Chapter 143 Hunting
White Dance, the Daimyo Residence of Shimotsuki Yasuie.
"How has the handling of the rebellions in Inahara-gō, Awa-gō, and Takefushi-gō gone?"
Shimotsuki Yasuie sat upright in the main seat and spoke to the assembled Retainers below.
"Lord Kang, all rebels have been executed. The heads of each village are currently tallying the specific losses and preparing for the subsequent reconstruction work."
A Retainer with patches on his clothes opened his mouth with a smile.
The others also revealed smiles on their faces. In their view, the actions of those Peasants were undoubtedly like striking a stone with an egg, and the result was ultimately similar to what they had expected. Those rebellious fellows were ultimately routed by the Samurai.
"Then, what is the specific Reason for this Tenant Farmer rebellion? Why did I hear that it was because the local powerful families in these three areas raised the rent for the Tenant Farmers, and the Daimyo Residence forcibly requisitioned a lot of newly reclaimed land under its jurisdiction?"
Shimotsuki Yasuie was clearly not satisfied with this answer, after all, this statement was somewhat different from what he had heard.
"Rumors, all rumors. The rent for Tenant Farmers in each village is uniform, and there is absolutely no phenomenon of arbitrary collection. These are all people who do not know gratitude, and the reclaimed wasteland was also reclaimed on the land of White Dance, which belongs to you, Lord Kang."
"If it's wasteland, then if people reclaim it, it belongs to them. We just need to collect some rent."
Shimotsuki Yasuie said.
"Lord Kang is truly merciful. We will immediately go and implement it. By the way, Lord Kang, the residence has not paid wages for almost two months. What do you think about this?"
A Retainer looked at Shimotsuki Yasuie and asked. After all, such a large Daimyo Residence requires Money for daily maintenance and various expenses.
"I'll try to figure out a way."
Shimotsuki Yasuie frowned and said nothing. Ever since a large sum of Money was lost in the theft at the residence, and then he gave the little Money left in the residence to Kin'emon and the others, the entire White Dance Daimyo Residence could be said to have directly fallen into an economic crisis.
"In that case, Lord Kang, we will take our leave first."
"Mm."
Everyone left the Daimyo Residence with respectful expressions. After everyone had left together, the originally respectful expressions on their faces all turned cold.
"Minister of the Left, has that Yasuie fellow noticed something?"
A Retainer asked the person who had reported to Shimotsuki Yasuie earlier.
"Heh, noticed? What could someone like him notice? He even tries to get along with those Peasants as equals. Doesn't he even consider how much it costs to maintain such a large Daimyo Residence and the usual expenses for Guards and Servants? Can he afford it just with the Things under his name?
Moreover, our families have been assisting him for generations. Are we supposed to live the life of Ordinary People as foolishly as him?
By the way, tell those Nobles in Inahara-gō to handle the Things under their jurisdiction as soon as possible. If they can't handle it well, I don't mind dealing with them!"
"Yes, Lord."
"Alright, let's go to Flower Capital. I heard that a beautiful Oiran (Courtesan) has recently appeared."
Then, a group of people directly turned around and headed towards Flower Capital.
"Lord Kokka, our Food won't last long."
A man dressed in patched clothes and straw sandals said respectfully to Nicholas.
It could be said that in the eyes of these people in the mountains, Nicholas was simply like their savior.
Not only did he point out the path for them, but he was also willing to teach them the operating skills of Firearm to fight against those Samurai.
"Don't worry about the Food problem. This Grand Line will not lack Supplies, it's just that Wano Country has limited your Vision."
In order to solve the Food problem, Nicholas personally led the team this time. As for those who followed, it was only this temporary group composed of Tenant Farmers, totaling less than a hundred people.
These people were mostly responsible for various chores on the Ship.
When the Sail was furled, several Giant Goldfish controlled by Bell-lin dived into the Water, and the huge Ship entered a state of high Speed. Nicholas stood at the bow of the Ship, looking at the Speed that instantly increased, and his whole body couldn't help but feel a sense of exhilaration.
Many of the Tenant Farmers, who were stepping onto the Sea for the first time and had been engaged in farming for generations, could not even stand steadily, and many even directly experienced seasickness.
For Nicholas, his main purpose was not to obtain Food, but to show powerful Strength to enhance the confidence of these People.
After all, many people have been cowardly for a lifetime. It is impossible for them to suddenly want to turn over and feel that they are People because of a momentary impulse. What he has to do is to show powerful and unmatched Strength, so that they understand that they have the Opportunity to get rid of their Status as Tenant Farmers, resist the oppression of those Nobles, and thus live with dignity as People.
Moreover, he knows how important the hearts of the People are. It can be said that if Kaido had not chosen the approach of draining the pond to catch Fish after occupying Wano Country, but had taken the path of peaceful development, relying on Wano Country's Specialty Product Sea Prism Stone resources and the huge profits brought by Weapon trade, he could have completely tied the entire Wano Country to his war chariot.
Just like Ordinary People vote with their feet. If they can make their own lives and the lives of their Family better, then does it matter so much who controls Wano Country?
Even if Kaido was smart enough to manage Wano Country well.
Maybe when Kin'emon and others return to Wano Country with Momonosuke, they will be directly captured by the masses of Wano Country and sent to Kaido.
Nicholas's hair was blown by the sea breeze. Looking at the Grand Line in the distance, he was also thinking about what to do next.
It can be said that his greatest Asset is that he roughly knows the later development of the Pirates and knows some secrets, such as the Sea King Poseidon who is about to be born in Fish-Man Island, the Design Blueprint of Pluton in Water Seven, and the whereabouts of several Poneglyphs.
And the powerful Strength brought by the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, but similarly, there are also many Things he needs to be wary of, such as Im, who is located on the Red Line and whose depth is unknown, and the Terror Power that could destroy the Giant Kingdom eight hundred years ago.
Oueh, oueh~
Finally, the chorus of retching sounds brought Nicholas's thoughts back to reality.
Sea Waves could not have any impact on this Large Ship. For Nicholas, it even felt very stable. Several Giant Goldfish exerted force on the Seabed, easily dragging the Ship to a Speed of more than eighty kilometers per hour.
This Speed is of course easy on flat ground, but on the Sea, Waves will constantly rise and fall, and your Ship is like surfing, constantly rising and falling.
Nicholas reached out and pressed his hand on the Ship's Railing. Then, his Ability was activated, and a Force Field invisible to the naked eye appeared around the Ship and enveloped it. Then, the huge Ship actually gradually lifted off the Sea Surface, and the bottom of the Ship directly slid along the Sea Surface.
And the Deck that was originally undulating, at this time also became like land.
Soon, the Wano Country People on the Ship witnessed a scene they had never seen in their Issho.
A Giant Sea Kings with six huge eyes, like a flying Fish, with a body length of more than 300 meters, soared into the Sky, leaping out of the Water like flying, bringing up a huge spray of Water, and swallowed towards the Ship in one gulp. The Ship, which originally looked huge, was so weak and helpless at this moment.
Before everyone panicked, they saw a flash of light streak across, and then the incomparably huge Six-Eyed Flying Fish was directly cut in two from the middle with a Sword.
Bloody water and Seawater mixed and fell from the Sky, drenching the Wano Country People on the Ship from head to toe.
(End of chapter)