Three months later.
Kuri.
Amiasa Village.
Amidst the clouds, a giant emerald dragon weaved and soared.
"Rain Prayer!"
Under the great power of the Sky God, dark clouds surged, lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled. In the blink of an eye, a gentle drizzle began to fall.
The rain soaked the dry fields below, and the wilting rice seedlings stretched their bodies, revitalized.
"Thank you, Lord Kane, for the rain, and thank you, General Yamato."
A group of villagers dressed as farmers clasped their hands together, bowing in endless gratitude.
With Lord Kane, who could summon wind and rain, and General Yamato, who reduced rent and interest, they were sure to have a prosperous year.
Yamato, wearing a straw hat, stood with hands on her hips, smiling as she watched the scene.
Not far away, a strange old man with a long-nosed mask and large wings on his back looked on with a complex expression.
In the past, their Kozuki Family could not bring favorable weather to the people of Wano Country, but now, a group of pirates had achieved it.
This left Kozuki Sukiyaki, who had transformed into Tenguyama Hitetsu, with mixed feelings.
Ever since Orochi's downfall and Yamato's ascension, the lives of Wano Country's people had visibly improved.
Fields polluted by factories were restored by medicines developed by Beasts, and factory artisans now had time off to enjoy life.
Even the farmers among them were provided with agricultural machinery by Beasts.
Beasts even offered low-interest loans for farmers to purchase machines.
And there was this young girl before them.
As Kaido's daughter and the General of Wano Country, she not only lacked airs but also personally helped the people with their work.
One person's labor was comparable to that of an entire village.
Wherever she went, the people welcomed her wholeheartedly.
That vibrant, flourishing atmosphere was still vivid in his mind.
If things continued like this, was there truly a need for the Kozuki Family to return?
Kozuki Sukiyaki fell into deep thought.
Also deep in thought was Ashura Doji on Mount Tou in the distance.
He stood on the mountaintop, gazing at the dark clouds in the distance, silent for a long time.
"Big Brother, this is the fifth time in these three months, isn't it? Lord Kane is truly amazing," Samurai Kawauchi blurted out.
"Indeed," Ashura Doji said slowly, not dwelling on Kawauchi's respectful address for Kane, even though, theoretically, they were still enemies.
Kawauchi's family was in Kuri, within Amiasa Village.
How could one speak disrespectfully to a benefactor when receiving their kindness?
Kawauchi pursed his lips and said, troubled, "Big Brother, two more of our brothers left yesterday."
This was already the second time this month.
Ever since the new General's rule stabilized, many people's minds had wavered, wanting to return home to farm or work as laborers.
Not everyone was willing to live a life on the edge of a knife.
Especially their Mount Tou Bandit Group, many of whom were forced into homelessness and destitution by Orochi, and had no choice but to join the group in the mountains.
Facing this situation, Ashura Doji acted with extreme magnanimity.
"You can leave. Whatever you brought when you joined, you can take with you. You are not allowed to take any other valuables; those belong to everyone. I will also provide you with travel expenses and dry rations."
Just like that, Ashura Doji sent off batch after batch of brothers.
The Mount Tou Bandit Group, once flourishing with as many as 280 subordinates, had now seen over fifty people leave, and the frequency of departures was increasing.
"Kawauchi, aren't you leaving?" Ashura Doji asked curiously, "Isn't your mother and younger brother in Amiasa Village? From the current situation, Beasts doesn't seem to care about reformed bandits."
"Big Brother, I want to stay with you," Kawauchi scratched his head awkwardly. "Besides, if I go home now, won't there be another mouth to feed? The harvest hasn't even begun yet."
"Hahahaha, you rascal."
Ashura Doji laughed loudly, turned, and walked away.
"Come on, accompany me for some sword practice."
...
Amiasa Village.
After calculating the time and amount of rain, Kane controlled the rain clouds to disperse, revealing the sun.
"Kane, look, this is the new straw hat everyone gave me. Does it look good?"
Yamato hopped over, like a child showing off a new toy.
Kane took the straw hat and found that it was not only smoothly polished without burrs but also had a Q-version avatar of the Great Mouth Shura Beast drawn on it by a skilled hand.
No wonder Yamato liked it so much.
"It suits you very well."
"Right? I think so too."
The girl giggled.
These past three months had been the happiest time of her life.
The dream she once thought unattainable was getting closer and closer, and the smiles on the faces of Wano Country's people were increasing.
Yamato felt that her decision to listen to Kane's advice was absolutely correct.
Kane chatted with Yamato for a few moments, then walked towards Tenguyama Hitetsu.
"Mr. Tenguyama Hitetsu, I see you're skilled at crafting farming tools. Are you interested in working at the weapon factory as a technical director?"
Due to the need for cultivating farmland, Tenguyama Hitetsu, who once made a living forging swords, had directly switched to crafting farming tools.
And surprisingly, as a master swordsmith who had forged the Sandai Kitetsu and several Great Grade Swords, Tenguyama Hitetsu's farming tools were highly praised.
Because of Yamato's righteous act of reclaiming barren land for Amiasa Village, Tenguyama Hitetsu had even custom-made a complete set of farming tools for her.
Yamato adored them, even using Armament Haki to enhance them during use.
Kane even thought that Yamato might be able to forge a set of black farming tools in the future.
Getting back to the main topic, Tenguyama Hitetsu naturally refused to leave Amiasa Village. He had barely escaped from Orochi's secret room, and had hidden his identity here precisely because he did not want to get involved in disputes.
"Thank you for your kindness, Lord Kane. I am old and only good for making farming tools. I'm afraid I lack the strength for a weapon factory."
Kane, however, smiled meaningfully: "Being a technical director is very simple. You just need to guide the artisans, improve their skills, control quality, and occasionally participate in weapon development according to requirements. It's as simple as being the General of Wano Country..."
Why? Why did he have to use the General as an example?
He knew?
Tenguyama Hitetsu's body trembled, but he tried his best to keep his voice calm: "You jest, sir. A General must be busy with a myriad of tasks; how could it be simple?"
"It's not!"
Yamato appeared, counting on her fingers: "As General, I only need to stamp documents. It's farming, digging irrigation ditches, and repairing dams that take up more of my time."
Tenguyama Hitetsu was speechless.
Do you think everyone is like you, enjoying being a puppet General?
Kane smiled, "Have you considered it?"
Tenguyama Hitetsu understood that he had no room to refuse. "Since you sincerely invite me, sir, I shall do my best."
"That's good," Kane nodded in satisfaction.
As for how much he truly needed Tenguyama Hitetsu's talent, that was not necessarily the case.
With the artisans of Wano Country contributing, the quality of Beasts' weapons was universally acclaimed; one less Tenguyama Hitetsu would not make much of a difference.
But he just wanted to see the expressions on the faces of those samurai loyal to the Kozuki Family when they learned their old master was working for the Beasts Pirates.
Just thinking about it made him a little excited.
Before leaving, Kane, having satisfied his small mischievous urge, kindly reminded him: "As long as you are dedicated and responsible, Beasts will not care about historical conflicts. This is also Mr. Kaido's stance."
With that, he disregarded Tenguyama Hitetsu's reaction and left directly with Yamato.
