Wano Country—the day of the shogun's coronation.
For three days straight, the granaries had been opened to feed the people. The civilians gathered in the Flower Capital were finally looking healthier. Of course, this couldn't go on forever—it was time to decide the country's future.
"Everyone, I've made two great friends—"
Standing before thousands of Wano's people and samurai, Yamato spread his arms wide, showing no fear.
"Their names are Ace and Luffy. They shared their adventures with me. Out in the vast ocean, most countries aren't isolated by cliffs and waterfalls. People can travel freely by ship, visit other lands, and trade with one another...
"There are islands floating in the sky, hidden among the clouds. There are cities deep under the ocean, like the Dragon Palace at the bottom of the sea. There are massive desert kingdoms dozens of times bigger than Wano, and islands where it snows all year round..."
Of course, these words would only spark excitement in those with an adventurous spirit.
For most common people—who had never even left their hometowns, who had only heard of other parts of Wano in passing—no matter how amazing the outside world was, what did it have to do with them?
It mattered.
"The outside world is changing fast! There are giant steel warships cutting through the waves, and sea trains that travel across the ocean! Airships floating in the sky, submarines exploring the deep... It won't be long before Wano's 'natural defenses' won't be enough to keep outsiders away."
The crowd erupted.
Even ordinary citizens could feel the pressure now. If outsiders could reach Wano so easily, wouldn't their so-called "closed borders" become meaningless?
Besides, even now—
"Kaido ruled Wano for twenty years. If he could reach us, so can other forces from the outside world! If we just shut our doors and ignore the world, we'll only be caught off guard when enemies finally arrive!"
Yamato's words made those with any sense nod in agreement. Twenty years ago, the Beasts Pirates and Gecko Pirates—yes, Moria's crew—managed to reach Wano and fight here. There was no reason other pirate crews couldn't do the same.
Many people glanced at Ace, Luffy, Roman, and the others standing in the castle. These warriors from the outside world were unbelievably strong! Wano's greatest swordsmen were already revered as legends, but among these outsiders, even warriors of that level weren't uncommon...
If the outside world was filled with fighters this powerful, then "closing the borders" was just burying their heads in the sand, waiting to die.
"That's why—we need to open our eyes and see the world for what it is!!"
Yamato clenched his fist, as if gathering the will of everyone present.
"The Seastone we produce is a rare and valuable resource in the outside world. We can trade it for food, supplies, and everything we need.
"If we had known more about the world, we could have joined forces and stopped Kaido the moment he set foot in Wano twenty years ago! We wouldn't have had to suffer through two decades of misery..."
Of course, most of the blame fell on Oden. As the former commander of the Whitebeard Pirates' second division and someone who had sailed the Grand Line with Roger, he should have known better.
Yet he had no idea what kind of person Kaido was. He didn't even understand the true nature of pirates.
Was his life just about swinging his sword and going on a honeymoon?
The truth was, Oden was lucky—he had only ever encountered the rare "good pirates" like Whitebeard and Roger.
But at the same time, he was unlucky—he had been so influenced by their loyalty and honor that he assumed all pirates were like that.
The only way to deal with danger was not to run from it—but to face it head-on!
"I agree with General Yamato,"
Kozuki Hiyori, representing the samurai of Wano, stepped forward. To maintain her dignity, she wore a magnificent traditional suit of armor and even a demon mask.
"Even after we open our borders, Wano has nothing to fear from the outside world—because we have samurai!"
"If friends come, we welcome them with sake. If enemies come, we show them the sharpness of our swords!"
"—I support opening the country!"
As soon as Hiyori finished speaking, Hyogoro of the Flowers stepped forward. As a legendary figure from twenty years ago, most samurai in Wano respected his word.
"I, too, support opening the country!"
Then, Denjiro, whose appearance had remained unchanged despite losing his fake pompadour, took a step forward. Compared to Hyogoro, who was more of a legend, Denjiro—the biggest yakuza boss in the Flower Capital—had much greater influence among the common people.
"I support opening the country!"
"The Oniwabanshu also support opening the country!"
The ninjas, led by Shinobu, followed suit.
"Open the country!"
"Open the country!"
… "Good. The decision to open Wano is final. From now on, we follow the plan as agreed."
Yamato would take the official title of "Shogun," serving as Wano's figurehead, while the actual governance would be handled by Hiyori and her allies. After all, unless a country was in a peaceful place like East Blue, its ruler couldn't afford to be weak.
Take Alabasta, for example—Vivi's father, Cobra, was a muscular king who could hold off ten men on his own. Fishman Island's King Neptune was once known as the "Great Knight of the Sea." And in the New World—
Most kings were the strongest fighters in their own nations!
The reason was simple. Just like in Roman's past life—if warriors in the Middle East could tear tanks apart with their bare hands, then to even think about running for president in America, you'd probably have to be bulletproof yourself.
So, with Roman's arrangements, Yamato would act as Wano's "Shogun" and defend against any assassination attempts, while Hiyori and the Akazaya samurai would handle the country's governance. Meanwhile, the Whitebeard Pirates would station themselves in Wano's inner sea, using it as a base for their arms trade.
It was almost like a system of "separation of powers."
If Roman hadn't intervened, Wano's many weapons factories would have probably been destroyed completely. In Roman's eyes, that would have been—
Absolutely insane! Why would anyone willingly push their country backward from an industrial society to an agricultural one?
Sure, Kaido and Orochi ruled through brutal oppression, making life unbearable for the people. But still, they did leave behind some things of value.
First: They had forcibly united all of Wano.
Before, even though Wano had a "Shogun" in name, the regional daimyos didn't really care. The Shogun's orders only held weight in the Flower Capital—outside of it? Not so much.
Second: They built a massive number of weapons factories.
