Jack had stayed cooped up at Black Maria's place for over a month. It wasn't until Black Maria, unable to take it anymore, prepared an extremely spicy dinner that Jack finally stumbled out of her room the next day, looking utterly defeated.
"Hisssss!" Jack grimaced, clutching his stomach.
She really is something else. It's no wonder she's the head of the Pleasure District—fighting isn't the only thing she excels at.
As he doubled over, Jack cursed under his breath:
"Damn it! What kind of chili was that?!"
"That sneaky woman must've laced it with poison!"
"Someone! Go to Wano and bring Master here right now! Move it!"
Lately, there had been rumors swirling around Onigashima. Supposedly, Jack—who could survive being slashed by Whitebeard and pummeled into the ocean depths by Garp—had been brought to his knees by Black Maria's poison. It was said he needed Master's Purification Fruit powers just to recover.
The gossip spread like wildfire, and Black Maria's poisons became infamous throughout Onigashima.
Once he'd been cured by Master, Jack boarded the Mammoth and set sail for Wano. After being away for so long, he wondered how his business was doing, not to mention how Kuri had developed. As the undisputed boss of Kuri, it was about time he conducted an inspection.
When Jack arrived, he noticed that Kabuto Mura Village had undergone renovations, with several new roads added. It barely resembled a village anymore—it was more like a proper town.
Wano was a country deeply entrenched in hierarchy. The gap between nobles and commoners was vast, akin to the divide between slaves and slave masters. For commoners, the quickest way to elevate their status was to become samurai.
Since Kuri had been brought under control, a new caste system was implemented, dividing people into five tiers based on their contribution and allegiance:
First Tier: Members of the Beast Pirates and the Fish-Men, along with their families.
Second Tier: Brave individuals who had turned in their fellow countrymen to support the Beast Pirates.
Third Tier: Diligent workers who actively participated in factory operations and cooperated fully with the Beast Pirates.
Fourth Tier: The majority—fearful yet obedient commoners who followed orders to survive.
Fifth Tier: The lowest of the low—rebellious samurai imprisoned in Udon, along with slaves.
The First and Second Tiers enjoyed similar privileges, but the Second Tier had the authority to punish lower tiers. They could even kill Third-Tier residents and pay a hefty fine to avoid severe consequences. For most people, such fines were ruinous.
Lower-tier residents had limited access to basic supplies, but for them, even these small improvements were better than the chaos they endured before. As for those at the bottom, survival was their only luxury.
The caste system worked surprisingly well. Many were motivated to work harder or betray dissidents to elevate their families' status. The enforcement squads of the Beast Pirates ensured that any dissenters were swiftly silenced.
Meanwhile, a new group of Fish-Men had arrived in Onigashima aboard merchant ships. The war hadn't affected them, as they'd been safely relocated in advance. Having heard tales of Wano being a "second homeland" for Fish-Men, they were filled with excitement.
Finder, experienced in settling his fellow Fish-Men, quickly arranged for the newcomers to head to Rambu Port. But first, they stopped in Kuri to enjoy its renowned cuisine.
For the Fish-Men, human-world delicacies were a rare treat. Even for the merfolk who avoided fish and meat, Kuri's abundance of fruits and vegetables offered something special. Finder himself was partial to grilled leeks, marveling at their flavor and, uh, "effects."
Kuri's businesses were tightly controlled by the Beast Pirates. Even the snack shops in the Food District were run by Fish-Men or the families of Beast Pirates. This ensured that every aspect of life in Kuri remained under their grasp.
Finder made a point to arrive during lunchtime, when the snack shops were just opening. Most of the customers were Beast Pirates and Fish-Men.
As Jack stepped out, stomach growling, he spotted a group of merfolk dressed in alluring outfits. With a wave of his massive hand, he declared:
"Alright! Today's lunch is on me—Jack-sama's treat!"
As they entered the Food District, cries of distress echoed from one of the shops. Jack frowned. Who dared cause trouble on his turf?
He approached the commotion and saw a group of drunken, top-knotted samurai being beaten senseless by a burly Fish-Man. One of the samurai had even wet himself. The onlookers laughed uproariously as the Fish-Man shouted:
"This is outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!"
"Everyone, come take a look!"
"Just because they're samurai from Hanano, they think they can do whatever they want?!"
"So what if they work for the shogun? Does that give them the right to harass people?!"
The Fish-Man, named Teren, ranted as he continued pummeling the samurai:
"I've always been a peaceful guy! But this? This is too much!"
As the samurai lay half-dead, Jack finally intervened:
"Enough. Stop, or they'll die."
"Jack-sama!" Teren immediately dropped to his knees.
"What's going on here, Teren?" Jack asked with a frown.
Teren gestured to the battered samurai. "They wanted elephant steak, but I told them I had to save it for you, Jack-sama! I offered them beef steak instead, but they weren't happy. Then one of them grabbed my butt and started causing a scene!"
Jack sighed. "Fine. Go make me a well-done elephant steak. And send these fools to Master for treatment. If they can't be saved, bury them."
After sitting down, Jack spotted Aladine among the crowd.
"Oi, Aladine! Get over here and eat. You guys don't eat meat, right? Teren, grill a hundred skewers of leeks for him!"
Teren emerged with a plate and said cheekily, "Sure thing, Jack-sama. But you'll have to pay! Aladine's your subordinate now, so you're covering him too!"
Jack was speechless.
Teren placed a steak in front of Jack. It was already half-eaten, complete with a visible bite mark.
"Teren..." Jack stared at the plate in disbelief.
"You're a genius businessman. Born to run a rip-off joint! At least reheat it for me!"
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The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg