"Using dragons as a resource—to form a unique ecological balance—is truly impressive. But it seems I've arrived too early… I had hoped to see the fairy-tale dragons."
Inside an elegant café in Lirondon, Daniel sat by the window, watching the endless stream of people on the street. His thoughts drifted back to the experiences he'd had in Lirondon over the past few days. In Lirondon, for ordinary people it is extremely difficult to get here, yet for him it was effortless. Still, he was disappointed that the two leading ladies he'd been expecting to encounter had not appeared; without them, any special "fairy-tale dragon" was unlikely to show up.
What truly captured his interest here were the fairy-tale dragons. Other "dragons" here merely bore the name—they were a far cry from true dragons. Moreover, given the unique circumstances of this place, even if he wished to keep one, it wouldn't be easy. The dragons here—especially the so-called Dark Dragons—evoked memories of cursed battles in "Jujutsu Kaisen." In fact, there was even a law prohibiting contact with dragons. Any ordinary person daring to approach a dragon would be sentenced to a hundred years in prison—or even death. Strictly speaking, these two punishments hardly differ, since very few ordinary people live past a hundred years. And even in a world so saturated with spiritual particles, that remains true.
"The resources here are not bad at all… perhaps I could even start a company," Daniel mused. In Lirondon, thanks to the existence of dragons, resources were exceedingly abundant. Unlike in "London Proper," everything in Lirondon was related to dragons: power generation, fuel, water, food, medicine… all produced from dragons. The local Natural Dragon Conservation Organization even maintained its own "Flute Team" (the team to which one of the leading heroines belonged), whose responsibility was to herd various dragons. If one disregarded the Dark Dragons, the dragons here were nothing short of a universal energy source. And because their energy came from dragons, their effect far surpassed that of ordinary ingredients—much like how ordinary deer antlers cannot compare to those from a legendary "deer dragon."
It was business as usual for those who wished to exploit such resources. Relying on the company he'd acquired from the Extinction Masters (snatched from his parents), Xue Xiu had quickly built a transnational corporation. In the original story this company developed into a colossal enterprise – even Kisuke Urahara once joked about wanting to work there for a few original shares (though that was all in jest).
"I say, the Soul Society sure knows how to court trouble – Hell hasn't even ended, and yet 'Mizuchijian Ba' has reappeared. Come to think of it, that guy reminds me a bit of Uchiha Madara."
When Daniel finished handling matters in Lirondon and returned to Karakura Town, he found that the Seireitei—recently repaired by the Kidō practitioners—had once again been ravaged in battle. Massive buildings had been destroyed by the escape of Mizuchijian Ba from the endless Hell. That wretched fighter, who'd spent countless years confined in Hell, had finally devised a method to reduce the appearance of Hollows: by adjusting people's minds to expel negative emotions. It was well known that Hollows arise because a soul lingers after death, burdened by unfulfilled wishes or regrets. Without negative emotions, the inner emptiness that gives birth to Hollows would vanish.
This concept bore a striking resemblance to Uchiha Madara's vision of Infinite Tsukuyomi. Yet, alas, once again Mizuchijian Ba's ambitions went unfulfilled—he was defeated by the man Daniel had little regard for, Geng Mu Jianba. Mizuchijian Ba's Zanpakutō was formidable; back in the day, even the mighty Kurosaki Jianba had been decapitated in a single blow by it. Unfortunately, Jianba underestimated Geng Mu Jianba's resilience. In a battle of trading wounds, Geng Mu Jianba never lost to anyone.
"Ah, Mounohana Retsu… I'll deal with her later."
Besides Aizen, the one Daniel most desired to take with him was, naturally, the first-generation "Sword Sister" from the Zero Division. If Captain Yamamoto had already perished, he would have sought her out immediately—but since the captain was still alive, it wasn't urgent. Besides, he would return later, even if only to help Ada and Aestas refine their Perfect Realization techniques and boost their soul energy.
"Time to release Wang Yue and the others."
With the Five Satellite Halls of the Soul King's Palace already destroyed, the remaining Zero Division members had lost their immortality. Even if they wished to return to the Soul King, figures like Captain Yamamoto or Kisuke Urahara would hardly allow it. Now that the Soul King was finally free from threats, no one would dare approach him.
