Main World.
Year 26 of Konoha, spring.
British Continent, New Capital.
Imperial Palace, Council Hall.
Spring sunlight streamed through the high windows, casting dappled light and shadow across the long conference table. Toyotomi Yinglang sat at its head, holding a cup of hot tea, a faint smile on his lips. Yutian stood before him, his deep purple Governor's Robe immaculate, holding a thick report-the Empire's annual population statistics. His gaze moved slowly across the pages, his brows slightly furrowed, as though digesting the meaning behind those numbers.
"Your Majesty, the British Continent's current population has surpassed four million."
Yutian's voice was calm, but a trace of pride in his eyes was hard to conceal. Four million. A little over a decade ago, there had been only a few hundred thousand Primitive Tribespeople here, living on raw meat and blood. Now there were cities, factories, schools, hospitals, armies, and fleets. There were chakra cultivators, Devil Fruit users, and practitioners of the Three Colors of Yin Release. There were four million people sowing the Empire's seeds across this land, taking root and sprouting.
Toyotomi Yinglang set down his teacup and leaned back in his chair.
"Four million. Enough. But still not enough."
Yutian's brows furrowed slightly. "What do you mean, Your Majesty?"
"The Empire's territory is expanding. Its population must keep pace." Toyotomi Yinglang's voice was calm. "Without people, even the vastest territory is wasteland. Without enough people, even the strongest army cannot hold it."
He rose and walked over to the enormous world map hanging on the wall. It marked every region under the Empire's control-the British Continent, Mechanical Star, Ocean Planet, the Three Kingdoms Continent, the Black Horn Kingdom, and, in the Shinobi World, the Country of Roran, the former site of Sunagakure, and several secret outposts. Every marked area