“I guess I can be considered half a Breeder now, right?” Hei Yu thought to himself.
Although he hadn't yet passed the Breeder Guild's assessment, being able to produce energy cubes meant he had already stepped halfway into the threshold.
With just a lot of experience and familiarity, he would be able to easily produce energy cubes in the future.
“But I only succeeded in making this one type of energy cube after thousands of attempts; I wonder how many types my teacher can make.”
Hei Yu's thoughts began to drift. He had heard about the difficulty of the Breeder assessment, which, in addition to numerous written test questions, also required producing high-quality energy cubes within a specified time limit.
Only upon success could one become a respected Junior Breeder.
Hei Yu looked at the corner where the wasted materials lay and said, “Although a Breeder is said to be a money-making machine, the investment is too large. No wonder my teacher had such a high status on the ship before.”
During the time the captain was still present, Madam Meta's status on the Giant Shark was second to none.
This was entirely because she monopolized energy cubes. On the high seas, the most valuable commodity was undoubtedly water-type Junior energy cubes.
This was because almost everyone here owned a Water-type Pokémon, and most of them were cultivated as main forces.
energy cubes on land were almost all found in the black market and were extremely expensive. Therefore, the energy cubes made by Madam Meta were highly sought after.
The scarcity of Water-type energy cubes often led to supply falling short of demand, which contributed to Madam Meta's elevated status.
“But now, I should also…”
Hei Yu's lips curled into a slight smile.
As expected, with the news of him producing energy cubes spreading on the Giant Shark, more and more people came to visit.
Their purpose was, without exception, to purchase energy cubes.
In the following days, Hei Yu also intensified his practice, going from succeeding once every few hundred attempts initially.
Now, he could consistently succeed once every hundred attempts, and occasionally, with good luck, even twice.
…
Half a year passed quietly.
The Giant Shark had returned to the waters of the Hoenn region. In this familiar territory, every pirate crew had a fixed area of operation.
During this period, they occasionally robbed tourist boats, and when they encountered rare Water-type Pokémon, they would capture and tame them, then sell them on land.
They also replenished their crew twice during this time. Although not many, the number of people on the pirate ship was approaching the 200-person mark.
“Hei Yu, excellent. Your craftsmanship is becoming more and more skilled. The purity of this energy cube is almost comparable to what I produce.” Madam Meta held a pure white energy cube between her slender fingers.
Hei Yu respectfully said, “I still thank you, Teacher, for your diligent guidance. Your student was just lucky.”
During this period, although Hei Yu's status had risen sharply, he still knew his place.
Whether out of identity or interest, he had to show Madam Meta the utmost respect.
“You, your words are still so pleasing.”
Madam Meta's eyes curved slightly, and a smile appeared on her face. She was clearly very satisfied with her student.
The two then chatted for a while longer. Hei Yu brought up all the problems he had encountered in his studies and practice during these days.
Madam Meta, in a teacher's tone, answered the difficulties Hei Yu faced.
Back on the deck, Hei Yu glanced at the Pokémon undergoing their daily training. Over the past six months, with the help of abundant resources, especially a stable supply of energy cubes for consumption.
Corphish's level had reached 24, and Carvanha's had reached 22. Both Pokémon were not far from the level 30 evolution threshold.
“Spearow, you don't need to scout recently. Your level is close to evolving, so save your energy well.” Hei Yu extended an arm, letting Spearow land on it, and carefully instructed him.
“Spearow~~”
Hei Yu looked at the young man below. His face was tender, and his eyes were filled with both fear and excitement.
“Is this the new batch of people? I hope they can endure it. The Giant Shark is too short-staffed now.”
Hei Yu asked a nearby ordinary pirate.
Upon seeing it was Hei Yu, that person quickly and nervously replied, “Lord Hei Yu, there are 27 new recruits in this batch. I am responsible for leading them to familiarize themselves with the work of a sailor. This is the roster, would you like to see it?”
Hei Yu had now become an unapproachable figure in the hearts of these ordinary pirates, not only because of his identity as Captain Meta's student.
Just being able to produce energy cubes was enough to earn him great respect from many people.
“I've actually become Lord Hei Yu?”
Hei Yu found it quite amusing in his heart.
He took the roster and glanced through it. Most of them were street hooligans or people forced by life to become pirates.
Of course, a few of them had been abducted. They looked terrified and dared not look up at their surroundings. At this moment, Hei Yu's gaze was drawn to a name: Xingye Gong.
“What? This Xiao Pang Zi is actually a direct Trainer of the Alliance? How did you capture him?”
Hei Yu's tone was filled with reproach. If this matter were discovered by the Alliance, the consequences would be unimaginable.
The ordinary pirate quickly and nervously explained, “Sir, this Xiao Pang Zi was not captured by us, but purchased from the black market. At the time, we didn't know his identity; we only learned he was an Alliance Trainer after buying him.”
“However, after our inquiries and his own confession, his father was a merchant who was targeted by a high-ranking official in the Alliance due to his immense wealth, which ultimately led to his family losing everything, and even he himself was sold to the black market, becoming a slave.”
Hei Yu's mouth twitched slightly after hearing this absurd story, and he gained a deeper understanding of the corrupt Alliance.
“No wonder the Alliance cannot eliminate these dark organizations; in fact, they multiply the more they are suppressed. Looking at it this way, the internal corruption and darkness have long exceeded imagination,” Hei Yu mused to himself.
Just as the two were chatting, in the crowd below, Xiao Pang Zi stepped forward and said confidently, “Quickly, tell your captain to come out and see me! I have a project I want to cooperate with him on; it will definitely make a lot of money!”
Xiao Pang Zi wasn't very old, appearing to be only eleven or twelve, but his words and demeanor were full of confidence.
The pirate guard nearby, upon hearing this, immediately rushed up and began punching and kicking him: “Pah, what kind of trash are you, still thinking you're an Alliance Trainer? Now on this ship, you're just a prisoner!”
The other pirates nearby were accustomed to this. It was normal for veterans to bully newcomers, especially since this newcomer was a direct Alliance Trainer.
Bullying someone of such noble status brought immense pleasure to these pirates.
“Ouch, stop hitting, stop hitting, please let me go, let me go…”
At this moment, Xiao Pang Zi had completely lost his previous arrogance, writhing on the ground like a stray dog, clutching his stomach and head.
For this young master, who had lived in a wealthy family since childhood, this was the first time he had experienced such pain and humiliation.
His once rosy face was now full of pain, tears streamed down incessantly, and he kept begging, “Please, let me go!”
However, the twenty or so other youths around him remained silent. No one dared to stand up for Xiao Pang Zi or say a word.
They either watched in horror at what was happening or bowed their heads in thought, secretly relieved that they were not the ones being beaten.
Xiao Pang Zi looked at the indifferent faces of his companions, feeling a sense of desolation, experiencing the coldness of human nature for the first time.
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