Infinite Anime [155-157] (Patreon)

Chapter 155: Kaido: Factories Double?

Wano Country is divided into six regions: Kuri, Udon, Kibi, the Flower Capital, Ringo, and Hakumai.

These regions are separated by large rivers and do not border each other directly. To travel from one region to another, you must cross bridges connecting them.

Each region has its own unique climate and characteristics. For instance, Kuri was once Oden's domain, Udon is famous for its prisoner quarry (Udon Prison), Kibi is the most desolate, the Flower Capital is the most prosperous, Ringo is known as the snow region, and Hakumai is a port town.

Among these, Gusion's deepest impression is of Kuri because of the manga—Luffy landed in Kuri when he arrived in Wano and met Otama, starting the story there.

So, Gusion assumed Kuri suffered the worst famine.

However, through reports from Fukurokuju, he discovered that Kibi was actually the most impoverished region.

It's only been eight years since Oden's death, and Kaido's factories have only been running for about a decade. The environmental damage hasn't yet reached the point of being irreversible—Kuri's land can still produce a little food, though not enough to feed everyone.

But Kibi, already barren, can't grow any crops at all due to land and water pollution. Many starve to death there each year, and it would be even worse if not for those who joined Kaido's factories and earned money to support their families.

Gusion estimated the amount of food needed based on the population and decided to allocate the majority to Kibi for disaster relief.

Yes, he had no plans to sell this food; instead, he'd provide it as famine relief to ensure people in the hardest-hit areas could eat.

Gusion wasn't well-versed in complex market economics, but he thought immediate needs came first. Besides, every time the Beasts Pirates delivered grain to Wano, they never asked Orochi for payment.

Of course, the Beasts Pirates aren't philanthropists—they already collected payment elsewhere. Compared to overseas trading of cheap grain, the profits from Wano's factories are enormous.

Gusion thought it unhealthy for a country to rely on imported grain for survival, but for now, he had no better solution. Since the Beasts Pirates could easily obtain food, he'd use this advantage in the early stages of development.

He divided the batch of grain brought into two parts: 60% went to the national treasury for flexible use and to help regulate market prices, pushing down the formerly high cost of food.

The rest went entirely to disaster relief, so the starving people of Kibi and Kuri could eat and regain the ability to work.

For Wano's governance, Gusion devised a three-step plan. He wrote it down and had the Oniwabanshu deliver a copy to Kaido, though he wasn't sure if Kaido would read it.

The basic idea: Step one is to solve the famine. Only when people are fed can they work. Every portion of food sent out means one more person survives.

In his strategy paper, Gusion specifically noted: every extra survivor means one more future worker in the factories. He believed Kaido would appreciate this.

Once the people are fed, what should they do? Go farming?

No. Even though Gusion had a fondness for farming and understood the importance of food self-sufficiency, he didn't intend to have everyone farm.

Due to years of pollution, Wano's land is too poor for crops—yields are low and not worth it.

If these people keep farming before the environment improves, they'll just stay stuck in a vicious cycle of low yields and hunger.

So Gusion decided to have them… help Kaido build factories.

He believed Kaido would be pleased with this plan and wouldn't object.

Wano is a twisted country. When Yamato first asked how to improve the people's lives, Gusion struggled for days and found no answer.

Yesterday, he finally figured it out—he was thinking in terms of a traditional agrarian society, yet Wano had clearly entered the industrial age. It was time to change strategies.

It wasn't that he was foolish; his previous life made him instinctively dislike factories and capital, but he forgot the essence of things.

It's never industrialization itself that's bad, nor any particular system. It depends on the leadership's direction. Ultimately, a good ruler is one who improves the people's quality of life.

So Gusion saw no point in continuing with farming. Pollution recovery would take at least ten years, maybe a hundred. In the meantime, importing grain is the best choice—though Kaido wouldn't see this as progress unless he also gained more profit.

Thus, the best place for the unemployed is, of course, the factories.

