Chapter 142: Renting Out Kuri
Kozuki Sukiyaki was deep in thought. Were these powerful outsiders really just refugees fleeing a war? Judging by their wealthy, almost extravagant appearance, they certainly didn’t look like bandits.
"Sukiyaki-sama, if these people can suppress Kuri, then in a few years when they return to their homeland, wouldn’t we have a peaceful Kuri left behind? Plus, they’ll be paying us rent — it’s a win-win!"
The finance officer of the Shogun’s estate perked up at Brook’s proposal. Every year, they spent a fortune dispatching troops to suppress Kuri — wasting money, losing samurai, and paying death benefits. If these outsiders could handle the trouble for them, the savings would be enormous.
He had already started calculating just how much rent they could charge — enough to make a profit but not so much as to scare them away.
"Sukiyaki-sama, why not rent it to them for a year first? See what they can accomplish before deciding whether to expel them."
Shimotsuki Token chimed in. They had long considered pacifying Kuri themselves, but it had always been a costly, thankless task. Sooner or later, Kuri would return to chaos anyway.
Hearing his retainers all trying to persuade him, Sukiyaki found himself caught in a dilemma. They didn’t understand the true secret the Kozuki family was guarding — but still, they were thinking for the good of Wano.
An unruly Kuri drained their coffers year after year. If these outsiders could stabilize it at their own expense, while paying rent on top of it...
It really did seem like a good deal.
...
"Outsiders," Sukiyaki said at last, "I don’t know if your words are true or not. But I’ll give you one year. If you can suppress Kuri, you may continue to live in Wano. If not, you will still be allowed to remain as refugees for a few more years. But if you show any signs of betrayal, we will expel you immediately!"
He was willing to give Brook and his group a chance. As long as they stayed busy managing Kuri, they wouldn’t have time to pry into the Kozuki family’s secrets. And he would have more time to observe them.