Chapter 797: Chapter 796: Wano Kuni’s Eccentric Regime, Black Spade Pirates
The "spirit of Oden" gradually became a well-known supernatural event in Wano Kuni, and apart from Kozuki Hiyori, the more people knew Oden, the more they felt it was reasonable.
After Kozuki Oden ended his peculiar way of amusement, his goal was to make Wano Kuni better. Although the nation hadn’t fully opened its borders yet, everything in Wano Kuni was countless times better than it was a decade ago.
Reasonable industrialization wouldn’t harm the environment but could greatly improve people’s livelihoods, not to mention the existence of Pokemon, these unscientific creatures, truly put Wano Kuni on a path of green development.
After the New Year festival, the year had reached 1517, which was a pivotal moment for Wano Kuni because, starting this year, their General had changed.
No longer just a puppet stamping documents, the General now even initiated some constructive suggestions, though these suggestions weren’t so friendly to those who still believed in prophecies.
Denjiro hinted at this to Hiyori, only to receive a response that left him speechless.
[I don’t want to be inexplicably made into a sinner, nor do I want to be inexplicably killed.]
At the same time, the traditions of Wano Kuni were also changing. Within the closed-off environment, a unique set of customs had formed, including the deities they worshipped. Previously, the religious development in Wano Kuni hadn’t gone towards singularity.
Those native deities might not have been as popular as the emerging Pokemon, but they were still seen as "legitimate." However, this year, Kozuki Hiyori made a significant change, swapping out the deity in the Divine Hall behind the General’s Palace for a statue of Arceus.
The assassination placed her firmly against the conservative forces, and a feeling of reckless abandon started turning into revenge; since they didn’t want her to live, she didn’t want to let them have peace.
...
"Lord Sacred Beast, see, there are more pilgrims now."
At the very top of the Sky Island above Wano Kuni, Arceus and Shaina were overlooking the summit of Fujiyama, watching many people from Wano Kuni climbing the mountain.
Arceus had originally come here just to observe the living environment of Altaria, only to discover some unexpected changes.
"Your decision truly was correct. Ever since the New Year festival ended, Kozuki Hiyori has gone from passive cooperation to active cooperation, and Abel has also mentioned things have become much easier lately."
Surrounded by untamed lands, the only ones who could hear them were Altaria and Swablu, so Shaina wasn’t concerned about the matters.
"Is that so...."
Arceus had no particular comment on this; he originally intended just to run an exercise, but the results were surprisingly good. Initially, the group of pilgrims consisted mostly of young people, but following the General’s words, even some hesitant elderly people started converting.
They were already torn between reality and tradition, and now with the General’s words, everything had a reasonable explanation. This was also the reason for maintaining a puppet regime: the General’s influence on Wano Kuni was profound.
Arceus wasn’t a demon; as long as no bottom lines were crossed, he preferred to be on the virtuous side, not wishing to engage in bloody purges.
Originally, Arceus thought it would take more time to complete this transformation, but unexpectedly, it happened much sooner. Based on King’s compiled information, Kozuki Hiyori even suggested redefining Wano Kuni’s royal authority system to create a theocratic system.
However, it was a bit too early to do so; the changes already underway were significant enough, and many things needed to happen gradually.
Wano Kuni’s political system was already quite unique; it was similar to a theocratic state, yet the religious authorities were not the actual rulers. The fusion of divine and royal authority was so harmonious that you couldn’t find another like it on The Sea.
"Shaina, tell Misu to tone down the actions over there; constantly making such a big deal in Wano Kuni doesn’t serve much purpose."
When it came to religious matters, Misu was definitely involved; although she was a nun, her actions were akin to that of a Pope.
"Understood, I get it."
In the past, Arceus didn’t have much of an opinion on this; the suggestion made Shaina pause for a moment before she understood.
The significance of the Arceus Sect wasn’t in collecting faith but in using more people to gather Plates. Having been in Wano Kuni for so many years, it was already confirmed there were no other Plates here.
So, making big moves within Wano Kuni didn’t yield high returns; it was time to accelerate the proselytizing outside, having followers search for more information on Plates, which was more valuable to Arceus.
Previously, Misu had also mentioned to her that during his travels, Tiger was also engaging in missionary activities, but with little success—very few people cared to hear a Fishman preach. Given her thoughts of leaving Wano Kuni, it seemed this could also be expedited.
...
Pokemon were gradually breeding offspring, and the Thousand-Year Dragon population also welcomed some new hatchlings. In the sky, Farfetch’d could be seen training, with the huge leek strapped to their backs as they practiced weight-bearing flight.
Holding the leek would make them lose balance and unable to fly. Although it seemed like an ordinary leek, its weight was substantial; even Ash would need both hands to lift it, indicating its heaviness.
Every day, Tinkaton engaged in strategic battles with Bisharp and Corviknight, Mareanie gnawed on the surrounding corals, Magikarp splashed on the sea, and the officers headed to various seas to execute tasks, all the while doing different things according to their preferences.
Time hasn’t changed the nature of The Sea; it remains an era of turmoil. The new year means a new beginning and the chance to encounter more pirates.
Time flies by in the blink of an eye as months pass quickly, with both the Navy and pirates absorbing fresh blood.
On the Shampodi Islands, another wave of newcomers reached this sea area.
A brand-new pirate flag fluttered on the mast, the background of spades bearing a skull with two contrasting emoticons and flaming insignias.
This year’s Super Rookie, Fire Fist Ace, had completed the first half of his voyage and reached the outpost of the New World.
"Hey, Ace! We’re about to reach Shampodi!"
"Really? Finally, let’s push forward and charge into the New World in one go!"
Standing at the bow, Ace was full of confidence, brimming with endless anticipation for the future. However, before he could further declare his goals, a crew member had already thrown cold water on him.
"Don’t kid yourself; entering the New World requires coating to pass through Fishman Island. We’ll need at least three days’ delay."
The speaker was Scar, a self-proclaimed pirate enthusiast and skull memorabilia collector. Having hitched rides on various ships to visit ports around the world, Scar played a massive role in helping the Black Spade Pirates reach this point...
