Soon, another villager sidled up, seemingly eager to curry favor, and added an explanation.
"Actually, that kid was pretty normal when she was born. But a few years ago, word is she accidentally ate some kind of wild fruit, and her body started changing strangely—like a balloon being inflated."
"Her parents were superstitious types. They said she'd been struck by some vicious unknown curse, got scared stiff, and abandoned her here overnight."
Accidentally eating a Devil Fruit as a child… it was hard to say whether this little girl had been lucky or unlucky.
Tenma nodded slightly, then stepped forward and gently pushed open the creaking door.
Judging by the timeline, she was only about nine years old now. Considering how long she'd been abandoned here to fend for herself, it was difficult to imagine how a little girl could survive in such an environment.
Hearing the sound at the door, inside the dim room a figure who had been clutching a battered biwa and practicing suddenly turned alert and looked over.
What came into view was dazzling blond hair and azure-blue eyes. Though still very young, her delicate features already hinted at the foundation of a future beauty.
If not for her utterly abnormal physique—already towering close to two meters tall at just nine years old—anyone would have instinctively called her adorable at first glance.
"G-Ge… General Tenma?!"
By the light spilling in from the doorway, Black Maria recognized who it was and cried out in shock.
Because of her condition, she rarely went out and had little experience with the world. Even so, the name of the shogun whose prestige now soared across Wano had reached even someone hiding away in a corner like her.
Almost immediately, she seemed to become aware of her own ugliness and abnormality. She instinctively curled up her massive body, trying to hide herself in the shadows.
Seeing this, Tenma showed not the slightest hint of disgust. Instead, he strode forward and gently brushed aside her slightly messy bangs.
"A little girl this cute—when you grow up, you'll definitely become a breathtaking beauty. Why feel inferior?"
Tenma wore his signature gentle smile, his voice carrying a soothing power that calmed the heart.
"This body that's different from everyone else is precisely proof of your unique beauty."
"You're an incredibly fortunate child in every sense, Maria Fang. I came all this way today specifically to take you home."
"Come with me. You'll become a retainer of the shogun, acknowledged by everyone. No one will ever dare look down on you again."
In the end, everything unfolded exactly as Tenma intended.
Black Maria was smoothly brought back to Shogun Castle and began systematic training as a future core combat asset.
Including Hiyori at home, there were now three girls of similar age all at once—though for now, Hiyori could only be considered a mascot rather than part of the combat lineup.
Looking at these promising seedlings, Tenma couldn't help but form even more far-reaching plans, his gaze beginning to shift toward those future powerhouses famous in the original story.
This thought only grew stronger after he surveyed Wano's existing high-end combat strength.
It wasn't that Wano's samurai were weak. Its elite warriors generally possessed both forms of Haki. Standouts like Hyogoro and Shimotsuki Ushimaru had even mastered advanced Ryuo.
This was one of the reasons Wano, despite its isolation and refusal to join the World Government, was not easily provoked—it was unquestionably a military power in the New World.
But that was national strength in a broad sense. The problem was that when Tenma tried to select top-tier elites capable of standing out and truly qualifying for the Oniwabanshu, he found no satisfactory candidates at all.
Among Wano's native forces, the strongest were Hyogoro and Shimotsuki Ushimaru.
Yet one had grown disheartened after suffering misfortune and planned to retire early, while the other was a daimyō of high status—utterly unlikely to lower himself to become Tenma's personal enforcer.
At this moment, there wasn't a single person Tenma felt satisfied with and could immediately put to work.
Part of this was due to the brutal purges and suppression Kaido and Orochi had carried out in recent years. Of course, Tenma's own high standards—preferring to leave positions vacant rather than accept mediocrity—also played a role.
The Akazaya Nine were indeed first-rate fighters by outside standards, but what Tenma wanted were warriors a tier above them—right-hand-of-an-Emperor level, or even admiral-tier strength.
Unfortunately, present-day Wano had barely a handful even at the Akazaya Nine's level, let alone monsters beyond that.
Since ready-made combat power was nowhere to be found, Tenma simply turned his attention to those with potential.
As a transmigrator who knew the future plot, memory was his greatest cheat. He could turn that information directly into advantage.
Those elites who would one day become famous across the seas were, for the most part, still just children. And this was precisely the golden period to cultivate their loyalty and sense of belonging.
Naturally, Tenma wouldn't focus solely on overseas talent. For discovering local talent within Wano, he also planned to take decisive measures.
For example, hosting a nationwide martial tournament every few years. The top three would not only receive generous rewards, but also gain official appointments directly under the shogun.
