Infinite Anime [158-160] (Patreon)

Chapter 158: Who Dares to Squeeze Kaido?

Yasuie’s expression changed at Gusion’s words. In his heart, he thought, “Pirates really are pirates—wanting the people to work in those filthy factories again. Haven’t the factories done enough damage to Wano already?!”

Noticing Yasuie’s reaction, Gusion explained:

 “Don’t look so glum; I haven’t finished. Mr. Yasuie, you must think those factories are unenvironmental and the root cause of Wano’s famine, right?”

Yasuie nodded gravely.

 “Isn’t that true? If not for the pollution from those factories, the land would still yield crops, there’d be fish in the rivers, and people wouldn’t starve.”

“Of course not.”

Gusion firmly denied it.

 “Mr. Yasuie, as a competent administrator and former daimyo, you should know—even before Mr. Kaido arrived, plenty of people in Wano couldn’t fill their stomachs.”

Yasuie frowned, unsure where Gusion was going with this.

 “But at least not this many were starving.”

“That’s true. But do you really think, if the Kozuki clan kept ruling, everyone would have enough to eat? Would the wealth gap disappear?”

Gusion posed a soul-searching question.

Yasuie was stunned. He wanted to insist that of course, but suddenly realized that was impossible. The Kozuki clan had ruled these lands for a thousand years, and as far as he knew, it had always been this way.

From his understanding of history, whenever Wano’s population reached a certain point, famine would break out, followed by chaos and war, until enough people died and things calmed down.

“In a closed country, unless there’s a breakthrough in farming technology, the land’s yield is always limited—and may even decline.”

Gusion’s point made Yasuie feel like a new world had opened up.

He was a smart administrator, so he instantly grasped that this explained the core of Wano’s thousand-year cycle.

Their food… could only support so many people!

So if too many were born, famine would always occur—there would never be a time when everyone could eat their fill.

“Wano is rich in minerals, but there isn’t much arable land. Even if all the farmers work hard, the total yield is limited. With normal closed management, some will inevitably starve; it’s unavoidable.”

Gusion continued,

 “But what if we break out of this mindset and stop relying solely on domestic grain production to feed people?”

This time, Yasuie understood.

 “Overseas trade? But if the nation’s food supply is controlled by outsiders, we’ll be extremely vulnerable.”

Gusion appreciated Yasuie’s insight; this was indeed an issue. In a normal world, a country should never let outsiders control its food supply.

Without self-sufficiency, not only could prices be manipulated, but if an enemy cut off your supply during war, you’d collapse.

“Mr. Yasuie, who do you think would dare try to manipulate food prices in front of the Yonko, Kaido?”

Gusion revealed the core of his plan; all his previous analysis was based on common sense, but this world followed its own rules.

Beasts Kaido doesn’t rob you—that’s already good luck; you think you can hike prices when selling him food?

Go ask Doflamingo—both a Shichibukai and a Celestial Dragon—if he dares to haggle over prices when doing business with Kaido.

As Gusion knew, Kaido had several long-term trade partners. Besides distributing weapons for Kaido, Doflamingo also handled food for him. Aside from Doflamingo, there were major maritime merchants who also traded with Kaido, delivering large supplies of food.

Pirates don’t rob everything; in fact, they plunder on the seas just to have money to spend.

Spending stolen money is like partying with lottery winnings—it’s much more satisfying than just forcing things.

For stable long-term supply, Kaido never robs trading guilds he’s worked with; he buys goods at low prices and protects those merchants, forming a mutually beneficial relationship.

Thus, food merchants buy cheap grain from surplus countries and sell to Kaido at a small profit. Kaido gets a steady food supply, and all he pays is a copy of the Beasts Pirates’ flag.

If those merchants encounter other pirates at sea, they just raise the Beasts Pirates flag—most pirates flee in fear and never touch a ship under Kaido’s protection.

So, as long as Kaido rules these seas, he’ll never have trouble getting cheap grain.

Anyone trying to squeeze Kaido on this front just has a death wish.

“So… all food will be imported? That means the Beasts Pirates will be responsible for supplying Wano. Would they really be willing to keep paying for Wano’s people?”

Having figured out the food source, Yasuie raised a new concern.

“Of course Kaido won’t support this country for free—he needs profit. That’s why I want people to build factories.”

Gusion said,

 “As for environmental issues, the Beasts Pirates already have preliminary solutions. From now on, pollution will be discharged outside the country, and the water will gradually improve. People just need to work and they’ll have food.”

