Infinite Pirates:
"Why did you bring Issho back? Did you interfere with Ares's mission?"
Seeing Gai Nie return with the unconscious Issho, Li Yuan asked curiously.
"Dad, I didn't interfere with Ares's mission. Ares spent a whole day and night defeating Issho. I just helped him bring Issho back to you," Gai Nie replied honestly, not daring to lie.
"So, that kid Ares is afraid I might change my mind, so he didn't dare to come back and see me, right?"
Li Yuan knew very well what was going on in that kid's head.
"Husband, why did you bring Issho back?"
Yadina walked over, curious. She was also speaking up for her son, wondering why Ares was so cowardly this time that he didn't even come home.
"Issho is a powerful top-tier combatant. He might one day ally with the Navy and become our enemy."
"Since he refuses to join us, we can't keep him, can we?"
"And there's one more thing I want to experiment with. If it succeeds, it will greatly enhance the strength of our Infinite Pirates."
Li Yuan smiled.
"Ahem, Dad, this is the video recording of Ares's battle with Issho. If there's nothing else, I'll go see Mom now."
Seeing this, Gai Nie handed the recording device to Li Yuan and quickly made an excuse to leave.
"Go ahead, Lazuli is in the lab right now."
Li Yuan waved his hand.
"Husband, what kind of experiment are you talking about?"
Hearing Li Yuan's words, Yadina became very curious. Nowadays, aside from ancient weapons, she hadn't seen anything that could significantly enhance the Infinite Pirates.
"Wife, let me ask you first. The ability you previously used to swap the consciousness of Vegapunk and Soros should be stronger now, right?"
Li Yuan asked.
"Husband, aren't you asking a question you already know the answer to? My development of the Mind Fruit ability is naturally much stronger than before. I practiced with Kumas and those officers, and just relying on the fruit's ability, I could control them!"
Upon hearing Li Yuan's question, Yadina immediately began to boast like a proud little peacock.
"Then tell me, if we swap Issho's consciousness with one of our loyal members, what do you think will happen?"
Li Yuan looked at the unconscious Issho with great interest.
"Husband, are you saying you want to use this method to directly cultivate a top-tier powerhouse loyal to us?"
Yadina was taken aback by Li Yuan's suggestion. This method seemed truly feasible! After all, after she helped Soros and Vegapunk swap their consciousness, Soros's mind could still perfectly operate Vegapunk's body and utilize the Brain-Brain Fruit Vegapunk had originally consumed.
This meant her ability to swap consciousness had no side effects and could perfectly inherit the other party's Devil Fruit ability.
If a loyal member's consciousness were to inhabit Issho's body, that person would inherit everything from Issho, the top powerhouse.
Although he wouldn't have the combat awareness and various techniques of a top powerhouse, he would already possess the physical instincts and Devil Fruit abilities of one.
Thus, to unleash the peak power of Issho's body, it would only take about a year and a half of training.
Cultivating a top-tier combatant in just a year and a half was indeed a very crazy thing! "That's right, let's use this method and see if it works!"
Li Yuan laughed.
Then, Li Yuan selected a man named Bill Brooks from among their many loyal members.
"Captain, Captain's wife!!"
Bill Brooks was called to Yadina's office, and upon seeing Li Yuan, he was extremely excited.
His entire family had once been enslaved by slave traders, and it was Li Yuan who saved them, providing them with food, clothing, and shelter, allowing them to live peacefully in the Limitless Sea Area for over a decade.
Bill had immense respect for Li Yuan since childhood, which is why he joined the Limitless Sword Gym and later became a captain in the Infinite Pirates. However, due to limited talent, he couldn't continue to improve after reaching the captain level.
"Bill, I'm conducting an experiment that requires your cooperation. If it succeeds, you will gain power comparable to that of a core officer, but the cost is that you must give up your current body. Are you willing?"
Li Yuan asked seriously.
"Captain, I am willing! I am willing!!"
Upon hearing Li Yuan's words, Bill immediately agreed without hesitation. This was the power of a core officer! Previously, he could only dream of having the strength of an ordinary officer, let alone that of a core officer.
Now that Li Yuan said he could grant him the power of a core officer, how could he refuse? After all, it was just a body, and compared to the power of a core officer, it was insignificant! The pursuit of power, unafraid of bodily transformation, was a unique spirit of the pirate world.