The more he thought about it, the more feasible the plan seemed. Tenma immediately spread out paper and brush, beginning to draft detailed implementation rules.
…
Several days later, one afternoon.
Inside the spacious, brightly lit shogun's office at Shogun City.
"Ah…"
Kozuki Toki had just pushed open the door when she heard a long, completely undignified sigh come from the man slumped in the chair.
"If the people outside knew that the all-powerful godlike shogun in their hearts looked this worn-out in private, they'd probably be shocked."
Seeing Tenma sprawled in his chair without a shred of decorum, Kozuki Toki covered her mouth and chuckled as she teased him.
"Even a shogun is still just a flesh-and-blood human. Mental labor is far more exhausting than cutting people down,"
Tenma straightened up and retorted, then suddenly remembered something.
"Oh right—how are those three little ones getting along lately?"
"They've already become inseparable," Toki replied, her eyes softening.
"They're all around the same age, so there's no such thing as holding grudges overnight."
"Especially Maria Fang and Hiyori. Those two seem to have made some kind of shared pact. Because of that, they've been constantly pestering your music instructor to teach them lately."
Toki's gentle nature made her brim with maternal affection toward the children, her brows and eyes curving warmly as she spoke.
"No wonder Emelie Chord, that workaholic, has been absent more often lately," Tenma said thoughtfully.
"So she's been tied down by those two little demons."
"You really can't go two sentences without being unserious…"
Toki shot him an exasperated look, then asked curiously,
"So what exactly kept you locked in here working all afternoon, to the point you're this exhausted?"
"All necessary headaches," Tenma replied.
"Using your brain really does drain the spirit."
As he spoke, Toki's gaze fell on the mountain of documents piled in front of him, her eyes lighting up slightly.
"Um… may I take a look?"
At that, Tenma suddenly sat upright, his joking expression gone, replaced with seriousness.
"Of course you can. These are core secrets you'll need to master as Chief Coordinator anyway."
"Eh? Chief Coordinator? N-no, that's too much. I can't do that,"
Toki panicked and waved her hands repeatedly.
She knew exactly how heavy that position was—the highest administrative role directly responsible to the shogun, even capable of conveying the shogun's will.
It wasn't that she doubted her ability to handle affairs. Rather, the role implied staying even closer to Tenma than the Oniwabanshu, and that level of intimacy made her flustered.
"No, I've already decided. With manpower so scarce right now, you're the only one suitable for the role. No one else fits better."
Tenma didn't give her any chance to refuse. He stood up, closed the distance, and firmly stuffed the stack of documents into her arms.
"Take these back and read through them carefully. Once you're done, just notify everyone to carry them out. I'll arrange dedicated personnel to coordinate the details with you."
"Th-then… I won't disturb your rest any longer."
—Bang!
"…Such a domineering man."
As the door closed and Tenma's carefree figure disappeared, Toki could only helplessly hug the documents and sit down in a nearby conference chair.
She gently spread the papers open, and almost instantly, the bold titles seized her attention.
[New Approaches to Economic Development — Targeted Poverty Alleviation and Rural Industrial Revitalization]
[Comprehensive Troop Recruitment, Curriculum Reform, Universal Social Sciences Education, and Raising National Literacy]
[Knowledge-Opening Policy — Introducing Advanced Overseas Technology and Eliminating the Ideological Stagnation of Isolation]
[High-End Talent Development Plan — Feasibility Analysis of Establishing Mechanized Military Academies]
[…]
Dozens of densely packed pages—every line the product of Tenma's sleepless nights and painstaking effort.
Though many unfamiliar terms appeared in the titles, the internal logic was tight and rigorous, quickly drawing in this former daimyō's wife with her considerable experience.
Just finishing the first proposal on "poverty alleviation" left Toki stunned by Tenma's terrifying political foresight.
The Flower Capital possessed Wano's most fertile land and had long topped the charts in grain output, serving as the nation's economic center.
But this advantage was also a drawback. Its prosperity drew young people from every province, causing prices to skyrocket and living costs to soar, while other regions suffered severe population loss and hollowed-out villages—dragging down Wano's overall development.
This poverty-alleviation plan proposed policy incentives and financial support to guide each region to develop characteristic industries suited to local conditions, drawing people back, revitalizing rural areas, and achieving sustainable national growth.
It was a governing solution even Oden had never been able to conceive, and the plan was so complete—complete with execution steps and even the forward-thinking concept of "sustainability."
Toki sighed inwardly, turning pages more and more slowly, her gaze growing increasingly absorbed.
