Arms Trade

Hades set his sights on the arms trade first.

His main goal was to strengthen the Kronos Kingdom's military and show the world what real firepower looked like.

For an individual, personal strength was what mattered most.

For a country, though, individual strength meant little beyond its Top Combatants.

Every citizen of the Flower-Growing Nation feared not having enough firepower. Hades could hardly be bothered with guns that fired only one shot, or even a few, at a time.

They offered none of the thrill of spraying bullets.

The kingdom's research into new weapons and equipment was, of course, meant to arm its troops and strengthen its military.

The profits from the arms trade came second.

The arms trade held enormous profits on these seas, and Hades had no intention of passing them up.

There were no laws capable of punishing or restraining them, either.

The Kronos Kingdom's trade network could carry weapons across the Four Seas.

It took a year to go from research to production.

With the Royal Family's full support, a restricted area was carved out in the mountains. A series of arms factories rose there, along with a complete military-industrial system. Production lines were set up, and large numbers of workers were recruited to manufacture guns and ammunition.

Production was divided into two branches. One made the muskets, grenades, cannons, and other weapons common across the seas, specifically for the arms trade.

The other made more advanced weapons, including automatic rifles. These were supplied exclusively to the Kronos Kingdom's military for the time being, preserving its advantage in arms and equipment.

To conduct the arms trade, the Tartarus Royal Family established the Vulcan Weapons Manufacturing Company to represent the Kronos Kingdom.

They also backed a proxy in the New World's Underworld, secretly killing the reigning King of Arms to seize the Underworld arms market.

Their proxy became the New World Underworld's new King of Arms.

Through him, they quietly expanded the Kronos Kingdom's influence in the Underworld.

Thanks to precision machinery, the Kronos Kingdom could produce weapons efficiently and to a high standard. Malfunctions were rare, the weapons lasted longer, and they packed more power.

Their accuracy alone set them apart. They were a hit as soon as they reached the market, yet their prices were not much higher than the going rate.

The accurate firearms used by nobles and found across the seas were mostly made by hand with the help of machines. They were expensive, unsuited to mass production, and impractical to issue throughout an army.

The kingdom invited envoys from its trading partners to a private presentation, where the quality of its weapons was tested on the spot and compared with arms already on the market.

The difference was plain to see. The kingdoms that traded with Kronos immediately placed orders.

The tests had shown them exactly how much better these weapons were.

In sufficient numbers, weapons could decide the outcome of a war, provided the strongest fighters stayed out of it.

If the buyers liked what they received, they would purchase more from the Kronos Kingdom.

They had little choice. These weapons were already circulating in the Underworld. If they did not buy them, they would be the ones on the receiving end.

They might be the same kinds of weapons, but the difference in quality was real—and war would magnify it many times over.

Once the Vulcan Company's weapons entered the market, their superiority became clear in local clashes.

Compared with the old hit-or-miss shooting, their greater accuracy raised hit rates considerably.

In a war, that could mean an advantage of hundreds or even thousands of soldiers.

The weapons were a boon to Gunslingers and kingdom armies alike, letting them become effective in battle much faster.

Weapons poured through the Kronos Kingdom's trade network to every corner of the world. The kingdom made a fortune, and its influence grew further.

In a world this chaotic, the orders would keep coming.

The seas had not yet descended into such disorder, especially the Four Seas. The Four Seas Navy was stronger than ever and even held a place at Marine Headquarters.

After the heavy losses Marine Headquarters had suffered in the fighting of previous years, the Four Seas Faction had become its dominant faction.

While the Kronos Kingdom fought rebels backed by the World Government, orders from its trading partners also signaled their tacit support.

Perhaps the Rocks Pirates' growing influence around the world had prompted more people than before to set sail as Pirates.

Perhaps some had sensed the changes coming to the seas.

Who could say?

The situation only put the World Government further on edge.

It did not want the Kronos Kingdom to grow any stronger.

Those factors combined to make the World Government move against the Kronos Kingdom, despite its weakened forces and the formidable threat of the Rocks Pirates.

Otherwise, it would have been perfectly natural to lie low for decades and prepare more thoroughly.

As the ruler of the world, the World Government had time on its side. It could use any number of methods to undermine and divide a nation.

It could fail countless times. One failure might leave the Kronos Kingdom with no chance to try again.