King's black boots struck the polished alloy floor with steady clicks. He walked beside Boer, silently passing through the manufacturing district known as the "Industrial Heart."
Everything before him challenged his established understanding.
Automated robotic arms swung in precise rhythms, forging red-hot steel billets into shape; standardized parts streamed down assembly lines like rivers, finally coming together into complex construction machinery at the end. The mingled smells of coolant and hot metal filled the air, while an enormous air circulation system worked continuously. Workers in matching uniforms concentrated on their tasks at consoles or monitoring screens, their expressions showing an efficient, tranquil focus King had never seen on the faces of Wano Country's craftsmen.
There were no whippings, no shouted reprimands, only the rhythmic roar of machinery and occasional instructions.
Boer spoke at just the right moment, calmly explaining the production lines and their output. King nodded silently, but beneath his mask, his sharp gaze swept over every detail.
Once they left the industrial district, the scenery changed.
They rode a gliding rail car past neatly planned residential neighborhoods. The buildings were not particularly tall, but stood in orderly rows, their balconies dotted with greenery. Children played in communal spaces, while elderly residents chatted on benches. The streets were clean, with sanitation workers in orange vests tending to them.
The prosperity of the wealthy district went without saying. Shop windows gleamed, and well-dressed people came and went from various establishments. But what made King's pupils narrow slightly was the so-called "poor district" they saw afterward.
There was none of the filth, decay, numbness, or despair he had expected. The houses might have been simple, but they were sturdy and dry; the roads might not have been wide, but they were level and clean. People's clothes were not luxurious, but they