"I'm a rough man and a notorious pirate, so if I become the shogun, I'm sure you all would be worried..."
Kaido paused here—mainly because he forgot his lines. After Gusion reminded him, he continued, "So, I want my daughter Yamato to be this country's shogun. She has never set out to sea and grew up here just like all of you. She is one of you—a member of this country, with a heart set on making it better."
This time, everyone present showed approval. Over the past few months, Yamato had been in constant contact with the people—her likable appearance, cheerful and generous manner, and the benefits she brought to everyone had won them over.
Even those who were wary of Yamato's identity as a pirate's daughter couldn't help but praise her as a good shogun—she truly made sure they were fed, and life kept improving.
As Kaido mentioned Yamato, people began to realize the father-daughter relationship. If Yamato, such a bright and kind ruler, was raised by Kaido, then perhaps their family upbringing wasn't so bad after all.
There's a saying—"like father, like child." If they followed that logic, had they misunderstood Kaido all along?
Maybe Kaido wasn't the ruthless, cruel villain they thought, but a hero with a heart for his country?
The only reason Kaido and the ruling Kozuki clan had been enemies was due to their opposing positions. Instinctively, people thought Kaido was the villain, and the Kozuki were justice.
But if you compare: many here went hungry and had nowhere to live under the Kozuki regime. Now, everyone is fed and clothed, and soon they'll have their own homes!
Thinking about it, maybe Kaido's family is a better ruler.
"These past months, I've seen the results of her governance. At the very least, people are no longer dying of hunger on the streets every day."
Kaido continued, "It was only after I got involved in governing this country that I truly realized the mistakes made in the past. For example, our factories polluted the environment, making much of the land unsuitable for farming and leaving many people homeless and hungry."
The people were moved—because, in their minds, a ruler would never admit his own mistakes.
For Kaido, one of the Four Emperors and a fearsome pirate, to confess that his factories had caused famine—it touched many deeply.
Gusion thought it was a bit much, but this tactic worked on Wano's people.
To put it bluntly, these people were a bit submissive, but it made the Beast Pirates' transition of power easier.
Regardless of Kaido's original intentions, Gusion felt that as long as he made people's lives better, it was a kind of atonement.
"But now, I've ordered all factories to be reformed. Wastewater will no longer affect your lives, and after that, we'll continue to improve the environment so the land becomes more fertile."
Kaido read the speech with a deadpan face, but the people were truly moved.
"I hope that, through our efforts, this country will no longer know hunger. Everyone will be fed, every family will have a home, children will be educated, adults will find work, and happiness will fill the air."
Kaido recited the speech, thinking it nauseating, but all for his ambitions.
Still, he secretly praised Gusion's brilliance—he was just following Gusion's words, and already, people were moved to tears.
Sensing the atmosphere was right, Kaido waved his hand boldly and declared, "Wano has always been closed off, a way of self-preservation amid the chaos of the New World. But from today, Wano will no longer be closed—it is officially opening up!"
His gaze swept the crowd below. "You need not worry—any foreign enemies will be defeated by me. I will defend this country!"
As soon as he finished, one of Gusion's planted supporters in the crowd shouted, "Guardian Deity, Kaido-sama!"
With the mood stoked and deliberate encouragement, more and more people joined in:
"Guardian Deity, Kaido-sama!"
"Guardian Deity, Kaido-sama!"
...
What started as scattered shouts became a unified chant, sweeping out like a tidal wave.
Even Kaido was shocked by the scene. He could sense that, at first, the crowd's cheers weren't genuine, but as the chanting continued, the people's excitement became real, as if they truly believed he was their nation's protector.
The cheers lasted over ten minutes before gradually subsiding.
Kaido raised his hand, signaling for quiet. Finally, a natural smile appeared on his face as he walked to the pile of house deeds. "Everyone, Wano is just starting to recover. I can't promise everything will be perfect, but let me begin by making sure you all have homes."
He looked at the first worker in the crowd. "Come on up and receive your house."
This worker, lucky enough to be first in line, wasn't one of Gusion's plants—he had just wanted a home so badly that he started queuing since midnight.
Now, being called by Kaido, he was overwhelmed. "To be given a house by Kaido-sama himself—what an honor!"
He was so excited he almost stumbled as he walked up. Kaido reached out and grabbed him by the collar, steadying him.
Afraid he'd lose his chance over his clumsiness, the worker was relieved to see Kaido not annoyed, but already reaching for a deed.
"Th-thank you so much, my lord. If not for you, I'd still be starving and scavenging on the streets. Now I work in a factory and can support my family. To get a house today... I can't express my gratitude in words."
He spoke incoherently, even shedding tears.
His reaction left Kaido at a loss—he'd never received such heartfelt thanks from the people before. He didn't know how to respond until Gusion prompted him.
"Which factory do you work at?"
"Sir, I work at Factory 107, west of Kuri."
Kaido handed him a nearby house deed. "Write your name and put your thumbprint—then it's yours."
The worker took it with trembling hands, scrawled his name (which he'd just learned how to write), and pressed his thumbprint.
He stood there, dazed, as if in a dream.
"Work hard and create a bright future for yourself," Gusion said from the side.
The worker snapped back, bowing repeatedly. "Thank you, my lord! Thank you, Lord Gusion!"
He quickly left the stage so the next person could come up.
With the first worker's success, the crowd grew even more excited.
Each worker who went up received their house, and the lucky ones even got a word from Kaido, walking offstage beaming with pride.
By noon, Gusion had Kaido leave the scene—there were too many houses to distribute, and if Kaido handled each one, it'd take days.
Kaido's appearance was just a show arranged by Gusion; the real distribution would be handled by expanding service windows for efficiency.
After leaving, Kaido let out a long sigh, loosening his black haori. "I really can't get used to these clothes."
He looked at Gusion, "Don't make me do this again. It's not enjoyable at all."
Gusion looked at Kaido and thought, Your expression says otherwise.
Kaido hadn't stopped smiling since the first worker.
Truth is, unless you're a true sociopath, being sincerely thanked feels good—even Kaido was no exception. He just needed to maintain his dignity and wouldn't admit he was happy.
Yep, a classic tsundere.
"Don't worry—this sets the tone. With some more publicity, you'll become the beloved Guardian Deity of Wano."
Gusion smiled.
"Hmph—"
Kaido snorted. "I don't need the adoration of the weak. I just want talented people to work for me and strong soldiers in my army."
"Sure, sure. Today must have been so tough for you," Gusion joked. "Now that Wano is on track, you just need to count your money."
Kaido nodded, satisfied. "So, how much more will I be making?"
Gusion did some mental math. "By year's end, monthly income should be ten times what it was before."
"That much!?"
Kaido was shocked. He thought doubling income would be amazing, but tenfold?
So, working one year would be like working ten years before!
"And that's just during the development phase. Once infrastructure is complete, by the end of next year, income could be twenty times higher."
Gusion wasn't exaggerating.
Wano's factory scale was four times what it was, with more factories under construction. By year's end, output would be five or six times higher.
With trained craftsmen, productivity would more than double—so factory income alone would be ten times higher.
As for raw materials, Wano was rich in minerals. Gusion had unemployed or elderly people mining for a living wage (though not as good as factory workers, to encourage skill development).
With further expansion, next year's income would naturally be even higher.
Wano's population was about 80 million, but Kaido had only built a few dozen factories, employing less than ten thousand workers—a tiny fraction of the labor force.
With proper development, as Gusion planned, Kaido's income could increase a hundredfold in a few years.