Now, Kaido had already sent the Ancient Giants to carve out new rivers and handle pollution, improving the environment.

Though Gusion's standards for environmental protection were high, he couldn't change Kaido's mind for now. He'd have to wait until he'd proven himself as a strategist.

With initial environmental issues solved and the unemployed put to work, Wano would soon see a boom in factory construction.

Gusion made a rough estimate: with the tremendous labor forces in this world, Kaido's factories could double in size in less than a month! This would complete step two of the strategy.

Step three: Gather the unemployed from other regions—not just famine areas—and split them into two groups. One group would go to Udon to mine, since expanding factories would require more raw materials.

The other group? Construction—they'd build bridges, roads, reservoirs, and improve infrastructure across Wano.

Gusion didn't explain the direct benefits of this to Kaido, but he figured if the first two steps went well, Kaido wouldn't question the third.

With Gusion's order, the food convoys set out to deliver rations across famine-stricken Wano.

Since he had recently established his authority by executing several people, those handling the food dared not scheme. Under Oniwabanshu surveillance, they delivered the food diligently—not daring to steal even a grain.

…

Meanwhile, on Onigashima, Kaido, a few All-Stars, and the Flying Six were huddled around a letter.

"What nonsense is this? He wants to give our food away to disaster victims for free? Are we running a charity now!?"

Queen shook with anger as he read the letter, his fat trembling.

"He's up to no good, wasting the Beasts Pirates' money. I'll take care of him."

Jack grumbled, known for his bad temper.

The others grumbled as well, showing their discontent with Gusion.

From their perspective, Orochi was at least a proper ruler—he knew food was meant to be sold, not given to commoners.

Kaido frowned at the noise. In his view, what pirate ever did famine relief?

"Kaido, I actually think Gusion makes sense."

Amid the chaos, Black Maria spoke up. "The food is already given away, so it's up to Yamato and the others to handle it. Besides, we never asked Orochi for money, so in effect, we were already giving him the food to keep that useless fool alive."

The other officers paused. On second thought, that was true.

Their pirate mindsets made them instinctively reject charity.

"Besides, you forget—Wano is our territory now. Yamato is the shogun, so the people are our people, our property. If we let them starve, that's a loss of assets, isn't it?"

Maria added.

The officers considered this. They might pillage abroad, but never in Wano—their own base.

Now that they ruled directly, if they didn't treat the locals better, who would work their factories when the people died out?

"I agree with Maria. Gusion's step two shows he has a sound plan. He's not just feeding people for nothing—they'll help us build more factories, increasing output."

 King, seated beside Kaido, spoke up. He'd just returned from delivering grain and was curious about Gusion's letter.

King was considered smart in the Beasts Pirates, and he recognized the plan's feasibility and cleverness.

King himself was not entirely ruthless—he once saw Kaido as Joy Boy, believing Kaido might create a better world.

He thought improving Wano citizens' lives was a good sign. Maybe, one day, Wano's people would even love Kaido.

If they could make the whole world better, wouldn't Kaido be… Joy Boy?

Of course, Kaido always denied being Joy Boy, but King would follow him regardless, as Kaido had saved him from the darkness and become as close as a brother.

The officers discussed and debated the plan. Some agreed; others were skeptical.

Finally, Kaido slammed the table, demanding silence.

Everyone awaited his verdict.

After a moment's thought, Kaido said solemnly, "So, he's saying my number of factories will double, right?"

The officers' jaws dropped.

They shouted internally: Kaido only understands the conclusion!

"Haha, Kaido-san has a point. In a sense, yes—the number of our factories will double."

Maria laughed, noting their boss cared only about the bottom line.

"Really? Double the factories in a month, workers in place, double output?"

Kaido glanced at his officers, wanting a smart person to confirm.

"Based on Gusion's plan, it's possible."

 King replied, impressed by Gusion's cleverness.

Kaido's eyes lit up. "How's the Numbers doing? Once they finish the rivers, have them take orders from Yamato."

