The Fall of Wano Country

"Is this Rat Plague? How can there be so many Nezumi!"

The countless Nezumi were terrifying, swarming and launching frenzied attacks on people. Even the strongest warriors could not withstand the onslaught of so many ferocious Nezumi.

Moreover, the number of samurai in Wano Country is only a fraction of the total; the majority are ordinary residents.

The entire Wano Country was plunged into chaos, and the shogunate and various Daimyo's Mansion were in a state of utter disarray.

Rat Plague is a very serious problem.

However, in the unique environment of the open sea, although Rat Plague exist, they are relatively rare.

Even if there were Rat Plague, they were small-scale and easily resolved.

The Rat Plague in Wano Country is a result of the World Government's clandestine cultivation and their powerful reproductive capabilities, leading to a massive population of Nezumi throughout the Wano Country.

It is a massive quantity that has not been seen in hundreds of years.

Everything happened too suddenly. The crazed Nezumi broke into the areas where the residents of Wano Country lived, attacking the people of Wano Country and tearing at their bodies. The blood only made them more aroused.

Terrifying Nezumi surged in like a river, their squeaks as piercing as insect chirps.

The entire Wano Country was overrun by a terrifying Rat Tide. In a short period of time, countless people sacrificed their lives, died, and were devoured by the Nezumi.

A number of several hundred thousand is still relatively small.

The villages and towns on the outskirts were swallowed up immediately, leaving behind piles of bones.

Some of the Swordmaster perished in the Nezumi' frenzied attacks.

Even with the combined efforts of powerful warriors, it was still difficult to stop the Rat Tide's attack.

How many Nezumi can be killed with a single slash?

They were but a drop in the ocean amidst the Rat Tide.

Their own physical strength was the first to be exhausted.

Moreover, Nezumi have a strong reproductive capacity, allowing them to continuously spawn large numbers of soldiers. After Rat Tide outbreak, they plunder a large amount of resources, further enhancing their reproductive capacity.

We must find a way to stop it, otherwise the Rat Tide will only grow stronger until it destroys the entire Wano Country.

The effects of the pesticide sprayed by the World Government will persist.

If there were no Rat Plague, where would the plague come from?

The towns in Wano Country don't have walls, so they're completely undefended against the endless Nezumi, allowing Nezumi to invade at will.

At that point, it was too late to build walls; the Capital of Flowers was invaded in an instant.

The samurai kept moving, traversing the streets and alleys, killing Nezumi he saw.

In the streets and Nezumi, and even inside houses, Nezumi are much more at ease than they are.

It's too much to ask samurai to deal with Nezumi. They can handle direct combat, but this kind of work is just exhausting.

Tens of thousands of samurai acted together, some protecting the Capital of Flowers and clearing out the arriving Nezumi, while others, led by strong warriors, went to some fallen villages and towns to see if they could rescue some people.

"Boom!"

The powerful Conqueror's Haki was unleashed, and within a vast area, all the Nezumi were instantly knocked unconscious.

The terrifying aura instilled fear in the Nezumi, causing them to scatter in all directions. Even in their frenzy, they still retained their survival instincts.

That is the terror of the strong.

They might be fearless against ordinary strong individuals, but before Kozuki Oden, everything was meaningless.

The moment the soul was suppressed, countless slashes came directly, killing a large number of Nezumi.

After a period of killing, these warriors also mastered some skills.

The leader, Kozuki Oden, and all the samurai were in a terrible state, their eyes bloodshot, having not had a proper rest for days and nights.

Whether it's physical fatigue or mental exhaustion.

Faced with these Nezumi, Wano Country has no better solution than violence.

"How are the residents?" After dealing with a group of Nezumi, Kozuki Oden turned to the samurai beside him and asked.

"Countless dead and wounded." The samurai on the side looked bitter. "The threat of the Rat Plague infestation is hard to eliminate. We reacted too late. Except for Reiko, which is relatively safe due to the cold weather, the rest of the area has been invaded by these Nezumi."

"Most areas of Wano Country are simply too busy to be cared for. In the Capital of Flowers alone, a rough estimate puts the death toll at 50,000."

