One Piece: Start by Rebuilding Kuri

Dan was unaware of Yukiko's thoughts; his mind was preoccupied with the matter of quelling the bandits. This was something that couldn't afford further delay.

After resting for the night, the two set off early the next morning towards Mount Atama.

The bandits in Kuri were not a monolithic group. Many operated alone, and not every ronin samurai among them intended to throw their lot in with the bandits of Mount Atama. With too many people and too few resources, if they were to come across something valuable, after dividing it, there might not even be a drop of soup left.

However, the bandits of Mount Atama remained the strongest force in all of Kuri. The Shogun of the Flower Capital, Sukiyaki, had yet to make any moves to subdue Kuri, wary as he was of the Mount Atama bandits.

It could be said that dealing with this group would essentially solve the problems of Kuri.

Dan was confident in his ability to defeat them. In a world where individual martial prowess could even threaten a nation, those small fries were of no consequence. Apart from Ashura Doji, the rest of the Mount Atama bandits were not worth worrying about.

Dan had not awakened the Conqueror's Haki; otherwise, he could have simply intimidated them into submission with a glare.

He wasn't particularly surprised that he hadn't awakened Conqueror's Haki. He had never aspired to be a king of any sort. Although his current focus was on Wano Country, it was merely a small goal he had set for himself out of boredom.

That said, if one day he were to awaken Conqueror's Haki, he wouldn't find it strange either.

After all, having chosen to aim for the position of Wano's ruler, he had already prepared himself for the enemies he might face, including Kaido, the Marines, and the World Government...

None of these three, however, were of any concern to Dan.

Once the battle at God Valley concluded, Kaido would leave the Rocks Pirates. Currently just an apprentice, he would soon need a place to establish himself.

Wano Country was perfect for him.

This isolated nation, difficult to invade and easy to defend, was ideal for his covert development. Coupled with the covert connections facilitated by Kurozumi Higurashi, it provided him with a way into the country.

Of course, Dan could have easily prevented Higurashi from collaborating with Kaido. After all, the New World was teeming with pirates. But he chose not to interfere with Higurashi's actions. Although the three members of the Kurozumi clan were now serving him, they had not forgotten their hatred for the Kozuki clan.

Thus, on this matter, even Orochi had specifically sought his permission.

This was why Dan allowed them to proceed, even if it meant dealing with Kaido. Otherwise, Dan could have taken matters into his own hands, and the country would have changed rulers in just three days.

But that would have been too boring. Dan's current mindset was like playing a game, taking it one level at a time. The most crucial point was that Dan harbored no fear of Kaido.

If a future Yonko from forty years later could make him nervous, then Wano Country wasn't worth having. The current Kaido might not even be stronger than him.

Kaido was not a concern, and neither was the World Government.

The World Government also desired control over this country, but Dan had no intention of paying the Celestial Dragons any tribute. They should be grateful he wasn't planning to plunder them instead.

Indeed, Dan's enemies were unimaginably powerful, but he was not afraid. As long as he continued to grow stronger, these threats would become negligible. Just like with Kaido, when Kaido was in the country, neither the World Government nor the Marines dared to act rashly.

After two more days of travel, Dan and Yukiko finally arrived at Mount Atama.

"Are all the bandits of Kuri living up there?" Yukiko asked, looking at the dense jungle-covered mountains, a hint of fear in her voice. A single bandit had nearly cost her her life; what would happen if there were a hundred or a thousand?

Seeing her petite body tremble slightly, Dan placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't be afraid. This time, I'll handle it myself."

Hearing this, Yukiko's body suddenly calmed, as if the thousands of people in the mountains had turned into harmless rabbits.

"Wait for me at the foot of the mountain."

"No, I must follow you, my lord. How can I let you go alone because of my own fear?" Yukiko shook her head firmly, gripping her sword as if ready to fight alongside Dan.

Seeing her determination, Dan didn't force her, simply saying, "Then don't intervene. Just watch."

He had no intention of letting Yukiko fight the bandits. The one or two they encountered on the road were enough for her to practice on. With so many people here, the battlefield could become chaotic, and her involvement might only complicate things.

As they walked further into the mountains, they soon saw a wall of logs surrounding the mountain peak, with the characters for "Kuri" hanging high above the gate, resembling a bandit stronghold.

"Who goes there!"

Dan and Yukiko made no attempt to hide their approach, walking straight towards the gate. The lookout in the stronghold spotted them and shouted.

However, Dan didn't respond. Instead, he silently drew his sword and unleashed a powerful slash.

The surging sword energy formed a slash that flew towards the stronghold's gate. In a fleeting moment, it seemed as if the sound of an eagle's cry could be heard, but before it could spread, a thunderous explosion followed.

In the next instant, the stronghold's gate, standing five to six meters tall, was blown to pieces. The shattered logs flew like cannonballs, knocking down several people inside.

The commotion was so loud that even a deaf person would have heard it. Bandits from all over the stronghold quickly gathered, surrounding Dan with hostile expressions. They didn't act rashly; someone barging in alone and blowing up their gate was no small matter.

In fact, they had even overlooked Yukiko standing behind Dan, all their attention focused solely on him.

"Who are you?"

Dan noticed a pink-haired, curly-haired man standing behind the crowd, his waist likely wider than his height. He immediately recognized him as the leader of the stronghold, Ashura Doji, also known as Shutenmaru.

Shutenmaru was actually only in his teens, but he looked almost the same as he would forty years later.

This struck Dan as somewhat miraculous. The guy might look mature for his age, but who knew he'd also be so well-preserved? Too bad he was so ugly—preservation was wasted on him.

"I've come from Hakumai, intending to become the ruler of Kuri. If you submit now, you won't get hurt," Dan said calmly. He meant every word.

After all, he would need their help in developing Kuri later.

But to Shutenmaru and the others, his words were laughable.