Tsuru's intentions were clear.
She wanted to acquire warships from Luo Lan, reverse-engineer them, and significantly enhance the Navy's frontline strength.
After all, Momousagi (Gion) had already mentioned—just four of those warships were enough to take down Doflamingo.
That wasn't done by powerful individuals, but purely through firepower.
So naturally, if the Navy's regular forces were equipped with such ships...
It would result in absolute suppression of pirates across the seas.
Of course, she held no ill will toward Luo Lan. It's just that...
For her, as well as Sengoku and Garp, the Navy wasn't just a profession. It was their life's dedication.
They would do anything to make the Navy stronger and better.
And there was nothing wrong with that.
But ultimately, the Navy remained a dog on a leash.
Yes—just the World Government's watchdog.
Even with Sengoku in charge, that reality hadn't changed one bit.
That's why Luo Lan initially refused.
After all, wouldn't that be equivalent to supplying the enemy?
But the terms Vice Admiral Tsuru offered in exchange were simply too tempting...
One Logia-type Devil Fruit, one Mythical Zoan-type, and fifteen Paramecia or Zoan-type Devil Fruits—for four warships.
"Aunt Tsuru, you're using this to test me?"
And so, that entire earlier scene played out.
But it wasn't that Luo Lan simply surrendered to the deal. Rather...
Those four warships were merely the most basic prototypes. Take Roy, for instance—he and Merry were already designing the next generation of warships, and Luo Lan had seen the plans.
Once completed, a single new ship could easily overpower ten of the current ones.
Moreover, if you removed the Observation Haki radar, the ship's effectiveness would be cut in half.
Sure, the cannons could fire 12 nautical miles—but what's the point if you can't calibrate that distance?
And even if the Navy reverse-engineered the ships after bringing them back to HQ...
Even with Vegapunk's help, it'd take them months—assuming they could even do it at all.
Let's not forget: even if Vegapunk could decipher the technology, they lacked the industrial capacity to replicate it.
In other words...
They didn't have the craftsmanship to mass-produce the components.
And if you reduce the production standards...
You massively reduce performance.
On the other hand, the 17 Devil Fruits Luo Lan received from Navy HQ could immediately boost his forces.
And not just partially—comprehensively.
Just think—within a few weeks, when the super cloning factory was complete, and a vast number of Devil Fruits were being replicated and distributed across Jun Lin...
What a game-changing scenario that would be.
So when weighing both sides, Luo Lan eventually agreed.
Delay the World Government and Navy by several months—maybe even trick them into pouring all their resources into building soon-to-be outdated warships.
Meanwhile, Luo Lan walks away with a huge stash of Devil Fruits.
Why wouldn't he?
---
After Momousagi and Smoker left, only Luo Lan and Hina remained in the office.
"Luo Lan, are you crazy?!"
"We only have four warships in total!"
"And if Headquarters gets their hands on them, it's basically like giving them to the World Government!"
"With their funding, it won't take more than a few years before they fully upgrade their entire fleet!"
Hina grabbed Luo Lan by the collar, her face fuming with anger.
"Sister Hina, calm down. You said it yourself—it'll take years, right?"
"Years isn't fast enough for you?!"
Hina snapped back.
"But compared to us?"
"Uh..."
Hina paused, then remembered—
Ever since they began building the shipyard and brought back Kairo and Roy, it had only taken a week to complete the warship designs.
And constructing the four warships didn't take much longer.
That was only because the base had limited personnel back then, so four ships were enough.
But if they went into full production...
Hiss...
"Alright, say we can build faster—but what if the World Government throws in massive funds and builds like crazy?"
"No worries. Roy is almost done designing the second-generation warships. And those ships? A single one could take down ten first-generation ships."
"Are you serious?"
"Of course. And by the time the World Government finishes upgrading, we might already be on to generation seven or eight. Why worry about their mass-produced first-gen ships—especially ones without Observation Haki radar?"
Tsssshh...
Hina exhaled deeply.
So that's what it was. She had really been worried Luo Lan had made a foolish decision.
Now that she understood the plan...
Her concerns suddenly felt unnecessary.
---
Meanwhile, at Navy HQ.
"Tsuru, are you out of your mind?!"
"That Logia-type and Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit—those are the best in our entire inventory!"
"Not to mention, after those two, we'd only have 18 Devil Fruits left—and you're giving away 15 of them?!"
Sengoku's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Tsuru.
This woman was blowing through resources like water...
"Sengoku, can you use those Devil Fruits to quickly raise someone strong enough to beat Doflamingo?"
"Well... probably not."
Sengoku thought for a moment before answering.
Power doesn't develop overnight. Devil Fruits aren't some miracle pill that instantly turns someone into a powerhouse.
Even with ten years, let alone a few, it'd be nearly impossible to nurture someone capable of taking down Doflamingo.
"But Luo Lan did it with just four warships."
Since Luo Lan hadn't told Momousagi about Baby 5's involvement, she mistakenly believed the ships alone had defeated Doflamingo.
Of course, if they had more time that day and kept bombarding him for another hour or so, they probably could've finished him off purely with artillery.
So while the assumption was flawed, it wasn't entirely wrong.
Tsuru's words left Sengoku speechless.
Right—Momousagi wouldn't lie to her. If she said that's how it went down, then it must be true.
Devil Fruits couldn't instantly create strong fighters. But warships...
Once built, even regular people could pilot them—and even defeat someone on Doflamingo's level.
If the entire Navy upgraded to these ships...
Then—
The Navy could sweep the entire ocean.
Even...
The New World.
"Tsuru, I understand, but it's still too expensive. I don't believe four warships are worth that much."
Sengoku repeated, still unconvinced.
Those Devil Fruits were easily worth over five billion berries.
No matter how advanced the ships, they couldn't be worth a billion or two each, right?
How was he wrong?
"Sengoku, Luo Lan knows full well that once he sells us those ships, we'll reverse-engineer them."
"So we're not just buying the ships—we're buying the technology behind them."
"If you were Luo Lan, would you sell them at cost?"
"That's why we had to offer him a price he couldn't refuse—otherwise, the deal would never happen."
"Of course, you're the Fleet Admiral. If you still disagree, I'll contact Luo Lan and cancel the transaction."
"You make the final call."
Tsuru sighed.
Truthfully, she had other motives for this deal.
But she didn't tell Sengoku about them.
"Fine. We'll do it your way."
After a long pause, Sengoku finally nodded.
---
For the members: You can check out the New Translation story at Ko-Fi (already at chapter 35). It will be uploaded here once it reach chapter 50.
Naruto: Getting Stronger Just by AFK
https:// ko-fi.com/sami27