Yamato felt that, rather than asking Luke about every little thing before acting, it would be better to simply let him take charge. That way, she could relax and watch from the side while learning.
Luke could not help but laugh at Yamato’s words. What kind of ruler handed over authority so casually? Still, her trust moved him. He could only make up his mind to do everything he could to help her clean up Wano’s mess.
"So you are Strategist Luke. I will have someone bring you the latest roster at once for your review."
Fukurokuju was exceptionally skilled at reading the room. He had realized that although the Guardian Deity’s daughter was the new Shogun, she seemed to have no independent opinions whatsoever. She practically followed Luke’s lead in everything.
In other words, Luke was likely to be their immediate superior for some time to come. There was no downside to currying favor with him.
"Mm. Have someone clean up the Shogun’s palace. I do not want that strange stink everywhere. Also, in addition to the ninja roster, bring me a list of Orochi’s original inner circle."
Luke looked directly into Fukurokuju’s eyes. "Do not try anything clever."
Fukurokuju was certainly a powerful man. In the original story, he could fight Raizo of the Nine Red Scabbards to a standstill. In terms of pure combat ability, he was undoubtedly stronger than Luke.
But people like him did not place much value on an individual’s strength. What truly tempted them was power.
Now that Yamato had become Wano’s new Shogun, Luke stood above everyone in Wano save for her alone. And behind them stood the Beast Pirates. Fukurokuju could only lower his head and obey.
"Rest assured, Mr. Luke. I will immediately order the Flower Capital sealed off. Not a single remnant of the Kurozumi will escape."
Fukurokuju’s aged face twisted into a vicious expression, as though he loathed Orochi’s faction beyond measure. Anyone unaware of the truth might have mistaken him for some righteous patriot.
"Just arrest the people at the core of the chain. Do not rush to kill them. I still have a use for them."
Luke had no desire to keep the Flower Capital in chaos and leave its people living in constant fear.
"Understood. I will see to it at once."
After receiving his orders, Fukurokuju waved a hand. The ninjas present vanished in an instant, silent and efficient like the ninjas from an anime.
"Brother Luke..."
Once the ninjas had gone, Yamato hesitated before speaking. "Is this really all right? Those people were Orochi’s lackeys too. Shouldn’t we get rid of them?"
"Yamato, if you put it that way, everyone living in the Flower Capital has some connection to Orochi. Are we supposed to kill them all?"
Luke explained, "Besides, if we get rid of all those ninjas, who will handle things for us? Do you think your father will give us more manpower?"
Yamato froze. "Wouldn’t he send people to help me? The Beast Pirates have plenty of people, and it feels like they are usually doing nothing anyway."
Luke rubbed his forehead and sighed. "Yamato, why do you think your father never had the Beast Pirates directly govern Wano?"
"Wasn’t it because he had an agreement with Orochi..."
Yamato stopped halfway through, sensing that something was wrong. If Kaido truly intended to honor their agreement, he would not have sent them here to kill Orochi.
"The fact that the Beast Pirates never directly managed Wano means your father has some sense. How could pirates possibly govern a country well? Orochi was scum, true, but he came from a family of rulers and at least understood a little about administration. The people under him also had experience running the country. You do not seriously think bringing in a gang of pirates would produce better results than Orochi, do you?"
Luke continued, "Think about how the pirates in the crew usually behave. Dividing up management between them is manageable for now, but if they came to Wano and became administrators, they would completely run wild."
"So that’s how it is. I never thought things through as deeply as Father did. That is humiliating."
Yamato sounded a little embarrassed.
"Do not underestimate your father. He is one of the Four Emperors. His life experience is far beyond yours," Luke said. "Having us straighten out Wano is both a test and an experiment. We probably will not receive any manpower support at first. In truth, a country cannot be governed by a pack of pirates anyway. We need to select a group of ordinary, capable people."
"Do those ninjas count as ordinary people?"
Yamato asked for guidance.
Luke shook his head. "Of course they do not. But they are not administrators either. They are simply our hands and feet. A man like Fukurokuju only submits to power. As long as our position remains secure, he will not betray us. He is useful."
Yamato immediately understood. Without the ninja corps, they would have no eyes or ears. They would have to personally handle everything, and that would not do. "Then what about the other levels of administrators in Orochi’s faction?"
"Kill every last one of them."
Luke sneered. "Every single one. They are all the kind of vermin who bleed people dry. They were not corrupted by Orochi’s faction. They were rotten from the very beginning."
Orochi’s purpose in becoming Shogun had been to destroy Wano. It was easy to imagine the sort of people he would choose as administrators. He had deliberately selected the kind who would prey upon the people.
As Yamato sought Luke’s advice on their plans for the future in the Shogun’s palace, Kaido on Onigashima received the news through his spy.
"That fast? How did that kid pull it off?"
Kaido was somewhat surprised. He knew the Barrier-Barrier Fruit user beside Orochi was a difficult opponent. Within the Beast Pirates, only Kaido himself could break through that defense head-on.
He had originally wanted to see how Luke, that clever kid, would solve the problem. If Luke truly could not manage it, Kaido would consider taking action himself, killing Orochi, and making Yamato Shogun.
Yet Yamato and Luke had only just arrived in Wano, and they had slaughtered Orochi on their very first night.
"Reporting to the Governor: after Luke and the Oni Princess arrived at the Shogun’s palace, they attacked immediately. By some unknown method, he passed directly through the barrier and killed Orochi with a single slash."
The female Caiman spy reported.
"Passed through the barrier? He does not have a Devil Fruit power..."
