Guide to Quickly Funding Ship Upgrades in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

In Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, players must pause the main storyline to enhance their crew and ship. Upgrading the Goromaru requires $10,000. Here’s how to rapidly gather funds for ship improvements in Pirate Yakuza.

Fast Cash Strategies in Pirate Yakuza

In Chapter 2, Goro and his crew need to compete in the Pirate Coliseum in Madlantis, but their ship falls short. This triggers an extended quest where Goro recruits a shipbuilder to reinforce the Goromaru and adds five crew members to advance the story. While finding crew members is straightforward, the ship upgrade poses a challenge, demanding $10,000 in in-game currency to complete repairs and prepare the vessel for battle.

Fortunately, Pirate Yakuza offers several methods to earn quick cash, though some are tougher than others. Early in the game, during Chapter 2, players can generate funds by pursuing bounties, looting treasure chests across islands, or taking on jobs in Honolulu.

Finding Treasure in Pirate Yakuza

Treasure is scattered across Honolulu and various islands, often requiring raids to obtain. While this method works, it’s time-consuming and involves leaving Honolulu. For players eager to progress quickly, hunting bounties is a more efficient alternative, though it requires Goro to fight solo.

Related: All Pre-Order Bonuses and Editions for Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

Pursuing Bounties in Pirate Yakuza

The fastest way to secure $10,000 is by chasing bounties in Honolulu. Smaller bounties yield around $2,000, while larger ones can offer up to $16,000, potentially covering the full amount in one go. However, bigger bounties involve tough boss fights, and early in the game, Goro’s limited health and combat skills make these risky. Unless you’re an experienced Yakuza player with strong combat mastery, tackling smaller bounties is safer.

A balanced approach is targeting lower-difficulty bounties, which pay between $2,000 and $6,000. These often involve fighting groups of enemies, so use Goro’s Sea Dog style for crowd control, switching to the Mad Dog style for one-on-one battles with the bounty boss.

Locating bounties in Pirate Yakuza is simple, as red handcuff icons mark their locations on the Honolulu map. Approaching a marker displays a screen with the bounty’s difficulty, reason for being wanted, and reward value, allowing you to decide if the fight is worth taking on.

Bounty battles follow the standard Pirate Yakuza combat mechanics. Defeat the target by depleting their health, which may span three to four bars for higher-value bounties, with minions wielding various weapons adding complexity. Upon victory, you instantly receive thousands of dollars toward the $10,000 needed for the Goromaru upgrade. By capturing a few bounties in Honolulu, you’ll quickly amass enough to enhance your ship and advance the story. The combat-heavy approach pays off for those aiming to speed through the campaign.

This is how to swiftly fund ship upgrades in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is available now on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.