Chapter 827: Winds Stir, Clouds Move
The last heir of the Kozuki family, Kozuki Momonosuke, died of radiation sickness. After his death, his retainers Kanjuro, Raizo, and the other vassals, consumed by grief and self-blame for their failure to protect him, followed their young master in the samurai way, committing seppuku.
This was the first thing Ian heard upon reuniting with Whitebeard and Shanks, leaving him silent for a long time.
Thinking back, the fact that the Straw Hat Pirates had been entrusted by Ian to return to Fish-Man Island was likely the true cause of Momonosuke's death. The Straw Hats' ship doctor, Chopper, was an exceptionally skilled physician. If they had still been by Momonosuke's side, perhaps with Chopper's medical expertise, even if he couldn't have saved Momonosuke, he could at least have prolonged his life until Ian returned. But...
Heaven's will, fate's design.
Ian shook his head, driving these thoughts from his mind. Forget it. For him, Momonosuke wasn't an important figure anyway. That little pervert was always scheming to replace his clone, Xin'an, seeking comfort from the embrace of beautiful older sisters. Ian had long found him annoying, but had refrained from hitting him out of disdain for stooping to a child's level.
Now that Momonosuke was dead, Ian only felt a sense of regret. Regardless, the Kozuki family, as the stonemason clan that had preserved the Poneglyphs through the ages, had made a tremendous contribution to this world. Without them, perhaps the blank century of history from eight hundred years ago would forever remain untraceable.
And now, the passing of the Kozuki family gave Ian an indescribable feeling, as if their family's mission had finally been completed.
The Poneglyphs had been deciphered under Robin's interpretation, revealing the truth of history. Those who now knew the truth were no longer just one or two, but thousands upon thousands. The embers left by the ancient people had found new fuel and were beginning to burn fiercely once more.
So, for once, even though Ian also disliked that brat Momonosuke, he still stood before Momonosuke's grave and observed a few minutes of silence, as a token of gratitude for the Kozuki family's contributions.
Afterward, Ian immediately threw himself into relief efforts.
The attack on Wano Country this time was far more severe than that on Amazon Lily. Amazon Lily had only suffered a single nuclear explosion and was already uninhabitable, let alone Wano, which had been hit by over a dozen nuclear strikes. Amazon Lily hadn't experienced radiation rain back then, but Wano, having been swept by a nationwide radiation rain, was completely destroyed.
Ian specifically flew over Wano to observe. Now, the land of Wano was covered in a deathly black stillness. Plants withered, animals were extinct, and bleached bones could be seen everywhere. The entire country exuded a restless, violent energy—a sensation perceived through Observation Haki from the deadly radiation. For a hundred, maybe two hundred years, the land would be unfit for human habitation.
And because of the battle between Kaido and Uranus, countless people had been infected with this nuclear radiation. Survivors fleeing Wano, whether ordinary citizens or pirates, all showed varying degrees of radiation sickness.
Ian's rejection ability from the Orihime Inoue card could expel this radiation, but in the time since his return, thousands had already died. For those already dead, Ian was powerless. To reject the phenomenon of human "death," even if Ian's Psychic Power were ten times stronger, he might not be able to do it.
So, he could only watch as people quietly buried the dead, focusing his efforts on saving those still alive.
However, although Ian's special treatment method was very effective, he was only one person. Each use of his skill required a continuous drain on his Psychic Power. Once his Psychic Power was depleted, he had to wait for it to recover. So even he couldn't save too many people, especially since the number of radiation-infected individuals this time was in the millions. If he tried to save them all alone, he would definitely die from overwork.
What he could do now was prioritize treating those with severe symptoms. For those with milder symptoms, they had to grit their teeth and endure, while doctors were intensifying their efforts to develop medicinal treatments.
