Three months later, in Kuri's Amigasa Village, the transformation was nothing short of miraculous.
Among the rolling clouds above, an emerald green giant dragon soared and tumbled through the sky with graceful power.
"Rain Prayer!"
Under the divine might of the Sky God's authority, dark clouds billowed dramatically while lightning flashed and thunder roared across the heavens. Within moments, a gentle but steady drizzle began falling across the parched landscape.
The precious rainwater moistened the drought-stricken fields below, and the previously wilted rice seedlings stretched themselves toward the sky, suddenly bursting with renewed vitality.
"Thank you for this blessed rain, Lord Kai! Thank you, Shogun Yamato!"
A grateful group of villagers dressed in simple farming clothes pressed their palms together and bowed with endless appreciation.
With Lord Kai, who could summon wind and rain at will, and with Shogun Yamato, who had reduced taxes and lowered interest rates, they would surely enjoy a truly prosperous year ahead.
Yamato, wearing a traditional bamboo hat to shield herself from the sun, stood with both hands confidently on her hips, smiling warmly as she observed this heartening scene.
Not far away, a peculiar old man wearing a distinctive long-nosed mask with large wings attached to his back watched with an expression of complex emotions.
What the Kozuki family had been unable to provide for the people of Wano Country in their time of rule, favorable weather for successful crops, was now being realized by a group of pirates.
This ironic reality made Kozuki Sukiyaki, disguised as the craftsman Tenguyama Hitetsu, feel deeply conflicted emotions.
Since Kurozumi Orochi's dramatic downfall and Yamato's rise to legitimate power, the daily lives of Wano Country's citizens had improved visibly and dramatically.
Fields that had been polluted by industrial factories were being restored using advanced medicines developed by the Beast Pirates' scientists. Factory craftsmen now enjoyed proper rest time to actually experience life beyond endless labor.
Even these humble farmers now possessed agricultural machinery generously provided by the Beast Pirates organization.
The Beast Pirates even offered low-interest loans for farmers to purchase modern equipment.
And then there was this remarkable girl standing before him.
As Kaido's daughter and Wano Country's rightful Shogun, she not only displayed no aristocratic airs whatsoever but also personally assisted the people with their daily work.
One person's labor contribution was equivalent to an entire village's combined effort.
Wherever she traveled, the people welcomed her with completely genuine warmth and affection.
That vibrant state of vigorous vitality and healthy competition was unfolding right before his eyes.
If this positive trend continued indefinitely, was there really any legitimate need for the Kozuki clan to return to power?
Kozuki Sukiyaki fell into deep, troubled contemplation.
Also lost in serious thought was Shutenmaru on the distant Mount Atama.
He stood atop the mountain's peak, gazing at the distant dark clouds with obvious longing, remaining speechless for an extended period.
"Boss, this marks the fifth time in three months. Lord Kai is truly remarkable in his abilities," samurai Kawauchi blurted out with obvious admiration.
"Indeed." Shutenmaru spoke slowly and deliberately, notably not correcting Kawauchi's respectful language toward Kai, even though theoretically they remained enemies.
Kawauchi's family resided in Kuri, specifically in Amigasa Village.
Having received someone's genuine kindness and assistance, how could he speak disrespectfully of his benefactor?
Kawauchi pressed his lips together nervously and spoke with obvious difficulty: "Boss, we lost two more brothers yesterday."
This represented the second time this month alone.
Since the new Shogun's rule had stabilized and proven beneficial, quite a few of their members had become restless, wanting to return home to resume farming or become legitimate workers.
Not everyone was willing to continue living a dangerous life of constantly licking blood from knife edges.
Especially their Atama Thieves organization. Many had originally been driven to financial ruin by Kurozumi Orochi's oppressive policies and forced to take refuge in the mountains.
Faced with this challenging situation, Shutenmaru demonstrated extraordinary magnanimity and understanding.
"You can leave freely. Whatever possessions you brought when you first joined, take the same things when you depart. Don't take any additional wealth, as that belongs to everyone collectively. I'll provide you with travel money and provisions for your journey."
Just like that, Shutenmaru had sent off batch after batch of loyal brothers.
The once-mighty Atama Thieves, who had commanded up to 280 subordinates at their absolute peak, had now lost over fifty valuable members, and the frequency of departures was steadily increasing.
"Kawauchi, aren't you considering leaving as well?" Shutenmaru asked with genuine curiosity. "Aren't your mother and brother living in Amigasa Village? From the current situation, the Beast Pirates don't seem to care about reformed bandits seeking new lives."