"Are you ready?"
"Of course."
"Then let's go."
When Daniel met up with Aizen, he had already finished his business. In truth, his task was simple: arrange matters in the Void, ensuring that Tia became the "King of the Void," assisted by Stark, Nilu, and others. With rebellious fighters like Bylergon having fallen, Tia could finally solidify his rule. Perhaps in a few hundred years the Void would even adopt a system similar to that of the Soul Society.
"This is another world—truly, it is very different. The air here is nearly devoid of spiritual particles."
"Come on, I'll introduce you to some people so that you can act freely afterward."
"No need to rush. According to you, I'm quite curious about the Soul Soul Fruit," Aizen remarked.
"That's entirely up to you. I've already said what I have," Daniel replied.
In this world, which primarily focuses on physical combat, the only thing that could interest Aizen was Devil Fruits. Naturally, he was extremely intrigued by the Soul Soul Fruit—a power that manipulates souls. In fact, if he hadn't mentioned it earlier, even Brook would have been equally fascinated.
Aizen was pleased to visit Big Mom's crew (the Four Emperors), and he didn't mind handing over that position to him. As for whether Aizen could solve Big Mom's problem—given his sixth-stage Hōgyoku evolution—it might not be an instant kill, but it certainly wouldn't be a major hassle.
"Seems that there are always those who court their own doom. Even if Kaido and Aestas join forces, they cannot make certain people abandon their ambitions."
When Daniel eventually returned to Wa no Kuni (the Land of Harmony), Aestas was busy dealing with a faction claiming to represent the Kuang Yuezhi and the Black Charcoal Great Serpent—fighting to revive the old samurai privileges. With the founding of Wa no Kuni, a flood of foreigners had entered, severely impacting the native populace. Ordinary people could cope since life under the Black Charcoal Great Serpent's rule was far better than before—but the samurai, however, were not so fortunate.
The locals held the samurai in high esteem, but foreigners had little respect for them. Moreover, the current policies in Wa no Kuni offered no preferential treatment to the samurai or sumo wrestlers. Both the Kuang Yuezhi and the Black Charcoal Great Serpent, however, did afford considerable advantages to the samurai class.
"This world is truly remarkable. Arrange things here first, then transfer everyone here to cultivate their skills," Daniel declared regarding the rebellious samurai. To him, the Shinigami world was fascinating. Without delving into matters of power, the work of the Shinigami carried a certain divine aura—especially in a realm of souls. Ada was immediately intrigued, and Aestas was eager to enhance his strength.
"And what about this world?"
Chelsey then asked.
"Leave it to Yamato; with her, nothing disastrous will occur."
Daniel wasn't particularly concerned about Wa no Kuni himself. His focus was on its special resources—such as the "Hai Lou Stone." However, Akatin and Chelsey, having experienced the dark side of the empire, abhorred Wa no Kuni's shadows all the more.
"Understood."
Ada and the others quickly arranged their affairs, and finally, citing an excuse to journey deep into the New World, they departed Wa no Kuni. After all, leaving Wa no Kuni in silence for a long time would be inappropriate. Venturing into the deeper New World was ideal. Wa no Kuni lay roughly in the midsection of the New World's sea; beyond it, there were many islands, including the fabled "Land of Giants" (Erbafu).
Erbafu was reputed to be the world's strongest nation—so powerful that even Big Mom sought an alliance. While its top-tier power may not be definitively number one, its mid-level combat strength was undoubtedly unrivaled worldwide.
"Daoyan Auwula, I'll need your help this time."
In a luxurious villa in Karakura Town, after bringing Ada, Aestas, and the others there, Daniel purchased a new mansion (since there were many people), and then invited Daoyan Auwula to join him. Without question, she was the absolute top in Perfect Realization techniques; having her teach would make Daniel far stronger.
Soon after, in the basement of the villa, Daniel constructed a spiritual particle space. He integrated the hot spring technology he'd acquired from the Zero Division with that of the fake Soul King's Palace in Kao Gu.
"By the way, perhaps we should get Mounohana Retsu to serve as sparring partner."
Since becoming the captain of the Fourth Division, "Sister Flower" had largely been insulated from combat. Now, however, it was a perfect opportunity to unleash her potential—and it would certainly please Aestas.
