The Drought Pirates quickly handed over all their treasures, not daring to hide even a single piece.
Their pirate crew, aside from Tuoba Jie, didn't have many formidable fighters. Their overall combat strength wasn't even as strong as the Rakshasa Pirates.
So, after Tuoba Jie was struck down and sunk into the sea, they immediately surrendered, not daring to resist.
Ye Yu ordered his crew to bring the treasures aboard. Although they weren't as valuable as the chest of treasures they had just acquired, they were still worth about half as much, which was quite a good haul.
Xia Ling sighed softly, "An unexpected gain."
Zhao Yan'er was delighted, "Even though it's only half the value of our chest, since ours is extremely precious, their treasures are still quite substantial."
Ye Yu commanded, "We can leave now."
The Dominant Feather Pirate Crew sailed away, and the news quickly spread, causing a stir.
"He took down Tuoba Jie with a single strike."
"Sunk into the sea, his fate unknown."
"So, the treasures of the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew are not to be trifled with."
…
Three hours later, the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew's ship arrived at a small island city. After disembarking, they immediately planted their flag, declaring it the territory of the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew.
The islanders were also pleased. Becoming the territory of such a powerful pirate crew was naturally a great thing, as it meant they would be under their protection.
Qiao Ling'er continued her treatment, while Zhou Xing prepared the ingredients.
"This city relies on fishing for its livelihood, so today we'll have a seafood feast."
This made the crew excited, as their stomachs were already growling with hunger.
Zhou Xing and some crew members who had learned culinary skills began to work, buying crabs, prawns, abalone, sea bass, and more.
Using a local restaurant, Zhou Xing got busy.
Six hours passed, and the crew had mostly recovered, their injuries nearly healed.
The feast was ready, set up like a grand banquet with over a hundred tables, each continuously being served with seafood dishes.
Braised prawns, king crab, salt and pepper shrimp, spicy stir-fried snails, seafood fried noodles, steamed sea bass, and more.
As the crew took their seats, their mouths watered.
Ye Yu announced loudly, "Eat and drink your fill, get into peak condition, and then we'll head to the fixed Treasure Pool."
Immediately, the crew began devouring the food, their eyes gleaming. It was delicious, flavorful, and the seafood was incredibly tender.
"So good, so delicious."
"Zhou Xing's cooking is simply amazing."
"The best seafood I've ever had."
…
Zhou Xing also felt a sense of accomplishment, smiling, "This is just the beginning. There are many more dishes I'm good at, and you'll get to taste them all in time."
"Great, with Zhou Xing around, we'll have a feast on every adventure."
Soon, everyone was full and satisfied, and they set sail.
The nearest fixed Treasure Pool was about two hundred kilometers away. At the speed of the Dominant Feather Pirate ship, it would take about four hours to reach.
The reason they needed to be in peak condition was that the area around the Treasure Pool was bound to be a frequent battleground.
Pirate crews would go there to exchange for experience, and those who hadn't obtained treasures would wait there, ready to fight for them.
Moreover, the news of the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew's substantial treasure haul had already spread, so it was possible that several powerful pirate crews might choose to ally against them.
At this moment, at the fixed treasure exchange point, seven pirate crews were stationed there, all of them quite formidable.
In the distance, many pirate crews had stopped, most of them smaller, weaker crews.
"We can't go over there."
"Those seven pirate crews are all formidable, though not the top-tier ones. However, their alliance is not to be underestimated."
"Our small pirate crew has managed to acquire some treasure, but if we try to exchange it now, we'll definitely be robbed."
"Let's hold off on exchanging it for now."
"But we can't hide it for too long either. Every day the treasure stays on the ship is a risk; it might still be stolen."
"Let's see if a big battle breaks out, and then we can take the opportunity to exchange it."
"We can't just stay here forever; our leveling will slow down."
...
At this moment, a more powerful pirate crew arrived, led by a captain who was a Hormone Fruit Ability User and a gender-fluid individual.
In the past, people would give him strange looks and mock him, but now he was considered a prodigy. No one dared to laugh at him anymore, and he had established his own pirate crew, primarily recruiting others like him.
Thus, his crew was known as the Transvestite Pirates.
"Captain, should we approach them?"
Captain Yi Ren asked, "Sweetheart, how strong are those seven pirate crews?"
The person referred to as Sweetheart replied, "I've already looked into it. They're all quite formidable. Among them are a Strong-Strong Fruit Ability User, a Munch-Munch Fruit Ability User, and a Zoan Cat-Cat Fruit, Lion Form user. They're all talented, even prodigy-level captains. Individually, they might not be a match for us, but united, they could be troublesome. If they decide to fight us, they might not even suffer any casualties, so they'll likely choose to engage us in battle."
Yi Ren frowned, "Then let's not approach them for now."
Soon, many pirate crews arrived but hesitated to approach, instead considering an alliance and moving closer to the Transvestite Pirates.
"Let's unite. If we go together to exchange, they won't easily choose to fight us."
"We're all not very strong pirate crews, even if we unite, they might still try to rob us, but thankfully your Transvestite Pirates are strong."
In no time, dozens of small pirate crews gathered nearby.
Yi Ren asked, "Sweetheart, estimate if our combined strength would make those seven pirate crews think twice."
Sweetheart quickly assessed and then shook his head, "Even though there are over thirty pirate crews, too many of them are small. Even united, if we go to exchange, those seven crews will definitely act. They still have a high chance of defeating us and taking our treasure."
Yi Ren frowned, ready to order a retreat.
In the distance, at the treasure exchange point, the seven pirate crews had their ships spread out across the sea in front of the exchange point. Behind them, floating on the water, was a small golden pig-shaped savings bank.
On the pig's back was a slot where treasures could be dropped in exchange for experience.
However, the experience would only go to the person who dropped the treasure.
Thus, these seven crews had united to compete and then share the spoils.
Wang Xiao, the Strong-Strong Fruit Ability User, frowned slightly as he looked into the distance.
"Hmph, trying to unite, are they?"
Gongsun Long, the Munch-Munch Fruit Ability User and captain of the Devour Pirates, sneered.
"If there were two or three more crews like the Transvestite Pirates, it would be troublesome, but mostly it's just a bunch of low-level pirate crews. Even united, we don't need to fear them."
"Captain, the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew is already on their way. If they join forces..."
Gongsun Long furrowed his brow slightly. "Even if they unite, they can't possibly stand against the seven of us. We'll take all their treasures."
Wang Xiao sneered. "We're already prepared. Their vice-captain isn't here, and our lower-tier crew members are far away, so his Conqueror's Haki won't affect us much."
...
At this moment, the Transvestite Pirates and other pirate crews also knew that the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew would arrive soon, so they didn't leave.
Soon, everyone from the Transvestite Pirates and other crews turned their gaze toward the sea behind them.
"The Dominant Feather Pirate Crew is here!"
(End of Chapter)