Infinite Anime [170-172] (Patreon)

Chapter 170: The Tsundere Kaido

"I’m a rough man and a notorious pirate, so if I become the shogun, I’m sure you all would be worried..."

Kaido paused here—mainly because he forgot his lines. After Gusion reminded him, he continued, "So, I want my daughter Yamato to be this country's shogun. She has never set out to sea and grew up here just like all of you. She is one of you—a member of this country, with a heart set on making it better."

This time, everyone present showed approval. Over the past few months, Yamato had been in constant contact with the people—her likable appearance, cheerful and generous manner, and the benefits she brought to everyone had won them over.

Even those who were wary of Yamato's identity as a pirate’s daughter couldn’t help but praise her as a good shogun—she truly made sure they were fed, and life kept improving.

As Kaido mentioned Yamato, people began to realize the father-daughter relationship. If Yamato, such a bright and kind ruler, was raised by Kaido, then perhaps their family upbringing wasn’t so bad after all.

There’s a saying—"like father, like child." If they followed that logic, had they misunderstood Kaido all along?

Maybe Kaido wasn’t the ruthless, cruel villain they thought, but a hero with a heart for his country?

The only reason Kaido and the ruling Kozuki clan had been enemies was due to their opposing positions. Instinctively, people thought Kaido was the villain, and the Kozuki were justice.

But if you compare: many here went hungry and had nowhere to live under the Kozuki regime. Now, everyone is fed and clothed, and soon they’ll have their own homes!

Thinking about it, maybe Kaido’s family is a better ruler.

“These past months, I’ve seen the results of her governance. At the very least, people are no longer dying of hunger on the streets every day.”

Kaido continued, "It was only after I got involved in governing this country that I truly realized the mistakes made in the past. For example, our factories polluted the environment, making much of the land unsuitable for farming and leaving many people homeless and hungry."

The people were moved—because, in their minds, a ruler would never admit his own mistakes.

For Kaido, one of the Four Emperors and a fearsome pirate, to confess that his factories had caused famine—it touched many deeply.

Gusion thought it was a bit much, but this tactic worked on Wano’s people.

To put it bluntly, these people were a bit submissive, but it made the Beast Pirates’ transition of power easier.

Regardless of Kaido’s original intentions, Gusion felt that as long as he made people’s lives better, it was a kind of atonement.

"But now, I’ve ordered all factories to be reformed. Wastewater will no longer affect your lives, and after that, we’ll continue to improve the environment so the land becomes more fertile."

Kaido read the speech with a deadpan face, but the people were truly moved.

"I hope that, through our efforts, this country will no longer know hunger. Everyone will be fed, every family will have a home, children will be educated, adults will find work, and happiness will fill the air."

Kaido recited the speech, thinking it nauseating, but all for his ambitions.

Still, he secretly praised Gusion’s brilliance—he was just following Gusion’s words, and already, people were moved to tears.

Sensing the atmosphere was right, Kaido waved his hand boldly and declared, "Wano has always been closed off, a way of self-preservation amid the chaos of the New World. But from today, Wano will no longer be closed—it is officially opening up!"

His gaze swept the crowd below. "You need not worry—any foreign enemies will be defeated by me. I will defend this country!"

As soon as he finished, one of Gusion's planted supporters in the crowd shouted, "Guardian Deity, Kaido-sama!"

With the mood stoked and deliberate encouragement, more and more people joined in:

"Guardian Deity, Kaido-sama!"

"Guardian Deity, Kaido-sama!"

...

What started as scattered shouts became a unified chant, sweeping out like a tidal wave.

Even Kaido was shocked by the scene. He could sense that, at first, the crowd’s cheers weren’t genuine, but as the chanting continued, the people’s excitement became real, as if they truly believed he was their nation's protector.

The cheers lasted over ten minutes before gradually subsiding.

Kaido raised his hand, signaling for quiet. Finally, a natural smile appeared on his face as he walked to the pile of house deeds. "Everyone, Wano is just starting to recover. I can’t promise everything will be perfect, but let me begin by making sure you all have homes."

He looked at the first worker in the crowd. "Come on up and receive your house."

