One Piece: Start by Rebuilding Kuri

"Isn't this interesting?"

"That rich kid from Hakumai is truly an idiot."

"How naive of him to say such things to us!"

"..."

The bandits burst into mocking laughter, their voices overlapping in a cacophony that grated on the ears. Yukiko's eyes burned with fury, her hand itching to draw her sword and cut down these fools who dared to look down on Dan. But Dan had already instructed her not to act recklessly, and she prioritized his orders above all else. Though her chest heaved with anger, she could only endure, glaring at them with a gaze that seemed ready to devour them whole.

"This woman's glare is terrifying, hahaha!"

"A woman and supplies delivered right to us—we won't hold back."

While his underlings continued to chatter, Shutenmaru's expression darkened. The aura Dan exuded was far from weak, and the fact that he had shattered the mountain gate with a single strike proved he was no ordinary foe. Still, Shutenmaru wasn't afraid. He was the strongest in Kuri, after all. How could this runt, barely two meters tall, possibly surpass him?

With a face that looked like he relied on women to get by, Dan didn't seem threatening in the slightest.

That said, Shutenmaru preferred to avoid unnecessary fights if he could. Besides, having someone like Dan join their ranks might not be a bad idea.

"I don't care who you are. You can enter this stronghold, but leaving? That's impossible!"

"You think you can keep me here? With just you lot?" Dan let out a disdainful laugh, his eyes scanning the nearly hundred men surrounding him. While they weren't weak by any means, in Dan's eyes, they were nothing more than ants.

"You scum! It's an honor for Dan-sama to come and rule over you, yet you dare to resist!" Yukiko roared.

"Scum? You people, born in other regions, could never understand what it's like for those of us born in this hellhole," Shutenmaru growled through clenched teeth.

From the moment he was born in this hellish land of Kuri, it was either plunder or be plundered. He had no choice but to pick up a sword and fight until he became the leader of the bandits of Mount Atama.

To kill or be killed—that was the fate of the people of Kuri!

"Enough idle talk," Dan said, turning his blade. The mirror-like surface reflected Shutenmaru's resentful expression.

In truth, as the leader of these bandits, Shutenmaru could have led them to rebuild Kuri and even become its daimyo. Even if the Kozuki clan didn't recognize him, it would still be better than being a bandit.

But he hadn't done that. So what right did he have to wallow in self-pity?

Dan had seen enough. He decided to subdue them with force.

However, he still said, "Once I defeat you, you'll have to acknowledge me as your master. I'll become the daimyo of this land and make Kuri the richest region in this country."

These words caused a flicker of doubt in Shutenmaru's mind, but he wasn't sure if it was just empty boasting.

In any case, if Dan wanted their submission, he'd have to prove his strength.

"Men, attack! Kill this arrogant fool and take the woman!"

At Shutenmaru's command, the bandits let out wild cries and charged forward. These were scum from other regions, people who had long abandoned hope and resigned themselves to sinking deeper into this hell.

If someone called them human, even they would doubt it.

They had no interest in Dan's words—just empty dreams. Kuri had been like this for thousands of years, and no one had ever changed it. Better to enjoy life while they still could.

For example, the woman behind that man was even more beautiful than an oiran. If they could capture her and have their way with her for a few nights, they'd be willing to die for it.

In an instant, most of the lust-driven bandits bypassed Dan and lunged toward Yukiko.

Seeing this, Yukiko took half a step back and drew her sword.

Dan had told her not to attack, but he hadn't said she should just stand there and do nothing. Now that they were coming at her, she had no choice but to defend herself. Still, the sheer number of attackers made her nervous. With Dan in front of her, though, she didn't feel too much fear.

Fortunately, there was no way these bandits could break through Dan's defense.

With a single swing of his blade, a powerful gust of wind erupted, kicking up sand and stones from the barren ground. A small whirlwind formed, its suction and pulling force yanking the bandits who tried to bypass Dan into its vortex and slamming them to the ground.

"Your only enemy is me," Dan said coolly, taking a step forward.

"Damn it, kill him!"

The bandits who had been thrown back weren't injured, but their eyes burned with hatred as they raised their swords and charged again.

This time, the entire group rushed at him.

At this moment, Dan finally understood how Uchiha Madara must have felt during the Fourth Great Ninja War, facing tens of thousands of shinobi.

There was only one word for it—crushing weaklings felt amazing!

He moved as if he were walking through an empty field. Even without using his full abilities, his current strength was formidable, roughly equivalent to Luffy during the Enies Lobby arc when he activated Gear Second. On top of that, he had mastered both Armament and Observation Haki.

As he plunged into the crowd, the trajectories of their blades became crystal clear to him.

Their shouts and movements seemed to slow down in his perception.

He casually sidestepped, and a moment later, a sword stabbed through the spot where he had just been standing. Dan turned and slashed, his blade cutting into the arm of the would-be ambusher.

"Your movements are too slow."

He didn't even use much force, lest he accidentally kill these potential laborers.

Otherwise, the man he had just struck would have been split in two, or at the very least, his arm would have been severed.

Soon, hundreds of bandits lay on the ground.

Shutenmaru watched the scene, his expression grim.

He hadn't expected anyone other than himself to be capable of defeating hundreds of warriors single-handedly.

But it wasn't over yet—he was still standing.

Shutenmaru's body became enveloped in Haki, his aura intensifying. He was already a large man, but now he seemed to loom like a giant over Dan.

Those who couldn't use Haki couldn't see it, but they could feel the overwhelming pressure.

Yukiko, who had only just begun to learn Haki, could clearly sense the immense power radiating from Shutenmaru.

It was so strong that it made it hard for her to breathe.