"Seems... you're at least somewhat prepared."
Michael nodded.
He had never met the Oden of the past—his knowledge came entirely from the manga in his previous life.
But even by those standards, while Kozuki Oden might have had many flaws, there was one thing about him that held true—
He always kept his word.
"And you're not even going to ask me what I want in return?"
"These things are always decided by the creditor... I'm not the least bit curious," Oden shrugged.
"But I wonder—could you wait until after I resolve this new crisis for my country before calling in that debt for the letter?"
"I'm not in a hurry... After all, Wano Country still has its uses for me. Of course, I can't let Kaido get his hands on it."
Michael still had expectations for Wano Country.
Due to its ongoing isolationist policy, Wano's unique technologies had not leaked abroad.
As the country with the largest reserves of seastone, Wano also possessed unparalleled forging and refining techniques.
They could process seastone into nail-sized pieces while precisely controlling its purity—depriving Devil Fruit users of their abilities without hindering their capacity for manual labor.
Such forging techniques made them indispensable talents for crafting precision weapons.
This was precisely why Kaido had originally targeted Wano Country for his Beast Pirates' dominion.
Now, with the development of SMILE fruits significantly boosting his crew's strength, Kaido had once again set his sights on invading Wano.
With his subordinates' individual power greatly enhanced, acquiring powerful weapons naturally became the next priority.
After all, Wano wasn't just rich in seastone—it also boasted abundant deposits of various metal ores.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a strategic stronghold coveted by all.
"Wano Country... uses?" Kozuki Oden stared at Michael. "Don't tell me... you want the entire Wano Country?"
"I have no interest in an isolationist, xenophobic nation."
"Then what did you mean earlier?"
"I'm not interested in the country itself, but rather in its utility." Michael pointed downward.
"Including... what lies beneath Wano Country."
The moment these words left Michael's mouth, Kozuki Oden's breathing hitched.
In the next instant, powerful Conqueror's Haki radiated from him.
Unsurprised, Michael released his own Conqueror's Haki in response.
When the two forces collided, black lightning crackled through the surrounding air.
Meanwhile, the citizens of the Flower Capital looked up in shock—the sky itself appeared to be splitting apart.
Of course, they didn't realize this phenomenon resulted from the clash of Conqueror's Haki.
As one of the combatants, Kozuki Oden's face paled slightly.
Because he realized... in that collision of Conqueror's Haki...
He had been at a disadvantage.
Yet to his surprise, Michael showed no astonishment at this outcome—instead looking at him with approval.
"Impressive, Kozuki Oden. You're stronger than I imagined."
"No wonder you were once the commander of Whitebeard's Second Division."
Then again, considering the attributes Oda had given him, it made sense Oden wouldn't be weak.
Setting aside his formidable Conqueror's Haki...
He also possessed the same "Voice of All Things" ability as Roger.
Present-day Kozuki Oden might not have fully reached Yonko level, but he wasn't far off.
Of course, compared to prime Whitebeard or Michael, there remained a significant gap.
Not all Yonko were created equal.
Clapping his hands, Michael took the initiative, saying:
"Sit down, Kozuki Oden."
"Let's discuss the specifics."
...
"Regarding Wano Country—this time, we're determined to succeed."
On Thunder God Island, the fully assembled League of Villains had already set their next target.
Both Kaido and Moria's obsession with Wano Country, along with others' coveting of its internal resources, led to a unanimous decision to conquer Wano once again.
As veterans who had once invaded Wano, Kaido and Moria both emphasized that Wano was easy to defend but hard to attack.
Without an overwhelming disparity in strength, a direct assault would be extremely difficult.
So...
"We must strike with everything we have. None of you better think of holding back..." Kaido scanned the room.
"Time is of the essence. We must take Wano as quickly as possible to maximize our strength."
"I have a question..." Wang Zhi of Hachinosu frowned. "Don't forget, Edward Newgate is an old friend of Kozuki Oden. And in recent years, the Whitebeard Pirates have established their own nation... If those two join forces, we'll be completely helpless."
The moment he finished speaking, everyone nodded in agreement.
There was no helping it.
Even if Michael didn't exist in this world, the name "Whitebeard" alone was a colossal boulder weighing on the heads of all pirates—immovable.
Yet Kaido and Teach exchanged glances, both wearing sinister grins.
Clap clap.
Kaido signaled, and his subordinates immediately activated the Video Transponder Snail.
The projected image showed Whitebeard Jr., Edward Weevil, barely alive in a dungeon.
"We don't need to worry about Whitebeard."
"Though they're strong, gathering their full forces and rushing to Wano's aid would take them far too long..."
"If we act fast enough and seize Wano at top speed, even if the Whitebeard Pirates mobilize their entire fleet, we'll hold the natural defenses—and the hostages. Their only option will be to retreat in disgrace."
...
After everyone left Thunder God Island to muster their forces, only Teach, who had recently defected from the Whitebeard Pirates, remained behind.
"You're not leaving, Teach?"
"Why would I?" Blackbeard chuckled darkly. "Zehahaha... I haven't met your real partner yet."
"You... are clever." Kaido glanced at Blackbeard. "Seems your uniqueness isn't just limited to never sleeping."
Never sleeping a day in his life was one of Blackbeard's peculiar traits—effectively granting him twice the lifespan of an ordinary man.
"Flattery won't get you anywhere."
Kaido didn't elaborate further.
Instead, he stood and headed toward a secluded part of Thunder God Island.
Blackbeard followed him to the cliffs on the island's far side, where unflagged ships were unloading cargo in an area untouched by lightning.
"What are these?"
"Dyna Stone. Ever heard of it?"
"...Isn't that contraband? Where'd you get it?"
Kaido smirked.
"World Government-banned weapons... naturally, you'd have to go to the World Government to acquire them."
Then, he turned toward the cliff's edge, where an elderly man with stark white hair sat.
His beard and hair formed the shape of a crescent moon...
"Teach, meet the commander of the God's Knights..."
"Figarland Garling."
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