"Other worlds… so you're saying that Aizen and you have gone to another world?"
[Insert the newest "6 9 Shu Yi Ba Kan" meme here!]
"Indeed. If Captain Mounohana Retsu is interested, I wouldn't mind having one more person accompany us when we depart."
"Other worlds? I'm very intrigued by that."
Once one learns of another world, one can hardly resist its allure. Even Stark would occasionally ask Daniel to take him to see other worlds. For now, however, Daniel declined; perhaps later.
"It seems we must wait until next time—let Xiaomeng join us. Yan Lingji and the others will be arriving soon, and we might first focus on boosting their soul energy."
After arranging matters with Ada and the others, Daniel left the Shinigami world. His journey took him first to the Tang Empire, then to the world of "Chinese Paladin," and finally to the Qin period.
"Xiongnu invasions—these folks are courting their own doom. A Macedonian phalanx? But the Qin of today is entirely different. By the way, it seems Li Mu has been holding the line against the Xiongnu. He is one of the four great generals; it's a shame he isn't put to better use. Perhaps he should be sent to the Tang instead."
Upon arriving in the Qin era, when news of a Xiongnu invasion reached him, Daniel was reminded of the Macedonian phalanx that had once caused him trouble when Meng Tian encountered it. But now, with Qin's advanced mechanisms, the Macedonian phalanx would be utterly unrecognizable.
Thinking of the phalanx, Li Mu's name came to Daniel's mind. The Tang Empire was indeed lacking in talents like Li Mu. Although figures such as Li Jing and Li Shiji were notable, none of them were from Tang proper.
"Let's see how Meng Tian deals with the Macedonian phalanx this time," Daniel mused.
"This terrain is rather unfavorable for Meng Tian. No wonder he suffered losses when he first encountered the Macedonian phalanx."
Soon Daniel reached the border and witnessed Meng Tian chasing after a fleeing Chanyu. Although Daniel saw the chase, he did not intervene—at present, Qin's might made any Chanyu irrelevant.
"This is what the National Teacher called a Macedonian phalanx… the Roman Empire… Hmph, in this world, only the Qin Empire can truly form an empire. Let the mechanized beasts go!"
With the emergence of Po Tu Sanlang and the Mechanized White Tiger, the once confident general of the Macedonian phalanx turned pale. Even if he wished to flee, it was too late.
"Perhaps I'll finally witness a war between the Qin and Rome."
After surveying the state of this world, Ying Zheng naturally wasn't content with only Qin's territory. Like Daniel, he dreamed of planting the Black Dragon Banner throughout the world.
"General Li Mu? National Teacher, I request an audience."
Outside a blossoming peach blossom grove, Daniel's voice resounded. This grove had long served as a barrier against the Xiongnu—a barrier maintained by an array based on Qimen formation. Those entering the grove without a guide would inevitably lose their way; the spacing between the trees and the natural resources possessed by the Xiongnu made it nearly impossible to set fire to the grove.
"Here, there's only a werewolf—not a general," an elderly man with completely white hair emerged from the grove soon after.
"Please, General, do not be modest. I've come to request that you step out of retirement," Daniel stated bluntly.
"Please return, sir. The Li Mu of old has long since died," the old man replied, preparing to turn away.
"General, please wait until I've finished speaking. If you still want to leave afterward, I won't stop you," Daniel insisted as he explained the situation in the Tang Empire.
"Another world… the Tang."
"Indeed. In that world, the Central Plains have just suffered an invasion by barbarians. Although the barbarians have since been driven out, they still covet the splendor of the Central Plains. If you don't believe me, I can take you to see for yourself. Moreover, soon there will be no need for your presence. With the Xiongnu provoking the Qin, His Majesty the First Emperor certainly won't let them retreat easily."
Even if General Li Mu might initially refuse the lure of another world, the chance to fight for the Central Plains would be irresistible. Even if he didn't agree immediately, once he joined Tang, he'd have no opportunity to leave.
"General, perhaps you've been out of touch with Qin's changes for too long. You should step outside and see—the Qin Empire today is evolving by the day, in ways that are beyond your imagination."
End of Chapter 848 "Emperor's Plan (Part One)"
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