“Discharged outside the country? Into the sea? What will other countries think of us? Wouldn’t we become villains polluting the world?”

Yasuie frowned, clearly unhappy with this solution.

Gusion nodded,

 “I agree with you. So why not go and explain the pros and cons to Kaido yourself?”

Yasuie fell silent. He knew Kaido wouldn’t care, and shamefully, he couldn’t think of a better way. If factories had to be built, then it was better for the pollution to go outside, at least so it wouldn’t harm their own people.

In fact, he’d studied the pollutants from factories—they did obvious harm in small rivers, but in the vast ocean, maybe not so much.

The more he thought, the more Gusion’s plan seemed at least viable—at minimum, it would improve things for now.

“Lord Gusion, you said environmental problems are being solved, but opening a canal to the sea for waste discharge is a huge project—it can’t be finished quickly.”

No sooner had Yasuie spoken than a loud rumble shook the earth, and he saw clouds of dust rising in the distance.

Gusion glanced that way.

 “The Numbers sure are noisy at work. I told them not to disturb the locals so much.”

Just last night, the Numbers’ leader had come to the capital to meet Gusion, scaring quite a few people.

After questioning, Gusion learned that Kaido had temporarily put him in charge of the Numbers. The canal project wasn’t finished, so he had them keep working.

The ancient giants’ strength was truly extraordinary. They couldn’t do delicate work like house-building, but for digging canals, they were like unstoppable machines.

A single Number could dig over a hundred kilometers of canal a day!

And that was with them slacking off, taking breaks to drink and eat.

By Gusion’s estimate, at their current pace, the canal would be linked up in less than a week, creating a wastewater network to drain factory waste outside Wano, sparing the local rivers.

Gusion himself had drawn the plans, diverting seawater in and keeping the new canal completely separate from the original freshwater river.

For a perfect sewage system, he’d have the Numbers build partitions to prevent groundwater pollution, but his real goal was to convince Kaido to build a waste processing plant, so this would do for now.

“See? With the Beasts Pirates’ power, infrastructure is easy. Next week, the rivers will start to clear up.”

Gusion handed Yasuie a document.

 “This is the factory construction plan for Kuri. Please review it—after this, you’ll manage progress in that area. Of course, I’ll check in from time to time.”

Yasuie took the papers with mixed feelings. He never imagined he’d one day join Kaido’s daughter’s camp and help build the factories he once hated most.

But Gusion’s arguments had shown him the plan was feasible.

Once the factories were built, the people of Kuri wouldn’t have to scavenge for trash—they’d have stable jobs and could buy their own food.

“When do I start?”

Yasuie asked.

“Oden’s castle is gone, but there’s a residence nearby you can use as an office. I’ll send some guards; as for trusted aides, you know more talent than I do.”

Gusion arranged it, confident that many capable people were still hiding in Wano—if Yasuie could recruit them, infrastructure would progress quickly.

“Leave it to me. At this point, I’m not after fame or fortune—just hope, Lord Gusion, that you and the Shogun can govern well and give the people a good life.”

Yasuie said resolutely. The baby in his arms began to cry again.

“Go feed your child, Mr. Yasuie. Please do your best—so there will be fewer babies like the one in your arms starving.”

With that, Gusion turned to leave. He was busy now; official documents and identification would be delivered to Yasuie the next morning.

After leaving the Ebisu Town, Gusion traveled across the region, inspecting food distribution and ensuring the plan was being executed. Only then did he return to the capital.

During this time, Yamato was also busy. Following Gusion’s instructions, she toured the land with a convoy, personally helping the people and distributing food. In just a few days, her popularity soared.

When the two met in the capital, they both looked exhausted, though Yamato’s face was also lit with joy.

She was enjoying the people’s gratitude, but also truly happy to have helped them.

“Gusion-dono, the food’s been handed out. But I heard you promised Father the factories would be built soon—can that really be done?”

Yamato asked excitedly. She’d read Gusion’s three-step strategy, and now that phase one was done, was curious about the next steps.

“Of course.”

Gusion answered confidently.

“But… I looked at the blueprints—the factories are huge, with intricate designs. Even if all the unemployed are put to work, it’d take years, right?”

Yamato was puzzled; she’d learned to think deeply about these things.

Chapter 159: The Right Way to Use Devil Fruit Powers

Faced with Yamato’s question, Gusion looked over a document as he replied,

 “Normally, yes.”

Yamato was a bit naïve, and the Shogunate was short on talent, so Gusion handled most of the approvals himself—work he hated, as he’d rather focus on training and growing stronger. But for the sake of bigger rewards, he endured.