This worker, lucky enough to be first in line, wasn’t one of Gusion’s plants—he had just wanted a home so badly that he started queuing since midnight.

Now, being called by Kaido, he was overwhelmed. "To be given a house by Kaido-sama himself—what an honor!"

He was so excited he almost stumbled as he walked up. Kaido reached out and grabbed him by the collar, steadying him.

Afraid he’d lose his chance over his clumsiness, the worker was relieved to see Kaido not annoyed, but already reaching for a deed.

"Th-thank you so much, my lord. If not for you, I’d still be starving and scavenging on the streets. Now I work in a factory and can support my family. To get a house today... I can’t express my gratitude in words."

He spoke incoherently, even shedding tears.

His reaction left Kaido at a loss—he’d never received such heartfelt thanks from the people before. He didn’t know how to respond until Gusion prompted him.

"Which factory do you work at?"

"Sir, I work at Factory 107, west of Kuri."

Kaido handed him a nearby house deed. "Write your name and put your thumbprint—then it’s yours."

The worker took it with trembling hands, scrawled his name (which he’d just learned how to write), and pressed his thumbprint.

He stood there, dazed, as if in a dream.

"Work hard and create a bright future for yourself," Gusion said from the side.

The worker snapped back, bowing repeatedly. "Thank you, my lord! Thank you, Lord Gusion!"

He quickly left the stage so the next person could come up.

With the first worker’s success, the crowd grew even more excited.

Each worker who went up received their house, and the lucky ones even got a word from Kaido, walking offstage beaming with pride.

By noon, Gusion had Kaido leave the scene—there were too many houses to distribute, and if Kaido handled each one, it’d take days.

Kaido’s appearance was just a show arranged by Gusion; the real distribution would be handled by expanding service windows for efficiency.

After leaving, Kaido let out a long sigh, loosening his black haori. "I really can’t get used to these clothes."

He looked at Gusion, "Don’t make me do this again. It’s not enjoyable at all."

Gusion looked at Kaido and thought, Your expression says otherwise.

Kaido hadn’t stopped smiling since the first worker.

Truth is, unless you’re a true sociopath, being sincerely thanked feels good—even Kaido was no exception. He just needed to maintain his dignity and wouldn’t admit he was happy.

Yep, a classic tsundere.

"Don’t worry—this sets the tone. With some more publicity, you’ll become the beloved Guardian Deity of Wano."

Gusion smiled.

"Hmph—"

Kaido snorted. "I don’t need the adoration of the weak. I just want talented people to work for me and strong soldiers in my army."

"Sure, sure. Today must have been so tough for you," Gusion joked. "Now that Wano is on track, you just need to count your money."

Kaido nodded, satisfied. "So, how much more will I be making?"

Gusion did some mental math. "By year’s end, monthly income should be ten times what it was before."

"That much!?"

Kaido was shocked. He thought doubling income would be amazing, but tenfold?

So, working one year would be like working ten years before!

"And that’s just during the development phase. Once infrastructure is complete, by the end of next year, income could be twenty times higher."

Gusion wasn’t exaggerating.

Wano’s factory scale was four times what it was, with more factories under construction. By year’s end, output would be five or six times higher.

With trained craftsmen, productivity would more than double—so factory income alone would be ten times higher.

As for raw materials, Wano was rich in minerals. Gusion had unemployed or elderly people mining for a living wage (though not as good as factory workers, to encourage skill development).

With further expansion, next year’s income would naturally be even higher.

Wano’s population was about 80 million, but Kaido had only built a few dozen factories, employing less than ten thousand workers—a tiny fraction of the labor force.

With proper development, as Gusion planned, Kaido’s income could increase a hundredfold in a few years.

Chapter 171: King Got Injured?

Kaido was invigorated by Gusion’s vision for the future.

At 47, he was in his prime—plenty of time to do great things.

With more money, expanding his pirate crew would be easy, and Gusion had even given him advice on that front.

"Gusion, you’re my lucky star—hahaha!"

Kaido openly admired Gusion, slapping his shoulder.

Gusion used Ryou to avoid being smashed. "Let’s not celebrate too soon, Kaido. Wano won’t become strong in a day. Don’t get drunk and order an attack on Mary Geoise in a fit of excitement."