"The most important thing to do right now is to relocate the residents to Reiko. In Reiko, they can avoid Nezumi attacks, and we can also focus on eliminating these Nezumi."

"The important question is, why did the Rat Plague break out? This has never happened before, and it came so suddenly. It must have been orchestrated by someone with malicious intent."

Upon hearing this, the surrounding samurai could all guess what he meant. Only the World Government could do something like this without anyone noticing.

"Damn it!" Kozuki Oden roared in fury.

As the shogun of Wano Country, he was well aware of just how dire the situation in Wano Country was.

There is basically no connection in various areas; the only way to get information is through Den Den Mushi).

With fewer than 200,000 samurai, they were unable to solve the Rat Plague, let alone provide timely support to other areas. They hadn't even finished clearing out the major towns.

It is estimated that the death toll in Wano Country has exceeded one million in just one week. Many villages and towns have lost contact and are completely destroyed. Even those with powerful samurai can only escape with a few people, except for those who die in battle.

Such casualties are simply unimaginable for Wano Country.

Fortunately, thanks to the widespread use of Den Den Mushi), timely communication was possible, allowing residents of Wano Country to evacuate in unison to the areas where the daimyo's Daimyo's Mansion and shogun's mansions were located, all protected by powerful military forces.

After evacuating to a less affected area by the Rat Plague infestation Reiko and Hiyori went to Wano Country, an island with four seasons, Reiko representing winter, which is covered in ice and snow all year round.

Hiyori, on the other hand, is the most desolate place in Wano Country.

What's worse is that the casualties are secondary; hordes of Nezumi have devoured all the food in Wano Country, turning farmland into wasteland and even fruit trees into barren land.

The wild beasts all disappeared, killed by the Nezumi.

The entire Wano Country is already in a state of famine due to food shortages; without a large amount of food, even more people will starve to death.

As for Nezumi, it is completely inedible. It tastes bad, and ordinary people will experience diarrhea and discomfort after eating Nezumi, unless they are physically strong.

In order to solve the problem, Wano Country began to purchase food from outside, using samurai swords and Seastone, hoping to solve the Wano Country's current food shortage problem.

How much food is needed for millions of people? There are simply no forces that can handle it.

It can be said that in the New World, apart from a few major powers, only the Night Pirates are capable of doing this.

Wano Country contacted the Night Pirates, Night Pirates agreed, and naturally, several agreements were signed.

The amount of food needed to sustain the entire Wano Country is not small, but Wano Country is rich in resources and was once known as the Golden Country, with a very considerable amount of treasure.

At this point, Wano Country could only use these as substitutes, along with Seastone.

However, the delivery of food takes time, and with each day of delay, more people will die.

We don't know how long this Rat Plague will last, or how to solve it.

Hakumai, a port town, has now become an important part of Wano Country. A food crisis has emerged, and until the Night Pirates deliver food, they can only barely survive through some trade.

Large numbers of Wano Country residents gathered here, and many people lay on the ground, starving, their cries of agony filling the air.

Some residents also had Nezumi bites on their bodies.

The agricultural system of Wano Country has completely collapsed. Several ships have been sent out to fish, but how many people can be sustained by the fish caught?

With no other option and the predicament unresolved for the time being, ships carrying the residents of Wano Country left the Wano Country and went to settle on islands outside the country.

After all, staying in Wano Country is no different from waiting to die.

Even earlier, many residents of Wano Country had already voluntarily wanted to escape Wano Country, as it was easier to survive outside.

Ships came and went constantly, transporting goods and transferring residents of Wano Country.

The current strategy for the Wano Country leadership is to first relocate the Wano Country 'Wano Country citizens to reduce casualties, and then relocate them back once the Rat Plague is completely resolved.

Otherwise, as the Rat Plague continues, the casualties in Wano Country will only increase.

This was also to reduce casualties, since the total number of casualties had reached an alarming level in just a few days.

Even if a transfer were to take place, it would be very slow. Wano Country six ports, and even with leased ships, if each port could transfer 10,000 people at a time, Wano Country could only transfer a maximum of 60,000 people at a time.