At least he was free now, with a high status and could sleep in his own bed at night.

“Normally? So you have an abnormal solution?”

Yamato asked curiously.

“Of course. After my plan was approved by your father, Mr. King came to congratulate me. At that time, I made two requests of him.”

Gusion stamped documents as he spoke.

“King-san? What did you ask him to do?”

Yamato now addressed the officers more politely, recognizing King as her father’s close comrade.

“Two things. First, to borrow manpower.”

Gusion said,

 “I had Mr. King contact Doflamingo of the Shichibukai to borrow his family officer, Pica, for a month. Of course, we’ll pay a fee—Doflamingo won’t refuse.”

Technically, Kaido could borrow people from an ally for free, but Doflamingo was cautious and protective of his family, so Gusion asked King to pay as a show of goodwill.

King was actually easy to work with; as a loyal, intelligent officer, he understood Gusion’s plan would benefit Kaido and readily agreed.

As for payment, King handled it himself.

“Pica? Who’s that?”

Yamato was confused.

“Pica is the Stone-Stone Fruit user. He can reshape rock—he’s a natural builder.”

Gusion explained. Pica was a famous builder in One Piece—Gusion suspected Doflamingo had made a fortune developing real estate with him.

“So Devil Fruits can be used that way?”

Yamato felt her world view expand again. The Stone-Stone Fruit didn’t sound strong compared to her or her father’s Mythical Zoans, but for infrastructure, it was formidable.

“There’s no such thing as a useless fruit—only people who don’t use them well. Some aren’t suited for combat, but can excel in other fields.”

Gusion explained,

 “Pica can help us complete the initial factory construction directly. Workers can then handle the interior, decoration, and installation.”

Building dozens of factories in two months would be impossible for even energetic One Piece characters, but with a Stone-Stone user, it was doable.

If all went well, several factories would be built within a month.

“Gusion-dono!”

Yamato lunged over, grabbing Gusion’s hands in excitement—he was startled.

“You really are a genius!”

Yamato exclaimed in admiration.

Gusion sheepishly pulled his hands free.

 “Anyone could think of it, really.”

To him, it was basic logic, but in the world of One Piece, it was a revelation.

He believed many Devil Fruit users would thrive in specialized industries—yet most didn’t see it, wasting their talents.

Many pirates barely survived at sea, despite having abilities that could make them rich as entrepreneurs.

For example, Pica could build a skyscraper with a thought—if he worked in real estate, he’d make far more than pirating.

Of course, powerful pirates didn’t do it for money, but for freedom and adventure—like Kaido and Doflamingo, who had their own ambitions.

…

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

As expected, Doflamingo didn’t dare refuse Kaido—a word from King and Pica was sent over, without even asking what for.

Pica’s power was even more useful than Gusion imagined—his control over stone was immense.

King, eager to help Kaido’s enterprise, used his own powers to mass-produce steel…

With King’s help, tons of steel came off the production line for factory frameworks, which workers set up under technical supervision.

Once the framework was up, Pica would fuse and mold giant rocks around it, and in no time, a factory would take shape.

Following this model, by Pica’s third week in Wano, the number of factories had doubled!

Gusion estimated that, as workers became familiar with the process, next month the number would triple again.

This far exceeded Gusion’s original expectations—even Kaido was now fretting over how to source equipment for the new factories.

Especially for the artificial Devil Fruit factory, which required precision instruments Kaido couldn’t produce; these had to be bought from Doflamingo, who got them from the evil scientist Caesar.

Kaido was both happy and troubled.

He drank heavily on Onigashima, often laughing and praising Gusion and Yamato’s achievements.

He was a simple man who cared only about results, and so far, Gusion had exceeded his wildest hopes.

In just a month, his factories had doubled. He didn’t care that workers hadn’t started yet—he saw double the factories, which meant double the profits once staffed.

Thanks to Gusion’s results, his status in the Beasts Pirates soared. The Numbers, who once disobeyed him, now worked diligently; other officers greeted him warmly.

Because of the rapid factory construction, Kaido saw tangible benefits and didn’t object to the second round of food distribution—he even gave Gusion and Yamato extra to hand out to the workers.

The grateful workers, having received more food than last month, felt increasingly hopeful.

Importantly, they hadn’t done any hard labor—the heavy work was done by the Numbers, Pica, and King. Workers just handled the interiors and finishing touches.

Working together, Wano’s people began to see the Beasts Pirates in a new light.

People naturally grow fond of those they build with, and since the pirates did all the hard work, the workers found them… not bad.

