Chapter 306: The Celestial Dragons (Part 3)

In the Kingdom of Alabasta, Yuba, within the Spider Café, Daniel had just walked in when he immediately noticed Princess Vivi of Alabasta sitting by a window.

"Princess Vivi, frequenting this place might not be the best idea for a royal like you," Daniel said as he took a seat opposite her. Moments later, Mikita, one of the Baroque Works members, brought him a cup of coffee.

After Daniel took over Baroque Works, the organization's members saw significant changes. For example, Mikita, who possessed the Kilo-Kilo Fruit, now focused solely on running the café alongside other former Baroque Works members. The café had become a casual gathering spot for them.

In reality, most of Crocodile's former subordinates had little ambition. Their previous actions were mostly carried out under Crocodile's orders. Since Daniel didn't pressure them, they started doing what they truly enjoyed.

Mikita's Kilo-Kilo Fruit power was similar to Golden Lion Shiki's Float-Float Fruit but far less potent. The difference between the two fruits was like night and day.

The potential of a Devil Fruit largely depends on the user's creativity, but not all Devil Fruits have the same growth potential. For example, even if a basic Zoan Fruit awakens, it only enhances strength, endurance, defense, and recovery. The enhancements also vary based on the type of animal. A common Zoan Fruit can't compare to an Ancient Zoan, and an Ancient Zoan pales in comparison to a Mythical Zoan.

The Kilo-Kilo Fruit caps at 10,000 kilograms, whereas the Ton-Ton Fruit has a much higher weight limit. These two fruits are part of a series with similar capabilities.

Devil Fruits can be categorized beyond the three main types (Paramecia, Zoan, and Logia). For instance, Zoan Fruits can be further divided into subcategories like Flying Zoans and Beast Zoans, and within those, even more specific types like Tiger Zoans, Dog Zoans, and Bear Zoans.

Even weapon-based fruits have various types, such as the Scythe Fruit, the Slash-Slash Fruit, and the Thorn Fruit.

Only after truly understanding the world of One Piece does one realize the sheer number of Devil Fruits. The ones shown in the anime are powerful, but there are many less impressive fruits that go unnoticed.

Among the inhabitants of the Grand Line, if you include those with lesser-known Devil Fruits, there are countless users.

"This is the officially recognized territory of one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. It's normal for a princess like me to be here," Princess Vivi said with a hint of sarcasm as she mentioned the World Government.

Daniel's previous efforts to spread his message through flyers had not been in vain. While many ignored them, people like Vivi took the message to heart. The Kingdom of Alabasta had begun to distrust the World Government more, unlike in the original story.

However, severing ties with the World Government was out of the question. While King Cobra might not care for himself, he couldn't ignore the safety of his citizens. As a nation close to the entrance of the Grand Line, losing the protection of the Navy would spell disaster.

"You've changed a lot for the better. How's everything going?" Daniel observed, noting how much Princess Vivi had matured. She had become deeply involved in improving her kingdom.

"It's all done, thanks to your help, Boss," Vivi replied. Since Daniel had taken over Baroque Works, Vivi began referring to him as "Boss" out of gratitude for his assistance.

With Daniel's wisdom and experience, he quickly identified the Kingdom of Alabasta's issues. Though he didn't intervene directly, he couldn't resist offering advice when he saw Vivi struggling.

The first suggestion was for Vivi to contact the small sky island of Visalia. The kingdom's water shortage was a significant problem, even without Crocodile's interference. But Visalia's scientists were experts in artificial rain—through scientific methods, not banned substances. Upon learning of Alabasta's plight, they agreed to help.

Their assistance wasn't purely altruistic. They saw it as an opportunity to earn money and study Alabasta's unique weather patterns. This collaboration highlighted the importance of information. Despite both being in the first half of the Grand Line, Visalia was far from Alabasta, and its location in the sky made it relatively unknown.

In addition to this, Daniel gave Vivi several other ideas to improve her citizens' lives. For instance, he suggested increasing the number of Fast Running Lizards used by Baroque Works for message delivery and transportation.

Daniel essentially created the first express delivery service in the world, long before Buggy formed his own delivery company after becoming a Warlord of the Sea. He also established a shipyard in the port city of Nanohana.

It was unbelievable that such a large kingdom lacked a significant shipyard. In the world of One Piece, ships are essential. It's impossible to get anywhere without one. Water 7 became prosperous because it was the shipbuilding capital.

Alabasta's strategic location near the entrance to the Grand Line made it a potential hub. Many pirates entering the Grand Line would need new ships, and these pirates, having made it that far, wouldn't be short on treasure. Exceptions like Luffy's crew or Ace's solo entry were rare.

Looking back, Daniel realized he had acted with foresight. His shipbuilding technology, sourced from the Marvel universe, was impressive but not suited for the world of One Piece or Qin Shi's era.

However, the shipbuilding techniques from One Piece could be introduced to Qin Shi's era. Once Ying Zheng united China, Daniel could introduce a new age of exploration, declaring, "Do you want my treasure? Go ahead and find it. Everything is out there, in the depths of the sea," thereby ushering in the Age of Pirates.

Throughout China's 5,000-year history, it led in many areas except during the Age of Exploration, which led to subsequent tragedies. This time, Daniel intended to change that, to usher in the Age of Exploration early and to get a head start on colonization.