A voyage on the high seas can take several days to complete.

Therefore, it would take at least several months to relocate the entire Wano Country.

With the help of the Night Pirates, the relocation speed will definitely be much faster.

The Night Pirates promised to provide food to Wano Country, and in order to better provide food and reduce costs, the residents of Wano Country lived in the Night Sea Domain.

For the Night Pirates, settling millions of people was not a problem, but it was still a considerable challenge.

Currently, Wano Country has only about three million people left, and it is possible that in the end, only two million people will remain.

When Wano Country finally sought help from the outside world, it was already too late. They only started thinking about solutions after the problem was discovered, without anticipating what might happen.

If it had happened a few days earlier, the situation in Wano Country would likely have been better.

Rediat personally intervened with a batch of grain, but it was far from enough to solve the immediate crisis. Only Hakumai could obtain grain through her trade with external forces.

The various regions had essentially lost contact, and at this point they began to regret why they had only opened up Hakumai, leaving other regions without effective support.

The Night Pirates acted very efficiently, dispatching a massive fleet and two island warships immediately after the agreement was reached.

In this way, after a few rounds, all the residents of Wano Country can be relocated. Of course, it depends on whether some residents can hold out until then.

Panic grips Wano Country. Life is threatened, and the ugliness of human nature begins to surface in despair. Even a small amount of food can spark a fierce struggle among the people.

Many people even died at the hands of their own people.

Food was given priority to high-ranking samurai and nobles, which fueled internal conflicts within Wano Country, but these were largely suppressed by overwhelming military force.

Due to the long journey, a large portion of the transported grain also needed to supply the departing residents of Wano Country. They also needed food to sustain themselves on the ship and could not rely solely on seafood.

"The World Government has intervened."

"Definitely." Mostima of the Night Pirates nodded; there was no doubt about it.

"I never expected them to use such methods. It seems Wano Country won't be able to recover for at least several decades, maybe even a hundred."

As he spoke, Mostima couldn't help but sigh, "That was a really ruthless move."

A terrible Rat Plague was deliberately created.

If the Rat Plague occurs outdoors, it is easier to deal with, and the rats may even be eradicated before they are born.

This Rat Plague was caused by a variety of reasons, and its extent can be attributed entirely to a confluence of favorable circumstances.

"How's the rescue operation going?" Teach his fingers lightly on the armrest.

"We're almost there. We're carrying a large amount of food; we can bring back at least half a million residents of Wano Country in one trip."

"We don't need to worry about anything else, as long as things are in place. Have the resettlement plans for these Wano Country residents been completed?"

"Yes, we will disperse them across various islands in the Night Sea Domain to supplement the population of some less populated areas."

To be honest, Teach Wano Country would be severely damaged. Given the current situation, it's unknown how long it would take for Wano Country to recover, given that its ecosystem has at least completely collapsed.

In this way, they took over the population of Wano Country.

Later, Wano Country couldn't support so many people, and rebuilding their homes and reclaiming the wasteland was a troublesome matter.

Once these residents of Wano Country settle down, why would they want to return to a Wano Country? This is a clear and open scheme.

Besides food, there's also the issue of population migration. The Night Pirates won't provide Wano Country with much assistance; if possible, they even want to annex Night Pirates Wano Country territory.

The Night Pirates would naturally have efficient methods to deal with the plague, including targeted poisons and various other approaches. Unfortunately Wano Country itself is an area the Night Pirates want to suppress.

"This is just the beginning. The World Government's actions haven't truly begun yet. Let's wait and see; there will definitely be other moves to come."

"So, Captain, should we get involved?" Mostima asked.

"No need. Wano Country isn't so easily defeated, especially with many powerful figures like Kozuki Oden." Teach knew exactly how strong Wano Country, with a large number of high-end combatants, and even the Navy wouldn't easily provoke them.

Even if Kozuki Oden were to die, Wano Country would still exist. How could a mere Rat Plague so easily destroy Wano Country?

"Let's wait and see what the World Government does. It's definitely related to the Road Sign Stone. No matter what happens in the end, it won't have much impact on us."

