One Piece meme: Starting with eight extraordinary skills

For a time, training was in full swing at the Navy Headquarters and branches across the country. Almost everyone was vying to learn the Vajra Indestructible Child Skill. Success in learning it meant a greater chance of survival on the battlefield. Who wouldn't want to survive?

As a result, those naval officers and soldiers who had girlfriends or were already married could only watch helplessly, feeling extremely frustrated and pained. Some naval officers and soldiers even wrote a letter to Yang Ming, suggesting that Yang Ming create a cultivation method for married people.

Clearly, they all believed that the Vajra Indestructible Child Skill was a technique created by Yang Ming.

After all, even the Six Powers of the Navy were created by simplifying and modifying Armament Haki and Observation Haki based on the research of previous generations of naval predecessors.

They naturally assumed that this was Yang Mingqing's achievement, surpassing his predecessor.

Yang Ming neither agreed nor disagreed with these people's requests.

Of course, if these people really have such an urgent need, Yang Ming isn't without options. He can always pull out some cultivation techniques for married people, like the legendary Sunflower Manual, which requires self-castration to succeed. Let alone Yang Ming not having it, even if he did, once this underworld stuff spreads, the entire navy's image will probably change for the worse.

Chapter 366 Undercurrent

Of course, if these people really have such an urgent need, Yang Ming isn't without options. He can always pull out some cultivation techniques for married people, like the legendary Sunflower Manual, which requires self-castration to succeed. Let alone Yang Ming not having it, even if he did, once this underworld stuff spreads, the entire navy's image will probably change for the worse.

The thought of the navy learning the Sunflower Manual and having many people fidgeting with their fingers, holding a needle and thread, and speaking in affectedly coquettish voices sent a chill down Yang Ming's spine, no matter how knowledgeable he was.

As for those who already have girlfriends or are married and feel jealous and envious of their colleagues who practice the Vajra Indestructible Boy Technique, Yang Ming can only let them be. After all, when they had girlfriends or wives, weren't they also envied and resented by their colleagues? Now it's just that they've switched roles. Let's just consider it a love-hate relationship.

The navy's large-scale acquisition of supplies in preparation for war was naturally difficult to hide from those who were interested.

Many forces have noticed that the prices of resources such as iron, timber, and cloth are rising steadily. Due to the preconceived notion that the Navy had previously hinted at executing Fire Fist Ace, most people and forces subconsciously believe that the Navy is preparing for the upcoming decisive battle with the Whitebeard Pirates.

These forces would naturally prefer to see the two tigers fight and both suffer heavy losses. Both the Whitebeard Pirates and the Navy are top-tier forces on the sea, a mountain weighing on their heads.

Only if both sides suffer heavy losses in a major battle will other forces have a chance to emerge.

Especially since Yang Ming took office as the Admiral of the Navy Headquarters, he has been carrying out a comprehensive crackdown on the mafia, bandits, and pirates in the four seas and the Grand Line. This has led many people to hope that the Navy will suffer a major setback, so that it will not have the extra energy and ability to continue to fight bandits, and they will be able to live a comfortable life for a while.

In an effort to inflict heavy losses on the navy, many forces pooled their resources to snap up iron, timber, cloth, and other supplies on the market, maliciously driving up market prices and forcing the navy to purchase supplies at even higher prices, thus making it impossible for the navy to meet its wartime needs.

Among these many forces, the nobles of the Western Sea are the most prominent.

Back when Yang Ming was the governor of the West Sea, he implemented a bandit suppression strategy in the West Sea. Any nobleman associated with the Mafia would have their property confiscated or be silenced if Yang Ming found evidence of their crimes. This caused resentment among the nobles of the various countries in the West Sea, and they even later asked the World Government and the Five Elders to put pressure on Yang Ming.

If Yang Ming hadn't used the alias Li Qing, the Dark Lord, to lead the Dark Night Pirates in a raid on Mary Geoise, thus diverting a lot of the World Government's attention and preventing them from focusing on the West Blue, Yang Ming's original plan to eliminate Mary Geoise would probably have been abandoned halfway through.

With no constraints in place, Yang Ming was able to work tirelessly in the Western Sea.

The noble lineage of the Western Sea has been passed down for eight hundred years. Over these centuries, the various nobles have intermarried and formed kinship ties, creating a de facto community of interests.

