Wano Country, Flower Capital.
On the streets, cherry blossoms fluttered through the air, and the staggered, antique buildings evoked a style reminiscent of the Tang Dynasty from his previous life.
Luo Chen was wearing local attire, walking through the bustling crowd and looking around.
Almost everyone was wearing a kimono.
There were samurai with short topknots and long swords at their waists.
Vendors were hawking their wares along the roadside.
The aroma from the noodle stalls filled the air, and not far away, the long sleeves of courtesans from the brothels beckoned to passersby.
Overall, although the Flower Capital was part of a closed-off nation, it was a considerably prosperous area compared to the outside world.
"It's been a busy day. Let's find a place to have a drink," Luo Chen muttered to himself as he stopped in front of a pavilion.
According to what he had gathered, the workplace of Wano Country's number one Oiran, "Xiao Zi," was located here.
Upon entering the brothel, a young male attendant immediately came forward to greet him.
Luo Chen stated his intention, wishing for Xiao Zi to accompany him for drinks.
The attendant's smile faltered slightly as he explained, "My Lord, Xiao Zi is feeling unwell today and cannot see guests. Please..."
Luo Chen gave a casual wave of his hand, and a large amount of gold, silver, and jewelry instantly appeared on the ground beside him.
Wano Country's currency was not interchangeable with the outside world's.
He didn't bother to exchange any.
However, treasures like gold, silver, and diamonds held extremely high value in Wano Country as well.
The attendant looked at the treasures spread across the floor, a look of stunned surprise appearing in his eyes as his pupils dilated slightly.
In the Flower Capital, it was quite rare to see someone who could produce so much wealth in one go.
He knew every person of status and renown.
Yet, he had never seen the person standing before him.
The attendant was uncertain, but he understood Luo Chen's meaning.
The money was sufficient; it just depended on whether Xiao Zi could come and take it.
The attendant bowed deeply and led Luo Chen to the most luxurious private room on the top floor of the pavilion.
"Please wait a moment, I will go and invite Xiao Zi."
With so much treasure on the line, let alone if Xiao Zi wasn't actually sick—even if she were truly ill, she would have to come out to earn it.
Luo Chen waited patiently, walking to the window of the private room and looking out.
Before setting off, Monkey D. Dragon had mentioned something in passing.
Luffy had recently finished his training, reunited with his partners, and headed back to Wano Country.
The Straw Hat Pirates still intended to defeat Kaido and fulfill the promise they had once made to Tama.
If Luo Chen happened to encounter Luffy, Dragon asked him to look after him.
After all, Wano Country currently had two Four Emperors presiding over it.
Furthermore, many famous great pirates had gathered here, forming an alliance to resist the Jinghai Army.
This included Golden Lion Shiki, the Seven Warlords of the Sea Doflamingo, and Whitebeard Jr. Edward Weevil...
Facing so many powerful enemies, although the Straw Hat Pirates' strength had advanced by leaps and bounds, it was still perilous.
If Luo Chen hadn't happened to be heading to Wano Country, Dragon had even planned to come himself.
"At this point in time, it's actually quite similar to the original plot two years later," Luo Chen thought to himself.
He had spent three years in cultivation within the Rainbow Mist space, while one and a half years had passed in the outside world.
Adding the time before that, it was currently the year 1522 of the Sea Calendar.
It had been two years since he and Luffy set out to sea.
"The Straw Hat Pirates' strength must certainly be quite formidable now."
"I wonder if Luffy can activate Gear 5 on his own. If he can, he would have the strength of a standard Admiral/Emperor level."
"Zoro and Sanji studied under Hawkeye and Ivankov, respectively."
"The two of them most likely possess First Mate tier strength."
"Usopp, Chopper, Brook, and Franky were also sent by Dragon to different islands for further study. Their strength has improved significantly; they should have no problem dealing with Marine Vice Admirals or high-level officers of a Four Emperors' crew."
"Carina borrowed the thundercloud Zeus and the sun-fire Prometheus from Nami."
"If there were only the Beasts Pirates' crew in Wano Country, they really wouldn't be a match for Luffy and the others."
Usopp had been sent by Dragon to that island filled with bizarre plants.