Every worker was once a starving vagrant, with no job or hope, unsure if they’d live another day.

Now, they worked hard, grateful for Yamato’s generosity, but also motivated by Gusion’s promise that this construction period was a probation—those who performed best would be hired permanently, with better pay.

What kind of pay?

Gusion’s notice spelled it out. He couldn’t change old factories, but new ones would follow his system.

For example, in a weapons factory, there were three tiers of workers:

Technical management: in charge of guidance and quality control.

Elite craftsmen: core assembly line workers ensuring main product quality.

Ordinary craftsmen: handled less critical parts, but received ongoing training and could be promoted.

In these tiers, if they met performance targets:

Technical managers: monthly wages were enough to feed three adults for a year!

Elite craftsmen: enough for three adults for three months.

Ordinary craftsmen: enough for three adults for a month.

What did that mean?

Even the lowest-tier worker could support a family of three.

Even people who used to do well in Wano’s old society had never seen such generous pay for basic labor.

Under Orochi, even the well-connected merchants in the capital could only just feed their families.

But now, basic workers could feed a family of three!

Once word spread, everyone—builders and the wider public—was excited.

Even people with other jobs wanted to join, just for the chance to get into Kaido’s factories.

Did Kaido know Gusion was offering such generous terms and radical reforms?

Of course, and he was instinctively against giving workers such good deals.

But Gusion had surprised him so much that he agreed to let the new factories trial this system for a month, since only a few were ready for operations anyway.

If the new factories underperformed, Kaido would revert to the old system.

Could the new factories outdo the old ones?

Gusion wasn’t completely sure, but was confident.

In this country, some things work counterintuitively. For example, Kaido’s original factory wages weren’t actually low—he just thought Gusion was being overly generous by referencing enough to feed several people.

In Kaido’s mind, as long as a worker could fill their own belly, that was enough—why pay more?

But Gusion’s trick was in the marketing—he never listed actual money, only how much food wages could buy, so workers felt rich and Kaido thought he was being generous.

In reality, he only paid a bit more than before, but it made everyone happy.

With a better tiered management and pay plus performance bonuses, Gusion could maximize motivation, encouraging workers to strive and learn.

He also made it clear that the new factories were on trial—if they failed, jobs could be lost.

So, the first batch of craftsmen would work extra hard.

Kaido paid wages before, but compared to Wano’s grain prices, it wasn’t much—just enough to keep workers alive.

With families to feed, workers would split their meager food, so most grew thin and eventually died or stopped showing up.

At the old factories, workers were treated as slaves, with harsh overseers and frequent beatings—no dignity at all.

So many would rather scavenge than be Kaido’s slave.

Why was Gusion so sure the new system would be better? Because history has proven countless times: slaves are less productive than free workers!

And, counterintuitively, using slaves actually costs more than workers.

Chapter 160 The Baffled Officers

Onigashima, Beasts Pirates officers’ meeting.

Kaido sat at the head, tossing a report on the table for the others to see.

Most Beasts Pirates officers were as uneducated as Kaido and only glanced at the key points—but even with a quick scan, they saw something odd.

Every officer who read the report looked both pleasantly surprised and confused.

“Where’s Gusion? I want him to explain this.”

Kaido said. The report’s results contradicted everything they knew about running factories, and about being pirates.

“Mr. Gusion sailed from the port this morning—he should be arriving at Onigashima soon.”

King said, having watched Wano’s changes closely and worked with Gusion the most.

Because this influential officer treated Gusion well, even those unfamiliar with him stopped looking down on him.

“Good timing. Bring him straight here.”

Kaido didn’t think much of it, just felt it was good to have Gusion around when needed.

Soon, Gusion was brought in and surprised to see the room packed—he hadn’t expected a full meeting.

It was his first time seeing all Beasts Pirates officers together—big and small, all kinds, like a flamboyant zoo.

It had been a month and a half since he and Yamato began governing Wano, and the three factories had been running for two weeks. He’d come to Onigashima to propose new projects.

But as soon as he entered, everyone turned to stare at him.

“You’re just in time. Tell me, what’s going on here?”

Kaido pointed to the report.

 “You didn’t forge these numbers, did you?”

Gusion recognized the report; he’d sent it to Onigashima two nights before. Even though Kaido said to let him and Yamato handle things, Gusion always kept Kaido informed about major events, like factory construction and pilot reforms.

“Why would I? Are you saying you doubt the report, Governor-General?”

Gusion grinned. After a month in the Beasts Pirates, he understood the vibe—they were indulgent to the strong and the valuable. So he spoke more casually now.

