Wano Country did not know that after years of isolation, outside forces were preparing to invade.
By now, most of Wano Country had fallen into chaos and become lawless territory.
The only places that could be called peaceful were the central districts ruled by the Daimyo and the shogun.
Countless people had been driven from their homes. Refugees from across Wano Country were flocking to the territories of the Daimyo and the shogun, seeking safety.
As a result, the Shogun's Residence had lost much of its control over Wano Country.
It had even lost control of some regions entirely.
In those regions, the Kurozumi Clan offered work to residents too poor to afford food, hiring them to dig in the mountains.
Their wages were barely enough to fill their stomachs, but that was enough to satisfy them.
Without work, they would struggle to survive.
Wano Country was now facing a severe food crisis.
The growing number of refugees crowded into its central towns, inevitably bringing unrest.
Even there, peace existed only in comparison with other regions. Beneath the surface, darkness lurked everywhere and continued to spread.
Conflicts of every kind, along with pressure from within and without, were steadily pushing the country toward the Abyss.
"Why has it come to this?"
Wano Country's shogun, Kozuki Sukiyaki, looked over reports from across the country, consumed by guilt.
Under his rule, Wano Country had not been especially prosperous, but it had lived in peace.
Yet at some point, a shadow had fallen over the entire country.
"It's my fault. If I'd noticed sooner, things wouldn't have come to this."
"Shogun, we must act. According to our intelligence, the Kurozumi Clan is behind this. With the support of outside forces, they've come to take revenge on us."
"First, we purge Wano Country. Once