One Piece: Start by Rebuilding Kuri

"Indeed, Lord Dan has swiftly become the daimyo of Kuri," exclaimed Kurozumi Orochi upon hearing the news. 

"I must hasten my own progress as well."

At present, Kurozumi Higurashi was also in Wano Country. They had used their accumulated gold and silver to recruit some samurai and purchase a considerable amount of weaponry. Initially, finding a place to station them was an issue, but now that Dan had pacified Kuri, it seemed feasible to station these men there, allowing them to contribute to Dan's efforts.

In truth, Kurozumi Orochi himself had little need for military strength. His goal was merely to use the Shimotsuki Yasuie as a stepping stone to gradually get closer to Kozuki Sukiyaki.

Building a military force was entirely for future considerations.

Soon, several months passed, and the year came to an end, with a new year on the horizon.

Kozuki Oden finally arrived at the border of Udon, intending to visit Wano Country's final region—Kuri.

"I heard that someone has recently pacified Kuri, which was once a land of chaos," said Kin'emon.

"To pacify a hellish place like Kuri, that person must be incredibly strong," Denjiro retorted.

Others like Izou and Kikunojo were still very young and had little understanding of such matters. Only Kanjuro's eyes showed a flicker of emotion, though no one noticed.

"A samurai who pacified the bandits of Kuri? That's a feat no one has accomplished in centuries. I'd really like to meet such a person," Oden said excitedly.

In fact, Oden had planned to visit Kuri ever since he left the Flower Capital. He had first stayed with the Yasuie family for a few days, hearing tales of the demonic Ashura Doji, and decided to confront him.

But now, his target naturally shifted to Dan, who had defeated Ashura Doji.

Hearing this, Denjiro was unimpressed. "Is he really that great? I doubt there's any samurai stronger than Lord Oden."

"Of course not, you fool," Kin'emon said matter-of-factly.

These two were absolute Oden fanatics, having witnessed him slay a mountain god with a single strike. Their admiration was understandable.

As Oden and his group headed towards Kuri, they reached the bridge connecting Kuri to Kibi after several days.

The guards, recognizing the Shogun's son, dared not stop him.

While still on the bridge, they were stunned by the sight of Kuri. Vast fields of golden rice stretched before them, resembling the legendary Land of Gold.

"Gulp..." Izou and Kikunojo, often hungry, instinctively swallowed, their small figures frozen in awe.

"Hey, is this really the lawless Kuri, where nothing grows?" Kin'emon exclaimed in surprise. "Even the Flower Capital doesn't have such expansive fields."

"Those houses over there, though few, are all new and look quite luxurious," Denjiro added. "Are we sure we didn't take a wrong turn? This doesn't look like Kuri."

"To have governed Kuri so well is truly impressive," said Raizo, who had some experience as a former member of the Oniwabanshu. This only added to his astonishment.

Kuri, once a place of chaos and death, had transformed into a scene of prosperity.

Oden compared this to the other regions he had visited over the past two years—the cold-hearted Ringo, the desolate Kibi... He realized he had never seen such a sight before.

"It seems the daimyo of Kuri is truly remarkable."

As they prepared to cross the bridge, they were stopped by guards.

Since Kuri's reconstruction, it had established economic ties with other regions. Merchants from other regions, initially wary of Kuri's lawlessness, decided to give it a try for the sake of profit.

They soon discovered that the reborn Kuri not only lacked the usual underworld interference but also that the previous formidable bandits acted entirely within the law. Doing business here only required paying the appropriate taxes, and the profits far exceeded those of other regions, quickly making Kuri more prosperous.

Thus, the guards' duties became increasingly important.

Dan couldn't place his Serpent Mark on every merchant. To prevent trouble, strict security was essential.

The guards recognized Oden and, though they didn't stop him, promptly relayed the information.

Soon, Oden's every move was reported to Dan.

"Trouble is coming," Dan sighed. He didn't care for Kozuki Oden but couldn't ignore him now.

What vexed him was that Oden seemed oblivious to being disliked.

"Kozuki Oden is heading towards the daimyo's residence," Yukiko said unhappily.

Along the way, Oden and his entourage had caused chaos wherever they went. With no money, Oden would simply steal crops from fields and cook them on the spot whenever he was hungry.

Others like Kin'emon and Denjiro were constantly involved in petty theft. The Military Commission had tried to arrest them several times but were no match and had to retreat.

"Let me kill him!" Shutenmaru fumed.

He had always disliked those born into privilege, especially someone like Kozuki Oden, the Shogun's son, who was oblivious to the hardships of the common folk and acted recklessly.

Kuri had finally been transformed, and now he was here to ruin it!

"You're no match for him," Dan said.

Recently, Shutenmaru had been Dan's sparring partner. While Shutenmaru was stronger than Orochi, both had made significant progress. However, Shutenmaru still fell short compared to Oden.

"Don't bother with him. He'll come here eventually. Let him find us," Dan decided. "Kurozumi Orochi wants to deal with the Kozuki family. Let him handle Oden. I won't get involved."

"Also, compensate anyone who suffers losses because of him."

With these orders, Yukiko and Shutenmaru nodded.

Dan didn't want to get too involved with Kozuki Oden, finding it somewhat distasteful. But for now, his strength was insufficient, and he had to endure.