The sections on knowledge dissemination and economic opening dazzled her even more, as if a door to an entirely new world had been thrown open.
Even with her repeated time jumps and years of traveling overseas with Oden, what she had seen and learned paled in comparison to the depth of this man not yet in his thirties.
Tenma—this man seemed born to be Wano's king.
A powerful sense of destiny rose in Toki's heart.
Under his leadership, Wano would surely reach a future far greater and grander than merely "opening the country."
Even without that so-called wager, at this very moment, Toki sincerely wanted to remain by Tenma's side and witness that unimaginable brilliance with her own eyes.
Already gone from the office, Tenma had no idea how much shock his casually written "common sense" had brought to Toki's heart.
He didn't truly understand complex political maneuvering, but as a modern person who had undergone nine years of compulsory education, and with the aid of memorized history lessons, he could still piece together reforms suitable for this country.
And applied to a long-isolated feudal state, these policies were nothing short of dimensionality reduction—perfectly suited.
With Tenma's full authorization, and under the primary leadership of the newly appointed Chief Coordinator Kozuki Toki, the reforms were rapidly implemented after coordination with the daimyō and major officials.
Overnight, notices about "poverty alleviation" filled the streets and alleys, the topic spreading nationwide and signaling the shogun's determination to overhaul Wano.
"Hey, did you see the notice? From now on, Shogun Tenma is heavily supporting rural development—lower taxes and all kinds of subsidies!"
"Of course I saw it. I've already packed up to return to my hometown in Hakumai. After years of working in the Flower Capital, it's time to go back and see the old place."
"Oh please—before, when people told you to go back, you said your hometown was poor and refused no matter what!"
"…"
Tangible benefits from policy dividends began drawing people's attention back toward the countryside Tenma was prioritizing.
As expected, the Flower Capital's excess wealth and overcrowded labor force began to spread outward in an orderly flow.
At the same time, Tenma once again demonstrated his near-"miraculous" power before the people—using his ability to move several overseas barren islands and position them in the airspace near Udon, forming new floating seastone and weapons-processing bases.
This maintained export production while freeing up land, allowing agriculture and animal husbandry within Wano to grow effectively as manpower returned.
In just two months after the poverty-alleviation policy's launch, every region visibly revived.
Agriculture saw the most dramatic results.
With the return of population, labor was massively replenished, and long-abandoned fields were brought back to life, once again lush and green.
Grain output estimates for these two months alone already matched half of Wano's annual harvest in the past—and this was only the beginning. As planting stabilized, future growth was incalculable.
By the third month, Shogun City issued another announcement—this time for the initial selection of talent-training programs.
Once again, public response was explosive. Following the wave of people returning to their hometowns came a surge of martial enthusiasm among heroes and samurai.
Dojo enrollments skyrocketed, revenues soared, and Wano's future military foundation grew deeper with each infusion of fresh blood.
By the fifth month, as the calendar approached Sea Circle Year 1503, Tenma unexpectedly obtained a Devil Fruit while visiting the northern graveyard of Ringo.
Based on his judgment, this was likely the fruit that the fox Onimaru—Shimotsuki Ushimaru's companion in the original story—would later eat: the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Ōnyūdō Model.
Considering Wano's long history as a treasure-rich land, it made sense that many Devil Fruits lay scattered about. For example, Shinobu's Mature-Mature Fruit might not yet have been eaten.
Inspired, Tenma began promoting Devil Fruit knowledge nationwide.
Through school lessons and public notices, he explained that these powers long regarded as "sorcery" actually came from treasures known as Devil Fruits.
At the same time, he mobilized the entire country, encouraging citizens to submit any strangely shaped fruits they discovered to Shogun City. In return, the state would offer extremely generous rewards.
By March of Sea Circle Year 1503, the people of Wano had broadly grasped basic knowledge of Devil Fruits, and Tenma himself had received three fruits submitted by citizens.
Unfortunately, without a Devil Fruit encyclopedia, he could only stare at them, unable to identify their abilities.
Faced with such informational limitations, Tenma felt that Wano still lacked far too much—and the idea of setting sail began to take shape in his mind.
When Yamato learned of his plan, her long-held dream of going out to sea flared up instantly. She predictably began clinging to Tenma every day.
Black Maria , too—though she said nothing outright—betrayed her true feelings with the starry light shimmering in her watery eyes.
This voyage wouldn't be a hasty departure like before, undertaken to save Wano.
This time, Tenma could calmly plan the routes he wanted to explore—routes that naturally included seeking out and bringing back future seed candidates with astonishing potential.
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