He imagined his doubled factories. With his most trusted King saying it was feasible, he looked forward to the results.

Gusion's plan mentioned building roads and reservoirs; Kaido didn't understand the specifics, but assumed it would benefit him.

Now, looking to the future, Kaido decided to assign the Numbers to Gusion and eagerly awaited results.

Chapter 156: Shimotsuki Yasuie

Wano, Kuri, Okobore Town.

After days of gloomy clouds, the sun peeked through, shining equally on this land and its numb people.

A day in Okobore Town began by breathing factory-polluted air and drinking the last clean river water—enough to lift one's spirits.

Since the rivers and fields were polluted, this land had barely produced any food for two years. Combined with Orochi's dislike of Kuri, trash was all dumped nearby.

Whether this was fortune or misfortune, the villagers lost farming as a means but found a new way: scavenging.

They searched the Flower Capital's trash for leftovers and usable items, then resold them elsewhere.

In this poor village, a man with a headscarf carried a baby on his back. Though exhausted, he wore a radiant smile.

Last night, he heard that the tyrant Orochi had been slain—the man he hated most—so he was happy.

But with Orochi dead, Yamato, Kaido's daughter, became shogun. This dampened his joy, and he worried about Wano's future.

Still, he believed that no matter how hard things got, there was light ahead—just as he'd been healed in despair by a little girl's warmth.

He brought the baby girl to his front, her innocent smile and chubby mouth bubbling as she reached for his face, making him smile more.

"Mr. Yasuie, who's that?"

A villager asked, seeing him with the baby.

"A child I found on the road. Poor thing, probably abandoned by her parents."

Yasuie explained. He'd lost his wife early, never remarried, and after Kaido's invasion and Orochi's coup, he'd hidden in Kuri.

"Aww~"

The baby cooed, drawing Yasuie's attention.

He'd found her crying in the mountains, clearly abandoned as her family couldn't feed her but couldn't bear to harm her. Drawn by her cries, Yasuie found her, and when she saw him, she stopped crying and smiled, soothing his heart.

Despite his own hunger, he resolved to raise her.

"Mr. Yasuie, isn't this reckless? We can't even feed ourselves, let alone a child."

The villager advised.

 "Better to leave her where you found her—maybe someone else will adopt her."

Yasuie shook his head. Sending her back would be a death sentence—few in Wano had enough food, and the rich in the capital would never adopt a stranger's child.

The villager, seeing he couldn't persuade Yasuie, left to start scavenging.

Yasuie watched the villagers and felt sad. Scavenging couldn't last. The land would only get poorer, and disease would spread, reducing the village to hundreds or even dozens in time.

He saw this as a microcosm of Wano's future. Even better-off regions would eventually face decline.

He felt powerless, longing to help his people but lacking the strength.

He'd once pinned his hopes on Oden, but the flamboyant lord failed, and Wano remained in misery.

Yasuie decided to try changing things himself, but with no power or influence, revealing his identity would mean execution.

Now, hearing Orochi was dead and Yamato shogun, his sadness deepened. Wano's dignity was trampled.

At least Orochi had used some trickery to claim power, acting as regent. But Yamato? They just killed Orochi and seized the throne.

And the reason given?

Orochi's rebellion.

Such sorrow is hard for anyone but true patriots to grasp.

It was as if the country was a plaything, its leadership decided on a whim.

On the way home, Yasuie even considered ending his own life.

But when he found the crying baby, he realized that even the poorest land could bloom again, and even a suffering country has new life.

To protect such innocent smiles, he resolved to keep fighting—even if he had to become a bandit to help the poor.

Lost in thought, he heard a commotion at the village entrance and went to see what was happening.

Villagers rushed by, calling,

"Mr. Yasuie, the officials are handing out food for disaster relief—hurry!"

Yasuie was stunned—had he misheard?

