Hiro Mashima
Hiro Mashima
Who Was Hiro Mashima?
Hiro Mashima was a master of trade, manipulation, and calculated risk—a merchant who never gambled because he only played when he knew he would win.
Born in a poor trading family in Kozuka, Hiro quickly learned that wealth was not just coin, but knowledge, timing, and leverage. Though Kenku are often seen as imitators, Hiro proved himself to be a master innovator, adapting and reshaping trade itself to suit his needs.
His rise within the Saffron Winds Trade Union (SWTU) was not due to brute force or wealth alone, but rather his ability to see patterns, anticipate change, and manipulate markets before others even recognized an opportunity.
Hiro’s Business Philosophy:
"A man who trades in gold is limited by his purse. A man who trades in knowledge is limited only by his ambition."
Hiro’s Impact on the SWTU
When Hiro took control of SWTU in 402 AEL, the organization was still primarily confined to Kozuka, struggling against the traditional noble-backed trade guilds that sought to limit independent commerce.
Hiro transformed SWTU into an international trade powerhouse, ensuring its survival and expansion by:
1. Breaking Kozuka’s Isolation (421 AEL, Age 59)
Brokered the first major trade deal with the Dominion of Kafka, securing exclusive rights to rare medicinal herbs, furs, and minerals from northern Granheim.
Established covert trade routes into the Sultanate, bypassing the noble-controlled ports of Kozuka and ensuring SWTU could sell directly to foreign markets.
His negotiation skills and ability to operate in secrecy allowed him to slowly break the monopoly of Kozuka’s noble-backed merchant houses, giving independent merchants a chance to thrive.
Hiro on Secrecy & Trade:
"Some doors are locked not because they must be, but because no one has yet picked the right key."
2. Expanding the SWTU Fleet (430 AEL, Age 68)
Recognizing that speed and evasion were key to outmaneuvering powerful state-sponsored fleets, Hiro commissioned the first prototype of The Grey Fleet—fast-moving corsairs designed for high-risk trade missions.
These ships would later become the backbone of SWTU’s ability to operate independently, ensuring they could transport rare goods without relying on foreign-controlled ports.
Hiro on The Grey Fleet:
"When the storms come, the strong ships sink. But the light ones, the clever ones—they ride the wind."
3. Training Milim Tsunemori (439-449 AEL, Ages 77-87)
Hiro never had a family of his own—his only true love was commerce, negotiation, and the thrill of shaping the world through trade.
So when a starving 10-year-old Vulpin girl tried to steal from his shipment in the backstreets of Inari, he did not see a thief—he saw a survivor, a risk-taker, a child who was willing to defy the rules to live.
Rather than punish her, he took her in as his apprentice, teaching her everything he knew.
He taught her numbers, language, the weight of coin, and the value of patience.
He took her to business meetings, let her listen in on negotiations, and forced her to think through every trade as if her life depended on it.
Hiro’s Lesson to Milim:
"Gold is a currency. But so is trust. So is fear. So is time. Learn which to spend and which to hoard."
By the time she was 15, she was already handling minor trade deals on his behalf.
By the time she was 17, she was outmaneuvering noble-backed trade houses that had existed for generations.
By the time she was 20, Hiro knew she was ready—and when he felt the weight of age creeping upon him, he named her his successor, shocking the entire Union.
Hiro to Milim Before His Death:
"The sea carries many traders, but only one will set the course. Take the winds, Milim, and never look back."
Hiro’s Legacy & Lasting Influence
Though he passed away in 449 AEL at the age of 87, Hiro’s teachings, strategies, and philosophy still define the Saffron Winds Trade Union today.
His three greatest contributions to the Union were:
Expanding Beyond Kozuka – He ensured SWTU became an international player, rather than just a Kozukan faction.
Establishing The Grey Fleet – His investment in fast, evasive ships allowed SWTU to thrive in high-risk markets.
Raising Milim Tsunemori – His greatest gamble, and his greatest success, was in passing everything he built into the hands of a street rat who proved to be his greatest student.
Hiro’s Lasting Words on Legacy:
"A merchant who only thinks of himself dies forgotten. A merchant who builds something greater than himself is remembered forever."
Final Thoughts
Hiro Mashima was not a warrior, nor a king, nor a noble.
He was a merchant, a thinker, a man who understood the world better than most.
He did not conquer with armies, but with contracts. He did not kill his enemies, but made them obsolete.
And though his bones rest in the grave, his ideas, his trade empire, and his final gamble in Milim Tsunemori live on—stronger than ever.
Life
362 AEL
449 AEL
87 years old
Children
Aligned Organization
