Under Who's-Who's orders, the members of the Beasts Pirates, forced by intimidation, had no choice but to get busy hauling the crew's supplies onto the Merry.
As an Emperor crew that had stood tall in the New World for decades, the Beasts Pirates' stockpile was naturally immense.
But to the equally absurdly wealthy Straw Hat Pirates, there was actually very little among it that they could truly make use of.
In the end, Red also intended to take in the remnants of the Beasts Pirates, so he left behind a portion of the supplies that had belonged to them in the first place, taking only the most important items.
Aside from the thirty Zoan-Type Devil Fruits funded by the World Government, the Beasts Pirates' warehouse also contained six more Devil Fruits, all of them Zoans.
Five of them weren't particularly good abilities, so Red directly handed them over to Nami and told her to deal with them together with the other Devil Fruits from before.
Only one fruit was kept aside by Red alone—a pink Devil Fruit covered in rippling patterns like dragon scales.
And this Devil Fruit was none other than—
the artificial Devil Fruit created by Dr. Vegapunk, later stolen and replicated by Caesar, and finally offered to Kaido as a gesture of goodwill…
Artificial Devil Fruit · Zoan-Type · Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Azure Dragon!!!
That's right!
It was the very fruit that Momonosuke had eaten in the original story—initially believed to be a useless failure, only to suddenly reveal itself as an artificial Devil Fruit no less powerful than one belonging to an Emperor like Kaido.
According to its creator, Vegapunk himself, aside from its pink color, this fruit was no different from the genuine Azure Dragon Fruit in any way!
And Red directly gave this fruit to Usopp, so he could use it to cultivate a divine beast insect.
That way, he would have completed the lineup of the Four Sacred Beasts plus a qilin.
Having five members among the Four Heavenly Kings was perfectly normal, wasn't it?!
Besides that, because of its ties to Wano Country, the Beasts Pirates possessed an astonishing number of famous blades and fine weapons.
There were hundreds of swords alone whose quality rivaled that of a Ryo Wazamono.
It was only because the swordsmiths who forged them weren't especially renowned, and because those blades had never been wielded by suitable master swordsmen to leave behind legendary tales…
that their names had never appeared in the catalog of the Fifty Ryo Wazamono.
As for blades of Meito quality, there were simply too many to count.
It could be said that in Wano Country, even a casually made sword from a local smith would at minimum start at Meito level.
Outside, such things might still be considered rare treasures, worthy of being displayed as prized goods in a sword shop.
But in Wano Country, the land of samurai, Meito were already so common they were practically everywhere.
In the blink of an eye, three days passed.
On Robin's side, the translation of the Road Poneglyph had finally been completed.
Red also found an opportunity to invite the Tobiroppo, Yamato, and the others into the Pokémon world, granting them Pokémon status panels.
The remnants of the Beasts Pirates wouldn't accept the Straw Hat Pirates' existence so quickly, but fortunately, Red had never planned to completely subdue every single one of them from the start.
As long as he brought the Tobiroppo under his control and let them continue serving as the upper echelon of the Beasts Pirates while working for him, that would be enough.
At this point, more than half of their purpose in coming to Wano Country had already been fulfilled.
As for the remaining matters, they only needed to wait for news from Kin'emon's side.
At Luffy's urging, the Straw Hat Pirates quickly formed a Wano sightseeing group, planning to wander all across the country.
After all, it had once been a golden land. Though Wano Country had declined, it still contained many ancient and fascinating sights.
…
…
"Seriously, covering the outskirts of such a beautiful city with factories… Kaido really was a villain through and through~"
Standing atop a mountain at the edge of Kuri, Luffy pouted as he mocked Kaido's complete lack of taste while staring at the massive ring of factories surrounding the city.
Although those factories had now fallen idle because of the upheaval in Wano Country, the pollution they had caused would still take nature decades to fully cleanse.
"There's no helping it. Wano Country had unique advantages and resources, but not the power to protect itself…"
"If you're backward, you get beaten. If you're not strong enough, you still get beaten."
Sanji lit a cigarette and responded to Luffy's words.
Red had long since told them about Wano Country's history, and when it came to the suffering this land had endured, they truly didn't know how to judge it.
Should they call Oden incompetent?
