Infinite Anime [164-166] (Patreon)

Chapter 164: The Strategist's Plan

“It sounds like a great dream, but, Mr. Kaido…”

Gusion shifted the topic, “Now, you have absolute control over Wano, but in all these years, has this place become any more just?”

Kaido was stunned. He suddenly realized that Wano wasn’t that way at all. Even though he had implemented some of his own ideas in certain places—like the direct-rule Udon Prison, where hard work was rewarded—most of Wano was nothing like that.

People like Orochi, those so-called nobles, fundamentally clashed with his own ideals.

“I originally just wanted to use this place as a factory, as a base to accumulate strength.”

Kaido replied, feeling he hadn’t really ruled Wano; he had left it to Orochi, and thus, he shouldn’t be blamed for everything.

Gusion said calmly, “Mr. Kaido, if you can’t even get Wano in order, do you still think you can realize your dream of making the world just?”

Seeing Kaido’s heavy expression, Gusion continued, “I know what you’re thinking: Wano is just a means to achieve your end, and for your grand dream, the means don’t matter, right?”

“So what if that’s true?”

Kaido said bluntly.

“I admire your straightforwardness and strength, Mr. Kaido, but if I may speak freely, with your current approach, your dream will be very hard to achieve.”

Gusion was trying to guide Kaido. He thought Kaido’s goal of overthrowing the Celestial Dragons was fine, but if he resorted to any means, oppressing the people and pillaging across nations, that would be a problem.

He could help Kaido in overthrowing the Celestial Dragons, but he didn’t want to be complicit in causing greater pain to the world.

Kaido frowned deeply, “Gusion, then what do you think I should do to overthrow the Celestial Dragons?”

As Gusion said, Kaido didn’t care about the means. His core belief was survival of the fittest, which is why he wanted to create a world where worth was determined by ability.

But in truth, he had no clue how to rule the world or implement his ideals; his motivation was the pain he suffered as a child, and his accumulated rage towards the Celestial Dragons.

He was born in a poor country, which had to pay a huge Heavenly Tribute every year. To pay it, they had to constantly wage war, only earning money by fighting for others.

In such a miserable country, people couldn’t survive. Kaido utterly hated the world under the Celestial Dragons’ rule.

For him, the means didn’t matter—nor the world itself. As long as he could take down the Celestial Dragons, that was enough.

“It’ll be a tough plan, and I can’t guarantee it’ll work. But if you want to hear it, I’ll share it with you step by step.”

Gusion said. He knew Kaido was now open to change; as long as the plan had merit, Kaido would shift his entire approach.

The other officers present held their breath, watching Gusion with solemn faces, feeling as if they were witnessing history.

“Go ahead. I’ll consider it.”

Kaido’s tone was extremely polite, more like speaking to a top officer than his daughter’s friend.

“First, we need to govern Wano well. You must truly become this country’s protector, so the people no longer see you as a vicious pirate, but as a guardian deity they can trust.”

Gusion felt this was the biggest sales pitch of his life. He was trying to talk the Yonko Kaido… into reform.

“What’s the benefit?” Kaido frowned. He wasn’t the type to care for the people’s love.

“As I said, free workers have much higher productivity than slaves. In a peaceful country, happy people will create more value than those who are starving and afraid.”

Gusion continued, “Wano is our base. Only if Wano becomes strong can we become strong. What is the standard for a strong country, everyone?”

“Military strength.”

Kaido answered without hesitation.

“Economic and military strength,” King added.

Because the question was for everyone, other officers also gave their opinions after thinking, most agreeing with Kaido.

Gusion nodded, “Exactly. Military and economic strength are both crucial. But where do these strengths come from? Ultimately, from the people. Wano already has a solid industrial foundation; we can produce powerful weapons ourselves. With some training, the people here can become fearless warriors—samurai, as they call them.”

He circled the character for ‘people’ on the blackboard. “So, Mr. Kaido, the army you want has always been right in front of you. We have an industrial base, can manufacture weapons, and there’s an army at hand. The problem is, this army currently rejects the Beasts Pirates.”

Gusion wasn’t about to tell Kaido that you could overthrow the Celestial Dragons without a fight, just with a cultural revolution or something. Historically, while there have been bloodless changes in power, most revolutions require force.

Especially in One Piece’s world, where strength is everything. If you have no military force, the World Government could easily send a Buster Call to wipe you out.

The Celestial Dragons’ leader, Imu, even possesses terrifying weapons of mass destruction—like the unknown ancient weapon powered up by Mother Flame, capable of erasing entire islands.

