Kurosaki Rei hadn't expected that the one he needed to deal with wouldn't be Yamato's questions—but Kaido's examination instead.
At this point, how could he not understand? Kaido had almost certainly been monitoring both him and Yamato through some means all along.
After all, Yamato wasn't the type to blab everything to Kaido, yet Kaido seemed remarkably well-informed about their "reform" intentions.
Once he grasped that key point, Kurosaki Rei's headache only grew worse. He had originally come up with a few ideas—enough to placate Yamato—but Kaido, even if he didn't understand state governance, was still a seasoned pirate in his forties or fifties. He wasn't nearly as easy to fool as Yamato.
Judging by Kaido's posture, if Kurosaki Rei couldn't produce something convincing, Kaido probably wouldn't let the matter go.
After a moment of thought, Kurosaki Rei looked up and said,
"Governor, do you want to hear the truth, or something pleasant?"
Kaido grabbed a wine jar and gulped down a few mouthfuls.
"Of course the truth. This is just a discussion—I'm not that narrow-minded."
Kurosaki Rei felt Kaido's words were fairly trustworthy, so he spoke frankly:
"The truth is that the Beasts Pirates' rule over Wano is terrible. By my estimation, in no more than fifteen years, Wano's order will completely collapse. The country will no longer function as a state, and your factories under its banner will inevitably be affected and eventually cease operation."
Hearing this, Yamato's mouth fell open in shock. She hadn't thought things were this serious—she had only believed that twelve years later, a hero would appear to save Wano.
Kaido's expression darkened.
"Kid, what's your basis for that claim?"
He felt Wano was doing just fine. He had opened factories, paid wages to workers—he even considered himself a model pirate, at least far better than his partner Doflamingo, who allegedly exploited the Tontatta Tribe without paying them a single berry.
Calling himself the Bright King of this country, Kaido genuinely believed he was doing a decent job. In a sense, he really was Wano's protector. In recent years, unemployment had decreased significantly, all thanks to the factories he'd established.
"There are many reasons that would lead to such an outcome," Kurosaki Rei said.
"I can only analyze them for you step by step. First, I'd like to ask: Governor, what is Wano's current grain output? How does it compare to before you arrived? And how well-fed are the people?"
Kaido frowned. He didn't get angry, but after thinking for a moment, he replied,
"Wano's grain output has indeed been decreasing year by year. But I don't see that as a major issue. The Beasts Pirates engage in external trade, and we import a large amount of food. According to Maria's estimates, it's enough to keep the country running."
As he spoke, Kaido glanced at Black Maria. Among the Beasts Pirates, she was considered one of the smarter ones, so he often consulted her on matters that required more thought.
Of course, the one he was closest to was King—but King wasn't particularly good at thinking either.
"As the Governor says, grain prices are not high, and we currently rely on imports,"
Black Maria, who had remained silent while pouring wine, finally spoke.
"Based on our calculations, the imported grain is sufficient for the population to eat their fill. It won't lead to a loss of labor."
The Beasts Pirates didn't do this out of kindness. In their view, Wano's people were an important labor resource—if everyone starved to death, no one would work in their factories.
Kurosaki Rei nodded.
"As the saying goes, food is the foundation of the people. Governor, the fact that you've considered this already puts you ahead of many rulers."
He subtly praised Kaido before continuing:
"However, Governor, have you considered that even if the total amount of grain is sufficient, problems in distribution can still lead to famine? Moreover, as far as I know, the direct ruler of Wano is not the Beasts Pirates themselves."
Hearing the praise initially lifted Kaido's mood a little, but the latter half of Kurosaki Rei's words made him fall silent in thought.
"You mean… a large portion of the imported grain is being wasted?"
"Governor, I believe you already understand," Kurosaki Rei said calmly.
"You should know better than I do what kind of person Kurozumi Orochi is. The Beasts Pirates do import a large amount of grain, and setting aside how it's distributed internally—or whether it's wasted…"
He paused briefly.
"Just considering the portion allocated to Wano, I fear that less than thirty percent of it ever reaches the hands of the people."
Kaido fell into deep thought.
Pirates, after all, loved banquets. The Beasts Pirates held them frequently, and once the revelry began, wasting food was common. Kaido never paid it much mind.
Deep down, he didn't believe food waste was a good thing—he'd often gone hungry in his youth and rarely ate his fill—but as a leader, he knew he couldn't nitpick everything. If pirates weren't free, if even banquets required frugality, then what kind of pirates were they?
So he didn't see internal waste within the Beasts Pirates as a serious problem—just a harmless flaw.
But the portion meant for Wano was different.
Kaido had never given Wano much grain to begin with. After discussions among the higher-ups, they estimated an amount that should roughly feed the populace, then handed it over to Orochi.
But Orochi was a piece of trash—someone who ruled with cruelty out of sheer spite toward Wano's people, living extravagantly himself. It was very possible that most of that grain had been swallowed whole by him. Saying that thirty percent reached the market was already generous.
"Maria, have there been any population statistics for Wano in the last couple of years?"
Kaido asked.