Most importantly, this time Ian had brought back Dr. Vegapunk, the genius scientist. His arrival caused a huge stir among the medical scholars, and even Law became excited. Although Vegapunk wasn't specialized in medicine, his research on human life was unparalleled. It was believed that under Vegapunk's leadership, treatment drugs might be developed faster.
Currently, everyone was located on a solitary island about a thousand nautical miles from Wano. The island was relatively small, and with the sudden influx of so many refugees from Wano, it was extremely crowded. Around the island were docked ships from the Dragon Hunter Pirates, Whitebeard Pirates, and Red Hair Pirates—three Yonko crews. On these ships were pirates with milder symptoms who could still move, responsible for transporting food from farther seas to aid the Wano refugees.
While Ian was helping to save people, Ace and Sabo were assisting him. After the Revolutionary Army's successful operation to rescue Vegapunk, Dadan Dragon and the others had returned to Baltigo to prepare for the upcoming uprising. Ian, Ace, and Sabo, the three brothers, had escorted Vegapunk back, only to encounter this disaster upon arrival.
Another person assisting Ian was the little princess, Nae. This adorable little princess had become much stronger after the catastrophe that befell her homeland. She abandoned her status as a Daimyo princess and moved among the refugees daily, tirelessly caring for the sick. This noble act earned her immense prestige among the people of Wano.
This was something even the shogun, Tokugawa Kiki, could not achieve.
Speaking of Tokugawa Kiki, the shogun of Wano, although he had also been exposed to radiation, he did not die. After Ian returned, he was among the first to be cured. However, even after being healed, the shogun was completely dejected. Every day, he stared at the sea in the direction of Wano, silent for long periods.
He had deeply realized that under the Tokugawa family's leadership, Wano had been closed off for too long. Moreover, this great disaster that befell Wano was closely related to his initial introduction of the Beast Pirates to deal with the Kozuki family. So, he remained trapped in deep self-blame.
Thus, time passed day by day. About a week later, the treatment drug for radiation sickness was developed through the efforts of Vegapunk and the doctors. Then, about another month later, all the people of Wano and the pirates from the three Yonko crews had mostly recovered under the drug's treatment.
One day, just as Ian was discussing with Whitebeard how to resettle the people of Wano, they suddenly noticed many Wano samurai, led by Tokugawa Kiki, beginning to gather.
Tens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands. The gathered samurai all had their hair tied in topknots, swords at their waists. They stood silently behind Tokugawa Kiki. When they reached Ian, Whitebeard, and Shanks, they suddenly all knelt down before them!
It was a kneeling prostration with both hands on the ground.
"Thank you for your immense kindness!" the tens of thousands of Wano samurai shouted in unison, prostrating themselves.
Ian exchanged glances with Whitebeard and the others, seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.
"What are you doing?" Whitebeard Old Man spoke up. "If it's just gratitude, you've said it countless times these past days. Why again?"
Tokugawa Kiki, still prostrate, raised his head and said, "Everyone, Wano has always harbored a deep hatred for pirates. But unexpectedly, when Wano faced disaster, it was you pirate lords who saved us. Our gratitude is beyond words. In the future, should you have any commands, Wano will go through fire and water without hesitation!"
Then, Tokugawa Kiki pointed to the samurai behind him and said, "The tens of thousands of samurai here are Wano's most elite forces. If you are willing, they will join your pirate crews, hoping only to contribute their strength when you set out to punish Uranus!"
Hearing Tokugawa Kiki's words, the samurai present knelt again and shouted, "Master!!!"
This was a move to pledge allegiance to Ian, Whitebeard, and Shanks, willingly becoming their retainers!
Whitebeard and Shanks, who were more familiar with Wano's customs, scratched their heads and couldn't help but glance at Ian, wanting to hear his thoughts.
Ian pondered for a moment and said, "Accept them. Shogun Tokugawa Kiki's intention is probably also to let the people of Wano see the outside world, isn't that right?"