Although mining Seastone takes time, the Night Pirates have already reaped sufficient profits.

Most of the gold and treasures accumulated in Wano Country over the years have fallen into the hands of the Night Pirates, and the value of these treasures is at least tens of billions.

Compared to the food they provided, the Night Pirates actually profited greatly. Many of the agreements they signed with Wano Country were unequal treaties. The Night Pirates weren't doing charity work, Wano Country be extremely grateful to them for their contributions during their time of crisis.

"Also, be careful of the plague, or rather, the bubonic plague, which could very well break out in Wano Country," Teach warned Mostima, keeping this in mind.

Plague!

Mostima's expression hardened upon hearing those two words.

How terrifying this thing is! Once it spreads, the death toll will rise even further, making the situation in Wano Country even worse.

Should I remind you?

"No need. It makes no difference whether you say it or not. Wano Country currently has no means to deal with the plague."

Teach ruthlessly declared that his single sentence had decided the lives of many Wano Country residents.

If warned, Wano Country would certainly have made some preparations, even though Wano Country is currently in a state of collapse, and most of its medicinal herbs have been eaten by Nezumi.

Without being warned, Wano Country didn't realize that once an outbreak occurred, many residents would die.

"We can prepare in advance."

Gaining the gratitude of the residents of Wano Country would do them no harm.

If the Night Pirates don't intervene, to prevent the spread of the plague, most of the Wano Country residents exhibiting plague symptoms will die, and their bodies will be artificially destroyed and buried.

"What about the Road Sign Stone? Should we have Rediat bring it back?"

"No need. Giving this to the World Government is fine, but we can make a copy."

The Poneglyph of Wano Country are the most crucial, and their fall into the hands of the World Government will provide an opportunity to use them against the World Government in the future.

Whitebeard had the Poneglyph from Fish-Man Island, and Teach also had it. The remaining two pieces were in the hands of the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates. Teach could get them with just a little effort.

It's safe to say that if Teach wanted to, he could become the Pirate King very soon.

Unfortunately, he didn't want to.

The news of Rat Plague in Wano Country spread throughout the world in a short period of time. Given that it involved a powerful Wano Country, it was shocking news for the world.

The outbreak of the Rat Plague was too sudden and illogical.

Suddenly, all sorts of accusations were directed at the World Government, who believed that the Rat Plague was their doing.

After all, many people are aware of the conflict between the World Government and Wano Country has even openly opposed it. Even ordinary residents are aware of this after learning about it.

The photos and images of the Nezumi infestation in Wano Country are chilling.

A renowned zoologist has publicly stated that such Nezumi exist in the wild, but they show obvious signs of genetic modification and do not exist in Wano Country; they are an invasive species.

The Nezumi's frenzied behavior clearly indicates they were provoked; this Rat Plague was definitely man-made.

The authoritative statement sparked fierce opposition from the World Government worldwide, with almost everyone believing it was the World Government's doing.

The World Government unilaterally denies such rumors because there is simply no evidence.

During this time, news also emerged that the rat Rat Plague might be related to the Night Pirates, the Beasts Pirates who have a grudge against Wano Country, and even a certain mad scientist.

But very few people believe these news reports; don't treat the public like fools.

The Night Pirates are not hostile to Wano Country, and the Beasts Pirates did not infiltrate Wano Country to develop the ability to infest Rat Plague. The most likely culprit is the World Government.

There has been a tacit understanding regarding targeting the World Government; any negative news about the World Government can quickly spread throughout the world.

The World Government didn't care at all, pretending not to know anything and looking like they had been slandered.

The destruction and damage caused by the Rat Plague infestation are terrifying, especially the sight of farmland being completely devoured, which is truly alarming.

The image of a person being surrounded and eaten by countless Nezumi is nauseating and no one wants to experience it.

Those kingdoms were even less willing to see a Rat Plague break out in their territories.

This has led to a sharp decline in the influence of World Government worldwide.

Wano Country not only notified the Night Pirates, but also the Whitebeard Pirates, although the Night Pirates were the only force capable of providing such a large amount of food.

