Flower Capital, the streets.
"The daimyo are dead, all of them!"
"Who did it?"
"Didn't the Tile Newspaper write about it?"
"Stabbed in the back, died by suicide!"
"There's such a way to die?"
"Who knows."
"I heard the new shogun is a girl!"
"I heard that too. Seems to be the Wisdom King's daughter."
"Ah, what a tragedy!"
Over the past few days, one major news after another had shocked the people of Wano Country. Even when Kozuki Oden died, it wasn't as sensational as this.
Not just the shogun—even the daimyo of every region had been wiped out.
Good news: Orochi is dead.
Bad news: A pirate became the shogun!
Good news: The daimyo are dead too.
Bad news: Pirates became the daimyo!
Shogun Yamato, Ebisu Daimyo Gurd, Linghou Daimyo Green Worm, Kuri Daimyo White Dog, Tuwan Daimyo Red Sparrow, Himi Daimyo Tea Rat.
With each day's Tile Newspaper, the people's emotions swung like a rollercoaster, leaving them even more uneasy about the future.
General Castle, where workers were making repairs.
The drafty shogun's office.
Gurd sat at his desk, reviewing documents.
A new official burns three fires—these past few days had exhausted him, with endless matters to handle in every region.
Even Green Worm and the others had been appointed as daimyo under his arrangements.
Yamato sat on top of the desk, bare feet swinging back and forth, occasionally nudging Gurd to get his attention.
Yet, Gurd completely ignored her.
The girl couldn't hold it in any longer.
"Gurd, I want to go to Ebisu Town!"
"What for?"
Gurd didn't even look up.
Yamato raised her arms excitedly.
"To work!"
"No."
Gurd refused mercilessly.
Now that this girl was the shogun, she couldn't go around doing menial labor. If the people saw her like that, tongues would wag.
Yamato instantly deflated, puffing her cheeks in frustration.
"Hmph, stingy!"
"..."
Gurd's gaze lowered to the pale, delicate feet kicking his calves repeatedly, veins popping on his forehead.
In two months, the Beasts Expeditionary Force would return to Wano Country. When they saw how much the country had changed, who knew what kind of chaos would erupt?
Just thinking about it gave him a headache.
And then there was the land annexation—
No, the regional development plan!
Even with great authority, he couldn't just seize land without reason. That would inevitably cause major unrest, wasting even more time and effort.
Time was limited—efficiency was crucial.
"Kick, I'll kick!"
"Stop messing around."
Grudgingly, Gurd grabbed Yamato's foot and pinned it to the desk. It was smooth, fair, and quite pretty.
Just a bit smelly.
This girl never sat still—of course her feet would stink. Thankfully, she loved soaking in hot springs, so after washing, her whole body smelled nice.
Holding Yamato's foot, Gurd glanced at the sky.
Still early, and he was a little tired.
"Fine, let's go take a look around Ebisu Town."
"Eh?"
Yamato's eyes lit up.
Wahahaha! My persistence moved him after all!
"Put your shoes on."
Gurd shot her an exasperated glare.
Ebisu City, construction site.
Thanks to the efforts of a thousand prisoners and nearly three months of construction, Ebisu City was beginning to take shape.
On both sides of the wide, neatly paved main road stood two-story shops, many of which had already begun interior renovations.
The residential areas were the same.
After the real estate boom, 90% of the properties in Ebisu City had been sold out, with the remaining ones not available for public purchase.
Some had to be kept in reserve.
Ebisu City, Daimyo's Mansion.
"Lord Shogun, Lord Gurd."
Shimotsuki Yasuie and Hyogoro bowed in greeting.
Gurd hadn't visited Ebisu since the presale began, with all the work during this period being handled by Yasuie.
Gurd nodded slightly and took a seat.
"Bring me the sales ledger and the progress report on Ebisu City's construction."
"Right away."
Shimotsuki Yasuie immediately produced the ledger. Knowing Gurd was coming, he had prepared all the accounts in advance.
"My lord, the money is all stored in the treasury."
"Hmm."
Gurd flipped through the ledger.
The first phase of residential construction totaled 5,000 units, with a target of 10,000 units to accommodate 50,000 residents.
This was nearly the limit for Ebisu City.
With Wano Country's limited population and underdeveloped industrialization, high-rise buildings weren't feasible. The residential units were all townhouse-style.
There were also about 500 commercial properties of varying sizes and prices, collectively worth a considerable sum.
"Residential sales: 150,000 gold. Commercial sales: 100,000 gold. Total: 250,000 gold."
Gurd's lips curled as he scanned the figures.
Compared to the costs, this was at least a fivefold profit. Moreover, most of the 250,000 gold was just down payments—the final returns would double.
Additionally, the fertile lands surrounding Ebisu City would generate substantial income, though these weren't for sale—only for lease.
Heh heh heh...
The common folk would all be working for him!
"Roads, farmland, sewage..."
Gurd continued reviewing the reports, his smile unwavering.
The project was nearing completion, with even the prisoners' workload reduced by more than half, now including midday breaks.
Gurd turned to Hyogoro.
"How are the prisoners faring?"
"All is well."
Hyogoro hesitated before adding, "Some prisoners attempted to escape earlier. After their capture, I ordered one of their eyes to be gouged out."
"..."
Gurd fixed his gaze on Hyogoro, making the latter sweat nervously.
Eye-gouging, hand-severing...
Classic underworld tactics.
Though seemingly cruel, Hyogoro was actually saving their lives. Under the Beasts' punishment for escaped prisoners, the penalty was death.
"Don't let it happen again."
"Thank you for your mercy, my lord!"
Hyogoro exhaled in relief.
He knew his intentions couldn't escape this man's notice, but he simply couldn't bring himself to execute those pitiful prisoners.
Fortunately, his old face still carried some weight.
Gurd pressed on.
"How goes the selection of exemplary prisoners?"
"As you instructed, I've chosen thirty exemplary prisoners and given them the opportunity to work for wages. Twenty-three of them chose to stay."
Hyogoro sighed inwardly.
Behind this "selection" lay Gurd's sinister scheme to make prisoners work even harder.
The chosen prisoners had long lost their families. Even if granted freedom, they had nowhere to go and no means to survive.
Thus, they could choose to stay—not only retaining their freedom but also earning wages like regular workers, even qualifying for low-interest home purchases to settle in Ebisu.
And that's exactly what they did.
Freedom, savings, a home, a future.
All granted in one stroke.
Through Gurd's discreet arrangements, several outstanding prisoners were able to marry wives—all widows who had lost their husbands.
This heartwarming scene drove the other prisoners nearly mad with envy.
In their desperate bid to become outstanding prisoners and secure freedom and a bright future, most of the inmates worked themselves to the bone, even competing fiercely among themselves. Many prisoners toiled for over fifteen hours a day—several times harder than they had in the Prisoner Quarry.
Hyogoro gave a bitter smile.
As the chief foreman, he feared the prisoners might collapse from exhaustion on the worksite. After all, even if they worked themselves to death, only a handful would ever gain their freedom.
What a terrifyingly open scheme.
Gurd narrowed his eyes.
"Keep only the necessary prisoners here. Send the rest to the villages—there are new cities that still need their labor!"
He couldn't let the prisoners rest!
(End of Chapter)