Tokugawa Kiki nodded and said, "Yes, Lord Ian. I have deeply realized my mistake. Wano can no longer continue like this. I intend to uphold the will of the Kozuki family, open Wano's borders, and let the people see the outside world. But as you know, Wano has been closed off for too long. Our people know nothing of the outside. Only by following you, our benefactors, can we integrate into this world at the smallest cost."
Ian agreed. Although the Wano samurai were rigid, they had their strengths—loyalty. Moreover, the Wano samurai were powerful swordsmen, which would greatly strengthen the pirate crews.
It wasn't just Wano. During this time, other races had also approached the three Yonko crews. For instance, the giants from Elbaf, brought back by Sardine. After Elbaf was destroyed by Uranus's attack, the giant tribe was also burning with rage. Many warriors from the island had set out for the outer seas, seeking revenge against Uranus.
Remember, Uranus had attacked the races that had once fought against it. Many of these races were special tribes ostracized and discriminated against by humans. But these special races often represented formidable combat power.
The giants, the long-arm tribe, the long-leg tribe, the fish-men, now joined by the Wano samurai and the minks, who were furious over the death of the Kozuki family heir—these were all powerful forces that could be rallied. When these races united once more, both the Celestial Dragons and the World Government would tremble in their fury.
Now, what remained was figuring out how to deal with that dangerous creature, which was hiding and recovering from its injuries.
Just as Ian and the others were actively preparing with high spirits, the quadrennial World Conference was also convened as scheduled.
As usual, the Marines dispatched a large number of warships to serve as escort vessels for the leaders of various World Government member nations, transporting them to Mary Geoise for the conference.
However, this time, the escort orders did not come from the Fleet Admiral but directly from the World Government.
After Akainu's death, a new Fleet Admiral had yet to be elected. Kizaru, the most qualified to become Fleet Admiral, had refused the World Government's order to take over. Sengoku, Garp, and Vice Admiral Tsuru, the older generation of Marine leaders, had also declined to return, citing retirement. Other Marine Vice Admirals lacked the seniority and prestige to assume the post, including Momousagi and Tea Pig, the two Admiral candidates.
Furthermore, the Marines' worldwide conscription plan had also been forced to halt. The death of White Wolf Arest had brought enormous negative repercussions, preventing the emergence of the Green Bull, who should have been recruited into the Marines.
The Marines' current predicament was visible to all. Although it seemed their top combat power remained, everyone understood that compared to the era of Aokiji, Akainu, and Kizaru, the current Marines' top-tier strength had significantly declined.
Among the mid-level and lower-ranking Marine officers, there was a growing sense of unease. Many Marines were beginning to miss the departed Admiral Aokiji, wondering what it would be like if he were still around.
This naturally fueled resentment toward the World Government, which had collaborated with Akainu to force Admiral Aokiji out.
But now, the World Government couldn't afford to care about the disheartened Marines. They had reached a secret agreement with the Celestial Dragons. If they could successfully secure the Celestial Dragons' interests during this World Conference, the World Government could reclaim most of its power from the Celestial Dragons. For the Five Elders, who had long been forced to bow and scrape to the Celestial Dragons because Uranus was in their hands, this was a wonderful prospect.
The Five Elders, old and cunning, could naturally see that they and the Celestial Dragons were a community of shared interests. So they unhesitatingly agreed to the Celestial Dragons' secret pact.
To ensure the smooth completion of the World Conference, the World Government's directly subordinate secret intelligence agency, Cipher Pol (CP), was given significant authority. On the Marine warships sent to escort the national leaders, many CP intelligence agents were embedded. Their mission was to contact the national leaders before the conference, explain the stakes, and win them over.
This empowerment naturally led to a resurgence of political espionage. It could be imagined that once this World Conference concluded successfully, CP might replace the Marines as the World Government's primary reliance.
From then on, so-called "dark justice" would prevail.
But would the calculations of the Celestial Dragons and the World Government truly succeed?