After killing the chief culprit, Kurozumi Orochi, Ryan left with Beli and the others. He did not let Kyoshiro follow, because he wanted to see this country for himself.
As for Kyoshiro, he still had much to do. Kurozumi Orochi's years of rule had established an enormous web of connections throughout Wano.
He needed to gather the Kozuki family's former retainers, deal with those rebels, restore the Kozuki family to power, and he already had a candidate for ruler.
That was Kozuki Hiyori, who had come to the Flower Capital two years earlier and recognized him. She was also one of the Flower Capital's most renowned courtesans!
Although she was a woman, Kyoshiro was not someone bound by distinctions between men and women. Years of suffering had made him understand that the people of Wano needed hope, a ruler who could lead them out of their plight.
And Kozuki Oden, a descendant of the Kozuki family, was currently the only candidate. If Kozuki Momonosuke were still alive, he would absolutely choose the latter, but wasn't that impossible? [Kozuki Hiyori arrived in the Flower Capital thirteen years ago and met Denjiro, who had taken on the identity of Kyoshiro. It was now 1509, so thirteen years before 1522, Hiyori was already in the Flower Capital.]
Yet the people outside had no idea that their shogun, Kurozumi Orochi, was already dead!
Ryan left the Flower Capital and headed beyond the city. As he passed through several villages, he saw gaunt, sallow-faced people everywhere, clearly starving. The children in particular reminded Ryan, Beli, and the others of their own childhoods.
"We should help them!" Beli said softly, but his voice was exceptionally firm.
"Ah." With a sigh, Ryan took out some food. It was not much, only enough to give these people one