To fight someone like that and expect to win without casualties is a joke, even Luffy wouldn’t be that naive.

So Gusion wouldn’t deny the need for war; it’s almost the only way to resist the Celestial Dragons. If you can’t launch a world-spanning war to rally people against the World Government, victory is unlikely.

Of course, there’s a right way to wage this kind of revolutionary war.

If Kaido stuck to his old approach, even without Luffy coming to Wano, he would never succeed—he’d just cause worldwide casualties.

A truly successful campaign must have a clear strategy from the outset, not just amass troops aimlessly.

Kaido’s own thinking might be simple—he assumed that once he acted, groups like the Revolutionary Army or oppressed countries would rise up with him.

But in reality, people are pragmatic; as long as they can survive, they rarely revolt. In the end, maybe only Kaido’s own crew would attack Mary Geoise…

After that, he’d be surrounded by the three Admirals, the Five Elders, the Seraphim Army… wiped out before causing any real trouble.

Yes, the so-called strongest creature has limits. In a one-on-one fight, Kaido is tough, but against a crowd, it’s different.

In Wano’s arc, Kaido ultimately lost to a combination of attacks (plus some plot armor).

So, if the Beasts Pirates want to challenge the Celestial Dragons, strong military power is essential—and that power shouldn’t just come from SMILE users, but from Wano’s elite samurai.

“Samurai, huh… They are powerful, but too proud. They’ll never serve me.”

Kaido admitted. He respected the samurai’s strength and loyalty, but for that very reason, they wouldn’t submit.

He’d admired some samurai before and didn’t kill them after capturing them, hoping they’d yield, but they never did.

“Mr. Kaido, you must understand: loyalty and righteousness change with society. Under feudal thinking, the samurai you fought years ago were absolutely loyal to the Kozuki family. That’s why, even after mining in Udon for years, they never gave in. Even decades later, if a Kozuki returned, they’d kneel.”

Gusion shifted, “But the new generation in Wano may not be the same. After so much turmoil—first the Beasts Pirates broke the gates, then Orochi’s dark rule—the people have just found new life. Mentally, they’ve already begun to separate from the old Kozuki rule.”

“What do you mean?”

Kaido was confused.

“Simply put, the people are now masterless. Whoever treats them well, they’ll follow.”

Gusion explained, “That’s why I’m promoting benevolent rule with Yamato.”

“That easy? Will it work?”

Kaido was doubtful—he’d never met such a wise ruler in his life. He fought so hard for his homeland, only to be betrayed by his king.

“It sounds easy, but it’s actually complex.”

Gusion said, “Luckily, we’ve finished the first step. The people’s view of us is already changing, especially those who benefited from food relief and factory work. They’ll spread the word themselves, showing that Yamato is no tyrant but a wise leader.”

He circled ‘economy’ on the board. “As long as the people accept us, the nation will stabilize, the economy will develop rapidly, and their lives will improve. With comparison, they’ll see life under Yamato is better than under the Kozuki, and few will long for the old days.”

“Meanwhile, as the nation grows richer, we can do more: education, training factory workers, warrior training. The new talents that arise will owe their success to the Beasts Pirates’ rule and will naturally feel loyalty.”

Gusion continued, “By then, Mr. Kaido, you’ll have the army you want—high quality, too.”

In Gusion’s view, Wano’s people may be stubborn, but the place has talent. Many top swordsmen in the original were from Wano. With proper schools, even more could appear.

At this point, King spoke, “Mr. Gusion, I agree with most of what you said, but do we still need an army? You mentioned that the SMILE army is unreliable. Will a samurai army help?”

“You misunderstood, King.”

Gusion explained, “Actually, the SMILE army isn’t completely useless. The samurai army has its role, too. As you said, ordinary people are fodder before top fighters, but if we’re to fight the Celestial Dragons, we can’t rely solely on elites. We need lower ranks for support and other tasks.”

Chapter 165: The Fourth Calamity, Gusion

“Soldiers vs. soldiers, generals vs. generals?”

King mused.

Gusion nodded, “Exactly. If we attack Mary Geoise one day, the main force will be our top fighters, but our army will need to face the Navy fleets and guard our rear.”

In One Piece, mobs are useless in high-level battles, but every force still needs them.

If you just want to adventure on the sea, it doesn’t matter. But if Kaido wants to take down the Celestial Dragons, a large army is essential—to block Navy harassment, support allies, and gain more strength during war.

