Inside Shimotsuki Castle in the Ringo District.
The Shimotsuki Family hosted a grand feast to welcome Fang Huo and his group.
The news of Shimotsuki Furiko's return from the outer seas quickly spread throughout Shimotsuki Castle.
Even the Shimotsuki Family in the Hakumai District learned of the return of Shimotsuki Furiko and Shimotsuki Kozaburo.
The samurai and ninjas openly stationed by the Shogun's Mansion around the Daimyos of each district soon sent the news back to the Flower Capital via Den Den Mushi.
"You need Sea Stone from the Udon Sea Stone Mine?"
Shimotsuki Ichiran hadn't expected Fang Huo's purpose for coming to Wano Country this time to be Sea Stone.
In fact, in present-day Wano Country, Sea Stone was merely a hard ore with no other significant use.
Because it was difficult to mine, it required professional, high-level stonemasons to process.
Therefore, the utilization rate of Sea Stone in Wano Country was not high.
It wasn't worth using for building city walls or houses.
However, low-purity Sea Stone, being easier to mine, had become an expensive construction material favored by some nobles.
But the mining and sales volumes remained small.
Thus, the Udon District was the poorest region, second only to the chaotic Kuri District.
The wealthiest place in Wano Country was naturally the Flower Capital, followed by the Hakumai District, which was once the fief of the Kurozumi Family.
Precisely because the Hakumai District was wealthy, they had developed rebellious thoughts toward the Kozuki Family, whose lineage was thinning.
But now, the Hakumai District had become the fief of the Shimotsuki Family.
"I will discuss it with the Ugetsu Daimyo and have them arrange as much manpower as possible to go all out in mining Sea Stone of various purities."
As Fang Huo brought out a large amount of platinum and silver, as well as some gold, Shimotsuki Ichiran was instantly shocked.
He hadn't expected this Emperor son-in-law to be so wealthy!
One must know that a single platinum coin was worth a thousand gold coins.
Even a cub of the Mountain God giant boar in the Flower Capital was only worth a few platinum coins, which was enough to make countless wandering samurai take risks for it.
A few platinum coins could buy a quite decent property in the most prosperous area of the Flower Capital.
Yet Fang Huo produced a chest of platinum coins with a wave of his hand; even the Shogun's Mansion probably wasn't that rich!
Shimotsuki Furiko smiled faintly; in Wano Country, the value of platinum was very high, but in the outer seas, it wasn't much more valuable than gold.
Furthermore, the exchange rate for gold and silver coins in Wano Country was somewhat low.
This allowed Fang Huo to completely drain Wano Country's gold reserves using the exchange rate difference between platinum and silver.
Moreover, Fang Huo himself had produced a large batch of platinum using the Munch-Munch Factory and Lightning Metallurgy.
This was already enough to completely disrupt Wano Country's financial system.
Fang Huo could certainly take over Wano Country by force and coerce the stonemasons to mine Sea Stone.
Of course, doing so would surely provoke constant resistance from Wano Country.
He would also have to leave behind a large amount of manpower to manage and suppress them.
It was better to use some platinum and silver to make the stonemasons of Wano Country risk their lives to mine Sea Stone for money.
At least during the period before the Red Soil Island incident began, he could have the craftsmen of Wano Country work at full capacity mining Sea Stone.
This was more efficient than coercion and oppression.
In any case, in Fang Huo's eyes, only the Sea Stone and the Pluton were of value in Wano Country.
If he could obtain Sea Stone with some platinum, then there was no need to spend more effort for now.
Perhaps through a series of economic exchanges and Sea Stone trades, Fang Huo could become a great benefactor to Wano Country.
At that time, it would depend on what Kozuki Sukiyaki did himself before Fang Huo decided how to deal with him.
---
Under the high-priced order from the Shimotsuki Daimyo, the relatively poor Udon Daimyo wasted no time and began mobilizing craftsmen to mine Sea Stone at full power.
After all, the Shimotsuki Family's reputation in Wano Country was top-tier.
The Ugetsu Daimyo of Udon had no fear that Shimotsuki Ichiran would go back on his word.
Additionally, the relationship between their Shimotsuki Family had always been very good.
The several Daimyos were close friends who had faced life and death together.