Kaido was puzzled, but he did not press the matter. He merely guessed that it might be some strange technique from Luke’s homeland. After all, this sea was full of bizarre phenomena. An ability that could pass through barriers was not especially rare.
He had wanted to see how Luke would use strategy to kill Orochi. Instead, the boy had simply charged through him by force. Kaido was a little disappointed for a moment, yet he admired Luke even more.
"Pass down the order. Speed up the grain shipments. Also, make the arrangements. Tomorrow, I will attend the ceremony as the Guardian Deity and publicly endorse Yamato’s position as Shogun."
Kaido gave his orders. As Wano’s Guardian Deity, he was something like the nation’s protector. With Orochi dead and his daughter taking the throne the next day, he naturally had to appear.
After his subordinate left, Kaido picked up a jar of liquor and drank deeply. He walked outside the cave and gazed at the bright moon. "I am actually a little curious to see what Wano will become."
…
The following morning, Luke and Yamato emerged from the Shogun’s palace after talking through the entire night.
A heavy, oppressive atmosphere hung over the Flower Capital that day. There were far fewer pedestrians in the streets, and every home had its doors tightly shut. Clearly, people had learned of Orochi’s death and were terrified.
The previous night, the Oniwabanshu had mobilized en masse, rounding up officials from Orochi’s faction, while the security forces sealed off every entrance and exit to the Flower Capital. The whole city had been thrown into upheaval.
Although martial law had been lifted that morning, the people remained deeply uneasy.
Most of the local populace had interests tied to Orochi’s faction. Otherwise, they would not have been able to live prosperous lives in the Flower Capital.
As fear spread through the city, the security forces began making public announcements in the streets, revealing the "truth" of what had happened.
The news that Orochi had rebelled and been slain by righteous figures soon spread everywhere, leaving many who heard it utterly baffled.
Orochi had rebelled? Against whom? Was he not the ruler of the country himself?
Then, once people learned that Yamato would be the new Shogun, they became even more frightened.
They all realized that the Beast Pirates were finally no longer content to remain shadows behind the scenes. They were stepping into the open.
Who was Yamato? Many people did not know, but once those aware of her identity explained it, the news spread instantly. She was Kaido’s daughter. Naturally, she represented the Beast Pirates themselves.
People could only lament Wano’s endless misfortunes. First, Orochi had ravaged the country. Now pirates had taken over directly. Many thought that might be even worse than Orochi.
Moreover, many people in the Flower Capital had benefited from Orochi’s faction. They now bitterly hated Yamato and those so-called "righteous figures."
As the news continued to circulate and ferment, the people’s unease steadily rose. Beyond the Flower Capital, citizens throughout the country gradually learned that Wano had changed hands.
At noon, beneath the blazing sun, a major event took place in the Flower Capital.
Every official from Orochi’s faction was brought to the center of the busiest marketplace and executed in full view of the public.
For many people in the Flower Capital, it was their first time seeing the legendary Oni Princess Yamato. They were also deeply impressed by the imposing man in black standing at her side.
It was that black-clad man who coldly gave the order that sent more than a thousand heads rolling. There was no honorable seppuku. Every one of them was beheaded outright.
The sheer brutality of the spectacle left the populace drenched in cold sweat. Those who had run gray-market businesses by exploiting their connections to officials were especially terrified, afraid that the investigation would eventually reach them.
Such iron-blooded measures destroyed any illusion of luck. Some prepared to flee the Flower Capital and live under new identities, while others prepared to wash their hands of their old lives and become decent people from then on.
In the afternoon, as the sun began to set, a majestic azure dragon descended from the clouds.
Its divine might and imposing presence filled many with terror, while others gazed upon the powerful creature with reverence.
Under the witness of Wano’s Guardian Deity, Yamato officially became the country’s Shogun and would rule Wano from that day onward.
Well, from Luke’s perspective, the entire so-called ceremony had been absurdly perfunctory. In the end, it had no real legitimacy at all.
But this world spoke through fists. The victor became king and the loser was condemned. They could say whatever they wanted about Orochi now, just as Orochi had freely smeared the Kozuki Family.
At present, most of Wano’s people resisted and feared the Beast Pirates’ rule. They longed for the gentler era of Kozuki rule. But Luke would make them forget the Kozuki Family soon enough.
The masses had short memories. At the end of the day, it did not matter to them who stood at the top. All they wanted was enough food, warm clothes, and a good life.
Just like the rulers of old: a ruler who let the people live well was a good ruler. If the people could not live well, they would overthrow him and wait for the next good ruler to appear. The cycle would repeat itself.
If, under Yamato’s rule, the people gradually discovered that their lives were even better than they had been under the Kozuki Family, would they still worship the Kozuki Family and call Yamato a pirate who had usurped the throne?
Of course not. The people were not fools. Once they grew accustomed to a good life, no one would miss the backward days of poverty and hardship.
"Kid, you did well. King will bring the grain tomorrow. Make sure you distribute it properly this time. I do not want any problems with my factories."
After the ceremony, Kaido patted Luke on the shoulder. Judging by the smile on his face, he truly seemed to regard Luke as one of his own.
"Rest assured, Governor. It will not affect our crew’s operations. I will also quickly win over Wano’s people. After that, our factories may even become more productive."
Luke smiled. Every word landed exactly where Kaido wanted it to. But he was not making empty promises. If things proceeded according to his plan, not only would Wano’s people support them, but its productivity would rise as well. Naturally, the factories would benefit.
Kaido’s smile widened. He took a box from a subordinate behind him and tossed it to Luke. "This is the reward you deserve. Eat it, and serve Yamato well from now on."
Luke caught it and looked inside, only to discover that it was a Zoan Devil Fruit.
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