Amigasa Village

At that moment, despair hung over everyone's hearts.

The villagers who still had some ability to move had already been taken to Kaido's weapons factories to produce arms. Only the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled remained in the village.

They went hungry meal after meal and could not even afford a proper meal. How could they possibly resist strong, able-bodied pirates?

The legendary land of samurai, the golden country of centuries past, had now been reduced to nothing but the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled.

Were it not for the mystery brought by its closed borders and Kaido's deterrence, Wano Country—with its Seastone ore and processing techniques—would likely have become an immediate target of the Marines and the Celestial Dragons.

"Sorry, sorry! Kept you waiting!"

Whoosh!

A huge bundle fell from the sky. Ace appeared before the villagers of Amigasa Village once more, and the corner of the bundle that showed made them swallow unconsciously.

"Th... this is food? Food that hasn't been contaminated?"

"Can... can we really eat it?"

"Yeah, go ahead and eat. The feeling of an empty stomach is hard to endure. You've been hungry for a long time, right? Hehehe..."

Ace's smile appeared beneath his cowboy hat, making the young girl beside him stare with shining eyes.

"Th... thank you so much, Pirate Sir!"

Everyone rushed forward at once. Some villagers hurriedly brought out elderly people and children from their homes who had not eaten for days. Looking at the emaciated villagers, a question arose in Ace's heart.

"Wasn't Wano Country supposed to be a land of beautiful scenery, gold, and samurai? Why has it become so desolate?"

On his way here and back, the plains Ace had passed through were utterly barren. Even the seemingly clear river water was