Starting with helping Zhao Kai ascend the throne in the snow

When Foz and Sasaki heard that Jhin was going in person, they were greatly disappointed. They had been hoping that Jack would make a mistake, but Jhin's appearance completely dashed their hopes.

Soon, King led a group of Gifters and several True Fighters, sailing a warship away from Wano Country and heading towards the Dressrosa Kingdom.

As fellow members of the Four Emperors' pirate crews, the movements of the Beasts Pirates were quickly learned by the Red-Haired Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates.

"Beckman, what do you think of this intelligence?" Shanks asked with a wry smile, looking at his deputy who was quietly exhaling smoke rings.

He had just rescued the remnants of Whitebeard's crew during the Marineford War, but he didn't expect them to become restless again so quickly.

It's important to understand that after losing Whitebeard, their strongest fighter, the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates were already in dire straits. If it weren't for his mediation, they would probably have been swallowed up by the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates long ago.

While Shanks admired Whitebeard's character, he wouldn't mind helping them keep their remaining territory if they were willing to stay put. However, the Whitebeard Pirates' restless behavior left him feeling helpless. He wasn't their babysitter; he couldn't be cleaning up their messes all the time. Even if he agreed, he believed the other crew members would object.

Sure enough, Beckman exhaled a puff of smoke and said, "Shanks, you can save them once, but can you save them forever? Besides, under Whitebeard's protection all these years, they've become arrogant and ignorant. Letting them experience some setbacks is good; it will help them face reality more quickly. Otherwise, they'll get into trouble sooner or later."

"This is just..." Shanks was about to say something when Piccolo interrupted him, saying, "And Shanks, haven't you noticed? The remnants of Whitebeard's crew, Doflamingo, the Beasts Pirates, and various Marine forces are all converging on Dressrosa. The Kingdom of Dressrosa is about to become the new eye of the storm. Our Red-Haired Pirates shouldn't get involved in this pointless vortex."

Ultimately, based on Beckman's analysis, Shanks abandoned his plan to help the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates, leaving them to fend for themselves.

Cake Island.

A tall, muscular man with short red hair, wearing black jeans and a scarf, quietly looked at the intelligence reports that were gradually coming in.

The imposing man before them was Katakuri, the second son of the Charlotte Family and the strongest member of the Big Mom Pirates, the leader of the Sweet Commanders. He was a role model for countless younger members of the crew. When Big Mom was away or in a frenzy, he served as the vice-captain, giving orders and command, and was hailed as the future successor of the Big Mom Pirates.

"Interesting. Jin actually came personally. It seems Dressrosa is going to be quite lively. If we can take over the Kingdom of Dressrosa, we can connect with Fishman Island, forming a mutually supporting force. We can monopolize all supply routes before entering the New World, and even merchant ships coming from the Red Line will have to pay up. We will gain even greater benefits." Katakuri's eyes immediately gleamed after reading the intelligence.

As the second-in-command of the Big Mom Pirates and the future heir to the family fortune, Katakuri is not only incredibly strong but also possesses exceptional strategic vision. After Whitebeard's death, he decisively advised Big Mom to seize Fish-Man Island, a crucial link for pirates seeking to enter the New World. Sure enough, after taking Fish-Man Island, pirate crews wanting to enter the New World via the Deep Sea had to obediently pay fees to the Big Mom Pirates, resulting in a massive increase in their revenue.

Dressrosa Island, like Fishman Island, is strategically important. If pirates could only choose Fishman Island as their route, powerful merchants and dark forces in the underworld could choose to travel directly from the Red Line to the New World. But no matter which route they choose to enter the New World, the Kingdom of Dressrosa is always the first supply island and an unavoidable destination.

Therefore, if the Big Mom Pirates can take Dressrosa Island, it will be equivalent to holding two strategic locations in their hands, which will surely bring them a continuous stream of benefits.

Previously, due to Doflamingo's status as a Shichibukai and the balance between the Four Emperors' pirate crews and the Navy, this strategic location had always been controlled by the Donquixote Family. However, with the chaos brewing in Dressrosa, no one knows what the outcome will be. Therefore, Katakuri feels that an opportunity has come, which may be an excellent chance to seize Dressrosa Island.

Katakuri immediately instructed, "Oven, Daifuku, you two get ready and come with me to Dressrosa. Smoothie, Cracker, Snack, you three guard the family territory. Recently, those Supernovas known as the Worst Generation have caused quite a stir in the New World. You must protect the family territory from being invaded." Not long after, a Big Mom Pirates warship also began heading towards the Dressrosa Kingdom.

On the other side, after Shen Qing and Doflamingo hung up the phone, Hawkeye asked curiously, "Brother Shen, do you know why the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates appeared near Dressrosa Island?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Qing awkwardly touched his nose and chuckled, "I previously asked Doflamingo to buy a Devil Fruit from Blackbeard. This time, it was because Blackbeard delivered a Devil Fruit to the Dressrosa Kingdom that the remnants of Whitebeard's crew discovered their presence, thus attracting them here." Shen Qing never expected that the root of the problem would be himself.

"I see. In that case, things will be much easier. Once Blackbeard leaves, they probably won't bother the Donquixote Family." Hawkeye's expression relaxed considerably upon hearing this.

Since the Whitebeard Pirates are after Blackbeard Teach, once Blackbeard leaves, the Whitebeard Pirates will have no reason to intervene.

---

A world in the snow, outside Kuaiji County.

The handsome middle-aged man with a white bowl by the sea that day, after searching unsuccessfully, heard about the Yuezhou martial arts examination and, driven by curiosity, headed towards Yuezhou. He intended to witness the so-called grand event in Yuezhou, and then travel to Shu to see Chen Zhibao, who had betrayed Beiliang, to see if his reputation as a "little butcher" was truly deserved, in order to prepare for a series of future plans.

This man was Xie Guanying, the eldest grandson of the Xie family of Jia Yang, one of the ten most powerful families in the Spring and Autumn Period. He was also one of the disciples of Qi Yanglong, the Grand Master of Shangyin Academy in the present era. In his youth, he was as famous as Li Yishan and was known as the Xie family of the North and the Li family of the South.

Unlike Li Yishan and Yuan Benxi, Xie Guanying did not like to meddle in the affairs of the world. He had a strange encounter in his childhood and knew that the so-called division and unification of the world was nothing more than a game of wits between heaven and man. The masses were just pawns in the hands of others. How many opportunities did people have to change their own destiny when they were in the game? Even if they struggled, how could they really overcome fate?

Therefore, he diligently studied the ways of fortune and destiny, carefully researching numerology and fate, hoping to change one's destiny by altering one's fortune, striving to one day break free from his own constraints and become a piece that can jump out of the chessboard of heaven and earth.