“I see. So the accumulation over the years wasn’t a waste,”

King said. He’d felt bitter after realizing the SMILE army was unreliable.

“Yes. Now that we’ve covered basic plans and recruiting soldiers, let’s discuss the most important: high-level combat power.”

Gusion said, “I’m sure you all know—no matter how many soldiers you have, they can’t decide the war’s outcome. Only the elite can win the day.”

He glanced at the officers. “We need more comrades as strong as you.”

“Strong people aren’t easy to find, Gusion. In your years overseas, have you seen a force stronger than the Beasts Pirates?” Kaido asked, thinking Gusion was oversimplifying.

“Is it really so hard?”

Gusion smiled, “The sea is vast. You never know who’ll show up. Attracting talent comes down to three things.”

Kaido was intrigued, “Tell me!”

“First is money. We’re pirates; few don’t love wealth. Your officers are financially free, but not all strong people at sea are rich.”

Gusion explained, referencing how even Buggy became a Yonko—many strong people joined him not because of his power, but because he offered big promises and paid well.

There’s no shortage of strong people, but many lack business skills, so following someone who pays is logical.

If Kaido, a renowned Yonko, offered high pay, wouldn’t strong fighters join?

The answer is yes.

“Money, huh… People attracted by wealth may not be loyal, but it’s a start,” King pondered.

“Yes. Interest-based relationships are among the strongest. As long as Kaido is strong and pays well, plenty will risk their lives. Over time, we may win their loyalty.”

Gusion continued, “Second is fame. With the Great Age of Pirates, many new faces appear, some supernova-level. They want fame above all. Joining the Beasts Pirates is a shortcut.”

Kaido thought, “You mean, attract those who enter the New World?”

Gusion nodded, “Exactly, but we have to be selective. No talentless people—the bar can’t be low.”

“It’s a good way to strengthen us, but it’s hard to get real elites with these two methods,” Kaido frowned.

“You’re right, so there’s a third way.”

Gusion smiled, “We must recruit people who share your ideals, Mr. Kaido. Such people have character, a common goal, and faith that makes them stronger—the perfect new members. I hope everyone here keeps an eye out for such people.”

The first two methods mostly expand the mid-tier. To really grow at the top, you need like-minded people.

For example, in the future, Admiral Aokiji may leave the Navy and join Blackbeard, not because of strength, but shared ideals.

Kaido actually has the ability and position to recruit such people, but he missed his chance.

“Understood. I hope to recruit more of the third type.”

Kaido now realized most of his strong officers fall into these categories.

His close friend King is like-minded. Queen is more complex, wanting both fame and fortune, and shares his dream, but isn’t as pure.

Jack, the youngest, joined for fame, proved his talent, and was quickly promoted.

Below that, the Tobiroppo don’t really know his ideals. Among the Tobiroppo present, only Maria knew.

So Kaido realized few in his crew truly shared his ideals, but he hadn’t cared before—as long as they were strong and obeyed him.

Now, after Gusion’s analysis, he realized those with shared dreams are often stronger and easier to work with.

“But how do I recruit the third kind?”

Kaido asked after his excitement.

He’d been at sea for years and only met King by chance; he felt few shared his ambitions.

“That brings us back to the original question.”

Gusion smiled, “We need to make Wano rich and strong, and let the world know. When Wano is seen as a country where value is based on ability, fair and prosperous, people will wonder: What is Kaido aiming for?”

“What will they think?”

Kaido was confused.

“Kaido is a pirate wanted by the World Government, one of the Four Emperors. If you rule a country well and amass troops, outsiders will assume you plan to either attack the New World’s other countries or do something even bigger.”

Gusion explained, “Actually, except for Big Mom’s territory and Whitebeard’s protected areas, there’s nowhere we can’t take. And we haven’t clashed with those two, so your goal is obvious… You plan to war with the World Government.”

It was just analysis—he didn’t claim he was absolutely right, but clever people would guess as much.

He didn’t mention Shanks, since he’d only recently been called the fourth Emperor, and the other three didn’t fully recognize him yet.

Shanks mostly has no territory in the New World, just a good relationship with Elbaf, the giants, which raises his status.

“It’s so troublesome. Maybe I should just announce my ideals publicly.”

Kaido grumbled, annoyed by the roundabout approach.

Gusion hesitated, then said, “That works too…”

In fact, the World Government probably already knows Kaido’s intent; their intelligence is top-notch.

But even if they know Kaido wants to rebel, will they crush him? Probably not.

The Revolutionary Army has been active for years, but the World Government hasn’t wiped them out. The Four Emperors are strong enough that the government won’t act rashly.