"Very well, come with us!"
Under Li Yuan's Observation Haki, he clearly understood Bill's thoughts; at least Bill's loyalty to Li Yuan was unquestionable.
Li Yuan took the unconscious Issho and them to Lazuli's laboratory.
"Lazuli, where's that kid Gai Nie? Didn't he say he was coming to see you?"
Upon arriving, Li Yuan noticed Gai Nie was not there and immediately asked curiously.
"Oh, he came to see me, brought some things, and then couldn't wait to run off. He's not as clingy and cute as he was when he was little!"
Lazuli waved her hand.
"Forget it, the child has grown up; let them be."
"Lazuli, next..."
Li Yuan explained the upcoming plan to Lazuli, and soon she brought over two nutrient chambers.
"Bill, lie down inside. Relax, and when you wake up, everything I mentioned will come true."
Li Yuan said to Bill, then tossed the unconscious Issho inside as well.
"Okay!"
Bill took a deep breath and lay down in the nutrient chamber.
Once the chamber closed, the mechanisms inside activated automatically. Numerous restraints made of Sea Stone began to completely seal Bill and Issho's bodies, followed by the injection of anesthetics and other drugs that would render them unconscious and unable to wake up.
The nutrient chamber also contained nutrients that would ensure their survival without food or water.
"Yadina, you can start now!"
Lazuli said after adjusting the functions of the nutrient chamber.
"Mind exchange!"
Yadina stepped forward, waved her hands in the air, and the consciousness of Bill and Issho was instantly expelled from their bodies and exchanged at high speed.
"Done!"
Yadina said.
"Lazuli, wake up Issho's body. I want to see if it's Issho or Bill!"
Li Yuan instructed.
"Not a problem!"
Lazuli stepped forward, adjusted the data of the nutrient chamber, and soon Issho woke up.
"Captain, why do I feel so weak all over?"
The awakened Bill looked at Li Yuan beside him, puzzled.
"You should be Bill, right?"
"Captain, I am Bill!"
"Then let me ask you a few questions. First, what are your parents' names? How many people are in your family? How old are you? When did you join the Limitless Sword Gym?"
"Captain, my mother's name is Selena O'Brien, my father's name is Clara Brooks, and there are 5 people in my family, including me."
Li Yuan asked a few more questions about Bill's basic information, confirming that it was indeed Bill's consciousness inhabiting Issho's body.
"Bill, how do you feel now?"
After confirming it was Bill, Li Yuan directly released him from the nutrient chamber.
"Captain, I feel like I have incredibly powerful strength now. It's a kind of power I can't describe!"
After coming out of the nutrient chamber and no longer being restricted by Sea Stone, Bill felt he was now a hundred times stronger than before. This kind of power was what he had always dreamed of!
"Bill, remember, you cannot tell anyone about this experiment that made you stronger, understand?"
Li Yuan said seriously.
"Captain, I understand. I will keep this matter to myself!"
Bill replied earnestly.
"Bill, from now on, your external title will be Fujitora. Don't mention the name Bill anymore; just use Fujitora from now on."
"This is your weapon, Supreme Grade Sword · Black Blade Firewire. This is the battle video of this body before!"
"I will have other core officers fight you to help you get familiar with the power of this body as soon as possible."
Li Yuan said with satisfaction.
"Captain, no problem! From now on, I will be called Fujitora. That name sounds very imposing!"
"By the way, Captain, can you give me a makeover? I look strange like this, and I don't even dare to go back to see my family."
Fujitora looked at his reflection in the nearby mirror, feeling quite odd.
"That's completely fine. Come with me!"
Lazuli said with a smile.
The cosmetic surgery technology was developed by Lazuli a few years ago. Combined with Law's Op-Op Fruit ability, it could perfectly change a person's appearance with minimal side effects.
"Husband, it seems your plan was successful!"
"As long as we can capture those top-tier combatants from the World Government alive, they will soon become our own top-tier powerhouses. This is simply killing two birds with one stone!"
Yadina looked at Fujitora's departing figure, feeling happy for Li Yuan.
"Yes, it was indeed successful. Now we just need to see how soon Fujitora can recover to his peak strength. Even if he can't return to his peak, recovering 90% would be great."
Li Yuan was also very satisfied with this. At least this method could rapidly elevate the overall strength of the Infinite Pirates! (End of Chapter)