Hades met with Kyle, and they talked for nearly half a day.
Kyle did most of the talking, recounting his experiences over the years.
Hades might have known roughly where Kyle had been and what he had done.
But he had never made a point of keeping tabs on him.
He certainly hadn't followed the details.
After years apart, the two grew a little closer.
Hades had not attended Kyle's wedding.
Kyle's identity had not been revealed at the time. If Hades had gone, it would have caused quite a stir.
The Kronos Kingdom had sent an envoy to the East Blue for the wedding, though.
That envoy was Kyle's younger brother Brand.
Kyle had two younger brothers, Brand and Lubbock.
Only Brand remained in the Kronos Kingdom. Lubbock had left long ago to follow Teach.
Hades had come to Mary Geoise in person. Attending the Reverie could not have been his only reason.
Visitors came in droves: kings and prominent figures from the Affiliated Nations.
They were joined by factions across Mary Geoise and senior World Government officials.
Most came to discuss cooperation.
On these seas, the more friends one had, the better.
And the more one could earn.
Hades did not turn them away. Whatever else he was, he was a king.
Ordinary dealings between kingdoms were sometimes unavoidable.
For the Kronos Kingdom, this was also a chance to expand its influence across the seas by establishing businesses in those kingdoms.
The kingdom had limited land, so some industries needed to move to other kingdoms it knew well.
Of course, not every kingdom was worth moving an industry to.
The Kronos Kingdom still had vast stretches of territory that had yet to be fully developed.
But it had the funds to make long-term plans across the seas.
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