His Haki, physique, and courage were all completely renewed.
Chopper, Brook, and Franky had also gone to the same islands as in the original plot.
Unsurprisingly, Chopper had developed a new transformation form.
Brook's mastery over the Revive-Revive Fruit had deepened.
Franky had also completed his own upgrades using the technology left behind in Vegapunk's hometown.
With this group reunited, combined with the help of the Nine Red Scabbards and the samurai of Wano Country, they truly could defeat the Beasts Pirates.
"The problem is that in Wano Country, there is more than just one Emperor-level crew."
Luo Chen gazed toward the direction of Onigashima.
He covered the entire territory of Wano Country with his Observation Haki.
The distant Onigashima was teeming with powerful auras.
The two strongest were Kaido and Charlotte Linlin.
There were also many experts at the level of First Mates, the Three Calamities, and the Sweet Commanders.
Moreover, he sensed the presence of many Zoan-type Devil Fruit users.
With Luo Chen's current strength and Observation Haki, he could distinguish which class of Devil Fruit an individual possessed.
On Onigashima, there were over ten thousand Zoan-type Devil Fruit users entrenched.
Within the borders of Wano Country, the number of Zoan-type Devil Fruit users was as high as 140,000.
This number was staggering.
One must realize that the entire world overseas did not have this many Zoan-type Devil Fruit users combined.
In the original plot, the Beasts Pirates' Artificial Zoan-type users only numbered around five or six hundred.
Compared to now, it was a world of difference.
"Even if you added every Zoan-type Devil Fruit in the world together, there couldn't possibly be 150,000."
"Are they all Artificial Zoan-type Devil Fruits manufactured by Caesar?"
This seemed to be the only possibility.
Caesar's production efficiency was far higher than in the original plot.
Five hundred compared to 150,000—a difference of exactly three hundred times!
"Caesar is a talent."
Luo Chen decided to spare the man's life.
Given Wano Country's national power, they could produce 150,000 Zoan-type users in two years.
If switched to the national power of Totto Land, the number might increase tenfold.
The Jinghai Army could also have every member become a Devil Fruit user in the future.
"For pirates like Kaido and Charlotte Linlin, I can just use Impure World Reincarnation on all of them."
"Momonosuke should have already crossed over from twenty years ago by now."
"I wonder if that perverted brat has made contact with Luffy and the others yet."
As Luo Chen thought, he slowly turned around and looked toward the entrance of the private room.
The two wooden doors slid open to the left and right.
A woman with rare, beautiful emerald-colored hair, a smooth forehead, and narrow, phoenix-like eyes appeared. Her beauty was peerless.
She was dressed in a magnificent kimono, her behavior dignified, and her rouge-colored full lips carried a faint smile.
She possessed both the habitual charm of an Oiran and a hidden, barely perceptible coldness.
"I have kept my Lord waiting," Xiao Zi spoke softly, her voice like honeyed spring water—gentle yet clear.
Luo Chen sized up this number one beauty of Wano Country.
With elegant composure, Xiao Zi lifted her feet wrapped in white socks, walked to the center of the room, and knelt down.
She lit incense and warmed wine on a low square table, signaling for Luo Chen to sit opposite her.
Her set of movements was as smooth as flowing water, her etiquette as graceful as a princess of the imperial court.
Despite wearing the most seductive Oiran attire, her entire being exuded an innate nobility.
This contrast was perhaps the main reason Xiao Zi could become Wano Country's number one Oiran.
Luo Chen sat down with a smile, looking at her flawless face.
It was hard to imagine that her exquisite appearance shared a sibling relationship with Momonosuke.
Xiao Zi, whose real name was Kozuki Hiyori, was the younger sister of Kozuki Momonosuke.
However, twenty years ago, Momonosuke had been sent to the future by his mother Kozuki Toki's Time-Time Fruit.
Thus, Momonosuke still had the appearance of a seven- or eight-year-old from twenty years ago.
Kozuki Hiyori, on the other hand, had truly grown up in Wano Country over those twenty years.
Hiding her identity and name, she waited for the opportunity to take revenge and kill Kurozumi Orochi and Kaido, the ones who had murdered her parents.
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