Funny enough, if Kaido captured some Navy members, the Navy might not even dare to act until they got approval to fight a Yonko.

Typical bullying the weak, fearing the strong.

“Alright, it’s settled. I’ll announce my ideals to the world!”

Kaido decided, hoping like-minded elites would join him.

“But…”

At that moment, King spoke up, “Kaido-san, just saying it isn’t enough—even though you’re a famous powerhouse, words alone aren’t convincing, are they?”

Kaido was puzzled and instinctively looked to Gusion.

“King is right. If we want people to believe in Kaido’s ideals, we need a model for them to see—let the world know that under Kaido, Wano is well-governed, fair, and its people are happy.”

Gusion said, “Nothing is more convincing than an example. If Wano is transformed, other countries will be moved, and when war comes, we might gain unexpected allies.”

“But Wano is a closed country. If we just brag, outsiders won’t believe us.”

Maria pointed out, thinking the plan had a flaw.

Gusion smiled, “My suggestion: once Wano prospers, open the borders and launch tourism—let foreigners visit for 48 hours without a visa. When they return, they’ll spread the word, and Kaido’s ideals will be confirmed.”

“Brilliant!”

Several officers exclaimed.

“Tourism would also be a big income, and could support Kaido’s ideals.”

Every word of Gusion’s struck a chord with Kaido.

Finally, Kaido got up, walked over, and patted Gusion’s shoulder—painfully hard.

“Gusion, from today on, you are the Beasts Pirates’ new All-Star, our strategist, and within Wano, you have the highest authority.”

Kaido declared solemnly, “Hmm… You have that Thunder Blade style; how about calling you the Calamity of Thunder? No, the Thunderstorm.”

Gusion hadn’t expected to become an All-Star and the Fourth Calamity so quickly. “Thank you for your trust, Mr. Kaido.”

“Good, then all the matters discussed today are yours to handle.”

Kaido said, full of trust.

“Huh!?”

Gusion was dumbfounded. He’d just been talking!

Chapter 166: Gusion’s Bounty Poster

Back at the Wano shogunate, Gusion was still in a daze.

He’d just casually given Kaido a strategy, and now he was the Beasts Pirates’ strategist, All-Star, the Fourth Calamity.

Now Kaido fully trusted him—but dumped all the work on him.

Clearly, that simple-minded strongest creature didn’t really grasp the plan, he just wanted results.

“Well, it’s more work, but at least it’s worth it.”

Gusion had given up on sailing away; not only was he deeply tied to the Beasts Pirates, but he realized there were more benefits than he’d imagined.

Not just the power of being a Calamity, but also the rewards from his exploration percentage.

In a vast world like One Piece, he’d already reached 47.8% world exploration, which would greatly boost his end-of-world rewards.

World exploration was hard to get in big worlds. In smaller worlds like Demon Slayer or Kengan Ashura, it was easy—interact with key figures, kill the world’s core holder, and you get a high percentage.

But in Bleach or One Piece, it was different. He’d interacted with many plot characters in Bleach, but barely got any exploration points.

That’s because he hadn’t changed the story enough—he hadn’t had enough impact.

Now, it’s different. He’s a Beasts Pirates All-Star, a strategist, and is reforming Wano.

Long term, his impact will be huge, so he’ll get lots of exploration points.

If he goes further, reforms Wano, and helps Kaido overthrow the Celestial Dragons, he could rewrite One Piece history and get 100% exploration.

Already, a prosperous Wano is taking shape. In five or six years, the people might not hate Kaido at all, but thank him for their good lives.

And twelve years from now, when Luffy arrives, Momonosuke will have no chance to restore the Kozuki.

First, Luffy isn’t unreasonable—if he sees the people living happily, he wouldn’t help Momonosuke ruin that peace.

Then, if Luffy and Kaido talk about their dreams… who knows, maybe they’ll join forces and attack Mary Geoise together…

“Gusion-dono, what are you thinking?”

Yamato entered and saw Gusion staring blankly.

“I’m wondering how to handle Wano’s infrastructure.”

Gusion replied, troubled. Though he’d talked big to Kaido, he knew it would be hard in practice.

Especially infrastructure—he knew nothing about it.

Building factories was easy—just use the polluted land. No need to plan much.

But upgrading Wano’s infrastructure meant urban planning, rivers, reservoirs, and more.

He had no clue how to handle that. Knowing what’s needed and knowing how are different things.

