Chapter 17 : Change of Plans!

The huge dragon came out of the deep sea, and it was none other than Kaido!

With a loud roar, Kaido breathed out a fiery breath, causing the entire ocean to explode in a huge pillar of fire.

Kaido had the same goal as Blackbeard: Dressrosa.

In his prime, he often fought against Whitebeard, the late Emperor of the Sea.

Despite many battles, Kaido could never defeat Whitebeard and often had to run away from his relentless attacks.

After the Battle of the marineford, where Whitebeard died, Kaido and his crew tried to take over the territories that were once ruled by the powerful Emperor. This led them into conflicts with the other Emperors.

Whitebeard's territories were vast, making pirates like Kaido, who were at the level of Yonko, jealous.

That's why Kaido went to Dressrosa to see if Muchen, the supposed successor of Whitebeard, had abilities comparable to the legendary Shock Shock Fruit.

Kaido wanted to see the truth with his own eyes.

Meanwhile, on Cake Island...

"Mom! Should we check it out too?" Charlotte Perospero asked their Yonko Aunt for guidance.

"No need... Let Kaido handle it," their Yonko Aunt replied with a cunning smile.

****

In Windmill Town, a man with fiery red hair and a scar on his face found himself lost in thought while reading the newspaper.

"Muchen..." He softly said the name, gently touching the place where his arm used to be.

"Luffy, if you meet this man, stay far away. I hope you stay safe."

In the New World...

The Neo Warship sailed towards Dressrosa. Following Muchen's suggestion, their next target for hunting was Doflamingo.

At this point, Muchen was resting on dec of warship, with his legs and eyes closed.

Zephyr, Ain, and others commanded the Navy personnel on the ship, directing them towards Dressrosa.

Suddenly, a seagull messenger flew over the warship and dropped a newspaper that landed on Muchen's face.

Muchen picked up the newspaper and read its contents carefully.

"The man with a bounty of five billion, Muchen!"

"Someone who can destroy Ice and Fire Island with a single blow!"

Muchen couldn't help but burst into laughter when he saw the exaggerated titles and content of the newspaper. These editors were really good at exaggeration.

But as he read the newspaper, Muchen gradually regained his composure and started thinking.

The incident on Ice and Fire Island was purposely leaked to Doflamingo, who then revealed Muchen's abilities to the World Government.

The World Government was willing to offer a bounty of five billion to stop his advance , which was even more than the Four Emperors. This encouraged people from all over the world to hunt him down.

This meant that Dressrosa, Doflamingo's stronghold, would undoubtedly be full of powerful opponents, possibly including other Emperors.

The idea excited Muchen. If he could defeat strong enemies in Dressrosa and use the System to keep their bones, his strength would greatly increase.

But Muchen knew that it was just a fantasy at the moment.

Going to Dressrosa under these circumstances would only lead to his death. The news of his five billion bounty and the attention from the media guaranteed that many powerful figures would be after him.

So for now, he needed to be patient and focus on gradually getting stronger.

He came up with a plan and shared it with Zephyr and Ain, telling them about the contents of the newspaper.

Zephyr and Ain thought about Muchen's plan and agreed. Dressrosa had become very dangerous, with admiral and even Emperors present.

"We're currently in the New World, and there are two options for leaving," Ain explained, pointing to marked locations on the map.

"The first option is to go through Fishman Island underwater and re-enter the Grand Line. This will give us a break from the spotlight."

"The second option is to go back to the Grand Line through the Red Continent."

Zephyr turned to Muchen and asked, "What's your plan?"

"I suggest going through Fishman Island underwater and returning to the Grand Line from there," Muchen answered without hesitation.

Returning to the Grand Line through the Red Continent would involve a long journey and the risk of encountering the Four Emperors and other strong enemies.

So going through Fishman Island with the coated Neo Warship seemed like the safest option, as it would take them to a stable point in the Grand Line.

Zephyr and the others agreed with Ain's decision, and they nodded.

Muchen and Zephyr formed an alliance, promising to help each other if one of them was attacked.

"While I was in the Navy, I learned about a nearby place where we can coat the ship," Zephyr told Muchen.

"But that area is quite dangerous, with pirate crews with bounties over 100 million scattered around. We need to keep a low profile while passing through."

"Especially for you, Muchen, it would be best to disguise yourself."

Muchen thanked Zephyr for the reminder, and Zephyr redirected the Neo Warship to the nearby coating area instead of going to Dressrosa.

Muchen went to his room and prepared to rest. He still needed to complete waiting period of system to get Caesar's abilities, since he had stored the scientist's bones.

So for now, he decided to keep a low profile.

Suddenly, the system interface appeared in his mind.

[Number of days remaining for check-in: 6 ]

Muchen sighed deeply, realizing that he still had six days to go.

At that moment, someone knocked on the door of Muchen's room...