The next morning, the sun rose in the east like a brilliant lantern hanging in the sky, bringing light and warmth to the world—and with it, new changes and hope to Wano Country.
Early in the morning, countless people throughout Wano ran excitedly through the streets, cities, villages, woods, and fields, loudly announcing that the tyrannical rule of the former shogun Kurozumi Orochi had finally come to an end.
Former Wano Country Shogun Kozuki Sukiyaki and Princess Kozuki Hiyori, who had lived under the alias Komurasaki, appeared publicly in the Flower Capital. Kozuki Oden's retainers, including Denjiro, Inuarashi, and Nekomamushi of the Nine Red Scabbards, came forward to confirm the momentous news.
The entire country erupted in celebration.
At the same time, News Coo birds soared through the sky as usual, spreading word of the shocking Onigashima battle that had rocked the world. As always, when news writers wanted to publish a story, there was never a shortage of material to work with.
No matter how long-winded Cavendish's live commentary had been, the shrewd Morgans always found a clever angle to interpret events and provide public analysis for the world's consumption.
"A New Era Dawns—The Emperor's Throne Changes Hands!"
"Leviathan Jerry Leads Black Star Pirates to Victory—Kaido Falls!"
"Rise to the Top! Fire Fist Ace Defeats Big Mom! Whitebeard Pirates May Be Strongest Crew!"
The newspaper contained many pages with different headlines, but they all revolved around the battle between the various pirate crews at Onigashima. The articles also dug up many previously unknown stories in great detail, giving the world a comprehensive picture of the earth-shaking conflict.
In the Flower Capital, on the second floor of a street-facing building overlooking the celebrations below, the Black Star Pirates had gathered to discuss their next moves.
"So, how about it, Tama?" Jerry asked suddenly while watching the people celebrating in the streets below. "Do you want to experience what it's like being a ruler?"
"Eh!? Big Brother Jerry, stop joking around!" Tama was startled and quickly waved her hands in refusal. "I can't do something like that!"
Jerry grinned mischievously. "There's a saying where I come from—kings and commoners are born of the same clay. If you want it badly enough, you can achieve it."
"Jerry, are you being serious?" Ace asked in surprise, shifting uncomfortably as his bandages pulled against his wounds.
Everyone present looked at each other uncertainly, unable to figure out Jerry's true intentions.
Seeing that Tama was still shaking her head and waving her hands in refusal, Jerry spread his hands casually. "Not serious at all. We conquered this country for Tama's sake, so it feels a bit strange if we don't leave something behind. I can't just plant a pirate flag here and call it a day, right?"
He paused thoughtfully. "Besides, the Kozuki surname isn't the only one that can rule Wano Country, is it? If I remember correctly, until last night the ruling family was Kurozumi—and Tama here happens to share that same surname."
Before everyone could process what Jerry was getting at, Tama started shouting adamantly, "No way! I don't want to be a shogun! We already agreed that I want to go to sea with you!"
"But you haven't become a charming female ninja yet," Ace pointed out with a grin, picking at his nose casually.
Amid the laughter of the group, Tama's face turned bright red as she shouted loudly, "That's just a matter of time! But if you all leave, I'll have to wait here for who knows how many years before I can see you again!"
Jerry waved his hand and smiled teasingly. "Alright, alright. Then don't become a ruler, but you still can't come aboard with us yet. Wait until you become an excellent ninja—maybe even a village chief. This is something we agreed on long ago."
Then, speaking in a mysteriously profound tone, he added, "Actually, I've received a new prophecy. More than a year from now, you might encounter some annoying brat named Momonosuke. When that time comes, just use whatever ninja techniques you've learned to beat him up and teach him on some manner to respect woman."
"Huh!?" Tama looked completely confused, having no idea what Jerry was talking about.
Deuce and the others rolled their eyes helplessly, suspecting that Jerry was about to start spouting nonsense again.