Yang Ming confiscated the property and silenced some nobles. Due to Yang Ming's top-notch combat power, these nobles dared not speak out in the past, for fear of provoking the attention of this Shura Marshal who was known for his iron-fisted approach. He would easily find some evidence against them and confiscate their property and silence them again. However, if they could do some small things behind the scenes to make this Shura Marshal uncomfortable, the nobles of the Western Sea would be very happy.

It is precisely for this reason that the nobles of the Western Sea are the group most enthusiastic about snapping up supplies on the market. They spare no expense, squandering the wealth accumulated by their families over hundreds of years, and snapping up large quantities of iron, cloth and other resources that are useless to them, just to prevent the navy from receiving sufficient logistical supplies and thus suffer more losses on the battlefield.

It must be said that the nobles of the Western Sea are very adept at this kind of self-defeating behavior.

Unfortunately, they overlooked one thing.

Yang Mingsu always takes a three-steps-at-a-time approach and considers all aspects before doing anything. Even if there is any oversight, he has Lieutenant General Jonathan by his side to fill in the gaps. How could there be such a big loophole that these forces could exploit?

Moreover, Yang Ming now possesses multiple islands and countries, including Water Seven, Wano Country, and Sky Island, as well as the savings accumulated by the Dinosaur Merchant Guild over the years. Even if these forces seize supplies in a short period of time, he can ensure that the Navy's logistics are sufficient and that its supply of materials will not be cut off by others.

In fact, the news that the Navy was planning to raise a large amount of supplies was secretly instructed by Yang Ming and then secretly promoted by the Akatsuki organization, which allowed it to spread in the shortest possible time.

When these forces that secretly oppose Yang Ming and the Navy start driving up prices, thinking they can secretly target Yang Ming, the Dinosaur Merchant Guild will quietly step in and sell off the supplies they have hoarded at low prices over the years at high prices.

The Dinosaur Merchant Guild is incredibly wealthy. Over the years, it has made a fortune by monopolizing the sale of Sky Island specialties. A large number of shell items that are useless on Sky Island are resold to nobles in the Blue Ocean for hundreds of thousands or even millions of Berries. Then, it uses its own business channels to buy up large quantities of goods at low prices.

No one knows exactly how much stock the Dinosaur Merchant Guild has stored in the giant warehouse they built in the Kingdom of Dressrosa.

When this massive influx of supplies entered the market, it not only indirectly siphoned off a large amount of resources from these hostile forces, but also brought market prices back to their normal levels.

In recent days, the market price fluctuations have been comparable to those of Bitcoin. Initially, the price soared, causing countless people to revel and invest more funds to further drive up the price. Then, it collapsed like a cliff, causing countless hidden forces to suffer heavy losses and be brought back to square one.

Those iron, timber, and cloth resources are only somewhat useful to large and powerful forces like the navy, as they can be processed into guns, bullets, warships, and uniforms. But to forces like the Western Sea Nobles, they are simply a bunch of useless trash, completely utterly useless.

The thought that they had spent hundreds of years of their ancestors' wealth to buy back a pile of junk caused many nobles in the Western Sea to faint from anger. Some even hanged themselves because they felt ashamed of their ancestors. For a time, nobles in various Western Sea countries held funerals, which were extremely desolate.

Chapter 367 Whereabouts

The thought that they had spent hundreds of years of their ancestors' wealth to buy back a pile of junk caused many nobles in the Western Sea to faint from anger. Some even hanged themselves because they felt ashamed of their ancestors. For a time, nobles in various Western Sea countries held funerals, which were extremely desolate.

Within a month, many forces, including the nobles of the Western Sea, failed to secretly target Yang Ming. Instead, they were routed in the market by Yang Ming's scheme to butcher them.

Yang Ming not only amassed a large amount of gold and Beli, but also, after market prices stabilized, many forces that had been snapping up supplies chose to cut their losses and sell their purchases at low prices. Although there were still losses, they were able to recover some of them and avoid a complete defeat. This allowed Yang Ming to acquire a large amount of supplies at low prices, making him a winner twice.

The battles in the market are different from those on the battlefield; there are no visible swords or spears, but they are just as intense and brutal.

