Upgrading stats and skills is one of the first mechanics you’ll learn in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. But it doesn’t come free. You’ll have to invest cash to improve your abilities. But since you have amnesia after crash-landing on a foreign island, naturally your wallet is a little light. Thanks to the locals and an abundance of treasure hidden across each island in the game, you’ll soon find yourself stacking pirate gold like a wealth-hoarding dragon in no time. But some ways are faster than others, so let’s go over the quickest ways to get that bag.
Bounties: the most lucrative way to make money
While the tactics and techniques discussed below will net you some pocket change for buying items and, after some time, upgrades, you’ll need to pull in big money for ship customization and late-game upgrades to your health, damage, and abilities. That’s where bounties come in.
In Chapter 2, you’ll unlock the Most Wanted Bounties and Pirate Bounties, allowing you to track down wanted criminals for the police and notorious pirates who have a bounty on their heads, and most will include treasure chests and other loot. If you slay a bounty, especially a Pirate Bounty, their ship often contains a chest with tens of thousands of dollars in rewards and loot. But it’s more challenging than roaming an island in search of treasure.
While it might be the most direct and lucrative way to earn cash in Pirate Yakuza, there are some other helpful ways to keep your pockets lined with cash.
Other ways to make money in Pirate Yakuza
Selling junk is the quickest way to earn cash early on. You’ll acquire junk by exploring Rich Island, as well as all subsequent islands in the archipelago, and by defeating enemies you encounter in the world.
After unlocking access to the Goromaru, you’ll also receive a treasure map shortly once you hit the high seas and can travel to various islands. These islands, represented by a treasure chest on the map, offer on-the-ground combat against various criminals and unknown pirates, usually a boss and mini-boss along the way, and then a treasure chest at the very end. If you make it that far, opening up said chest will often grant you a ring or other lore item, the former of which you can wear to boost your abilities, along with resources to sell and money.
Lastly, if you need a few dollars, roam landmasses to encounter random groups of enemies, most of which drop a handful of cash upon defeat. Watch your mini-map on the open ocean for the red triangles indicating a nearby enemy presence. Like land battles, defeating these vessels often rewards you with some money. It’s not much, but every little bit adds up to a new skill or buff.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PCs. No matter where you play, making money fast is paramount to surviving and striving in Hawaii!
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