In truth, the Orochi siblings had already carried the Mythical Zoan Yamata-no-Orochi Fruit back to Wano forty-two years before the original timeline and handed it to the young Orochi.
So this Mythical Zoan fruit was never one of the prizes for the God Valley tournament.
The siblings never took part in the God Valley war; they'd returned to Wano to scheme against Kozuki Sukiyaki long before the incident.
No one knows how the brother and sister first connected with Golden Lion Shiki and Stussy.
With her Copy-Copy Fruit, Kurozumi Orochi had touched Shiki and Stussy, stealing their faces.
Beast Kaido joined the Rocks Pirates forty-four years prior in the original timeline—chronologically, the siblings could have met the young Kaido through Shiki and Stussy and struck up a rapport.
That was one reason they later invited Kaido into Wano.
"I need to hurry Shiki up—has he re-established contact with those two or not?"
Though Fang Huo scoffed at other Mythical Zoans, snatching the Yamata-no-Orochi Fruit would give his officers a trump card.
As a favor or bargaining chip, it could go to Kaido, to Fūgetsu Kisaburō, even to Silver Axe… Fang Huo glanced at the New World's foul weather and flew straight for the Grand Line.
Moments later he landed at the Twin Capes Lighthouse.
The Rumbar Pirates were still roaming the West Blue; the young island-whale Laboon had yet to enter the Grand Line.
But the young Crocus had already become the keeper of the Twin Capes, studying medicine in his spare time.
Not long ago he'd visited the medical powerhouse Drum Kingdom to buy textbooks and was now reading beneath the lighthouse.
Casually glancing up, he spotted a silhouette riding the Reverse Current down through the sky.
Startled, he dropped his book and grabbed a Sea-Beast Harpoon, warily eyeing the unknown intruder.
As the figure drew nearer, Crocus recognized the world-famous supreme great succubus!
The Great Demon Venerable Kozuki Fang Huo, bounty 880 million Berries!
"Why him?!"
Crocus panicked; a notorious New World pirate appearing at Reverse Mountain was unthinkable.
"Didn't expect you to be the lighthouse keeper so early!"
Fang Huo was mildly surprised, but since the Rumbar Pirates would enter the Grand Line within a few years, Crocus's presence at the cape seemed natural.
"You… know me?"
Cold sweat beaded on Crocus's forehead, knuckles white around the harpoon.
He could handle sea-beasts dozens of metres long and rookie crews from the four Blues, but a veteran pirate of this calibre was out of his league.
"Relax, I'm no slaughter-maniac."
"Do you have Permanent Log Poses for Drum Island and Jaya Island?"
Fang Huo landed at the lighthouse base, smiling.
He'd prepared a Jaya Island pose long ago, but had left it in his cabin aboard the Gibeck's Sword.
He hadn't expected the Gorosei to ambush him and force him to act alone.
"I only have a Drum pose and regular log poses—none for Jaya Island…"
Crocus, tense, had never planned to visit a pirate haven like Jaya Island and had never bought its pose.
"Then give me two Drum poses and two log poses."
Fang Huo tossed a wad of Berries. Noting the medical texts, he realised Crocus had only just begun studying—far from the future doctor who could curb Roger's fatal illness.
Thus he had no intention of recruiting him.
If he needed a doctor, Drum Kingdom was the place.
At this time Drum was the world-renowned medical superpower, teeming with famed doctors and medical marvels.
Even someone of Dr. Kureha's calibre wasn't the most famous there.
Besides, Fang Huo already knew a Mink doctor-scholar on Ohara as a candidate ship's medic.
Come to think of it, Dr. Kureha was already quite old this year.
When the Straw Hats met her, the witch doctor was 139; two years after the main story she'd be 141.
Right now she was 86!
An outrageous age—most people, especially Great Pirates, never lived that long.
Pirate King Roger and Whitebeard Newgate died far younger than Dr. Kureha's current age.
Old-era titans like Sengoku and Garp would only be 79 and 78 when Straw Hat Luffy became one of the Four Emperors—still short of Kureha's present tally.
Hearing Fang Huo merely wanted to buy poses, Crocus quickly produced them.
Money meant nothing; the important thing was not to provoke a massacre.
After all, the Great Demon Venerable's blood-soaked reputation outstripped even Rocks's in the public eye.
"Work hard—I believe you'll become the finest doctor in the world."
With the poses secured, Fang Huo gave Crocus a faint smile and set off without delay.
Who knew whether Saint Mazes's monstrous Itzuta-no-Ori bird was still in pursuit.
Watching Fang Huo disappear, Crocus slumped to the ground and exhaled in relief.
Yet the legendary brutal pirate hadn't felt terrifying or evil at all.
During their brief encounter, Fang Huo had seemed a gentle scholar, nothing like a pirate.
"I was just encouraged… by a pirate…"
Crocus's lips curled. Looking at the medical books, his eyes grew determined.
A Great Pirate had just affirmed his talent for medicine.
"What a contradictory man…"
Reading the papers' tales of Kozuki Fang Huo, then recalling their meeting—were they truly the same person?
High above, Fang Huo beat his wings, following the pose straight for Drum Island.
He gave no thought to Little Garden, where the giant Captains Dorry and Brogy waited; if Rocks planned to enter the Grand Line, let Rocks befriend them first.
It would pave the way for recruiting Harald later.
Dorry, Brogy and Harald were close in age and had been childhood friends; perhaps through the two giants he could sway Harald's will.
"Gulp-Gulp Fruit, you'd better be on Drum Island!"
Full of anticipation, Fang Huo flew toward the medical kingdom; once there he'd track down the World Pirates' location.
During this window of freedom he'd seize every Devil Fruit ability he desired!