The next morning, golden sunlight spilled over the land of Kuri, coating the earth in a warm, brilliant light.
"Wororororo! Good work, King." Kaido stood atop the peak of Oden Castle, addressing King who had just returned.
At the same time, following Kaido's orders, Bullet, Moria, and the others were leading a large contingent of subordinates to the uninhabited Onigashima. They would begin construction of the Beasts Pirates' new base there. Kaido knew well that letting the rest of the pirates return to Kuri prematurely, before they had full control of Wano Country, would easily arouse suspicion.
"Big Brother Kaido, what should we do next?" King stood respectfully beside Kaido.
Kaido narrowed his eyes, gazing into the distance. "Now we wait for Kurozumi Orochi's side to make their move. When they've beaten Kozuki Sukiyaki to within an inch of his life, that will be our moment to seize Wano Country fully." He paused, then continued, "For now, the most important thing is to manage the Kuri region well. This will be our crucial foothold for conquering all of Wano. King, can you guarantee everything on your end is flawless?"
"Please rest assured, Big Brother Kaido," King nodded firmly. "No one will discover anything amiss."
Kaido nodded with satisfaction, then turned to Queen beside him. The portly scientist was sitting on the castle wall, fiddling with a few metal components. Kaido's tone carried clear displeasure. "Queen, why aren't the farming tools I asked you to make finished yet?"
Queen wiped sweat from his brow, complaining, "Boss Kaido, Wano Country doesn't even have the most basic facilities. I have to craft all these farming tools by hand, alone. Of course it's not fast." Seeing Kaido's darkening expression, he hurriedly added, "But I've already had the first batch of completed tools distributed. It'll be all done in three days, tops."
"Hmm." Kaido's expression finally eased.
In the days that followed, Kaido staged a series of meticulously planned performances in the Kuri region. Drawing on the legendary deeds from his memories, he launched a public relations campaign against the people of Wano Country that could be called a "dimensional reduction strike."
Within a single month, Kaido's reputation in Kuri skyrocketed, almost reaching a level comparable to Kozuki Oden's. Now, over ninety percent of Kuri's populace acknowledged this newly-appointed daimyo.
During this time, Sebastian was also continuously working to win over Kawamatsu, Nekomamushi, and Inuarashi.
Thanks to Sebastian and Kawamatsu being of the same race, Sebastian actually got along quite well with Kawamatsu, Inuarashi, and Nekomamushi for a time.
After all, Kawamatsu, Inuarashi, and Nekomamushi had only been under Oden's command for less than a year at this point. Their attachment to Oden was not yet as deep as in the original story.
However, the remaining Denjiro seemed to have discerned Kaido's intentions. He attempted to sow discord among the three on several occasions, which only made Kaido increasingly displeased with him.
Perhaps sensing that Kaido's hostility towards him was far greater than towards Kawamatsu, Nekomamushi, and Inuarashi, Denjiro simply vanished from Kuri.
Kaido stood at the highest point of Oden Castle, surveying the entire Kuri region. He turned to Queen beside him. "Queen, next, you will begin establishing an arms factory here in Kuri."
Queen pushed up his sunglasses, his plump face showing a serious expression. "Understood, Boss Kaido. But what about Kurozumi Higurashi..."
"That old hag is already starting to grow suspicious," Kaido snorted coldly. "Although I temporarily brushed off Kanjuro's disappearance with the excuse that he fled Wano Country together with Ashura Doji, if we don't quickly build the arms factory and expand our power, she may suspect our true motives."
Queen nodded, then posed a question. "Where do we sell the weapons we produce?"
Kaido thought for a moment. "I recall you should have plenty of connections in the underworld from your MADS days. Contact them first. For now, just ensure we don't operate at a loss. The profits can be used to improve worker benefits and win over the people."
"Understood. I'll make the arrangements soon." Queen pulled out a notebook and began jotting things down.
Kaido's expression suddenly turned serious. "Also, the pollution issue of the factory must be taken seriously. Wano Country will be our main base for decades to come. I do not wish for it to become an uninhabitable wasteland."
Here, Kaido was thinking of the original story, where the entire Kuri region eventually became unable to grow crops, all because of the factory's pollution.
Queen scratched his head. "Well... even I can't guarantee absolutely zero pollution..."
"Do your best, that's all I ask." Kaido waved a hand, then turned his gaze to King, who had been silent. "King, your next task is to go to Ringo."
Hearing "Ringo," Queen immediately perked up, his small eyes glittering with gossipy interest. "Oh? Boss Kaido, is there something good over there?" He knew his captain never did anything without a benefit.
A slight smile touched Kaido's lips. "According to intelligence, a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit is enshrined in a temple at the northern cemetery of Ringo."
"A Mythical Zoan?!" King's black wings involuntarily spread slightly, his voice tinged with surprise.
"Correct," Kaido affirmed with a nod. "Go and retrieve it."
King asked no further questions, merely giving a short reply. "As you command." Before the words fully faded, he had already leaped into the air. His immense black wings reflected a metallic sheen under the sunlight, and his figure swiftly flew off towards the direction of Ringo.
"Ahem, Boss Kaido, don't you think that Mythical Zoan should go to me?!" Seeing King fly away, Queen eagerly pressed close to Kaido. It wasn't that he was impatient, but ever since King ate his Devil Fruit, his power had increased dramatically. The current Queen was no match for him at all, which is why he even argued with the King less forcefully these days.
"You?" Kaido looked at the large, rotund Queen before him, his mind automatically superimposing Queen's form onto that of the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Okuchi no Makami. Imagining this pudgy fellow transforming into the majestic Okuchi no Makami, Kaido couldn't help but shake his head. "After we have completely secured Wano Country, I will distribute all the Devil Fruits we currently possess."
He patted Queen on the shoulder. "That will allow for a significant, rapid increase in the crew's overall strength."
"Oh... alright then!" Queen pouted in disappointment but quickly rallied. "But Boss Kaido, you absolutely have to save the best Devil Fruit for me!"
Kaido didn't answer. He merely turned to look into the distance. The sunlight fell on the resolute line of his profile, etching a sharp silhouette. His gaze pierced through the layers of mist and clouds, as if he could already see the day when the Beasts Pirates would rule all of Wano Country.
***
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