On the vast ocean, a ship supported by red flame-clouds soared through the air, casually dodging dangerous waterspouts as it flew with steady purpose.
After some time, a gargantuan waterfall cascading from the sky blocked Ren's path.
"We're here!"
"We are?"
The crew looked puzzled, but Ren, finding the speed of the flame-clouds too sluggish, transformed into his Asura form. He moved beneath the hull, braced himself, and gave the entire ship a massive heave upward!
"AAAAAAAGH!"
Amidst the "joyful" screams of the crew, the party landed smoothly atop the plateau of the legendary Land of Samurai!
Carefully setting the ship down, Ren grinned and let out a resounding shout: "Wano Country! Your daddy has arrived!"
Krillin and the others hopped off the deck. Aside from Hina, who immediately came over to subject Ren to her signature "Abyssal Scissor Kick" in retaliation for the scare, everyone else was filled with anticipation for this mysterious nation. After a bit of fooling around, Ren led his crew forward, officially stepping into the territories of Wano.
As for the ship, they concealed it within a dense thicket near the shore.
"Move out!"
Wano was divided into the Flower Capital and the "Outer Regions." Since the rebellion twenty years ago, the country had entered a literal "Hell Mode." With a Shogun who treated the people like grass, the life of the commoners was exactly as grim as one would imagine.
Arriving at a small village, they saw men and women in tattered kimonos laughing and shouting in a state of near-frenzy. It was "food distribution day." A crowd had gathered around a large wooden tub, discussing something with manic intensity.
When Blu walked over curiously, a putrid stench assaulted his nose. He looked into the tub to find it filled with leftover scraps and swill—foul-smelling refuse that made him gag.
Blu stumbled back a few steps, one hand covering his nose and the other waving frantically to clear the air. "Are these people planning to clear out some trash?"
Ren smiled grimly. "That is their food."
"No way!!?"
The crew was horrified. Olga blurted out, "The stuff in that tub doesn't even qualify as trash! It belongs in the dirt as fertilizer! That's where it should have gone!"
Even though Ren was mentally prepared, seeing it in person was still nauseating. However, he quickly adjusted his mindset. This is good, he thought. Only like this can my plan truly take root.
Did anyone really think he came here just to see the so-called Ancient Weapon, Pluton? If that were his only goal, he could simply use a Cero to obliterate the mountain range surrounding Wano, forcibly "opening" the country and revealing the weapon beneath.
He was here for something much bigger. He was here to become a God.
Once his strength reached a certain threshold, a realization had dawned on him: if enough people believed in him, his level of existence would shift. As long as faith in him existed, he would never truly perish. The simplest way to achieve this was to establish a faction and become its King. Even if he didn't show his face, as long as people believed in the entity he represented, he would receive the power of faith.
The World Government understood this perfectly—hence the "Void Century." They had wiped a hundred years of history so that no one would remember the previous "gods" or powers, leaving only fragments like the Nika fruit.
Ren's goal was to become the God of Wano.
The first step to igniting the divine fire is becoming their faith!
While the crew talked, the villagers began clawing at the food in the tub. The slop, which no one outside would give a second glance, was a rare delicacy in their eyes. A single drop of oil was enough to make lifelong friends tear at each other's throats. Within moments, the village had devolved into a brawl, dust rising and obscuring the vision.
The crew frowned, but ultimately said nothing, turning to leave.
"My good mood is completely ruined," Hina sighed. "I can't imagine how the ruler of this country manages his people."
"When one place is in misery, another is in luxury. We're only seeing the tip of the iceberg," Krillin noted calmly. He had once been a prince. His kingdom was removed from the World Government not because they were cruel, but because they spent all their money caring for every city, leaving nothing for the "Heavenly Tribute." Wano clearly didn't have that problem. Somewhere in this country, there was surely a city of decadence that could be called a "Heaven on Earth."
Ren agreed. As they walked, he turned to the group. "I've decided to liberate this country. So, things are going to get a bit hectic."
The crew blinked, surprised by the sudden declaration, but they didn't hesitate. "Understood. Just do what you need to do; we'll back you up!"
If Ren had decided, they wouldn't ask why. They would just execute.
After walking for a while, the grown-up Olga noted, "This country is more desolate than the inside of Lord Bonbori's stomach. We've walked this long and haven't seen a single decent tree."
Since entering the interior, the lushness of the coast had vanished, replaced by barren wasteland and ruins. A single gust of wind was enough to kick up a localized sandstorm. Ren suspected the environment here was currently worse than the desert kingdom of Alabasta.
As he walked, Ren formulated his plan. A direct slaughter was ineffective; the commoners of Wano had been too thoroughly "domesticated." They believed in nothing. Even the Kozuki name was spat upon by the current generation. The only ones who still believed in the Kozuki were their direct retainers—and those people were irrelevant to Ren's goals.
The simplest way is to use rumors to give the commoners a glimmer of hope, then kill Orochi and Kaido and rule the country legitimately.
As the saying goes: when your strength far exceeds your opponent, schemes are unnecessary. You just steamroll.
So, let's give them a little reminder first!
Ren's lips curled up. He knew exactly what to do.
The next day.
In the region of Hakumai, a rumor began to spread like the wind.
"Have you heard? The legendary Great God Asura will soon bring us liberation. When that day comes, everyone will live in houses that don't leak, the earth will be restored, crops will grow again, and there will be endless food and wine for everyone to enjoy!"