"Ha! I never get drunk, my tolerance is amazing," Kaido laughed.

Just then, a female centaur rushed up—it was Speed, a headliner of the Beast Pirates.

"Kaido-sama, something’s happened!"

She was out of breath. "Gusion-sama, you and Kaido need to return to Onigashima immediately!"

Gusion was puzzled—what could worry Kaido in the New World?

"What is it? Slow down," Gusion asked. Kaido’s smile faded.

Wano was their turf—nothing urgent usually happened. That’s why Kaido hadn’t brought a transponder snail and they’d just gone for drinks afterward, making Speed search for them.

"It’s about a new poneglyph, and King’s a bit upset..."

Speed explained.

Gusion and Kaido exchanged glances, each thinking different things.

Kaido was interested in the poneglyph, but didn’t get why King was so agitated—he was always known for his composure.

Gusion sensed something unusual—this wasn’t part of the original story. He’d been in this world for just over three months, and guessed there weren’t many explorers left.

Those still here must be elites—only those who completed hidden quests could stay longer.

If an explorer started this, it must be someone formidable. Even Gusion wouldn’t wander the New World alone.

Kaido turned into a dragon and carried Gusion straight to Onigashima’s conference room.

All the lead performers and core members were there—everyone took this seriously.

"King, what happened?"

Kaido asked his right-hand man. When he saw King’s injuries, he scowled—anyone could sense his anger.

"My wounds are fine. I just ran into a troublesome opponent," King said, adjusting his collar to show he was okay.

Gusion was surprised—he knew the Beast Pirates were at peak strength in this era.

Kaido, at 47, was at his absolute peak, able to go toe-to-toe with Whitebeard.

King, now 35, was also at the height of his strength. Among the emperor’s right-hands in the New World, few could match him.

So who could injure him?

Gusion had suspected an explorer, but with King’s strength, it seemed unlikely.

"Who hurt you?"

Kaido’s expression darkened. He had few friends he truly cared about, and King was one of them—no one harmed his brother without consequence.

"A blind swordsman. Never heard of him before, but he’s very strong—probably on par with the navy’s admirals."

King analyzed, not bragging. To hurt or force him back, you needed admiral-level strength.

He’d fought all the other right-hands before: Katakuri, older than him but still weaker in battle; Marco, two years younger, with a powerful fruit but still not as strong as King.

So, among all right-hands, King should be the strongest. In the New World, as long as you avoid the Four Emperors, you’re untouchable.

But this time, not only did he get shocking news, he also met someone who could injure him.

"Blind swordsman? An older man? Dressed like a Wano samurai?"

Gusion asked, thinking of a certain character.

King was surprised. "Gusion, how did you know?"

Gusion thought he’d guessed right. "Is he a gravity fruit user?"

"You know him?" King asked.

Gusion nodded. "I heard stories on my travels. He’s a swordsman named Issho."

He hadn’t expected Issho, known as Fujitora in the original, to appear here. In the original, Fujitora became an admiral after the Summit War, having made a name for himself during the World Military Draft.

It was never stated what Fujitora was doing ten years ago, so it was plausible he’d be out adventuring.

"That guy is strong. If not for him, I’d have gotten the poneglyph," King said seriously. "Kaido, I got some important intel on this trip."

Kaido saw King was okay, just bandaged up, and relaxed. The other officers stayed quiet.

Through King’s account, Gusion finally learned what happened in the New World.

Apparently, someone leaked news of a poneglyph on a certain sky island, causing an uproar.

Most New World pirates are after the One Piece, and to reach it, you need all poneglyphs.

But the poneglyphs are usually controlled by big powers or hidden in ruins. Only Gol D. Roger ever gathered them all.

Shanks once had a chance to go, but his friend Buggy got sick, so he stayed behind. Shanks’ attitude toward the treasure is complicated.

Whitebeard, the oldest Emperor, wasn’t interested—he just wanted to enjoy life with his sons.

So only Big Mom and Kaido were truly interested in the great treasure.

With news of a poneglyph, not only would New World pirates scramble for it, so would the Big Mom and Beast Pirates.

