One Piece: Start by Rebuilding Kuri

The trade between Kuri and Hakumai is very prosperous, which also brings considerable economic income to Hakumai. Moreover, Dan's double repayment of the loan back then, along with some current preferential policies, has left a very positive impression on Shimotsuki Yasuie. As a result, merchants from Kuri, especially those from the Kuri Daimyo's estate, don't even face routine inspections.

Dan's willingness to maintain good relations with Hakumai is, of course, not solely to repay the kindness of Hakumai's willingness to lend money. That part of the debt has already been repaid twofold.

What Dan desires is the convenience that Hakumai offers. This way, it becomes much easier for him to contact Kurozumi Orochi or secretly provide Orochi with manpower and supplies. For instance, the Devil Fruits Orochi collected were transported to Kuri using such methods.

During this period, Dan has accumulated a significant number of Devil Fruits, though they are mostly ordinary Zoan types. Rather than consuming these fruits himself, it would be better to find suitable individuals to inherit their powers. The same goes for Ancient Zoan types; this world is not lacking in ancient islands.

The fruits that are of no use to Dan are kept and eventually returned to Kurozumi Orochi. These will serve as bargaining chips in future dealings with Kaido.

Kaido aims to build a Beast Pirates army, and any Zoan-type Devil Fruit holds value in his eyes.

Dan isn't concerned about Kaido's growing power because, in his plan, both Wano Country and Kaido's forces will eventually fall under his control.

Once Kurozumi Orochi becomes the acting shogun, if things proceed as they originally did, Kekdo and Oden will inevitably clash. This time, Dan won't allow Kurozumi Higurashi to interfere. When both sides are weakened, he can then take over the country and the Beast Pirates in one fell swoop.

By then, he might even become one of the Four Emperors ruling over the New World. Only then will he truly have a firm foothold.

However, there's no need to rush this. Becoming such a colossal force isn't just about appearing powerful. In the future, there will undoubtedly be continuous friction, if not outright wars, with various factions.

After the fall of Rocks, the entire world will descend into chaos. The remnants of the Rocks Pirates will operate independently, each carving out their own territories in the New World, competing for wealth, land, and influence. The scale of these conflicts will far exceed that of ordinary pirate skirmishes, evolving into full-blown wars between nations.

This is why, after so many years, the Marine presence in the New World remains so weak.

The region is too chaotic, and with fresh waves of pirates from the Paradise entering the New World, even the Marines struggle to maintain a foothold. Or rather, even if they invest heavily in the New World, the returns are minimal.

While the combined strength of the Marines surpasses that of any single Emperor's crew, this power isn't entirely unified. Pirates operate independently, and the Marines have to manage seas all over the world.

Compared to the Four Seas, the area of the Grand Line is relatively small. It's essentially just a slightly wider sea route.

Before Kurozumi Orochi becomes the acting shogun, Dan also needs access to the Port of Hakumai.

Wano Country has several ports, such as Kuri Port, Habu Port, and Tokage Port, but these are all inland ports. Only Mogura Port can safely connect to the outside world.

However, due to the country's isolation policy, the Mogura Port remains closed most of the time.

Kurozumi Higurashi frequently travels overseas, and it's not feasible for Dan to assist every time. Moreover, as overseas activities expand, the frequency of travel will increase. If Dan has to handle everything personally, he won't have time for anything else.

Thus, securing access to the Mogura Port is crucial, but convincing Shimotsuki Yasuie to agree will take time.

 Wano's centuries-old isolation policy has deeply ingrained a sense of fear toward the unknown outside world in its people.

Fortunately, Yasuie has a good relationship with Oden, who has likely spoken to them about opening the country or sailing out to sea.

At the very least, this makes convincing Yasuie slightly easier than others.

These things must be done gradually; there's no need to rush.

When the cargo transporters arrived in Hakumai, they found an opportunity to deliver a message to Kurozumi Orochi. These individuals bear the Serpent Mark, ensuring their loyalty and secrecy.

Later, Orochi found a chance to send a letter to Kurozumi Higurashi. Unlike Semimaru, who stays in Hakumai to protect Orochi, Higurashi is constantly on the move.

She is busy traveling and helping Orochi navigate complex relationships. Dan has heard that Orochi plans to infiltrate the Flower Capital and get close to Sukiyaki.

"Sleepy Town?" On the other side, after receiving Orochi's letter, Higurashi silently burns the paper.

This is a place she has never heard of before. The world is filled with countless islands, and this so-called Sleepy Town sounds like an insignificant place on one of them. Finding it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

However, Higurashi has no complaints.

In her eyes, Dan's orders are of utmost importance. Even though Dan said there's no need to rush, she cannot afford to think that way.

To her, Dan could have easily taken control of Wano but instead allowed them to carry out their prolonged revenge against the Kozuki family. This shows his magnanimity. How could she, as a subordinate, not take his words seriously?

As for why Dan is looking for this place and what he plans to do once it's found, she won't question it. Even if Dan mobilizes a large workforce to build a toilet there, it's his command, and she will obey.

However, she cannot handle this task personally and will have to delegate it to the subordinates recruited in recent years.

Because in Orochi's letter, there was another matter that required her immediate return to Wano.

That is, Kozuki Sukiyaki plans to meet with the daimyo of Kuri.

Since Dan took over Kuri, he has not formally paid his respects to Sukiyaki. Recently, due to Oden's affairs, Sukiyaki remembered that he had never met the daimyo of Kuri in person and thus summoned him to the Flower Capital.

Being received by the shogun is considered an honor for a daimyo. Oden, after becoming the daimyo of Kuri, also visited Sukiyaki in the Flower Capital three years later, as it took him over three years to resolve Kuri's financial issues. Dan, on the other hand, achieved this in just a few months.

This has made Sukiyaki eager to meet this remarkable figure, Dan.

However, Dan has no interest in interacting with Sukiyaki. After all, the status of a daimyo is still subordinate to that of the shogun, and he has no desire to bow before the Kozuki family.

So, he plans to have Higurashi return and disguise herself as him to meet the shogun.