Fang Huo also didn't expect this matter to go so smoothly, not even requiring him to lift a finger.
Only some platinum and silver, plus the face of his father-in-law, were needed to settle everything.
Sure enough, when out in the world, background and connections matter.
Fang Huo's connection with Furiko allowed the Shimotsuki Family to do their best to help him.
In any case, Sea Stone was not a rare thing in Wano Country right now.
Shimotsuki Ichiran was very fond of his grandson, Kogetsu Ryuma; the Daimyo of Ringo, who had been worried for five years, finally showed a genuine smile.
His daughter had not only returned safely but had also brought back a grandson who represented hope.
This made Shimotsuki Ichiran's white hair look as if it were turning black again.
---
A few days later.
Not only did the news of Shimotsuki Furiko being an Imperial Consort of the Sacred Ancient Moon Empire spread.
Even the news that Fūgetsu Kisaburō was a General of the Kura Kingdom in the outer seas, and Shimotsuki Kozaburo was a General of the Shimotsuki Kingdom in the outer seas, spread through Wano Country as fast as a storm.
Of the Shimotsuki Family that had gone to sea, two had actually managed to gain a firm foothold, even becoming high-and-mighty Imperial Consorts and Generals.
Even the two Generals, Kisaburo and Kozaburo, had actually become vassals of the Emperor of the Ancient Moon.
Just what kind of powerful empire was this Sacred Ancient Moon Empire?
It sounded much higher in status than Wano Country and the Kozuki Family.
They were actually wealthy enough to bestow islands and kingdoms upon their subordinates.
Fang Huo let Fūgetsu Kisaburō return to the Kibi District to see the Fūgetsu Daimyo and his clansmen, allowing him to freely recruit clansmen and subordinates.
More than half of the samurai and thugs who were Kisaburo's subordinates when he was a Underworld boss wanted to follow Kisaburo to the outer seas to seek their fortunes.
Even among the clansmen of the two Shimotsuki districts, a significant number of people wanted to follow Kozaburo to sea.
Even the Ugetsu Daimyo of the Udon District wanted to use more Sea Stone to request Fūgetsu Kisaburō and Shimotsuki Kozaburo to lead some clansmen to develop in the outer seas.
To see if there was a chance to establish an Ugetsu Kingdom.
There was no reason for Fūgetsu and Shimotsuki to have established kingdom territories in the outer seas while they, the Amatsuki, did not.
As for the Kozuki Shogun Mansion's isolationist policy—to hell with it!
No one could stop their determination to achieve great things, expand their territory, and bring glory to their ancestors.
---
Inside the Shogun's Mansion in the Flower Capital.
Kozuki Sukiyaki had been receiving more and more information and intelligence over the past few days, causing his heart to be in utter turmoil.
A powerful empire with Flying Battleships.
They could even bestow islands, allowing Fūgetsu Kisaburō and Shimotsuki Kozaburo to establish kingdoms and become Generals.
Kisaburo and Kozaburo were now actually Generals of nations, just like him?
The isolationist policy passed down through generations of the Kozuki Family might be completely shattered.
No! Absolutely not!!
If more and more people went to sea, and more and more outsiders entered Wano Country, the matter of the Pluton would be exposed sooner or later.
As the Kozuki Family, who guarded the Red Poneglyph and the secret of the Pluton, they could never allow Wano Country to break its isolationist policy.
But the power of this Sacred Ancient Moon Empire seemed to far exceed his imagination.
The most critical point was that the current Shimotsuki Family were already getting a bit carried away, each wanting to go to sea and establish a nation.
He had to find a way to resolve this disaster.
If complete isolation didn't work, then perhaps relax the terms and only allow people to leave but not enter?
But that also seemed difficult to manage!
Just then, Kozuki Oden came rushing in noisily.
"Father! I also want to go to the outer seas and establish my own Kozuki Kingdom!!"
Kozuki Oden shouted excitedly. Kozuki Sukiyaki was still young, only 31 years old; who knew how many more years he would be Shogun.
In that case, he might as well go to sea and establish a kingdom himself, becoming a General immediately.
Let's see how those Underworld bosses and brothel owners would treat him like a child then!
He wanted to be the General of the Kozuki Kingdom, not the son of the Shogun of Wano Country!