Many people were shocked by the fate of these losers, and then suddenly remembered that this Marshal Shura was not only known for his cold-blooded and iron-fisted nature, but also possessed wisdom no less than that of the marshals of the Warring States period.

For a time, all was calm.

Those forces that originally wanted to take advantage of the chaos all stopped and watched, not daring to provoke Marshal Shura's authority at this sensitive time, lest they fall into the same fate as the nobles of the Western Sea, becoming a laughing stock for future generations.

Just as the Navy and various forces were vying for dominance in the market, the Red-Haired Pirates, after a period of rest and recuperation, sailed on the Red Voss and docked at the island closest to Red Harbor.

Red Harbor is an island beneath the Red Earth and the most important port city for traveling to the Holy Land of Mary Geoise.

Due to the sensitive nature of the Red-Haired Pirates, Shanks, dressed in a black robe, left the crew alone and headed to Red Harbor. He avoided the Navy's patrols and the eyes and ears of others, and quietly arrived at the Holy Land of Mary Geoise.

This well-known Yonko seemed extremely familiar with the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, as if he were back home, skillfully avoiding numerous CP0 sentries along the way and infiltrating Pangaea.

Inside the magnificent Pangu City, fully armed guards patrol the corridors every so often. Even though this work is extremely boring, they patrol mechanically 365 days a year, not letting any trace of movement slip by.

Red-haired Shanks moved through the crowd as if it were his own backyard, and no one could detect his presence as he walked along.

When Shanks turned into a huge conference room, five elderly men were already waiting inside.

When Shanks saw that one of the old men had been replaced by the somewhat unfamiliar Cobra, he was slightly taken aback. He then searched his memory and recognized the man as the former king of Alabasta. He bowed slightly to him as a greeting.

Although Cobra remained expressionless, a storm was raging within him.

This famous Emperor of the Sea actually has some secret connection with the Five Elders.

Could it be that Shanks is actually a pawn secretly planted by the World Government?

Or is he a descendant of a Celestial Dragon family?

If Cobra hadn't become one of the Five Elders, he would probably still be kept in the dark, thinking that the World Government was hostile to the Four Emperors. It turns out that they were just deceiving the world all along.

Even Cobra was shocked, not to mention Katrina Devon, the Crescent Moon Hunter disguised as Jaigollucia Satan Saint. Her shock was no less than Cobra's, and perhaps even greater.

Fortunately, Caterina Depon, who plays Crescent Moon Hunter, is an outstanding actress. She hasn't given herself away during this time, and through observation and learning, she has now managed to project the aura of the Five Elders. Sitting quietly on the sofa, she is impossible to ignore.

An elderly man with blond hair and a golden beard loosened his collar slightly, revealing a prominent scar on his open chest, the source of which was unclear. He looked up at Shanks and said:

"You should know that it's not appropriate for us to meet with you given your status. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be waiting for you here so early in the morning."

"What exactly happened that made you come all the way here to meet with us?"

Upon hearing this, Shanks found a sofa and sat down.

Immediately, Shanks glanced at Jaigolusia Satan Saint beside the blond elder out of the corner of his eye, his brows furrowing slightly. Like Captain Roger, he possessed the ability to hear the voices of all things, but for some reason, he felt that this Elder seemed different from before, and there was something awkward about him.

But now is not the time to ponder these things.

Red-Haired Shanks pointed to the empty space in the scabbard at his waist, gave a wry smile, and said:

"Look, my sword Griffin is gone."

Upon hearing this, the five old men frowned, wondering what Shanks was up to.

Surely they're not here to ask for help finding their sword, are they?

Seeing that his words had stirred up everyone's emotions, Shanks continued:

"The person who took Griffin is someone you all know well; it's none other than Li Qing, the captain of the Dark Night Pirates who single-handedly destroyed the Holy Land of Mary Geoise!"

"Is this really true?" the blond old man exclaimed in surprise.

“Absolutely true.” Red-haired Shanks stroked the empty scabbard. Without his sword Griffin, he felt as empty and adrift as if his wife had been kidnapped. He gritted his teeth and said, “That bastard planted a demon tree on Jaya Island. I wanted to destroy it, but then Lee Sin, the Lord of the Night, intervened and fought me and Hawkeye.”