But he had, after all, given his life for Wano Country.
In the end, all they could say was that the bad people had been too evil, the good people too good, and the people of Wano had simply been unlucky.
After several days of traveling around, the Straw Hats had already gained a deep understanding of Wano's current condition.
During that time, they had even run into relief teams from the Kozuki family more than once.
These people were retainers of the Kozuki clan recruited over the past few days by Kin'emon and the others, specifically dispatched to the various regions of Wano Country to spread the news that Kozuki Hiyori had become the new daimyo.
At the same time, they brought large quantities of food with them to help the people who had suffered under Kurozumi Orochi's oppression.
"Alright. No matter what, Wano Country's tragedy is over now."
At that moment, Red suddenly spoke up, interrupting everyone's unpleasant thoughts.
"I believe that under the Kozuki family's leadership, Wano Country will return to normal very soon."
"Speaking of which, Chopper—those poor people who ate the failed artificial Devil Fruits… are you confident you can cure them?"
"I'll do my best."
For the first time, Chopper's expression was heavy when it came to medicine, not daring to make a firm promise, as if blaming himself for his own inadequacy.
Kind as he was, when he saw those pitiful people of Wano who couldn't even control their own expressions, it felt as though knives were carving into his heart.
"Don't worry. There'll definitely be a way."
Seeing this, Red quickly reached out and rubbed Chopper's head, comforting him.
"After all, the creator of the artificial fruits is working for us now. If there's anything we need to understand, we can just ask him directly."
"And if all else fails… we still have Dr. Vegapunk."
"Oh, right. Once we get back, Chopper, you should join the Scientific Research Corps too."
"It might be a little hard for you to keep up with those few monsters at first, but with your talent, I'm sure they'll love you."
Not everyone could possess talent as perfect and all-encompassing as Chopper's.
Caesar's biochemical technology, Queen's modification techniques, Judge's genetic optimization, and Vegapunk's futuristic science…
If little Chopper could learn what all of them had mastered, then forget surpassing Vegapunk—even if he didn't, he would still at least become the greatest mind below Vegapunk himself!
"..."
Faced with this sudden addition to his coursework, little Chopper fell silent at once.
After all, his current studies had already left him with barely enough time as it was.
But after thinking of the poor people of Wano Country, little Chopper ultimately nodded firmly.
"Mm! I'll work hard!"
"Just do your best~ We're here for the rest~"
Red pressed down lightly on the hood atop Chopper's head with one hand, easing the burden in his heart through action.
And just then, a strange sound suddenly came from Red's pocket.
His expression shifted, and he quickly pulled out a peculiar snail.
This was Wano Country's unique communication device, a creature with functions similar to a Den Den Mushi.
It was also something Denjiro had specially given Red before parting with him and the others.
"Hello?!"
Red picked up the call.
From the other end immediately came the sound of nervous, rapid breathing.
Then a gentle female voice sounded out:
"Is… is this Lord Red?!"
"It is."
Hearing that voice, Red grinned. Before the other side could continue, he said:
"If I'm not mistaken, then you should be the only bloodline descendant of Kozuki Oden—Princess Kozuki Hiyori, correct?"
"..."
"That's right."
On the other end, Kozuki Hiyori fell silent for a moment before continuing:
"Lord Red, Denjiro has already told me everything."
"At present, we have already gained control over more than eighty percent of Wano Country. As for the remaining regions, they are simply too remote, so no detailed reports have come back yet."
"I think… it is time to invite you and your companions to the Flower Capital to discuss our future cooperation."
"Excellent." Red smiled in satisfaction. "Two days earlier than agreed. Looks like you've already made your preparations."
"Preparations, huh…"
Within the shogun's palace, Kozuki Hiyori let out a bitter smile, though she could only nod along.
Although she still didn't know what exactly the Straw Hat Pirates intended to do within Wano Country's territory, she was smart enough to understand that she had no room to choose.
What the Straw Hat Pirates needed was an obedient shogun of Wano Country—not a shogun of Wano Country from the Kozuki family.
All she could do was hope that, as the Straw Hats claimed, they would not become the next Beasts Pirates.
After agreeing on a time to meet, the call ended.
Red then waved the telephone snail in his hand and smiled at the rest of the Straw Hats.
