This kind of threat wasn't something that could be brushed aside just because Brook's apprentice was Oden. No ruler would tolerate a force stronger than themselves within their own borders.
If they did… it usually meant their days were numbered.
Whenever the lords grow weak and the vassals grow strong, chaos is bound to follow. Just look at the Kurozumi rebellion from a few decades back. Back then, the Kozuki clan was weak, had no heir, and the Kurozumi daimyo got ambitious — poisoning the other lords one by one.
All in a bid to overthrow the Kozuki and seize the title of Shogun of Wano!
Now, the captain of the Oniwabanshu wasted no time reporting the terrifying strength of the Hell Pirates and the current state of Kuri. Beyond that, there was nothing more he could do.
These outsiders were simply too powerful. No one even dared to resist. Young Master Oden, you'd better wise up! These foreigners could snatch your future title of Shogun before you even realize it!
All you can do is hope your cheap old master doesn't set his sights on Wano's Shogunate… or things won't end well for you!
...
Golden Lion Shiki casually dumped the unconscious bodies and cargo onto a nearby hill, lifting the earth itself to float everything back to Kuri Castle in one go, awaiting Brook's next orders.
Brook and Charlotte Linlin followed close behind as they entered Kuri Castle — a place infamous for harboring nothing but thugs and criminals.
But in front of the might of the Hell Pirates, even the most hardened criminals could only grovel, trembling at their feet. Anyone foolish enough to resist had already been dragged off to the Seastone mines.
In the massive council chamber, Brook sat at the head seat. Shiki and Linlin floated in the air, silently staring down the gathered leaders.
Redfield and Newgate sat to Brook's left and right, their overwhelming aura making the crime lords and Kuri bosses shrink in fear.
"From now on, Kuri is under the management of the Hell Pirates. No objections… right?"
Brook's words met with total silence. Not a single soul dared to speak, not even to breathe too loudly — afraid that the terrifying giantess might roast them alive on the spot.
"From now on, anyone who causes trouble gets shipped off to the mines. No more bandit clans or crime families — everyone will just go by their family name from now on.
Kuri will be renamed Kuri Province. Kuri Castle becomes Kuri Town. Atamayama becomes Atamayama Town. Bakura Town stays the same. Okobore Town stays the same. Amigasa Village gets upgraded to Amigasa Town. The new provincial capital will be called Hailou Town."
Brook continued without pause:
"Kuri Town's mayor will be Fukujin Kishoten. Atamayama's mayor will be Ashura Pengan. Bakura Town's, Hattori Hachizō. Okobore Town's, Saemon Nagi. And Amigasa Town's mayor will be Sarutobi Usuke."
"As for Hailou Town — its ruler will be Hyougoro. Ashura Jakun's family will relocate there, with Jakun serving as the city enforcer!"
When Brook finished his appointments, only Saemon Nagi from Okobore Town looked visibly troubled. His town was a dump with no prospects, while Amigasa, though small, was right next to the booming Hailou Town and destined to grow fast.
But even Nagi didn't dare protest. Worst case, he'd just have to live a quieter life — at least as a mayor, he could still feed his clan.
Brook then dropped another bombshell:
"Anyone who reaches swordsman level and masters Ryuo Haki can join Hailou Town's guard force. They'll get mayor-level pay… plus a free house in the new capital!"
That offer stirred a lot of fallen swordsmen who suddenly saw Hailou Town as an ideal place to settle. The perks were just too tempting.
The various town leaders quickly sent their strongest fighters to join the city guards — even just getting their faces known would be worth it.
Brook then set quotas for each town: every six months, they'd have to send a certain number of people to the mines for paid labor. Skilled workers who knew how to process Seastone would be hired at high wages — crimes and past debts wiped clean.
The Hell Pirates rounded up the criminals from all five towns and sent them for "mining rehabilitation." Those who passed would be pardoned.
Okobore Town's masses of beggars and scavengers got drafted into hard labor or assigned to low-tier service jobs in Hailou Town.
Meanwhile, Shakky poured huge sums of Belly into buying up grain from outside Wano, feeding the growing city. She also opened Hailou Town for business, bringing in outside merchants — nearly all the shops in town operated under her tight control.
The Hell Pirates didn't miss their chance either. They looted just enough wealth from the local families to keep them from getting lazy and complacent. That money went directly into building roads connecting the five towns and Hailou Town — conveniently employing former bandits and gangsters who now had no choice but to work.
With that, the Hell Pirates formally took root in Hailou Town. It became a twin hub alongside Udon's Seastone mines. Their four top fighters even began sparring regularly with the city guard, refining their mastery of Ryuo.
Brook made it clear: every crew member had to level up — even Shakky, who normally focused on business and economic conquest, got dragged into training sessions.
...
A few months later.
The Golden Ark floated high above Hailou Town — now its most iconic sight. Thanks to Shakky's generous recruitment offers, samurai and commoners from all over Wano flocked to the city for work, making it even more prosperous.
Meanwhile, Kozuki Oden had been forcibly hauled back to the Flower Capital by Sukiyaki, ordered to undergo formal etiquette training under the Oniwabanshu's watch. Sukiyaki, however, was growing more and more uneasy about Brook's swelling power.
Sure, the Hell Pirates had single-handedly revived Wano's stagnant economy… but Sukiyaki noticed something ominous: a massive outflow of gold from the Flower Capital and other provinces.
The noble clans, who preferred to hoard their wealth in high-value platinum instead of bulky gold, soon found themselves in crisis. As gold grew scarce in circulation, they were forced to spend their platinum. But with gold prices soaring, fewer and fewer coins could match the worth of a platinum bar.
Platinum's value plummeted, causing their fortunes to shrink overnight. Some nobles teetered on the brink of bankruptcy, demanding the Shogunate hunt down whoever was behind this white metal swap scheme.
All leads pointed back to the same culprit: Hailou Town. This upstart trade hub only accepted platinum when buying outside goods — and paid premium rates. But once inside, it only encouraged gold spending, even offering discounts.
The result? Platinum kept flowing out while gold kept flowing in.
Sukiyaki's headache grew. By the time they realized what was happening, they had already lost the economic war. Even the Flower Capital couldn't match Hailou Town's bustling prosperity now.
So he summoned the four daimyo for urgent talks. Among them, Udon's daimyo, Ametsuki Maiken, looked particularly awkward. After all, Hailou Town's rise had been built around Udon's Seastone mines.
Udon was booming now, its crowds rivaling those of the Flower Capital — something Maiken had never dared to dream of before. He was personally reaping plenty of benefits too.
Once the poorest of Wano's four regions, Udon had suddenly surged forward, its wealth and vitality now second only to the capital. And while Maiken basked in his newfound fortune, it left him increasingly out of sync with Sukiyaki and the other lords.
Back in Hailou Town, the golden hoards stacked high beneath the castle and the crates of Seastone goods had already filled every corner of the vast underground vault.
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+188 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg