Chapter 32 – The Golden Days of Wano
A month had passed since the brutal training began, and the sound of cracking sea-stone had become a daily rhythm within Wano. The training grounds no longer looked pristine; shattered slabs and fractured stone bore witness to relentless effort. Yet within that destruction, something far greater was being forged.
Kaido, Usimaru, King, and the Red Scabbards continued practicing Internal Destruction without pause. What had once felt impossible now flickered within their strikes like a hidden current. It did not activate every time—but when it did, the sea-stone trembled from within.
Kaido, Usimaru, and King could now use Internal Destruction occasionally. The technique surfaced in flashes during combat, unpredictable yet undeniable. So they fought each other constantly, sharpening both instinct and control through real battle rather than theory.
Kaido wiped sweat from his brow after a heavy exchange with King. "Worororo… again," he demanded, rolling his shoulders. "You're hesitating."
King's golden eyes narrowed slightly. "I am not hesitating. I am adjusting."
Usimaru stepped between them, blade resting on his shoulder. "Then adjust faster. Ren-dono will not slow down for us forever."
The Red Scabbards trained nearby, each striking sea-stone pillars embedded deep into the earth. The thunderous cracks echoed like distant cannon fire. Their hands bled at times, yet none complained.
Ashura Doji spat to the side. "Tch. A month ago, I'd have said this was madness."
Denjiro adjusted his glasses calmly. "And now?"
Ashura grinned faintly. "Now I'd say… it's necessary."
The constant battles did more than sharpen technique—they reshaped relationships. The past hatred that once divided samurai and pirates slowly melted under shared exhaustion and shared growth. Where suspicion once lingered, camaraderie now began to take root.
Kaido found himself laughing more often than raging. Fighting alongside warriors who did not fear him but challenged him openly brought an unfamiliar satisfaction. Even when helping with Wano's reconstruction, though he grumbled loudly, he never truly refused.
"Why am I carrying lumber?" Kaido complained one afternoon, hoisting massive beams across his shoulder.
A farmer bowed repeatedly. "Because you broke half the mountain last week, Kaido-sama."
"Tch."
From a nearby roof, Ren called lazily, "Consider it strength training."
Kaido glared upward. "You're enjoying this too much."
Ren smiled without denial. "Maybe."
Usimaru observed these scenes quietly and found himself reflecting often. The new king was strong—undeniably so—but that was not what impressed him most. Ren ruled without suffocating authority, guiding rather than commanding.
Though most of the time he was playing with Yamato beneath sakura trees, when Wano needed him, he was present before anyone even asked. Problems dissolved before panic could spread.
The issue of food shortages had been resolved quietly, through trade routes Ren established and farmlands he had reorganized. No grand announcement, no self-praise—just results.
Usimaru once approached him directly. "Ren-sama… when did you arrange all this?"
Ren had simply shrugged. "Before it became a problem."
He had also made Kaido submit—not through humiliation, but through overwhelming strength and trust. Pirates no longer roamed freely within Wano, and the World Government kept its distance.
"You are not a king who believes he alone can do everything," Usimaru said one evening, kneeling formally.
Ren blinked. "Of course not. That sounds exhausting."
Usimaru smiled faintly. "Oden-sama tried to carry everything himself."
Ren's expression softened slightly. "And it cost him."
Though Ren often lazed around with Yamato, laughing as she clung to his arm, solutions were always prepared in advance. He anticipated threats the way he anticipated storms—quietly and thoroughly.
Usimaru placed a hand over his sword hilt that night. "I swear… my blade belongs to King Ren."
Since Ren became king, Wano had begun transforming into something almost unbelievable. Markets thrived again, laughter returned to villages, and no child went hungry.
These were becoming the golden days of Wano.
Usimaru remembered Oden's final words clearly: "Ren is the FUTURE OF WANO."
At the time, grief had clouded belief.
Now, standing in a land reborn, he understood.
The Red Scabbards felt the same.
Inuarashi and Nekomamushi often trained together now rather than arguing.
"Oi, Cat," Inuarashi muttered while stretching his arm. "What do you think about inviting some Minks to live here?"
Nekomamushi's tail swayed thoughtfully. "Hmm… the climate suits us."
Ren had already addressed it casually.
"If anyone from the Minks wants to live here," he said during a meeting, "they're welcome."
No hesitation. No politics.
King, too, had accepted Ren as his new captain. However, his loyalty to Kaido remained unshaken, and Ren had never complained about that balance.
One afternoon, Ren stood before King directly.
"Remove the mask," Ren said simply.
King's posture stiffened. "It is necessary."
"No," Ren replied calmly. "It's a chain."
Kaido crossed his arms beside them. "Worororo… he's right."
King remained silent.
"If the World Government dares look at you," Ren continued, eyes sharp, "they will regret it."
There was no arrogance in his voice—only certainty.
After days of contemplation and encouragement from both Kaido and Ren, King removed the mask permanently. For the first time in years, the Lunarian walked openly beneath the sun.
At first, villagers stared.
Then children approached.
"Your wings are amazing!" one child shouted.
"Can you fly?"
King blinked slowly. "Yes."
"Give us a ride!"
He hesitated—but crouched.
The children climbed onto his back, laughing as he lifted gently into the air. His face remained stern, but something unfamiliar warmed in his chest.
Later, Ren approached him quietly.
"How does it feel?" Ren asked.
King looked toward the horizon. "Strange."
"Free?"
"…Yes."
Wano's people did not care about his massive size, his black wings, or the flame that burned behind his head. To them, he was simply another protector.
His cold expression began to crack, slowly but undeniably.
One evening during training, Ren stood beside him again.
"Stop fearing your identity," Ren said evenly. "I'm sure you will awaken it."
King glanced at him. "Awaken what?"
Ren's eyes glinted slightly. "Conqueror's Haki."
King stiffened almost imperceptibly.
"You have the will," Ren continued. "But you hide it."
Kaido overheard and laughed. "Worororo! Imagine that!"
King looked between them. "You both truly believe that?"
Ren nodded once. "Yes. So stop hiding behind a mask."
The words lingered long after the conversation ended.
Across Wano, change spread like spring after a long winter. The Beast Pirates no longer terrorized the land—they trained, protected, and rebuilt it.
Samurai sparred alongside former enemies.
Markets buzzed with life.
Children ran without fear.
And beyond Wano's borders, whispers began to circulate.
Merchant ships carried rumors.
Cipher Pol agents reported unusual stability.
The World Government listened carefully.
"Wano is… peaceful?" one agent questioned in disbelief.
"Yes," came the reply. "And stronger."
Back in the training grounds, Kaido shattered another sea-stone slab from within, laughing thunderously.
Usimaru successfully triggered Internal Destruction twice in a row.
King's strikes grew sharper, more precise.
Ren watched them from a distance, Yamato perched happily on his shoulder.
"Everyone's moving forward," Yamato said proudly.
Ren smiled faintly. "Yes."
Kaido turned toward him, grinning. "Worororo! Looks like we're building something dangerous."
Ren's eyes shifted toward the open sea beyond Wano's cliffs.
"Yes," he replied softly.
"Very dangerous."
And somewhere far across the ocean, forces that once ignored Wano were beginning to pay attention.
The world had begun to notice.