The year 1502 would inevitably be a memorable one for the people of Wano Kuni because too many events happened that year. These events occurred earlier than in the original timeline, leading to the chaos happening right at the start of the new year.
The citizens of the Flower Capital and Kuri were directly impacted, with many injured and even more people unsure about what had actually happened.
The next day, a death notice spread throughout all of Wano Kuni, listing the names of those who perished the previous night.
"How... how could this be?! What on earth happened yesterday?!"
The great battle in the Flower Capital could not account for everyone, especially in the chaos centered around Yamato, where neither samurai nor pirates considered their surroundings.
Their only thought was to catch and rescue people, with countless destroyed buildings. Despite the rescue efforts led by Lord Kojiro, there were still significant casualties.
Many families in the various villages of Wano Kuni had connections, with relatives on that list.
Moreover, there was an even more crucial issue: the names of Kozuki Oden and Daimyos like Shimotsuki Ushimaru also appeared on this list.
"Lord Oden, he...."
"Lord Yasuie, Lord Ushimaru! What on earth is going on?!"
"What? Lord Oden has died?!"
The scene was one of utter chaos, with people pushing forward in disbelief, some grabbing others to ask questions because they couldn't read.
Literacy rates in Wano Kuni weren't high, and the class system had long been solidified by isolationism. Before becoming retainers of Kozuki Oden, many, like Kinemon and Ashura Doji, were illiterate, with only a small fraction receiving education.
They couldn't even understand what was written on the death notice.
"Silence! Silence!"
The person near the notice struck a large copper gong, using this traditional method to quiet the crowd.
"What on earth is going on? You should tell us!"
"Yeah, how could the Daimyos all face trouble on the same day! They are all powerful samurai!"
"I've already asked for silence. How else can we explain it to you?"
Similar situations were happening in various villages of Wano Kuni. Giant curtains were drawn open, and Imaging Snails were prepared. According to the original timeline, Shimotsuki Yasuie's execution was spread nationwide in this way. Now, they could naturally do the same thing.
This time, the broadcast was not about an execution but about footage of last night's banquet and some interview clips.
For example, an interview with the Flower Capital Palace's head chef at the time.
"Kurozumi Orochi didn't allow us to test for poison and simply took the food out...."
"I saw Orochi deploying an ambush around the Flower Capital..."
These were the "testimonies" from survivors inside the Flower Capital Palace, followed by records of the banquet. The grand scene was naturally a fake banquet setting created by Olga, and the person who had crafted this special effects scene was currently on vacation.
Creating such an illusion also required stamina, and producing such a realistic grand scene was quite taxing for her, so she had gone on her own to a beach in Kuri for a holiday.
No one bothered her at that moment as she was happily sunbathing with Elizabeth.
...
"As you've seen, these are all Kurozumi Orochi's schemes! It was he who secretly killed Lord Kozuki Sukiyaki a few years ago! Afterward, the Demon Mage at his side impersonated Lord Sukiyaki to take over the General's position!
It was still Orochi who disguised himself as Mr. Kaidou, creating conflict with the Daimyos. Then, he poisoned and arranged an ambush to eliminate everyone, eventually dragging Wano Kuni into Hell!"
These people, although from Wano Kuni, were initially recruited by Kojiro, so their words were predetermined. There were also many "plants" among the crowd.
Now these "plants" were talking about how Kaidou dealt with the defeated soldiers yesterday, and some were genuinely speaking well of the Hundred Beasts, like those farm residents who were spared from raiders due to protection under the Pokemon.
Family members receiving treatment at the Pokemon Center, among others. In the end, with deliberate guidance, Kurozumi Orochi became the source of all evil.
Even the case of his grandfather's treason, which had previously been downplayed, was dredged up again, turning the Kurozumi surname into a sin within Wano Kuni.
The events Kurozumi Orochi had experienced in the past, where the Kurozumi were shunned by everyone, were almost recreated once more.
But things weren't over yet.
"Though many unfortunate events have occurred, there is also good news! Lord Oden's surviving child, Lady Kozuki Hiyori, is still alive! She was just saved and, under Mr. Kaidou's protection, she will assume the position of General in a few days!
The General position taken by Kurozumi Orochi will return to the Kozuki!"
Originally there were still many voices of opposition below, but the moment this announcement was made, those voices disappeared instantaneously, replaced by cheers.
Centuries of isolation had given rise to this distorted cultural trend in Wano Kuni. Trying to remove the Kozuki Family directly would undoubtedly lead to widespread rebellion. Quelling it with force would be easy, but it would mean an unstable rear, forcing the Hundred Beasts to waste more of their forces guarding this place.
This was contrary to their goals, and a puppet could solve this issue. Over time, a stable rear would lead to change among the new generation residents of Wano Kuni.
"Alright everyone, there's still one more thing to do! Last night, some people seized the opportunity to incite riots! Kuri, Hakumai, Flower Capital, Ringo, Udon, except for Ringo, the riot affected five regions!
Many people suffered damages because of this, and now all those ringleaders have been captured, and they will be executed!"
The main blame was shifted to Kurozumi Orochi, while a group of rioting thugs were executed, diverting attention and absolving the Hundred Beasts from the situation.
However, not everyone believed this. The remaining Oden's retainers were forced to accept it, and another who had some understanding of the situation was Hyogoro, who, because of Kojiro, did not get involved in this mess.
"Hyogoro, what's wrong?"
His wife asked puzzledly, seeing Hyogoro slightly losing his composure.
"It's nothing..."
Though the Hundred Beasts had explained Oden's reason for dancing, claiming he was deceived by Kurozumi Orochi into mistaking ordinary people working for the Hundred Beasts as hostages.
Given Oden's character, such actions weren't surprising, but he knew another truth — Kurozumi Orochi didn't have the ability to kill the General and the Daimyos. There were elements of truth and falsehood in the Hundred Beasts' words; things weren't as simple as they seemed.
Yet he did not speak out because he saw those "real" images, and some of Wano Kuni's people indeed lived better lives with Kaidou's arrival...