"Looks like our trip to Wano Country is almost over."
"Ancient Weapon · Pluton…"
Franky, who had already thoroughly studied the blueprints for Ancient Weapon · Pluton, grinned, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
He badly wanted to see just which was stronger—the warship built by the people of eight hundred years ago, or the warship built by himself!
…
…
"Wano Country Excavation Plan!?"
One day later, in the capital of Wano Country—the Flower Capital.
Kozuki Hiyori, Kin'emon, and the others by her side suddenly cried out in shock.
In the next instant, everyone lifted their heads at once and looked at the Straw Hat Pirates before them in utter confusion.
As the representative of the Straw Hat Pirates, Red merely gave a light laugh and pushed the follow-up cooperation contract forward, placing it in front of Kozuki Hiyori and the others.
Then he smiled and said, "You should understand that there's no such thing as a free lunch."
"Since you can sit atop a resource-rich nation like this with such meager strength, then naturally, you must also pay the corresponding price."
"First, the Seastone resources that were originally supplied to Kaido—you will continue to supply them in full to the Straw Hat Pirates and all those under our banner."
Seastone, incomparably hard and capable of restraining Devil Fruit users, had always been one of the precious resources of the sea.
And the overwhelming majority of the world's Seastone was produced in Wano Country.
It could be said that whoever controlled Wano Country controlled one of the rarest materials in the pirate world.
In the past, Kurozumi Orochi had used Seastone to conduct certain trades with the World Government, allowing it to flow into the outside world.
But now that the Straw Hat Pirates occupied this place, there was no way they would allow their enemies to use Wano's Seastone against the Devil Fruit users under the Straw Hats' command!
"Th-this…"
Kozuki Hiyori had just begun to voice her hesitation.
But at that moment, Red suddenly raised a finger, stopping her before she could continue, and smiled as he said:
"Of course! We won't short the miners of their wages by even a single bit."
"Every miner in a Seastone mine will enjoy the same benefits as laborers in the Pokémon Sea."
"And every craftsman capable of making Seastone tools may also choose for themselves whether to join the Straw Hat Pirates and receive lifelong security in return."
"Speaking of which, the craftsmen capable of forging blades at Ryo Wazamono grade or above can enjoy the same privilege too~"
"..."
Red's words instantly forced everything Hiyori had been about to say back down her throat.
And beside her, Denjiro and Kin'emon exchanged glances, both revealing stunned expressions.
During the time Red had been speaking, they had already seen the section in the contract detailing wages and benefits.
Because Wano Country was a closed nation, Red had thoughtfully converted Beli into equivalent practical goods instead…
such as the things Wano Country currently lacked the most—food and cloth!
According to the contract, the monthly pay for a single miner alone was enough to ensure that a family of more than ten could live without worrying about food or clothing.
This level of treatment not only far exceeded their understanding of what "normal" meant—it practically felt too good to be true!
At this rate, the people of Wano Country would probably fight to become miners for the Straw Hat Pirates.
They might even come to blows over a single job opening, causing bloodshed.
After several days of observation, they understood all too well what food meant to some of Wano's residents.
"We have no objections to that point."
"We can yield ownership of the Seastone mines."
"We only hope that Lord Red will truly do as written in the contract and let every miner live a good life."
"However…"
Kozuki Hiyori raised her brow and extended a pale, slender finger, pointing to the lower section of the contract.
"This second clause of the excavation plan—allowing members of the Straw Hat Pirates to conduct surveys and excavation within Wano Country… and stating that everything excavated shall belong to the Straw Hat Pirates alone."
"Could I trouble Lord Red to explain this point for us!?"
"Heh~"
Red chuckled softly and, without beating around the bush, said:
"Fine. I'll be direct, then…"
"You should have heard of the Ancient Weapons, right?"
"The Ancient Weapons!?"
Kozuki Hiyori and the others froze in astonishment.
Red continued his explanation:
"According to the intelligence we possess, the legendary Ancient Weapon Pluton currently lies beneath the territory of Wano Country."
"It's just that we still don't know its exact location."
"So we intend to conduct a search throughout Wano Country, and then…"
"reawaken that divine weapon which has slumbered for eight hundred years!!!"
(End of Chapter)