodded.
As a possessor of Conqueror's Haki, Tesoro's talent was quite good. In the original story, he was able to develop the Gold-Gold Fruit to such an extent; the current Tesoro would only be stronger than in the original.
"Thank you, Captain! I will not let you down!"
Seeing the Gold-Gold Fruit, Tesoro felt a
sense of destiny in his heart; he believed this Devil Fruit was perfect for him! "Keep up the good work!"
Li Yuan patted Tesoro on the shoulder and said.
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