Yuan Yi had been pondering over something lately.
This thought came to him while he mastered his powers, realizing that a significant event was approaching.
This wasn't a crucial plot point but rather the imminent appearance of a very special Devil Fruit.
The year was 1493 in the Sea Calendar, the year Toki Amatsuki would appear.
Yes, that's right. In the original work, Toki was the wife of Kozuki Oden and the mother of Momonosuke and Hiyori!
Yuan Yi's interest wasn't in Toki but in the Time-Time Fruit she possessed.
The Paramecia-type Time-Time Fruit allowed its user to travel forward in time. Toki was a mysterious girl who had traveled over 830 years from the past, but despite her intriguing background, she only accomplished a little.
After arriving in this era, she was captivated by Oden's charisma, became his wife, and remained here, with her grand ambitions becoming mere fantasies.
Despite the character's apparent design to facilitate Kin'emon and the others' time travel, Yuan Yi found the Time-Time Fruit particularly fascinating.
A Devil Fruit that allows time travel?
Although it could only travel forward and not backward, it was still a valuable ability for Yuan Yi. He had a specific idea: he wanted to see what would happen if his clone or a controlled subject traveled to the future.
Would his clone still be able to maintain a connection with him at a different time?
With this in mind, Yuan Yi headed to the New World.
He controlled nearly all the small animals in the New World, using them to search for Toki Amatsuki. With his almost omnipotent abilities, Toki soon appeared within his sights.
Dealing with Toki was not a ha smooth process for Yi. He teleported directly to her side while she was being chased by human traffickers. Within, eliminating them within an instantare you?"
Toki had been tricked onto a trafficker's ship. Upon realizing the danger, she escaped and was cornered at the shore, with nowhere to run. Suddenly, she saw all her pursuers fall.
A man appeared before her.
The next moment, she lost consciousness.
For Yuan Yi, controlling Toki was effortless. She had little Haki, and although her ability was formidable, it was no match for him.
Soon, the power of the Void Pollution condensed into a black vortex behind him, and Demon Dragon emerged from it.
Among Yuan Yi's clones, Demon Dragon was currently the weakest, so he let Demon Dragon test his ability.
Under Yuan Yi's control, Toki activated the Time-Time Fruit's power on Demon Dragon. A gentle force enveloped Demon Dragon, and his body quickly vanished from this world.
"..."
Yuan Yi closed his eyes, sensing his various clones. In his mind, the lights representing clones like Toguro and Makima were present, and the light representing Demon Dragon...
It was still there!
He entered Demon Dragon's perspective but sensed something amiss.
The world through Demon Dragon's eyes was blurry as if some force had obstructed his perception. It was not just the difference in time.
Regaining his senses, he gazed at the nearby sea, feeling the gentle breeze. He placed his hand on Toki's head, whose eyes had lost their light. The next moment, they both vanished.
This place was still open; he needed to move to a more comfortable location.
And that location was naturally Wano Country!
As his created base, Wano had a large estate, and above Wano, he had made a Sky Island to ensure no disturbances.
Wano had successfully emerged from its previous turmoil and was thriving. The Law City had been rebuilt, and the construction of a trans-oceanic bridge was underway.
With the technological prowess brought by the Red Alert Mobile Construction Vehicle, the entire Wano Country had been revitalized.
Even the architectural style had changed, with towering skyscrapers rising and new technology bringing new ideologies, gradually erasing the influence of the Kozuki family's legacy.
However, the scars left by Kozuki Oden were still far from healing.
Currently, Wano had only one king: Yuri. The previous system of shoguns and daimyos had been abolished, with regions like Kuri and Ringo becoming administrative units directly under Law City, governed by mayors appointed by the king.
Even the World Government marveled at Wano's development and was preparing to invite Wano to join the World Government as an allied nation.
Yuri naturally had no objections, as building a trans-oceanic bridge required connecting with the outside world. And Wano desperately needed more population!
The previous wars had severely depleted Wano's population, and they needed to replenish it quickly to generate enough emotional energy.
Opening up to the world, communicating with other nations, and joining the World Government would quickly supplement their population.
Following Yuan Yi's vision, Yuri chose to open the country.
Of course, opening up would take time, and they needed to extract benefits from the World Government.
Wano had been isolated for eight hundred years, and joining the World Government was a significant decision that needed careful handling, even if it took a while.
Wano needed the massive resources of the World Government, and the World Government needed Wano's membership to bolster its strength. They also coveted Wano's various weapons.
With Wano's technology, they could upgrade their military, enhancing their power severalfold for the turbulent times ahead.
Currently, the core of Wano was the Combat Laboratory in Law City, produced by the Red Alert Mobile Construction Vehicle.
The objective function of this building was a massive academy and research institution, similar to Pandora Island. Upon production, it could unlock units like Prism Tanks and Mirage Tanks, but most importantly...
It could produce scientists!