Food for famine relief from the government? Since Orochi's rise, taxes had soared and all produce went to him, sold at exorbitant prices, squeezing the people dry.

Such a person would never give food to the starving. And the new shogun was a pirate, Kaido's daughter—shouldn't she be even more brutal?

Confused, Yasuie joined the crowd. When he saw the long line of food wagons, he was shocked.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen so much food—let alone food sent by the government for the starving.

"Line up! No fighting! Everyone gets their share: ten kilos of rice per adult, a bag of soy products, two fruits, a piece of dried meat. Children get half."

The man at the front barked.

Yasuie recognized him as one of the Beasts Pirates' Advisor—Gusion, the shogun's right hand.

That such a powerful figure would personally deliver famine relief?

And the rations—ten kilos of rice plus extras per person! Not even in his days as Hakumai daimyo had he seen such generosity.

Yasuie suspected some massive plot behind this.

But the baby's cries interrupted him. He needed rice to make porridge for her.

The villagers, however, were simply overjoyed. Hearing the generous terms, they lined up obediently, not daring to cause trouble.

Some doubted it was real, but seeing others get their full rations, they joined the line.

When Yasuie's turn came, Gusion glanced at the baby and told the soldier,

"He has a child; give him an extra half portion."

Yasuie accepted the food with mixed feelings.

"Thank you, sir."

There were only about one or two thousand people in Okobore Town; food was soon distributed.

As the grateful villagers knelt in thanks, Gusion asked,

"Do you know who gave you this food?"

Many looked puzzled, unaware of the political changes.

"Wano has changed. Orochi is dead. The new shogun is Yamato, daughter of Kaido."

Gusion continued,

 "Remember, this food was obtained by Shogun Yamato from the Beasts Pirates. She didn't keep it for herself or sell it at high prices; she shared it with you."

"Do you know why?"

Most villagers were baffled—they hadn't even heard of the coup, nor understood why a pirate shogun would feed them.

Chapter 157: The True Way to Conquer a Country

Hearing Gusion's words, Yasuie felt uneasy—he realized what Yamato intended.

Compared to Orochi's brutality, this was even more terrifying.

Yamato was going to truly overturn the nation and change the people's perception of their ruler!

Sure enough, Gusion continued,

"Because Shogun Yamato couldn't stand Orochi's cruelty, she joined me in slaying him. She couldn't bear the people's suffering, so she brought food from the Beasts Pirates for the people. We hope Wano will never know famine again, and everyone can live well and look to a bright future."

Gusion wasn't a gifted speaker, but his plain words were easily understood by Kuri's simple folk.

They were deeply moved. When Oden ruled, he brought order but not abundance; under Orochi, things were hellish. Now, scavenging was their only way to survive.

But now the new shogun, Yamato, was giving them food so they wouldn't have to starve.

Comparing her to Orochi, the difference was night and day.

Many knelt, calling out Yamato's name and thanking her.

Things went even more smoothly than Gusion expected. He'd seen similar scenes before—other convoys reported the same.

He'd instructed all food officials to use the same message.

It wasn't about brainwashing; a people's attitude toward their ruler greatly affects policy. If they see Yamato as an evil pirate, everything will be harder. But if they see her as a benevolent ruler, they'll gladly cooperate.

In the crowd, Yasuie saw the kneeling villagers and felt a chill.

He realized this was the invader's ultimate weapon.

True conquest and rule of a country is never just about force and fear—it's about winning hearts with mercy.

No matter how legitimate Orochi's claim, the people would never love him and would always miss the Kozuki.

Because Orochi was too cruel; under him, the people suffered. Now Yamato seemed ready to rule kindly—after years, would the people still miss the Kozuki?

Most people are just ordinary folk—they care only about their lives, not who rules.

"You all go on to the next stop. I'll look around here."

Gusion waved the convoy on—he'd noticed an interesting figure in Kuri.

His Observation Haki could display names/titles. The oddly dressed man was Shimotsuki Yasuie—a character Gusion admired for his integrity and love for the people.