In this critical moment, we must naturally make use of all available resources.

Faced with Kozuki Oden's plea for help, how could Whitebeard remain indifferent? After the Night Pirates made their move, he immediately took action, gathering food and preparing to support Wano Country.

They even dispatched their Captain of the First Division, Marco the Phoenix. Like the Night Pirates, the Whitebeard Pirates had anticipated the plague that might be about to strike.

Marco can bring a lot of help to Wano Country now.

Suddenly, the once peaceful Wano Country turned into a living hell. Countless Wano Country residents lost their homes and lives, and a desolate atmosphere permeated the air.

Hakumai Daimyo, Shimotsuki Ieyasu waiting at the port. He was under a lot of pressure. Hakumai itself was short of supplies, especially food, and the food they obtained had to be used to help other places.

Even so, it's still far from enough.

The Whitebeard Pirates' supplies will take some time to arrive, as they are quite far apart, and their efficiency in gathering food is nowhere near that of the Night Pirates.

Now, all they can do is wait for the Night Pirates to arrive with their aid.

According to reports, they are almost there, and the two island warships will arrive ahead of schedule.

The other ships will arrive in the following two days.

The news of the Night Pirates' impending arrival had already spread, bringing some hope to the desperate people of Wano Country.

Prior to this, a group of Wano Country citizens had already been sent out of Wano Country and settled on islands in the waters surrounding Wano Country.

Large numbers of Wano Country's citizens are waiting to leave Wano Country and escape this sea of suffering.

"They've arrived."

A black dot appeared in the sky, rapidly approaching. Soon, a floating Sky Island appeared above everyone's heads, slowly descending until it reached the edge of Wuren Port, dozens of meters above the ground.

"Welcome, Your Excellency. I am very grateful." Shimotsuki Ieyasu's face lit up with joy as he looked at the Night Pirates' flag fluttering on the island warship and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Wallace, who was at the head of the group.

To prevent any mishaps, Teach remained very concerned about the aid.

Each island warship is guarded by a demon king, and this time he sent Wallace and Gari.

Two island warships will land, one in Hakumai and the other in Reiko. These two areas are currently the two largest population centers in Wano Country.

Hakumai has 800,000 people, Reiko has 1.5 million, and the remaining hundreds of thousands are gathered in other areas.

Afterwards, residents of Wano Country from other areas will gradually relocate to Hakumai and Reiko.

Although Hakumai had fewer people than Reiko, she faced greater pressure. Reiko was less affected by the Rat Plague infestation and still had some pregnancies, but the pressure was mainly on food, which allowed her to hold on for a short period.

Meanwhile, the Hakumai was extremely chaotic, forcing Shimotsuki Ieyasu to resort to violence to maintain order. People were starving to death every day, and they even faced attacks from Nezumi.

Compared to Hakumai's previous performances, it's like night and day.

With the support of the Night Pirates, his pressure will be greatly reduced.

"Yes, be careful to maintain order. Supplies will be continuously transferred to the port. Also, send people to the island. This island can hold about 200,000 people, but we can squeeze in 250,000."

Wallace looked at Shimotsuki Ieyasu and reminded him.

"Okay." Shimotsuki Ieyasu couldn't wait any longer.

They had already made preparations, and soon, under the order maintained by the samurai, many women and children were the first to land on the island.

It's normal to prioritize protecting women and children; they've already learned from the Whitebeard Pirates that a plague might break out.

Those who are physically weaker will naturally be placed first.

They now have no means to control the plague, and can only try their best to preserve the seeds.

Physically strong young men were more likely to survive the plague and last longer.

As for the elderly, a large number of them had already died from the Rat Plague, and the rest were unable to land on the island for the time being in order to ensure the survival of Wano Country, so they had to wait their turn.

Residents of Wano Country continued to land on the island, where food had been prepared and distributed to them. Many people shed tears of emotion the moment they received the food.

Meanwhile, large quantities of food were transported from the island and placed at the port.

These are all ready-to-eat foods, packaged or canned.

If it's rice or flour, it's very likely to attract Nezumi, and a large portion of it will be wasted and eaten by Nezumi.