"Yes, Tama, it's all decided," Jerry continued with mock seriousness, pulling out a Den Den Mushi and tossing it to her. "Consider that your final test. As long as you can handle whatever comes your way, contact us and we'll come back to take you out to sea."
"A test?" Tama's eyes sparkled with determination as she nodded energetically. "I'll definitely pass it!"
A few days later, in the early morning hours, the Black Star sailed steadily through the waters near Wano Country.
As they watched the isolated nation gradually shrink in their field of vision, everyone remained silent, lost in their own thoughts about what they'd accomplished and what lay ahead.
After a long while, Deuce was the first to break the contemplative silence.
He looked at Jerry, who was fishing by the ship's rail as usual, and asked with a peculiar expression, "Jerry, about that promise you made to help their country become a place where everyone could have enough food... where exactly did you get those seeds?"
At this mention, everyone's thoughts involuntarily drifted back to the scene from two days prior.
That was when the former shogun Kozuki Sukiyaki—who had once lived under the alias Tenguyama Hitetsu and served as Tama's master—had come to visit along with Nekomamushi and the other retainers.
Tama had mentioned to her master the agreement she'd made with Jerry and the others, which reminded Jerry that he still had an unfulfilled promise to keep.
Without warning, he had produced dozens of bags of seeds like a magician and handed them solemnly to Kozuki Sukiyaki, explaining that these could make their country a prosperous place where everyone would have enough to eat.
The memory faded as Jerry turned his head to glance at Deuce with characteristic nonchalance. "Huh? Seeds? Those came from my storage, of course."
Seeing Deuce about to pounce on him for a real answer, Jerry smiled and added, "Hey, we made a promise, didn't we? I prepared for it in advance. Bought everything we'd need ahead of time."
Those seeds were actually obtained through completing system missions, but he saw no need to mention such details.
Skull held his head in his hands and cried out, "Oh! Boss Jerry, do you mean you planned this whole thing from the beginning? No wonder you always said 'no problem' whenever I brought up that promise!"
"That's called being prepared," Jerry replied with obvious pride. "Just tell me if it's the best solution and whether it can actually fulfill our vision of everyone having enough to eat."
Brook seemed to be pondering something deeply before speaking slowly. "What Jerry-san says isn't wrong. It's better to teach someone to fish than to give them a fish. If they have fertile land, quality seeds, and the will to work hard, having enough food and clothing shouldn't be a problem. Yohohoho!"
"That's true," Deuce admitted, "but just how much can this rice yield per acre? Those numbers you quoted seemed almost too good to be true."
Hearing Deuce's skeptical question, Jerry shook his head and wagged his index finger dismissively. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, Deuce. Don't use your limited agricultural knowledge to judge our advanced hybrid rice varieties."
Cavendish suddenly pulled out a beautiful rose, his eyes sparkling with interest. "Jerry, you wouldn't happen to have any hybrid roses, would you?"
Jerry paused thoughtfully. "Do I?"
Glancing at Deuce, who was still looking up at the sky in exasperation, Carina and Carrot exchanged amused looks and giggled. "Speaking of which, where's Yamato? Didn't she say she wanted to go to sea with us and explore the world like Oden?"
Ace slapped his forehead and picked up the thread of conversation. "Ah, she did consider it, but then she decided she wanted to travel around Wano Country first. Help Tama grow up, wait for Wano to be completely stabilized as promised, and then go to sea together."
After that, Ace turned his head to gaze at the sky in the direction of their voyage. "So where's our next stop? Are we finally going to reach Laugh Tale?"
It was because he'd heard Yamato mention certain crucial information that Ace had become more interested in the final island. That's why he hadn't returned to the Whitebeard Pirates with Marco and the others, instead deciding to discover the truth alongside Jerry's crew.
"Not so fast," Deuce replied with a confused look, feeling like today had brought many things beyond his understanding. "I'm not entirely sure of our route either."
"Hmm? Is that Little Bonney's signal?" Skull suddenly looked down at Kotatsu, who was rubbing against his leg, and noticed the communication equipment on the enhanced lynx was activating.