“Well, I saw Mr. Yasuie today. He said he wanted to discuss infrastructure with you. Why not meet him?”

Yamato suggested.

“Good idea, Yamato, you’re getting smarter.”

Gusion praised her and left for Yasuie’s place.

He finally met Yasuie late at night.

After some discussion, Gusion was delighted to find Yasuie knew urban planning well.

Makes sense—he’d managed Hakumai port city excellently in the past.

Not only was he a competent manager, he had the craftsmanship spirit of Wano and knew what to look out for.

After staying with Yasuie for a few days, Gusion had a preliminary plan for Wano’s infrastructure, ready to mobilize workers and the unemployed.

…

As the reforms boomed, Marine HQ was also in an uproar.

Because of Kaido’s strength and open hostility to the World Government, he’d long been a key target.

So the government had long sent spies to monitor Wano.

When they heard that Kaido made his daughter Yamato shogun, they sensed something unusual.

Sure enough, within a month or two, Wano changed rapidly. Kaido seemed to have turned over a new leaf, showing benevolence to the people.

For many just Marines, seeing Kaido improve life for Wano’s people was a good thing—they felt less guilty.

But as more reports arrived, the World Government grew alarmed.

Kaido, as if guided by a mastermind, was governing Wano better and better. The people supported him, factory output rose, and his power grew quickly.

The World Government didn’t care about Wano’s people, but if Kaido’s power grew, they couldn’t accept that.

They knew what Kaido wanted to do. Letting a warmonger like him quietly build up in Wano was unacceptable.

So, meetings were held non-stop, debating how to respond.

But internal divisions meant no decision to go to war with Kaido—only continued surveillance.

When news reached Marine HQ, they too were shocked by the Beasts Pirates’ change, but their job wasn’t to fight Kaido—it was… to update bounties.

After heated discussion, new wanted posters were finalized and sent by seagull all over the world.

……

At the Grand Line entrance, an explorer from the Divine Space stepped into this vast world, hoping to make a name and raise his world rating.

He was a second-rank explorer from the North Blue, who’d quickly made a name for himself, and, with two other explorers, formed a pirate crew.

All three were top-tier second-rankers here. Together, they swept the North Blue and earned high bounties.

Now they were aiming for the Grand Line, both for the sights and the potential rewards—especially higher bounties.

They’d realized that in One Piece world, there was no main quest, but upon meeting certain conditions, they’d get hidden or side quests.

For example, all of them had a side quest after getting their first bounty: the higher their bounty, the better their world rewards.

Riding the currents through the Red Line, into the vast Grand Line, they looked at the clear sky, smiling in anticipation.

Because they saw the seagulls—the ones delivering wanted posters.

“We did plenty of big stuff. Our bounties should be updated, right?”

One explorer jumped up and grabbed a stack of posters from a seagull, excited.

“Should be. I’m guessing at least twenty million,” another laughed, joining him.

Wanted posters were only distributed when bounties were updated, so if they didn’t see their names, their bounties hadn’t changed.

They were sorted low to high, so soon they found their own.

“Haha, thirty million! I’m at Luffy’s level now!”

“Only thirty million? I got thirty-five! That means I’ll be Pirate King, right?”

“Why are your bounties higher? We did the same stuff and I only got twenty-eight?”

The three bantered, flipping through more posters for info.

Since their names differed from locals, the posters helped them track other explorers and compare achievements.

“Whoa, Black Lily’s here? That’s trouble. I don’t want to meet her at sea.”

The leader frowned at a certain poster.

“A famous third-rank?” someone asked.

“No, she’s second-rank, but her powers are weird. I met her once in a world war—barely survived.”

He looked wary. “But she’s in West Blue. We probably won’t meet.”

“Black Lily… Is she from the Botanical Garden?”

The other pondered.

The leader nodded, “Yeah, best not to get involved. That crew’s full of lunatics. Let’s just raise our bounties and maybe score a Devil Fruit.”

“Hey! Look at this!”

The short one shouted, “Did I read the wrong manga?”

The other two stopped and crowded around. The short one was pointing at the New World section.

It was clearly the Beasts Pirates’ posters, but that wasn’t surprising—ten years before canon, their bounties changed often.

But when they saw the poster, they were stunned.

The face on the poster wasn’t any known Beasts Pirates officer, but it clearly said: the new All-Star of the Beasts Pirates!

A handsome, tough-looking man, youthful face with sharp features with short black hair, sharp eyes, dressed in black, holding a black blade—a real badass.

Below was his title and name: The Thunderstorm—Gusion.