Chapter 29: Dan's Schemes in Wano

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

Dan's willingness to maintain good relations with Hakumai was, of course, not solely to repay Hakumai's kindness in lending money. That part of the debt had already been repaid twofold.

What Dan desired was the convenience that Hakumai offered. This way, it became 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 had accumulated a significant number of Devil Fruits, though they were mostly ordinary Zoan types. Rather than absorbing these fruits himself, it was better to find the corresponding animals to absorb. The same applied for Ancient Zoan types, as this world is not lacking in ancient islands.

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

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

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

Once Kurozumi Orochi became the acting shogun, if things followed their original course, Kaido and Oden would inevitably clash. This time, Dan wouldn't allow Kurozumi Higurashi to interfere. When both sides were weakened, he could then seize the country and the Beast Pirates in one fell swoop.

By then, he might become one of the Four Emperors dominating the New World, and only then would he truly have a firm foothold.

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

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

This was why, many years later, the Marine presence in the New World was so weak.

The region was too chaotic, and with fresh waves of pirates from Paradise entering the New World, even the Marines struggled to maintain a foothold. Or rather, even if they invested heavily in the New World, the returns would be minimal.

While the combined strength of the Marines surpassed that of any single Emperor's crew, this power wasn't entirely unified. Pirates operated independently, and the Marines had to manage seas all over the world.

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

Before Kurozumi Orochi became the acting shogun, Dan also needed access to Mogura Port in Hakumai.

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

However, due to the country's isolation policy, Mogura Port had been closed for many years.

Kurozumi Higurashi frequently traveled overseas, and it wasn't feasible for Dan to assist every time. Moreover, as overseas activities expanded, the frequency of travel would increase. If Dan had to handle everything personally, he wouldn't have time for anything else.

Thus, gaining access to Mogura Port was crucial, but convincing Shimotsuki Yasuie to agree would take time.

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

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

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

These things must be done gradually, there was no need to rush.

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

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

She was busy traveling and helping Orochi navigate complex relationships. Dan had heard that Orochi planned to infiltrate the Flower Capital and get close to Sukiyaki.

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

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

However, Higurashi had no complaints.

In her eyes, Dan's orders were of utmost importance. Even though Dan said there was no need to rush, she couldn't 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 was already an immense act of generosity. How could she, as a subordinate, not take his words seriously?

As for why Dan was looking for this place and what he planned to do once it was found, she wouldn't question it. Even if Dan mobilized a large workforce to build a toilet there, it was his command, and she would obey.

However, she couldn't handle this task personally and had 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; Kozuki Sukiyaki wanted to meet with the daimyo of Kuri.

Since Dan had taken over Kuri, he hadn't formally paid his respects to Sukiyaki. Recently, due to Oden's situation, Sukiyaki realized he had never met the daimyo of Kuri in person and sent a letter summoning him to the Flower Capital.

Being received by the shogun was considered an honor for a daimyo. In the original story, Oden had visited Sukiyaki in the Flower Capital three years after becoming the daimyo of Kuri, as it had taken him over three years to resolve Kuri's financial issues. Dan, however, had achieved this in just a few months.

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

However, Dan had no interest in interacting with him. After all, the status of a daimyo was still subordinate the shogun, and he had no desire to bow before the Kozuki family.

So, he decided to have Higurashi return and use her abilities to impersonate him when meeting the shogun.