Chapter 162: The Vampire Devil Fruit

"I need to find a fruit with special patterns in Sleepy Town. Whoever helps me find it will be rewarded with 10 million Berries!" Li Yuan announced.

"Of course, if anyone tries to keep it for themselves or if I can't find it here, my men won't be so forgiving."

"You are the mayor; you should know what to do, right?" Li Yuan said with a faint smile, looking at the elderly mayor in his fifties or sixties.

"I understand, I will have everyone in town help with the search," Mayor Alik Tapper said, swallowing nervously as he glanced at the 500 fierce-looking men wielding swords behind Li Yuan.

"Good, I'll await your good news."

"If it's found, I won't just give the finder 10 million Berries; I'll also distribute another 10 million Berries among all those who helped in the search," Li Yuan promised with a smile.

He was willing to offer a little incentive for the Devil Fruit, but not too much, as people are never satisfied.

"I understand, sir. I'll go instruct everyone to start searching," said Mayor Alik Tapper, feeling relieved. At least the person in front of him wasn't unreasonable or a pirate, which made things easier.

"You all search the forest behind the town!"

Li Yuan then instructed the 500 men who had come with him to search the forest behind the town.

That area was rarely visited by people and inhabited by wild animals, so ordinary residents wouldn't venture there. It was up to his men to search it.

"Yes, Captain!" The men Li Yuan brought were very loyal to him and knew they were searching for a Devil Fruit, so they understood their mission.

"Li Yuan, how did you know there would be a Devil Fruit here?" Shakky asked curiously.

She collected the intelligence, yet she didn't know about a Devil Fruit being here. How did Li Yuan know?

"I once read in an ancient book that a powerful Devil Fruit was hidden in this town, so I asked you to find it during the Rocks era," Li Yuan casually made up an explanation.

He couldn't really explain it to Shakky, so he didn't.

Shakky believed him, as it was the only plausible explanation. Otherwise, how would Li Yuan know something even she, as the intelligence expert, didn't?

While everyone was busy searching for the Devil Fruit, Li Yuan took his women and children along, ostensibly looking for it but mostly enjoying a leisurely exploration. After all, he had spent most of his time training and fighting since arriving in this world, and he wanted to cherish this rare opportunity to enjoy time with his family before returning to the grind of conquest, training, and combat.

It wasn't until the third day in Sleepy Town, after thoroughly searching the place twice, that they finally found the Devil Fruit that Li Yuan had been longing for.

"Excellent, this is what I was looking for."

"Mayor, I keep my promises. Here's 10 million Berries for you to distribute among those who helped in the search," Li Yuan said, handing over the money to Mayor Alik Tapper in front of everyone.

"Thank you, sir!!" Mayor Alik Tapper gratefully accepted the 10 million Berries.

"What's your name? The 10 million Berries are yours," Li Yuan then asked one of his men.

The person who found the Devil Fruit wasn't a resident of Sleepy Town but one of his own men.

"Captain, my name is Zeren Bisset!!" Bisset exclaimed excitedly, holding the 10 million Berries.

"Well done, Bisset. 10 million Berries is nothing compared to the value of a Devil Fruit."

"How about this, for the next three years, you will enjoy the benefits of a captain. I hope to see you become a captain in the Infinity Pirates in three years!" Li Yuan said, patting Bisset on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Captain! I won't let you down!" Bisset responded even more excitedly.

The benefits of being a captain or officer in the Infinity Pirates were not just about receiving a monthly salary.

One of the unique perks was access to special medicinal baths, which were particularly effective for recovering from injuries and enhancing training results.

Captains had mentioned that their strength improved rapidly with the help of these baths, which was one reason why many aspired to become captains, as everyone seeks to improve their strength.

Additionally, captains and officers received discounts when purchasing items from the pirate crew's businesses—5% for squad leaders, 10% for division captains, 15% for regular officers, and 20% for core officers.

