Meanwhile, Underworld Prison had outposts across the New World and other parts of the sea, where it took in promising orphans and trained them to strengthen the Kronos Kingdom's Foundations.
The seas had never lacked people with potential. For various reasons, though, very few made it all the way.
That was especially true of the New World, a place teeming with powerful fighters and firmly within the Kronos Kingdom's sphere of influence.
The Sky Arena, the Kronos Kingdom, and the environment of the Pluton Sea itself also drew countless powerful fighters to settle there.
Meanwhile, many orphanages across the seas received covert funding from the Kronos Kingdom.
They selected promising children and brought them to the Kronos Kingdom for training under the guise of adoption.
In today's seas, orphans were the one thing no one lacked.
Nor was this practice anything new.
The most famous example was Sheep's House, founded decades ago by "Mother" Carmel.
On the surface, she was a kind nun known to the world as "Mother," who had founded Sheep's House to shelter homeless children. In truth, she was a child trafficker who abducted and sold orphans, known in secret as "Mountain Hag." She had been the previous user of the Soul-Soul Fruit.
Most importantly, Carmel had an eye for talent. She could see a child's potential and abilities.
Every faction needed that kind of gift.
Carmel used it to sell outstanding talent to the Marines, the World Government, and other factions.
The Kronos Kingdom had once bought promising children from Carmel too. It was one of her clients.
Back then, the World Government had not yet set its sights on the Kronos Kingdom, and Charlotte Linlin did not yet exist.
Every faction wanted to work with a trafficker who could supply them with geniuses.
But few