"Kidnap the Celestial Dragons."
Once the idea popped into his mind, it became unstoppable. There were many ways to obtain a large number of Devil Fruits in a short time.
For example, robbing a national treasury, or continuing to steal Celestial Gold.
But even doing that would only get him Beli, and he would still need to use the Beli to buy Devil Fruits.
That would be a waste of time.
But if he were to kidnap the Celestial Dragons and then announce it to the world, the World Government would definitely not sit by and do nothing. For the sake of saving face, they would absolutely ensure the Celestial Dragons remained alive.
If the World Government were to mobilize to collect Devil Fruits, their efficiency would be unmatched—faster than any other organization. Ye Chen didn't believe the World Government didn't have a stockpile of Devil Fruits already.
The only consequence of kidnapping a Celestial Dragon was that the World Government would spare no effort to hunt Ye Chen down. But so what? They were already after him anyway.
Pushing them further didn't really make much of a difference.
However, kidnapping a Celestial Dragon required careful planning. Celestial Dragons generally only resided in the Holy Land or the Sabaody Archipelago.
The Holy Land was heavily guarded, and the Five Elders were stationed there. Even if Ye Chen and Sky Dragon went together, they'd probably choke on the effort.
So the Holy Land was out—but the Sabaody Archipelago was a different story. Though it was close to both the Holy Land and Marine Headquarters, with Little Sky's speed, even if the Navy came, Ye Chen would be long gone by the time they arrived.
The problem was, Celestial Dragons rarely visited the Sabaody Archipelago—maybe two or three times a year at most. The rest of the time, they stayed holed up in the Holy Land.
"Looks like I'll need to come up with a plan," Ye Chen muttered, stroking his chin in thought.
The Celestial Dragons were the world's so-called nobility. If anything happened to them, the Marine Headquarters would immediately dispatch an admiral to hunt the culprit down. That was exactly why the Celestial Dragons could act so arrogantly and lawlessly.
There were plenty of people in the world capable of killing a Celestial Dragon.
But because of the World Government and Marine Headquarters, no one dared to make a move.
That was why, when Luffy punched a Celestial Dragon in the Sabaody Archipelago, everyone had been so shocked.
But all this fear, this supposed nobility—Ye Chen would shatter it piece by piece in the near future. And kidnapping a Celestial Dragon would be the beginning.
The arrogant Celestial Dragons had no idea: a demon had already stretched out its claws toward them.
Three days later, at the training field of the Daughter Country…
Two warriors from the Daughter Country were locked in a fierce duel. Their swordsmanship was fierce and energetic, drawing cheers and shouts from the crowd below.
Today was the annual combat drill, held to determine the crew list for this year's voyage.
At the top of the field's viewing platform sat Granny Zha and Ye Chen.
"Lord Ye Chen, what do you think of their swordsmanship?" Granny Zha lowered her head and asked.
Ye Chen glanced at her and replied, "Not bad… but their moves are still a bit raw."
Granny Zha broke into a cold sweat. The two on the field were considered the best swordswomen in the entire country. Yet in Ye Chen's eyes, they were only not bad.
But she had seen Ye Chen's swordsmanship before. That razor-sharp Sword Qi that could slice through anything still lingered in her mind as a shock.
"Brother Ye Chen, I think those two sisters down there are really strong! Why do you say they're not good?" Hancock, sitting on Ye Chen's lap, blinked her bright eyes, flashing with the light of innocent command.
Ye Chen gently stroked Hancock's hair. "I didn't say they're bad. Against normal opponents, they're decent. But against real experts… they're lacking."
"Is that true, Granny Zha?" Hancock tilted her little head and looked toward her.
Granny Zha gave a wry smile. "Yes."
Ye Chen shot her a glance and said, "Not to discourage you, but against ordinary people, they might manage. But against stronger foes, they'd be in trouble. And… they've never seen real blood, have they?"
"No… not yet," Granny Zha admitted truthfully.
Ye Chen ran his hand through Hancock's hair as he watched the figures crossing blades below. "Their sword strikes are fierce, but lack killing intent. In a regular duel, that's fine. But out in the real world? That path leads to death. Mercy to your enemy is cruelty to yourself."
"I understand now, Brother Ye Chen. Against enemies, we must be brutal. We can't afford even a shred of mercy." Hancock clenched her tiny fists and declared with resolve.
"Good."
Granny Zha thought for a moment and realized Ye Chen had a point. Out in the vast world, survival was everything. If an enemy found an opening, they wouldn't show the slightest mercy.
"Granny Zha, inform them—I'll teach them what real swordsmanship looks like. With this kind of half-baked skill, they won't survive long out at sea. They may have talent, but if you keep sheltering them, you'll only harm them."
Granny Zha fell silent at his words. What Ye Chen said was true. The two young warriors below had barely ventured beyond their borders. Because of their talent, Granny Zha had carefully nurtured them, even assigning protectors during their previous trips.
This was their first real selection test.
"…I understand, Lord Ye Chen." Granny Zha finally nodded.
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