No matter how you looked at it, this was still industrial progress—far better than the old, farming-based Wano. As for environmental pollution, that was a solvable problem. If not for Orochi hoarding all the food for himself, things wouldn't have been as bad.
Besides, even if the factories stopped making weapons, they could still produce other metal goods to help develop the country.
"Orochi left behind stockpiles of food. Kaido left behind stockpiles of weapons. Both can help Wano transition smoothly. And, of course, we'll also move Onigashima to the coast of Kuri, where it will serve as the Whitebeard Pirates' base."
After the grand ceremony, a banquet was held in the castle's main hall.
Roman, acting as the Straw Hat Crew's "official representative," led the discussions. After all, expecting Luffy—who was busy stuffing food into his mouth—to come up with a plan was… unrealistic.
"What happens next?"
Seated beside Hyogoro, the boss of Udon, "Blood-Scroll" Daijo, finally asked the question that all of Wano's leaders had been waiting for.
They all knew about Yamato—Kaido's daughter, who saw herself as a man and called herself "Kozuki Yamato." Many samurai understood why—Kaido's "parenting" methods were brutal.
He had thrown his own daughter into a prison with captured samurai and given them only enough food for one person, hoping hunger and hatred would turn Yamato against them.
But those samurai had chosen to starve rather than harm Yamato.
Instead, they had raised her as one of their own.
She had read Oden's journal, seen his heroic last stand in the boiling pot, and fully embraced Wano's people.
And since she wouldn't be handling governance anyway—Hiyori, Oden's daughter, would—it was a situation the samurai could accept.
But the Straw Hat Crew?
Their captain had defeated Kaido, and their strategist was the leader of the underground resistance. If they decided to take control, Wano could easily fall under the rule of another outsider.
And if their new ruler turned out to be as ambitious as Kaido…
"What happens next? Luffy~~"
Roman turned to their captain, who was still shoveling food into his mouth.
"What's our next move?"
"Huh? Why ask that? Of course, we're—"
Here it comes!
As the samurai around him tensed up, Luffy just grinned.
"Set sail~~"
...?
"Our goal is to become the Pirate King! We can't waste time here."
?! "Hahaha~~"
The leader of Ringo, "Snake Eyes" Yataihei, let out a relieved smile, then drew the short blade from his waist—a weapon known as a "wakizashi" in Wano.
Rip—
He yanked open the front of his kimono, exposing his chest. While the Straw Hat Crew looked on in confusion, the large man suddenly dropped to the ground, bowing deeply with his hands and forehead pressed against the floor.
"I'm sorry. We were the ones who spread those rumors."
"Huh? Huh?! What rumors...?"
Luffy looked completely lost, making Roman rub his temples in frustration. Not only did Luffy wear his cluelessness on his face, but he was also making everyone around him feel just as dumb.
"You are true heroes—selfless warriors who have saved Wano without asking for anything in return."
"But I acted like a petty man, and for that, I am deeply ashamed. The only way I can atone is—"
Before anyone could react, Yataihei suddenly thrust his short blade toward his stomach!
The blade was even coated in Armament Haki, showing his absolute determination. This wasn't some fake "suicide performance" where someone secretly blocked the blade with Tekkai—this was real! A true act of seppuku!
Clang—
A metallic screech rang out, and the blade stopped just before piercing his stomach.
The three other Yakuza bosses who had also drawn their short blades were stunned. It wasn't because Yataihei hesitated—he hadn't. But—
"I have no idea what you're talking about, but cutting open your stomach in the middle of a feast is really bad for the appetite, don't you think?"
A stretched-out arm had reached across the hall, grabbing the blade before it could strike. Luffy looked annoyed.
Only someone like him, who could see glimpses of the future, could stop a swordsman from committing suicide in time.
Roman's eyes flickered with thought.
That was strange. Just now, for a brief moment, he had already seen the scene where Yataihei's blood and guts spilled everywhere...
"Luffy, please don't stop me. I must atone!"
"You saved our country and never asked for anything in return. But we doubted you... we treated you like enemies... that is unforgivable..."
As the three other Yakuza bosses stood with determination, and as the surrounding samurai looked down in shame, Luffy stood up and adjusted his straw hat.
"No. We've already received the most precious thing from Wano!"
?! What? Wano has something that valuable?
Wait—Kaido did mention something... But wasn't that some kind of legendary treasure for criminals?
"Of course! It's reuniting with Ace! And going on this amazing adventure together!! It was the best, hahaha~~"
???
For a moment, the samurai stood there, completely dumbfounded, staring at Luffy as he laughed heartily with his hands on his hips.
Meanwhile, the Straw Hat Crew simply nodded as if this was the most natural thing in the world.
Compared to them...
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
One by one, the proud samurai dropped to their knees, bowing deeply until their foreheads hit the ground.
"Luffy... Compared to you, we are nothing..."
"From now on, whatever you ask of us—no matter if it's walking through fire or plunging into hell—we will obey without hesitation!!"
"Nothing less would be enough to repay your kindness and greatness!"
???
"What are you guys talking about? A feast is supposed to be fun! If you make it so serious, even the drinks won't taste good!"
Seeing Luffy puffing up his cheeks in frustration, the samurai looked at each other, then—
"Hahahaha!!!"
"You're right, Luffy! The captain is absolutely right!"
"This is a victory feast! We should be celebrating, drinking, and enjoying ourselves! We ruined the mood—I'll punish myself with three drinks first!"
"Hahaha, I think you just wanted an excuse to drink..."
"Damn it, Gon Goro! I won't let you off!"
Watching the samurai, who had put aside their schemes and titles to wrestle and laugh together, Luffy grinned.
"Now this... this is what a party should be like! Let's—"
"CHEERS!!"
(End of Chapter.)
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