But the level of competition might be subtle—Big Mom was busy with Totto Land, Kaido was focused on war preparations. Becoming Pirate King was a means to an end, not the end itself.

So, they’d want the poneglyph, but might not go in person.

Usually, a right-hand like King could handle it alone.

But he was unlucky enough to meet Issho.

Gusion guessed the leak was the work of another explorer. There were others besides him using the situation for their own goals.

What would an explorer gain? Well, a strong explorer could deliberately create chaos, attracting powerful pirates to fight—turning it into a hunting ground.

With many devil fruit users gathered, a savvy explorer could pick off weakened targets and claim their fruits.

For example, Gusion himself couldn’t beat the Tobiroppo in a straight fight, but in a chaotic melee, he could snipe a wounded one from afar.

It was a high-risk, high-reward move—a bold explorer must be behind it.

He didn’t know if Issho was just passing by or led there, but King was unlucky to meet him.

According to King, after hearing the news, he went to the Top of the West Sky to reach the sky island Baron Terminal—the normal way up. The Reverse Mountain route is much riskier.

King, being a Lunarian and a pteranodon fruit user, wasn’t afraid of falling, so he was the best candidate.

The Beast Pirates knew Baron Terminal—Kaido had gone bungee jumping there when drunk, but never used it to go to other sky islands.

Reaching the Top of the West Sky, King encountered the blind swordsman Issho. For some reason, Issho seemed to have a grudge against the Beast Pirates—after a brief argument, a fight broke out.

Both were injured and withdrew, but King admitted Issho had the upper hand.

What excited King more wasn’t the fight or the poneglyph, but that he heard rumors of another Lunarian on a sky island. He had thought himself the last of his kind, so he was desperate to confirm the rumor.

But Issho blocked his way, saying he wouldn’t let a pirate harm the sky island. This infuriated King.

"Poneglyph... blind swordsman... Lunarian..."

Kaido muttered. "Looks like it’s time to head out myself."

Gusion knew that with all these factors—and King being attacked—Kaido wouldn’t sit still. He’d go in person.

Gusion thought for a moment and suggested, "Kaido, take me with you this time."

Chapter 172: Recruiting

"No."

Kaido rejected Gusion’s proposal without hesitation.

Thanks to Gusion, Wano was thriving and the Beast Pirates’ profits soaring—Kaido trusted him completely and had already removed the handcuffs from both Gusion and Yamato.

He didn’t want to restrict Gusion, but felt that, during this high-speed development, losing Gusion would bring everything to a halt.

"Kaido, if you’re worried about Wano’s operations, I’ve got everything arranged."

Gusion explained, "All projects are running smoothly, and I’ve given Yamato my follow-up plans. If she has questions, she’ll discuss them with Mr. Yasuie. Even without my supervision, Wano will continue to develop."

He said this to reassure Kaido, but also to prepare him—he didn’t have much time left in this world, and if he set out to sea, he might not return to Wano.

From what he’d learned, if you want to return to the same world in the future, it’s best to have a reasonable missing person excuse.

Otherwise, the system would waste power fabricating a new identity for you. If it’s too costly, you might be sent to a new mission world instead.

In his previous mission in the Bleach world, Gusion had perfectly staged his exit, making it easy to return later.

In the One Piece world, if he disappeared in Wano, Kaido would turn the country upside down looking for him, undoing all his hard work.

So, it was best to disappear overseas, where it was common for people to be lost at sea.

This time their goal was a sky island—he’d have many reasons for vanishing, with little fallout.

"No. This is about grabbing the poneglyph. We don’t need your strength."

Kaido shook his head. He valued Gusion’s mind, but this was a battle, and Gusion’s strength was only about headliner-level. If something happened, he’d lose his strategist.

"Kaido, you’re mistaken," Gusion smiled, then turned to King, "King, you said the blind swordsman is as strong as an admiral, right?"

King nodded. "That’s right. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been injured."

Gusion looked back at Kaido. "Kaido, Issho is a chivalrous man of justice. He fought King because he’d heard bad things about the Beast Pirates—believing we oppressed the people."