Unlike the Kozuki, Yasuie was loved for real achievements. With Wano in ruins, Gusion decided to recruit him.

Without such helpers, even he and Yamato would be overwhelmed. Yasuie was capable, honest, and incorruptible—a perfect administrator.

Yasuie saw Gusion approach and felt uneasy, but bowed like the others:

"Thank you for the food, Lord Gusion."

"You know me?"

Gusion smiled.

Yasuie panicked. How did he know Gusion? Only people in the capital had seen him.

"I heard of Shogun Yamato's advisor, and seeing the soldiers' respect, guessed you were Lord Gusion."

Yasuie replied.

Gusion gave him a meaningful look and said,

"Let's not beat around the bush, Mr. Shimotsuki Yasuie. Will you be Kuri's daimyo?"

Yasuie was shocked—caught by name and offered a post?

"Lord Gusion, did I hear correctly?"

"I'm asking you to be Kuri's daimyo. Or, if you prefer, return to Hakumai."

Yasuie was dumbfounded.

"You know my identity, yet invite me to serve instead of killing a Kozuki loyalist? If you want to arrest me, do it now."

Yasuie replied.

"Loyal, aren't you? I respect loyalty, but Mr. Yasuie, have you considered? Dying is easy, but if you die, you can't help your people or this child."

Gusion glanced at the baby. He'd wondered about her age—maybe poor nutrition stunted her growth.

"You…"

Yasuie was angry but couldn't find a rebuttal.

"So, Mr. Yasuie, my question: are you loyal to the Kozuki, or to the people of this land?"

Gusion asked.

Yasuie pondered—if loyal to the Kozuki, he should commit seppuku. But loyal to the people, he should consider Gusion's offer and serve as daimyo.

"Are you serious?"

Yasuie asked after a long silence.

"About what?"

"Shogun Yamato's wish to let everyone live well—is that sincere? Or just for show?"

"Of course it's real. If we just wanted to look kind, we could have thrown a single bag of rice here and the villagers would still think well of Yamato. But we've given enough for a month. That proves we want people to eat well and live long."

Gusion replied.

Yasuie thought it over—such generosity made no sense unless there was true resolve for reform.

Maybe they really wanted to improve Wano, whatever their motives.

But if he joined, would that make him disloyal?

He struggled inwardly.

Gusion, seeing his hesitation, pressed,

"I thought you were someone who put the people's happiness above all else. But perhaps you're still bound by your reputation—does the label of disloyalty matter more than the people's welfare?"

Yasuie was shaken. He'd once advised Oden not to care about appearances but focus on the people's well-being. Now he himself was about to miss a chance to save the people for the sake of loyalty.

"I… agree. Please let me be Kuri's daimyo."

Yasuie decided.

He would no longer pin his hopes on a miracle twelve years away—he would do what he could now.

"Not returning to Hakumai?"

Gusion asked.

"No, Hakumai is better off than Kuri. Kuri needs a reliable daimyo."

Yasuie replied.

He had governed Hakumai well; the people there could still barely survive.

Gusion shook his hand.

"Then Kuri is yours. Let's build a better Wano together."

Yasuie felt conflicted—he was now tied to the enemy, and would likely be cursed by Kozuki loyalists in the future.

But for now, he just wanted to save more people.

"By the way, Lord Gusion, since I'm joining, may I ask—what's your plan? Even if the Beasts Pirates are rich, they can't feed Wano forever. What happens after this month? The people can't just keep scavenging."

Gusion admired Yasuie's insight.

"Of course they can't live on handouts forever. If all they do is eat, they're just livestock. The people must contribute value to the Beasts Pirates and the country."

"So what do you want them to do?"

Yasuie asked.

"Factory construction and training. After training, they'll work in the factories, earning fair wages."

Gusion explained.

 "In time, Wano's food market will stabilize, and with those wages, every family can be fed—perhaps even have some extra."