Hinomoto and the Shogunate!

Within the Authority Room of Mary Geoise, in Pangaea Castle.

Shepard X. Shepherd Ju Peter Saint, who controls CIPHER POL, activates the Den Den Mushi next to him and switches it to slideshow mode.

"Take a look, this is the map Crocodile brought back. It's said to be not a world map, but a map of the country where the Star Gate Base is located."

"We only sent him to the New World to recruit him, but I didn't expect him to bring us so many valuable things along with him. I'm starting to admire him."

As the supreme leader of the Three Armies, Zambalong V. Saint Nusjuro held the Shodai Kitetsu with a satisfied smile on his face.

"Once we finish the mission in the New World, we should recall him and train him as soon as possible. His Physical Arts and Haki must be improved quickly, otherwise, if we delay for a few more years, he'll be ruined."

"Okay." Shepard X. Shepherd Ju Peter nodded.

While they were talking, Topman, Saint Topman Warcury, and the other two were examining the large map on the projection screen and the various place names marked on it.

Since it's all written in Wano Script, there's not much difficulty in understanding it.

"This is actually an island in the sea, but there are no scale markings on it, and we don't know its size." Marcus Saint Mars, who was in charge of science, history, and public relations, stroked his long beard and said softly.

"Furthermore, look at the upper left corner. There's clearly a protruding area that looks like a peninsula, which suggests that there may be other islands or even continents overseas."

Shepard X. Shepherd Ju Peter Saint nodded and said, "Through the interrogation of the Yatsushiro Station Manager brought by Crocodile, we have learned that this country is called Hinomoto, and that there are also the so-called Europa Continent and Asia Continent overseas. Those Kabane came from the Europa Continent."

"If that's the case, then it means these continents have also been ravaged by the Kabane. Let's ignore them for now and focus on taking control of the Hinomoto in front of us," Topman Saint Topman Warcury said solemnly.

"Really."

Shepard X. Shepherd Ju Peter said.

As he spoke, he controlled the Den Den Mushi to blink and switch to the next map, a detailed map of the area around the Star Gate Base that had been specially zoomed in on.

"According to this map, our Star Gate Base is located in a place called the Ashika Peninsula. Nearby are three cities they call Post Stations: Sendai Station, Kurokawa Station, and Hayate Sugaya Station, which was previously discovered by CP9 and confirmed to have fallen. Currently, Bullet's Army is clearing out the Kabane within."

"The so-called post stations were built because the wilderness was occupied by Kabane, and the people of this country were unable to effectively resist them, so they built high walls to lock themselves inside."

"Supplies and manpower were then transported via Armored Train, which they called Station City. This is why we didn't encounter any living people or towns at the beginning; they were all concentrated in cities that were quite far apart."

"These post towns and Station City trains are all under the jurisdiction of a government organization called the Shogunate, whose supreme leader is the Shogun."

Upon hearing this, Zambalong V. Saint Nusjuro raised a question.

"Didn't CP9 discover a group of armed forces clearing out and capturing Kabane in the wild? How can you say they have no ability to resist?"

Shepard X. Shepherd Ju Peter continued to explain what he knew.

"According to the intelligence revealed by that supervisor, that group is the only unit in Hinomoto that dares to engage the Kabane in close and direct combat in the wild. They are called the Hunters, and also known as the Liberators."

"Their leader is Biba Amatori, the son of Shogunate Keisuke Amatori, who is twenty-two years old this year."

"It is said that ten years ago, when he was twelve years old, he was able to command an army of 400,000 to carry out a large-scale campaign to eliminate the Kabane on Hinomoto Kyushu Island, the southernmost part of Japan."

"At first their operation went very smoothly, and they reclaimed a large amount of land, but later they were betrayed by my father, their supply lines were cut off, and they were completely wiped out."

"Subsequently, Biba Amatori severed his father-son relationship with him, which led to a complete shift towards a conservative policy towards the Kabane Hinomoto."

Upon hearing this, everyone present understood.

It's yet another sordid drama between radicals and conservatives.

However, this Keisuke Amatori was ruthless enough to send his own son away as a sacrifice.

However, his only mistake was not completely killing Biba Amatori.

Now he has gained influence and has his own wings.

"This kid seems to be a commander-in-chief; he led an army of 400,000 at the age of twelve!"

"Even with the advantage of being the son of the Shogunate, it would be almost impossible. He can be considered both brave and resourceful."

"It's because he trusts his father too much, but that's normal."

Zambalong V. Saint Nusjuro had a slight admiration for this yet-to-be-met Biba Amatori.

He had a particular fondness for talent in the field of warfare.

"In general, they actually have the ability to eliminate the Kabane, although it would take several hits to penetrate their heart with a weapon called Steam Gun."

"But according to what I understand, if the two sides are close enough, two shots are actually enough, and the impact of the bullets can effectively repel the Kabane. It's a pity," Shepard X. Shepherd Ju Peter Saint lamented.

"Don't most people have the courage to fight the Kabane at close range?" Zambalong V. Saint Nusjuro said.

"That's right!"

Shepard X. Shepherd Ju Peter said, "Also, Laskey and Mata have caught up with the Hunters's train to the Station City. Judging from the direction, they should be heading to Shitori Station, but there has been no news since then."

"There's no rush. The fallen Sugaya Station and the intact Yatsushiro Station are enough for us to digest for a few days. Let them handle it themselves, no need to rush them," Topman Saint Topman Warcury voice.

The words had barely left his mouth.

The Five Elders fell silent for a moment.

After thinking it over, Marcus Saint Mars said, "Their Steam Device looks very interesting, but it's a pity we haven't gotten the finished product yet, and removing the Kabane Heart Membrane also requires a lot of manpower."

"Although we haven't figured out how to use them yet, we should store them for now. Dr. Fritz and his team have already conducted experiments, and the excised Heart Membrane did not deteriorate in a short period of time. As for how long they can last, we don't know yet and we need to continue to observe them."

"Do we have enough manpower?"

Topman Saint Topman Warcury frowned and suggested, "Could the Academy of Sciences design a mechanical device to automatically peel off the Kabane Heart Membrane, and then make it into a structure that can be freely disassembled and reassembled? From the information we have so far, the number of Kabane this world is particularly exaggerated. I feel that it will be difficult to efficiently 'collect materials' by manpower alone."

As the head of the State Council, he knew very well how difficult it was to send so many people into the Star Gate; it was incredibly difficult!

"That's a good idea. I'll have someone inform Dr. Vegapunk, and now he'll have another research project to handle," Marcus Saint Mars remarked.

"Hmph, the Academy of Sciences isn't just about him. Can't others do the same thing as developing a 'processing equipment'? If they can't even do this simple thing, what's the point of keeping them around?" Zambalong V. Saint Nusjuro said forcefully.

Well, in short, the young author wrote with great care, and all you readers can read with peace of mind.