"Doesn’t matter why. He hurt King, so I want his head," Kaido said, his voice low and angry.

"Kaido, why don’t we hear King’s thoughts?" Gusion knew Kaido was fiercely protective, especially of King.

He asked, "King, if Issho joined the Beast Pirates, could you forgive him?"

King frowned, then nodded, "If he joined Kaido, I wouldn’t hold a grudge—but is that even possible?"

Kaido realized what Gusion was suggesting, "Gusion, you want to come along and persuade Issho to join us?"

"Exactly," Gusion replied. "Issho is powerful. Remember what we discussed? He’s a third type—someone with conviction. If he accepts you, our crew’s strength will skyrocket."

Issho always followed his own sense of justice. He joined the navy thinking they were righteous, but later saw the corruption.

Gusion felt Issho would be better off under Kaido.

"Can you really do it? From King’s description, he sounds tough," Kaido asked, more intrigued now.

If they could recruit Issho, Kaido would be the strongest Emperor.

"That’s why I need to go. Who else could persuade him?"

Gusion smiled.

He wasn’t sure he’d succeed, but it was a good reason to go to sea.

Sky Island was a great place, and the poneglyph wasn’t his main goal—he could explore and maybe hunt for a rare devil fruit.

"Hmm... fine. But only if you arrange everything so Wano runs smoothly."

Kaido agreed, realizing that elite strength mattered more than numbers. Even if productivity dropped, recruiting an admiral-level fighter was worth it.

"Thank you, Kaido. I’ll go hand things over to Yamato now."

Gusion anticipated a headache—Kaido was reasonable, but Yamato would definitely object.

They’d promised to go to sea together, but now he was sneaking off with her father.

…

"What!? Gusion-dono’s going to sea!?"

Yamato looked at him, shocked. "I’m coming too!"

Gusion had expected this, and tried to comfort her. "Yamato, you can’t go. You’re different from me—I work behind the scenes, but you’re the shogun. You’re the people’s hope. Right now, you must stay to keep Wano stable."

Yamato had been working hard, helping the people every day, gradually earning their acceptance as the new shogun.

If both Gusion and Yamato left, with both top fighters and managers gone, Wano could easily fall into chaos.

So only one could leave. Gusion needed to go for his own reasons, and hopefully recruit Issho, so Yamato had to stay.

"But... we promised to go together!" Yamato pouted. "You broke your word!"

"Sorry, Yamato, next time," Gusion said, not wanting to make up more excuses.

"When is next time?" Yamato looked hurt. "You know how complicated Wano’s affairs are—just handling daily tasks is overwhelming, and your plans go on forever. Who knows when I’ll finish?"

Gusion saw how much work had changed Yamato—from a lazy rebel to a thoughtful leader. She no longer talked about rebellion or objected to Gusion helping Kaido, understanding it was for the people’s good.

She’d learned of her father’s dream and was determined to make Wano a peaceful, prosperous place before adventuring with Gusion.

Standing on the shogun’s tower, overlooking the city and factories, Gusion said, "Once this country is truly prosperous, I’ll return and take you to sea."

Yamato gazed into the distance, then turned to Gusion with a bright smile. "It’s a promise! If you break it again, I’ll smash you into the ground with Takeru!"

Gusion laughed. "Deal!"

He then handed over his work to Yamato and Yasuie, going over his strategies in detail.

Yamato nearly dozed off several times, but Gusion kept her alert—she had to learn.

After all, he might never return, and if Yamato remained naive, Wano would be doomed.

Yamato meant well, but any country left unchecked breeds corruption. If she couldn’t manage, Gusion’s plans would fail.

Luckily, Yasuie was clever and reliable. Seeing Wano’s progress, he gradually shifted his loyalty from the Kozuki family to the people themselves.

He still felt guilt, but knew his true duty was to the people who trusted him.

With everything in place, Gusion was confident Wano would thrive.

After a long night, Gusion rubbed his aching brow and looked seriously at Yamato and Yasuie. "I’m counting on you two for Wano."

Yamato felt the weight of Gusion’s trust and expectation, along with a strange sadness. She didn’t know why, but still nodded firmly. "Don’t worry, Gusion-dono."