“Your report says that in two weeks, the new factories’ output is thirty percent higher than the old ones. Isn’t that a lie?”

Kaido asked seriously.

“Why lie? If I wanted to please you, I’d have written triple the output.”

Gusion walked up, picking up the report. He knew Kaido probably hadn’t read the details—the explanation would come from his mouth.

Actually, he hadn’t written the report himself, but had Yasuie’s team compile it. He found it accurate and handed it to Kaido.

Some officers got agitated.

 “Don’t get cocky. That’s a thirty percent boost with all new workers!” said Jack the Drought.

Gusion nodded.

 “Exactly. It’s because they’re new the output isn’t higher—I actually expected output to reach half that of the old factories.”

This stunned the officers, and Kaido’s eyes gleamed,

 “Gusion, explain—what’s going on?”

Only Black Maria and King seemed to be pondering the real reasons.

“It’s simple.”

Gusion explained,

 “The workers I picked are all elites. They hadn’t worked in the old factories, but they’re talented craftsmen—perfect for the weapons and seastone factories. The devil fruit factory is different, with lots of new tech, so untrained people can’t be efficient.”

He pointed to the report.

 “Weapons and seastone factories have already surpassed expectations, with fifty percent more output than before. The devil fruit factory matches the old one. The thirty percent increase is the total average.”

The officers were shocked. Kaido snatched the report to examine the data, his face brightening.

“Mr. Gusion, why is the devil fruit factory lagging? Is there a problem with your plan?” asked Black Maria.

Gusion shook his head.

 “No, I never expected high output there. It’s all new tech, and without systematic training, the workers can’t be efficient.”

“So if we transfer experienced craftsmen from the old factory to train the new ones, output should rise, right?” Maria mused.

“Exactly,” Gusion said, then added, “But I don’t recommend it. I’ll explain why soon.”

“So the new factories are more productive—but why?”

Kaido pressed, eager to know if he could replicate it in the old factories.

“Simple: they’re free workers, motivated to do their best. That’s always better than being forced.”

Gusion explained,

 “People’s attitude makes a huge difference in productivity.”

Kaido thought for a moment, still not understanding.

 “But we don’t force the old workers—they get paid.”

Gusion surveyed the officers—they looked as confused as Kaido. He sighed and explained:

 “In a way, the old system and mine are the same—people work because they have to. But the factory models are totally different. Old factory workers get poor pay, barely enough for themselves, and are under harsh pressure—often beaten by overseers. That’s basically slavery.”

“How’s that slavery? We pay them enough to eat—isn’t that enough?” Maria frowned. She’d designed the old management system.

“No wonder…”

Gusion muttered under his breath—Maria was a dominatrix who liked slave systems, so even with wages, the factories were twisted.

“What was that?!”

Maria was annoyed, feeling underestimated.

“I mean, Ms. Maria, you’ve fallen into a trap—thinking that paying workers enough to eat is sufficient.”

Gusion raised a finger.

 “If it’s just him, he can eat. But most adult workers have families—when they buy grain, they share it, so the worker goes hungry.”

As Maria gaped, he continued,

 “If a person is hungry, they’re weak. Chronic hunger leads to depression—they can’t work efficiently. If they space out, overseers beat them. If they’re hurt, they grow weaker and start to hate the Beasts Pirates. At that point, you’re lucky they don’t sabotage things. It’s a vicious cycle.”

Gusion’s voice grew solemn.

 “It won’t last long—people in that state don’t live long. I don’t know if anyone’s counted, but I bet few factory craftsmen survive ten years.”

His words laid bare the old factories’ vicious cycle, and many officers suddenly understood.

“Mr. Gusion, I know what slaves are like,” King said.

 “If you say the old factory workers were basically slaves, I’d agree. But why do you say free workers are better than slaves?”

King and Kaido had both experienced the world’s darkness—King had been a slave and a test subject.

He saw slaves as property, forced to work for no pay—just fed scraps. Kaido paid his workers, but it was essentially the same, with slave-like management.

He admitted slavery was a cheap way to use labor.

Gusion smiled.

 “This is counterintuitive. Doesn’t everyone think slave labor is cheap?”

All the Beasts Pirates nodded—it was obvious.

“But actually, using slaves isn’t cheap. You’ve all traveled to many countries—some feudal, some slave societies. Haven’t you noticed that slave societies are often less prosperous than feudal ones?”

Gusion didn’t spell it out—he knew in real history, some powerful nations used slavery, but those systems eventually collapsed due to slavery itself.