Chapter 322: Searching for the Lantern Fish
"Li Yuan, you already possess the greatest power in the world. Why do you still seek that thing?" Fishman Tom asked, perplexed.
To him, it seemed illogical. Li Yuan had already achieved unimaginable strength, commanding the Infinite Pirate Crew, which even the Marines could not defeat. The blueprint of Pluto should have seemed insignificant in comparison to his overwhelming power.
However, Tom had seen the design but struggled to understand many of its technological aspects, especially the intricate weapon systems within the Pluto blueprint. He had no idea just how devastating the true power of Pluto could be. A single shot from it could obliterate an entire island and potentially rival the power of the Celestial Dragons' weapons.
A single shot capable of destroying an island wasn't particularly impressive to a top-tier powerhouse like Li Yuan, as he could do that on his own. But the true terror of Pluto lay in its ability to wipe out not just the island but the surrounding seas, leaving a deep abyss, with the sea flooding in and remaining empty for hours, an impact that even the strongest individuals couldn't replicate.
Such power, Li Yuan knew, was beyond what any one person could achieve. He wasn't just aiming to build Pluto for the sake of it—he wanted to use the blueprint to create the ultimate weapon.
"My Hades Divine Ship is currently being remodeled," Li Yuan casually explained. "I plan to make it the largest and most powerful warship in the world, and for that, I need what you have."
Tom, despite his confusion, agreed to give up the blueprint, preferring Li Yuan over the World Government. After all, Li Yuan had done much for the Fishmen.
"Li Yuan," Tom said, "I'll give you the blueprint, but I won't be going to the Thomas Shipyard. I don't want to leave this city I love."
Li Yuan nodded, a smile on his face. "That's perfectly fine."
Tom went inside and soon returned with the blueprint of Pluto.
"This is my Den Den Mushi," Tom said, handing it to Li Yuan. "I promised you that my word is good forever. If you ever need me or find yourself in danger, just call this number. I'll come for you, whenever and wherever you are."
Li Yuan accepted the blueprint and handed over a special Den Den Mushi in return. He valued promises deeply, and since Tom had placed his trust in him, Li Yuan wouldn't disappoint him.
"Thank you, Li Yuan," Tom said, hesitating for a moment before taking the Den Den Mushi. "I hope I'll never have to use it."
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"Why didn't you eliminate him? This way, you wouldn't have to worry about the World Government finding out," Yadina asked, confused, after Li Yuan walked out.
To her, the only logical course of action was to either kill all those who knew or send them to the Infinite Seas to ensure their silence.
Li Yuan chuckled. "Tom is trustworthy. He won't betray us."
He had a strong fondness for Tom, who had always been honest and honorable. If Li Yuan had misjudged him, so be it—if the World Government found out, what could they do? Could they attack the Infinite Pirate Crew to reclaim the Pluto blueprint?
Yadina raised an eyebrow. "So, are you planning to follow this blueprint to modify the Hades Divine Ship?"
Li Yuan nodded thoughtfully. "Not exactly. We won't be able to implement every part of the design. The workable parts are what matter. Also, let's see if Soros can use our current technology to make the ship faster and perhaps even make it fly."
Li Yuan's plan for the Hades Divine Ship wasn't just for it to sail the seas—it needed to soar into the sky, even to the moon! After all, if the Celestial Dragons' weapon could attack from space, his ship needed to be just as impressive.
"Make it fly? That's a bit of a stretch," Yadina said, uncertain. "I'll ask Soros if he can manage that."
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"Ugh, my head hurts. What just happened?" Franky and Iceburg both groaned as they regained consciousness.
"Tom-sensei, are you okay?" Franky immediately ran over, concerned despite his own headache.
"I'm fine, I was just deep in thought," Tom replied, brushing off his earlier worry.
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Back in the Infinite Sea, Li Yuan handed the Pluto blueprint to Soros for further study. At the same time, he also gave him the design they had obtained on Sky Island to see if they could combine the advantages of both and apply them to the Hades Divine Ship.
"Sor, your ideas are grand, but to realize them, the Hades Divine Ship will need an enormous power source," Soros replied, shaking his head. "I'm not sure if we have anything capable of powering your vision for the ship, and that's without including the weapon systems. If we add those..."
Li Yuan wasn't fazed. "These aren't problems. Anything that can't be done now, we'll set aside. What matters is that we leave room on the ship for these technologies. When we can implement them, we'll add them without needing to redo the whole ship."
Soros sighed in relief. He was relieved that Li Yuan wasn't asking for everything to be completed right away—this was a long-term project.
"Alright, Captain. We can do that."
---
The next day, after leaving the blueprint with Soros, Li Yuan headed home, just in time to find his daughters, Shari and Asuna, playing in the garden.
"Daddy!" the two girls yelled happily, running to him and throwing themselves at his legs in joy.
"How's the divination going, Shari?" Li Yuan asked, picking up the girls and holding them in his arms.
"I can see the huge lantern fish you mentioned, Daddy! But I'm not sure exactly where it is, just that it's deep in the sea," Shari explained.
Li Yuan's eyes brightened. "Can you at least see the direction?"
Shari pointed to the northeast. "It's that way, but it's very far from here."
"Perfect! Let's go find that lantern fish!" Li Yuan declared enthusiastically.
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"Me too! I want to go!" Asuna chimed in, showing her desire to join.
Li Yuan smiled. "Alright, let's go together."
Soon, Yadina, Lasi, and Shakky joined in as well, eager to join the adventure.
"Captain, I'm here!" Kaya, freshly returned from Beast Island, had barely gotten any rest before being drafted as the ship's navigator for the journey.
The distance to the lantern fish was vast, and while traveling by ship would take too long, Kaya's Sky Cloud Ship would be much faster.
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"Wow! It's really flying!" Shari gasped, amazed as they ascended into the sky. Having grown up under the sea, flying above the land was an experience like no other for her.
The large Sky Cloud Ship had plenty of space, and the children ran around playing as Li Yuan relaxed under a parasol, enjoying the attention of his four companions.
"Shari, are we getting closer?" Li Yuan asked, curious.
Shari, after another divination, smiled brightly. "I think we're getting closer to the lantern fish!"
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(End of Chapter)