After becoming a Yonko, Kaido had lived quite comfortably. Combined with his rebellious daughter, he spent most of his days drinking, rarely concerning himself with state affairs. He truly didn't know much about Wano's current condition.
"There haven't been statistics in the past two years," Maria replied, her expression slightly strained.
"But three years ago, a census showed that the population had decreased by three percent compared to five years prior."
As she spoke, she too realized something was wrong.
Logically speaking, Wano's people loved having children. With the Beasts Pirates stationed there, there were no foreign invasions. While the Beasts Pirates weren't entirely innocent, they hadn't engaged in mass slaughter either.
By all accounts, the population should have been growing—so why was it shrinking?
Watching their expressions, Kurosaki Rei felt something deeply strange.
He had a very clear understanding of his own intellect—he was not a particularly smart person. Yet he suddenly realized that in the world of One Piece, merely being a normal, rational person already qualified one as a "high-IQ strategist."
Because these people had virtually no common sense and never thought deeply about anything.
A population decline this obvious had appeared years ago—had they truly never noticed something was wrong?
"So the population decline is due to food shortages?"
Yamato pondered aloud from the side.
Kurosaki Rei nodded.
"Food shortages are the most important factor. Tracing it back, the core issue lies in distribution."
"Then does that mean I shouldn't hand food over to Kurozumi Orochi?"
Kaido frowned.
"But I feel… it's not time yet."
Kurosaki Rei knew exactly what Kaido meant by "not time yet." Orochi was merely a temporary puppet. When the time was right, Kaido would kill him and take direct control of the country.
But Kurosaki Rei was genuinely puzzled—Orochi was already a puppet with illegitimate authority. Why keep him around at all?
Waiting for the right time?
Were you planning to wait until Luffy knocked you flying before calling that the "right time"?
"Handing all the grain to Orochi is certainly a problem," Kurosaki Rei said carefully.
"But before that, Governor, there's something else you've handled poorly."
"What is it?"
Kaido asked, drawn further into the discussion.
"The amount of grain provided is too small. You didn't take into account the losses during distribution—namely, corruption."
Kurosaki Rei pointed out a blunt reality.
"Within the Beasts Pirates, no one embezzles food because no one lacks it. But in Wano, food itself is a critical asset. Even if Orochi didn't swallow most of it, at least thirty percent would still be lost to corruption as it's passed down the chain."
Kaido slammed a hand against the armrest, making the entire cavern shake. His face twisted with anger.
"They dare embezzle my grain?!"
"You underestimate human greed, Governor," Kurosaki Rei said with a faint smile.
"As it's passed down layer by layer, everyone takes their share. They might even think that if everyone does it, no one can be punished."
He continued,
"And this is largely because Orochi set the example. Those who follow him are naturally no better. Based on my observations among the populace, combined with inference, I believe that of the grain the Beasts Pirates send to Wano, less than half a percent actually reaches the people."
Kurosaki Rei had asked Yamato about this. Grain prices in Wano were extremely high. Under Orochi's brutal rule, the people had no free land to cultivate. Farmers could only keep about half of their harvest—barely enough to feed a family—while the rest was handed over to the state.
Orochi then resold that grain at exorbitant prices, further draining the people's wealth.
In reality, even factory workers under Kaido earned wages that could barely support themselves, their spouse, and children. A family of four simply couldn't afford enough food.
Orochi's capital city appeared prosperous because it was full of gangsters or entrenched interest groups under his command—the beneficiaries of the system. Outside the capital, however, most towns were impoverished, with the better ones barely managing to eat.
In simple terms, eighty percent of the grain was deducted before it even left Kaido's hands. The remaining twenty percent was carved up layer by layer by Orochi's subordinates, leaving almost nothing to leave the capital.
Most of the grain sold on the market was actually grown by Wano's own people.
Seeing Kaido's expression darken as he considered whether to change the situation, Kurosaki Rei pressed on:
"Governor, don't you find a contradiction in your method of rule?"
Kaido snapped back to attention, looking at Kurosaki Rei with a strange feeling—because he suddenly felt that he understood Yamato a little.
When he watched the livestream and saw Yamato being questioned by Kurosaki Rei, he'd felt an almost exhilarating sense of anticipation. It was extremely enjoyable.
But now that he was the one being questioned, it felt… deeply uncomfortable.
"What… contradiction?"
Kaido asked.
"Though you are a pirate, those familiar with your legend see you as a heroic overlord. After speaking with you, I also understand that you don't want to completely destroy this country—you want it to produce value for you…"
Kurosaki Rei met Kaido's gaze directly.
"Then why would you hand the nation over to someone who wants to destroy it?"
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed.Part One is officially complete — and it's now available
Go check it out and dive into the full experience.
Claim early access here: [email protected]/voidink08
🔓 You hold the keys to bonus chapters:💬 10 reviews unlock 1 bonus chapter🔷 100 Power Stones summon another
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed.Part One is officially complete — and it's now available
Go check it out and dive into the full experience.
Claim early access here: [email protected]/voidink08
🔓 You hold the keys to bonus chapters:💬 10 reviews unlock 1 bonus chapter🔷 100 Power Stones summon another
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.