The next morning, golden sunlight bathed the land of Kuri, casting a warm glow over the territory.
"Wororororo! Good work, King." Kaidou stood atop Oden Castle, addressing the recently returned King.
Meanwhile, Bullet, Moria, and others were leading large groups of subordinates to the uninhabited Onigashima as per Kaidou's instructions. They would begin constructing the new base for the Beasts Pirates there. Kaidou knew well that allowing other pirates from the ships to return to Kuri prematurely could raise suspicions before they had fully secured Wano Country.
"Big Brother Kaidou, what should we do next?" King stood beside Kaidou, asking respectfully.
Kaidou narrowed his eyes, gazing into the distance: "Now we wait for Kurozumi Orochi's side to make their move. When they've worn down Kouzuki Sukiyaki to his last breath, that will be our moment to completely take over Wano Country." He paused before continuing: "For now, the most important thing is to properly manage the Kuri region. This will be our crucial foothold for conquering all of Wano. King, can you guarantee everything will proceed without a hitch on your end?"
"Rest assured, Big Brother Kaidou." King nodded firmly. "No one will discover anything unusual."
Kaidou nodded with satisfaction, then turned to Queen nearby. The portly scientist was sitting on the castle wall, fiddling with some metal components. Kaidou's tone carried clear dissatisfaction: "Queen, why haven't you finished crafting the farming tools I asked for?"
Queen wiped sweat from his forehead, complaining: "Boss Kaidou, Wano Country doesn't even have basic equipment. I have to handcraft all the farming tools by myself, of course it's taking time." Seeing Kaidou's displeased expression, he quickly added: "But I've already had people distribute the first batch of completed tools. They'll all be finished within three days at most."
"Hmm." Kaidou's expression finally softened.
In the following days, Kaidou executed a series of carefully orchestrated performances throughout the Kuri region. Drawing from the legendary deeds in his memory, he launched what could be called a "dimensional reduction strike" of propaganda against Wano's citizens.
Within just one month, Kaidou's reputation in Kuri skyrocketed, nearly reaching levels comparable to Kouzuki Oden. Now in the Kuri region, over ninety percent of the populace had accepted this new Daimyo.
During this period, Sebastian continuously worked to win over Kawamatsu, Nekomamushi, and Inuarashi.
Thanks to Sebastian's shared heritage with Kawamatsu, he quickly developed a good relationship with Kawamatsu, Inuarashi, and Nekomamushi.
After all, Kawamatsu, Inuarashi, and Nekomamushi had only been under Oden's command for less than a year at this point, and their attachment to Oden wasn't as deep as in the original story.
However, Denjiro, who remained behind, seemed to perceive Kaidou's intentions and repeatedly tried to sow discord among the three, which made Kaidou increasingly dissatisfied with him.
Denjiro appeared to sense that Kaidou's hostility toward him was much greater than toward Kawamatsu, Nekomamushi, and Inuarashi, and he promptly disappeared from Kuri.
Kaidou stood at the highest point of Oden Castle, surveying the entire Kuri region. He turned to Queen beside him and said: "Queen, next you'll begin establishing the weapon factory in Kuri."
Queen adjusted his sunglasses, his plump face showing a serious expression: "Understood, Boss Kaidou. But regarding Kurozumi Higurashi..."
"That old woman is already growing suspicious." Kaidou snorted coldly. "Although I temporarily brushed off Kanjuro's disappearance with the excuse that he escaped Wano Country with Ashura Doji, if we don't quickly establish the weapon factory and expand our influence, she might suspect our true intentions."
Queen nodded, then raised a question: "Where should we sell the weapons we produce?"
Kaidou pondered for a moment: "I recall you should have 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 treatment and win over hearts."
"Understood, I'll arrange it promptly." Queen pulled out a notebook and began taking notes.
Kaidou suddenly turned serious: "Also, we must pay attention to the pollution from the weapon factory. Wano Country will be our headquarters for decades to come - I don't want this place to become uninhabitable wasteland."
Here, Kaidou was remembering how in the original storyline, the entire Kuri region eventually became unable to grow crops, all due to pollution from weapon factories.
Queen scratched his head: "Well... even I can't guarantee zero pollution..."
"Do your best." Kaidou waved his hand, turning his gaze to the silent King: "King, you go to Ringo next."
Hearing "Ringo," Queen immediately perked up, his small eyes sparkling with curiosity: "Oh? Boss Kaidou, is there something good over there?" He knew his boss never acted without benefit.
Kaidou's lips curved slightly: "According to intelligence, there's a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit enshrined in the temple at Ringo's northern cemetery."
"Mythical Zoan?!" King's black wings unconsciously spread slightly, his voice carrying a trace of surprise.
"Correct." Kaidou confirmed with a nod. "Retrieve it."
King asked no further questions, simply responding briefly: "As you command." Before the words faded, he had already leaped into the air, his massive black wings reflecting metallic luster under the sunlight as his figure rapidly flew toward Ringo.
"Um, Boss Kaidou, don't you think this Mythical Zoan should go to me?!" Seeing King depart, Queen eagerly approached Kaidou. It wasn't that he was impatient, but ever since King ate his Devil Fruit and dramatically increased in strength, Queen was completely outmatched. That's why even during their usual arguments, Queen had to hold back.
"You?Kaidou looked at the large fat man before him, automatically combining Queen's image with the Dog-Dog Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Makami Model in his mind. Imagining this chubby fellow transforming into the majestic Makami, Kaidou couldn't help shaking his head: "After we completely secure Wano Country, I'll distribute all our existing Devil Fruits."
He patted Queen's shoulder: "That will significantly enhance the pirate crew's strength in a short time."
"Well, alright then!" Queen pouted in disappointment but quickly cheered up. "But Boss Kaidou, you must save the best Devil Fruit for me!"
Kaidou did not answer, merely turning to gaze into the distance. The sunlight illuminated his resolute profile, carving out a sharp silhouette. His eyes pierced through layers of clouds, as if he could already see the day when the Beasts Pirates would rule all of Wano Country.