If anyone complained about losing their privileges under the county system, Daniel would simply suggest they set sail. They could declare themselves kings and conquer lands overseas, far from the influence of the Qin Empire.

He couldn't change past history, but this time, things would be different.

"No need to be so polite. After all, I profited from it too," Daniel responded. While helping Vivi, Baroque Works had also gotten involved in several projects. With so many subordinates to support, they needed to generate income. Although Daniel, as a Warlord of the Sea, had the right to plunder legally, he had never exercised that option.

In fact, Daniel now had the best reputation among the Warlords, behaving in a way that was entirely un-pirate-like.

"Regardless, I'm grateful."

"Alright, if you keep thanking me every time we meet, it's going to get tiresome. You don't have to exhaust yourself to change your country—it's not something that happens overnight."

When Vivi attempted to thank him again, Daniel waved her off. After advising her to take care of herself, he stood up and left.

"These guys never know when to stop," Daniel muttered as he arrived in the port city of Nanohana, where he heard the sounds of fighting, shouting, and explosions.

He didn't rush over, as his Haki had already informed him that Miss Doublefinger and Gem, the Bomb were handling the situation. With them on the scene, there was no need to worry about ordinary pirates unless they encountered someone like Luffy.

Sure enough, by the time Daniel arrived, the battle was almost over. Dozens of pirates lay in pools of blood, and the Royal Army was cleaning up the aftermath.

Miss Doublefinger's Thorn Fruit was a powerful ability, one that could be even more formidable if given to a commander in Whitebeard's fleet. Gem's Bomb Fruit was equally potent.

"Boss," the two approached Daniel quickly after spotting him, while the nearby soldiers saluted him.

"Good work," Daniel nodded to them before taking a stroll around Nanohana's port. This wasn't just a casual walk; it was to establish his presence and intimidate potential enemies. It also served to show the Navy that he was staying within his territory and not causing trouble elsewhere.

"After all this time, I wonder if Sengoku misses me," Daniel mused as he finished his patrol and returned to his residence. He immediately opened a portal to his secret island base and picked up a stack of flyers he had prepared earlier.

"Let's get started," he murmured, opting to use a missile-type weapon to distribute the flyers, avoiding detection by the World Government or the Navy.

"Not again," groaned several Marines at headquarters as they looked up to see a sky full of flyers. Just when things had settled down, the troublemaker was back.

"That bastard! What is he up to this time?" Sengoku, the Fleet Admiral, fumed as he received the news, slamming his fist on the desk in frustration.

The flyers had significantly influenced the lower ranks of the Navy and the common people, much to the anger of the Five Elders. They had demanded that Sengoku put an end to it.

As Sengoku raged, Admiral Kizaru remained unfazed, lounging in his chair. Vice Admiral Garp continued munching on his senbei, and Chief Staff Officer Tsuru silently observed.

The only ones missing were Admirals Aokiji and Akainu.

"This place has recovered quickly," Daniel remarked as he arrived at Sabaody Archipelago, specifically on Island 1, where everything had returned to normal. The streets were once again bustling with nobles and wealthy merchants, accompanied by their bodyguards, discussing the merits of various

 slaves.

In the Number 1 Auction House, Disco was enthusiastically introducing a slave on stage, trying to hype up the crowd. Unfortunately, the slave was just an ordinary old man, prompting boos from the audience. No one was willing to spend money on someone so seemingly unremarkable.

"He's at it again. Out of money for booze, old man?" Daniel thought as he recognized the old man being auctioned. It was none other than Silvers Rayleigh, the Dark King.

As Daniel pondered whether to buy Rayleigh just to see his reaction, the old man unsurprisingly failed to attract any bids.

"Next up, a slave I know you'll all love—an infamous Supernova from the South Blue!" Disco announced, bringing out a towering figure over two meters tall. His defeated expression and lifeless eyes showed he had lost all hope.

"Ace's fellow Supernova. This guy's really fallen far," Daniel thought, recalling the man's identity. As Disco announced the starting bid, a flurry of offers came in, mostly from noblewomen eager to own the powerful pirate.

"Who says men are the only ones who can be lecherous? Some women are even worse," Daniel muttered, shaking his head at the frenzied bidding.

This particular Supernova had once been full of swagger, boasting in the newspapers about taking down the Four Emperors and becoming the next Pirate King. Now, that dream was all but dead.

"Finally," Daniel thought as he lingered on Sabaody Archipelago for three days, waiting for the arrival of the Celestial Dragons. When they finally appeared, the streets cleared. Everyone, whether noble or commoner, dropped to their knees, making way for the procession.

"CP agents for protection, Marines clearing the way—this is quite the show," Daniel mused. Instead of attacking immediately, he took several photos from different angles, gathering material for the next batch of flyers.

"Who's that? Are they trying to get themselves killed?" muttered a few people hidden in the alleyways as they noticed a cloaked figure slowly walking down the middle of the street, approaching the Celestial Dragons head-on. Seeing this, their faces paled.

"Let's go," one of them whispered, and they quickly fled with their companions.

"Who do you think you are? Don't you know to kneel in the presence of Celestial Dragons?" barked one of the Marines at the front, stepping forward with another to forcibly drag the figure to the ground.

"Stand down," commanded one of the Celestial Dragons before the Marines could act.

___________________

Read Ahead

P@treon.com/Mutter