"Boss, I want to stay with you," Kawauchi scratched his head with obvious bashfulness. "Besides, if I return home right now, that's just another mouth to feed. The grain hasn't been harvested yet."
"Hahahaha! You loyal kid."
Shutenmaru laughed heartily and turned to depart from the overlook.
"Come along. Accompany me for sword practice."
Back in Amigasa Village, after carefully calculating the optimal timing and rainfall amounts, Kai dispersed the rain clouds to reveal the warming sun.
"Kai, look at this! This is the new bamboo hat everyone crafted for me. Does it look good?"
Yamato bounced over with the infectious enthusiasm of a child showing off a treasured new toy.
Kai accepted the bamboo hat and discovered it was not only polished perfectly smooth without any rough burrs, but someone had also skillfully drawn a charming chibi-style portrait of Okuchi-no-Makami's beast form on its surface.
No wonder Yamato treasured it so deeply.
"It suits you perfectly."
"Right? I think so too!"
The girl beamed with pure happiness.
These past three months had been the most genuinely joyful period of her entire life.
Dreams she had once believed were completely unreachable were drawing closer and closer to reality, and there were more and more genuine smiles visible on the faces of Wano Country's people.
Yamato felt that listening to Kai's advice back then had been absolutely the right decision.
After chatting pleasantly with Yamato for several moments, Kai walked purposefully toward Tenguyama Hitetsu.
"Tenguyama Hitetsu-san, I've observed that you craft farming tools with exceptional skill. Are you interested in working at our weapons factory as a technical director?"
Due to the pressing need for land reclamation projects, Tenguyama Hitetsu, who had once made his living forging legendary swords, had directly switched to crafting practical farming tools.
And indeed, as the renowned master swordsmith who had forged the Sandai Kitetsu and several Great Grade swords, Tenguyama Hitetsu's farming tools earned widespread praise.
Because of Yamato's charitable dedication to helping Amigasa Village reclaim wasteland, Tenguyama Hitetsu had even custom-made a complete set of premium farming tools specifically for her use.
Yamato treasured them deeply, even applying Armament Haki when wielding them for work.
Kai privately suspected that Yamato might eventually forge a complete set of permanently blackened farming tools through constant Haki application.
But returning to the immediate matter, Tenguyama Hitetsu naturally refused to leave Amigasa Village. Having finally escaped from Kurozumi Orochi's secret imprisonment and successfully hidden his true identity here, he had no desire to become involved in political conflicts.
"Thank you for your generous regard, Lord Kai. This old man is quite advanced in years. I can still manage crafting farming tools, but I fear I would prove inadequate for the demanding work at a weapons factory."
But Kai smiled with meaningful calculation: "Being a technical director is actually quite simple. You would just need to guide the craftsmen daily, help improve their skills, maintain quality control, and occasionally participate in weapon development according to specific requirements. It's as straightforward as being Wano Country's Shogun..."
Why? Why did he specifically use the Shogun as his example?
Does he know my true identity?
Tenguyama Hitetsu's body trembled involuntarily, but he attempted to keep his voice steady and calm: "You jest, my lord. The Shogun must handle countless complex affairs daily. How could such responsibilities be considered simple?"
"Not at all! That's completely wrong!"
Yamato appeared to offer testimony, counting on her fingers with obvious sincerity: "Being Shogun, I just need to stamp official documents when Fukurokuju brings them. It's farming, digging irrigation channels, and building dams that actually consume my time and energy."
Tenguyama Hitetsu found himself completely speechless.
You think everyone is like you, genuinely happy to serve as a puppet Shogun?
Kai smiled with obvious satisfaction: "So, how are you considering my offer?"
Tenguyama Hitetsu understood with crystal clarity that he possessed no room to refuse: "Since you extend such a sincere invitation, this old man will serve faithfully to the best of his abilities."
"Excellent." Kai nodded with complete satisfaction.
As for how much he actually needed Tenguyama Hitetsu's particular talents, that remained debatable.
With Wano Country's skilled craftsmen providing support, the Beast Pirates' weapon quality had earned an excellent reputation throughout the seas. One fewer Tenguyama Hitetsu wouldn't make a significant difference.
But he simply wanted to witness what expressions those samurai loyal to the Kozuki clan would display when they learned their former lord was working directly for the Beast Pirates.
Just imagining their reactions was genuinely exciting.
Before departing, having satisfied his small bit of calculated mischief, Kai offered a kind reminder: "As long as you work diligently and faithfully, the Beast Pirates won't concern themselves with minor historical conflicts. This represents Kaido-san's official attitude as well."
With that diplomatic warning, he departed immediately with Yamato, completely ignoring Tenguyama Hitetsu's stunned reaction.