"In that great battle, I could clearly feel that the opponent did not use their full strength, but they were able to move naturally with the help of me and Hawkeye, and at the same time, they also took Griffin and Black Knife Night."

"I can sense that that demonic tree is no ordinary tree. I am not exaggerating, but here to warn you that if we allow it to continue growing, it may have the power to destroy the world. Therefore, we absolutely cannot stand idly by. We must use swift and decisive measures to destroy it before it grows too large."

From Shanks's gritted teeth, the Five Elders could clearly sense his frustration and resentment. It was obvious that he hadn't gained any advantage in his fight with Li Qing, the Dark Lord, and had even suffered considerable losses in secret. As for the Demon Tree he mentioned, the Five Elders didn't take it seriously. What they cared about most was the whereabouts of Li Qing, the Dark Lord.

Chapter 368 Lord Im

From Shanks's gritted teeth, the Five Elders could clearly sense his frustration and resentment. It was obvious that he hadn't gained any advantage in his fight with Li Qing, the Dark Lord, and had even suffered considerable losses in secret. As for the Demon Tree he mentioned, the Five Elders didn't take it seriously. What they cared about most was the whereabouts of Li Qing, the Dark Lord.

In the eyes of the Five Elders, Shanks' claim that the Demon Tree possessed the power to destroy the world was pure alarmist nonsense, merely an attempt to attract their attention. Their real focus was on Lee Sin, the Lord of the Night.

They would never forget that it was because they had been unable to track down the whereabouts of Li Qing, the Lord of the Night, over the past few years that they lost the most important impression points in front of Lord Im, which led to them all being reprimanded by Lord Im, resulting in one of them being dismissed and Cobra being elected as one of the Five Elders.

It's easy to imagine that if they still can't find the whereabouts of Li Qing, the Lord of the Night, the others will likely continue to suffer and face dismissal.

Those who have tasted power will never easily relinquish it.

Moreover, this is the authority of the Five Elders, who are second only to the Emperor.

At this moment, having finally learned the whereabouts of Li Qing, the Lord of the Night, the Five Elders looked at each other, clearly having reached a tacit understanding that none of them should try to keep the benefits of this information to themselves. They would need to go together to pay homage to Lord Im later.

To be on the safe side, the Five Elders then had a friendly exchange with Shanks, adhering to the principle of mutual benefit. The two sides exchanged opinions and reached a consensus.

Li Qing, the Lord of the Night, and that terrifying demonic tree must be eradicated!

After Shanks left Pangaea with a satisfied expression, the five of them leisurely headed to the Flower Garden deep within Pangaea to pay homage to the supreme king who was above all living beings.

The Holy Land Mary Geoise was once destroyed by the Dark Night Pirates and then rebuilt. All the buildings were constructed one-to-one with the original designs, including the Flower Room.

Arched columns are a common sight here. The columns are powerful and robust, with thick and simple lines. The capital is a simple inverted conical disc. The column body below the capital is smaller at the top and larger at the bottom, showing a tapering trend. The height-to-width ratio of the column is as high as 1:5, making it appear heavy and stable.

The walls are carved with stone sculptures, featuring numerous temple-like buildings. The enshrined deities hold up Devil Fruits in their hands, while below them are many stick figures kneeling in worship. This seems to depict the ignorant and dark era eight hundred years ago, when Devil Fruit users were worshipped as gods.

This wasn't the first time the Five Elders had come to the Flower Garden. Aside from their initial restraint and awe, they were mostly afraid rather than respectful, because no one could guess what Lord Im was thinking, nor did they know if their answers and actions would satisfy him. They were constantly in a state of unease.

The Five Elders and their entourage slowly walked down the long red carpet.

Cobra looked up at the steps leading up to the throne, where 19 kings' blades were stuck upside down.

Previously, he did not know the meaning of the 19 blades stuck upside down in front of the throne. During this time, Cobra had been flipping through the diaries passed down through generations of the Nefertari family, trying to find the existence of Lord Im, and he actually found some clues.

Although, what respectable person would keep a diary?

It is quite clear that the ancestors of the Nefertari family attempted to leave a few words in their diaries to subtly pass on the truth to their descendants, so that they would not forget the Will of D of their clan.

Yes, you read that right.