Lu Yu, of course, remained unaware of what was happening behind the scenes.
Five days later, Roelki returned to Cocoyasi Village with the information in hand.
The moment they received the intel, Lu Yu and his crew set sail once again. During their stay in Cocoyasi, the villagers—especially Nami—had been living in constant anxiety.
Even though Lu Yu repeatedly promised he wouldn't harm them, Nami had witnessed his brutal methods firsthand. Deep down, she couldn't fully trust someone that dangerous.
What if one day he just woke up in a bad mood and decided to wipe out Cocoyasi Village?
To Nami, that kind of massacre felt entirely possible.
So, when Lu Yu finally left with his crew, she exhaled in relief for the first time in days.
But just that same afternoon, a Marine warship arrived at Cocoyasi.
That's right—it was Captain Nezumi.
From there, the story would continue with Luffy and Nami's fateful meeting...
---
Back on Lu Yu's ship...
With the intel now in hand, Lu Yu had a much clearer understanding of the Kingdom of Yacoslan's strength.
And frankly, if it came down to a direct confrontation, even with Lu Yu's immense combat power, there was a very real chance they'd all die on the spot.
"Captain, do you have a plan?"
Kuina asked as she looked over the stack of intelligence reports.
Everything pointed to one thing: this wasn't a battle they could win head-on.
If they wanted to avoid the kingdom altogether, they could. But if they faced them directly, odds were high that their pirate crew would be the one wiped out—while the kingdom remained intact.
"I do," Lu Yu said calmly. "Decapitation strategy."
"Decapitation?" Kuina echoed, confused.
It sounded simple, but reality wasn't so kind. The nobles might not be strong themselves, but their guards were another matter entirely.
Just look at Yakazhuo —he was only a personal guard of one of the nobles, yet incredibly powerful.
There were bound to be more like him in the Kingdom of Yacoslan.
Taking out a noble wasn't just risky—it bordered on suicidal.
"Najenda, I'll leave the detailed planning to you," Lu Yu said, turning to the newest member of the crew.
That's right. After accumulating 50,000 reputation points, Lu Yu had used them to summon Najenda.
She wasn't just a military strategist with razor-sharp intellect—she also wielded the humanoid Imperial Arm: Susanoo. The perfect balance of brains and brawn.
"Kuina, Roelki," Najenda said confidently. "I'm Najenda, Captain of the First Division."
"The captain has briefed me on your backgrounds. Let's jump into our primary concern—the Kingdom of Yacoslan's actual military strength."
She unrolled a set of documents onto the table, speaking with cool precision.
Professionals really were different.
In just minutes, Najenda broke down the distribution of enemy forces, their expected tactics, and the general outline of their next battle strategy.
What's more, since Najenda was new, neither the Marines nor the Kingdom knew of her existence.
That made her their ace—perfect for launching a surprise assault.
"We also need to consider the time factor," Najenda added. "The captain says the Marines are watching us closely."
"That gives us, at most, one month," Lu Yu confirmed. "Whatever we do, we need to wrap it up quickly and head for the Grand Line."
He no longer believed they could destroy the Kingdom of Yacoslan in one swift strike.
But if they could inflict serious damage—cripple the leadership, disrupt command structures—it would be enough.
After all, this was also about building the reputation of the Dragon Hunter Pirates.
Lu Yu pointed to one document in particular.
"We start with this guy—the noble Wendis."
Wendis was a high-ranking aristocrat involved in the slave trade. He'd been gunning for Lu Yu and his crew since day one.
---
As Lu Yu and his crew set sail toward the Kingdom of Yacoslan, another ship was cutting across the sea in their direction.
A heavily modified pirate ship.
"Boss, are we really gonna waste time on some rookie?"
"He's probably already dead—picked off by other pirate crews before we even get there."
"Yeah, and the Kingdom's making such a big deal out of him. Just for a newbie?"
The crew voiced their doubts one after another.
This was the Mondost Pirates—a notorious crew who had once dared to challenge the Big Mom Pirates in the New World, barely escaping with their lives before returning to the East Blue.
They no longer bothered with petty crimes like robbing merchant ships or villages.
Now, they took on secret assassination missions for world governments and underground factions.
When kings wanted their hands clean or towns refused to pay the Heavenly Tribute, they were the ones sent to "solve the problem."
Their pirate status gave them cover, and their strength kept them in demand.
"Ster, if both the Marines and the kingdom are after this Lu Yu, maybe we can profit from both sides," said Mondo, the First Captain of the Mondost Pirates, eyes gleaming with greed.
"Already ahead of you, brother. I've sent a few small pirate crews to test the waters," said Ster, the Second Captain. "We should be getting solid intel soon."
"Honestly, though—if the Kingdom of Yacoslan is this desperate, don't you think it's time?"
Mondo raised an eyebrow. "You mean...?"
The two brothers had been together for over a decade, founding the Mondost Pirates from scratch. They didn't need to explain things twice.
With just a glance, Mondo understood.
By the time night fell, they had reached the outer seas of the Kingdom of Yacoslan.
Within a day, they landed—walking boldly into the heart of the kingdom.
Before long, they stood outside a lavish mansion.
It belonged to none other than the noble Wendis.
"What the hell are you two doing here?" Wendis demanded, visibly annoyed.
The mission he'd assigned them didn't require setting foot in the kingdom. They were supposed to eliminate Lu Yu—discreetly and efficiently.
Now they'd appeared right at his doorstep.
"Lord Wendis," Mondo said, ignoring the irritation. "My brother and I have spent long enough drifting on the seas."
"We want noble status."
"I'm sure you, of all people, can make that happen."
He didn't mention Lu Yu at all.
Because deep down, no matter how much people romanticize freedom on the seas—how many pirates really want that life?
Real power was on land. In titles. In privilege.
And the nobility of the Kingdom of Yacoslan? That was the real prize.
So now, under the guise of a contract, the Mondost brothers had come to seize something greater than gold or territory.
They wanted to transform.
And Wendis… might be their ticket.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Do you want to read Advanced Chapters?
Visit this link:
Påtreon.com/Fanficlord03
Change (å) to (a)