These discounts might seem minor initially but became significant as the Infinity Pirates expanded their territories and businesses, allowing them to save substantial sums.

However, what was most important were the captain's collections of swordsmanship, martial arts, and Haki training notes, which provided the quickest path to power!

Li Yuan was even happier than Bisset.

After obtaining the Mythical Zoan Vampire Devil Fruit, Li Yuan secured it and set sail for home with everyone.

"I'll keep this Devil Fruit for later, when I hit a bottleneck in my strength," he mused.

"Otherwise, consuming a Devil Fruit means I can't enter the sea."

As they sailed back, Li Yuan debated whether to eat the Devil Fruit, as it was the most suitable one for him, without exception.

Ultimately, he decided to wait. Consuming it now would leave him vulnerable to the sea, giving him a glaring weakness that could be exploited and potentially lead to his death.

He vividly remembered Rocks at God Valley—a being of terrifying power, yet he was killed without even being able to escape!

Had he been Rocks without a Devil Fruit, he would have dived into the sea to escape.

In the sea, only Roger, Garp, and perhaps Rayleigh and Saint Garling could pursue him.

If Rocks had Li Yuan's [Life Return: Swimming Form], those four wouldn't stand a chance against him in the sea, and he'd escape easily!

Even if those who wished to kill Rocks awaited him outside the island, they were all Devil Fruit users (excluding Li Yuan).

They couldn't catch Rocks, and he would escape undeterred.

Currently, Li Yuan's strength wasn't sufficient. Eating the Devil Fruit might lead to him being cornered by Garp, Sengoku, and Zephyr, unable to escape and getting killed.

For his own safety, Li Yuan decided not to consume the Devil Fruit just yet.

"Alright, it's settled. I'll eat the Devil Fruit once I gain the strength to fend off any attack or when my progress stalls. I'm still young and don't need to extend my lifespan just yet."

The Vampire Devil Fruit's greatest benefit was eternal life, but at just twenty years old, he wasn't in a rush.

Eating a Devil Fruit would close off his escape route via the sea, which was his greatest advantage over others.

Right now, without a Devil Fruit, he feared no one!

Even if he faced Roger, Garp, Rayleigh, Saint Garling, and the Five Elders' Saturn Saint, he was confident he could escape into the sea from their combined assault.

That was his ace in the hole!

"Li Yuan, I've just received news that your master, whom you asked me to find, has been located. He's currently in seclusion on Ster Island."

As Li Yuan and his crew began their return voyage, Shakky received a message from her intelligence agent.

"Ster Island? That's near the Red Line."

"We'll drop the kids off first, then head to Ster Island to fetch my master," Li Yuan decided.

If Shakky could locate his master's retreat, the World Government might also be able to find him.

Li Yuan wanted to bring his master back to his territory, as it would be safer than Ster Island.

Though Louis was only his master when he was weak, a master-student bond is for life.

He couldn't remain indifferent after learning of his master's whereabouts, especially since his master might suffer because of him.

"Alright, I'll have people set up the mirrors along the way!" Shakky nodded.

Currently, all islands within Shakky's intelligence network had mirrors she crafted.

Only mirrors she made could connect to her mirror world.

Though she couldn't sense distant mirrors yet, she could detect them within a certain range.

In the future, as Shakky continued to develop her abilities, she might connect all her mirrors across the New World, and perhaps even the four seas, from her seat in Wano.

Ster Island:

In a small alley on a bustling street, many people had settled there.

After leaving Feiqing Island, Louis had also moved there, making many acquaintances over the years and living peacefully.

Returning from a chat with neighbors, Louis found two figures in his home.

One was his disciple, whom he had seen many times in newspapers, and who made him proud and delighted.

"Master, long time no see!"

Seeing his long-separated master, Li Yuan was momentarily at a loss for words, as all their past memories were encompassed in that simple greeting.

-Support me on Ko-Fi for 35+ advance chapters there.

https://ko-fi.com/zxc1015

Thanks!