Chapter 301: An Encounter
Mary Geoise, Holy Land, Conference Room.
The Five Elders gathered, each with a grim expression, exuding a chilling aura. The air was heavy and oppressive, like the calm before a storm.
Heavenly Tribute represented the World Government's authority.
And this authority had already been slapped hard by Rhodes.
"Too arrogant! He dares to openly plunder Heavenly Tribute!"
"Admiral Issho also neglected his duty, failing to personally oversee the Heavenly Tribute warship, which gave Rhodes the opportunity."
"According to Gurado's report, it was because the Celestial Dragon bombarded the port that Issho went to rescue civilians—we can't blame him."
"Cooperate fully with the Marines to open the shipping route as soon as possible. We can't continue sitting idly by watching the Thunder God Swordsman grow stronger. He's a madman, ambitious, and more threatening than Whitebeard. We must defeat him in a decisive battle as soon as possible!"
Although the Whitebeard Pirates' power far exceeded Rhodes's at this moment, Whitebeard was the type who wouldn't attack unless provoked, unless his family was threatened.
For the seas, this was actually a different kind of balance.
Sengoku's strategy to control the seas was based on this principle.
One could imagine that if Rhodes grew to the Whitebeard Pirates' size, the New World would likely be in turmoil, posing a significant threat to the World Government's rule.
"Seconded!"
"Seconded!"
The World Government, this behemoth, began to function, and despite its severe internal corruption, it still exuded terrifying power.
The Marines, having suffered heavy losses and damaged morale in battles against various pirates in the New World, were revitalized with the World Government's support, as if injected with new vigor.
Meanwhile, Rhodes had already left West Blue and was heading to the New World.
Opening a portal, Rhodes arrived at a stretch of sea, looked down, and discovered a shallow beach.
He landed there, intending to examine his Heavenly Tribute haul.
Heavenly Tribute mainly consisted of various pearls, gems, and jade.
Most of these treasures had astonishing origins and terrifying legends, like blood pearls born from endless bloodshed, or eerie gems that could reflect spirits...
The various member nations, well aware of the Celestial Dragons' thirst for the unusual, collected treasures that often possessed supernatural qualities.
Rhodes, holding the golden tribute registry, examined each item with awe and wonder. After a while, he turned his attention to the highlights of his haul:
Two O Wazamono grade swords!
Seven Ryo Wazamono grade swords!
All of excellent quality—they would fetch extremely high prices at auction.
Rhodes, of course, wouldn't use them for auction. As his faction's leader, these meito were far more important than berries, whether for recruiting skilled swordsmen or rewarding subordinates.
In the pirate world, meito were often priceless.
After considering these nine swords' fate, Rhodes focused his attention on his most crucial acquisition:
Six Devil Fruits of various shapes and colors!
Even if these were just the most common Zoan-type fruits, their value would probably exceed one billion berries.
And given Rhodes's experience studying the Devil Fruit encyclopedia, their actual value far exceeded that. He wouldn't sell them for ten billion!
Because these fruits' value couldn't be measured in money—they were enough to lay the foundation for Rhodes's power.
Paramecia-type Jiki Jiki no Mi!
Manipulates magnetism!
Just thinking about it revealed this ability's brilliant future, potentially surpassing even Issho's Zushi Zushi no Mi.
Special Paramecia-type, Kinzoku Kinzoku no Mi!
Ability to transform into liquid metal, very close to Logia-type capabilities. If fully developed, it could definitely rival Diamond Jozu's defensive capabilities.
Zoan-type Mythical Zoan, Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Titan!
This needs no introduction—the Mythical Zoan classification alone speaks volumes about its power.
Rhodes was thrilled. All three fruits had development potential, but it also depended on the user.
No matter how powerful the fruit, if the user is incompetent, it's all for nothing.
The Gura Gura no Mi became the strongest power because of Whitebeard, not the other way around.
The cause-and-effect relationship between the two cannot be reversed.
"The other three are slightly weaker, one's ability is even unknown, but the other two are decent ordinary Zoan-type fruits, which can be used to cultivate mid-level combatants."
Rhodes was overjoyed and quite excited, but ultimately, his mind was resilient—having experienced much, he quickly composed himself and began considering these fruits' uses.
He wasn't the World Government with its deep-rooted resources—powerful fruits should naturally be given to someone to consume, promptly converting them into actual combat power to meet upcoming challenges.
"The Jiki Jiki no Mi might be suitable for someone proficient in firearms."
"Ideally, someone skilled in scientific research. They might not be able to produce a universal electromagnetic railgun, but manufacturing one specifically for a particular user shouldn't be too difficult."
Rhodes's mind raced. The electromagnetic railgun was incredibly powerful, definitely worth the investment.
"I'm somewhat unsure who to give the Kinzoku Kinzoku no Mi and Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Titan to,"
Rhodes murmured, stroking his chin. Jinbe was a good choice, but as a fish-man, he probably wouldn't surrender the sea's advantages.
As for the others, they either had Devil Fruit abilities or weren't worth developing.
Rhodes packed his gains into his dimensional storage, feeling a headache coming on. Others lacked powerful Devil Fruits, but he lacked suitable people.
Weak people wouldn't do—by the time they matured, Rhodes would probably be wiped out by the Marines.
Ideally, they should already possess considerable combat power.
As Rhodes pondered, he casually opened a spatial portal, walked through the passage, and arrived in waters near Dressrosa.
It had to be said, the Doa Doa no Mi's power was incredibly convenient.
If Marine Headquarters had a Doa Doa no Mi user as powerful as him, they could easily lead a large force to launch a surprise attack on Dressrosa!
At that moment, a thunderous roar interrupted Rhodes's thoughts.
He turned his head and saw two groups locked in fierce battle on a small island in the distance.
There were only five on one side, but to Rhodes's surprise, all five were giants, and he recognized them. The leader was none other than Hajrudin, who appeared in the Dressrosa arc of the original timeline!
The other four were naturally members of the New Giant Warrior Pirates.
These giants were all over twenty meters tall, possessing astonishing combat power—an ordinary pirate crew would likely be no match for them.
Yet, they were currently in a rather precarious situation.
Rhodes looked closely and was surprised to find the giants' opponents were a group of black-clad men in tight-fitting uniforms, clearly specially trained, resembling a military unit.
These men were all powerful, well-equipped, and possessed various highly specialized weapons and tools. With their coordinated efforts, the giants were completely unable to fight back, only able to roar in frustration.
"A slave-hunting team?"
Rhodes was astonished, because these people clearly intended to capture the giants alive, and their methods were highly skilled.
They were probably a professional slave-hunting team, and judging from their attire, they likely came from a powerful organization.
(End of Chapter)
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