Communications Technology

Hades checked the progress of several projects at the Royal Academy of Sciences.

Communications technology, led by Doctor Tesla, had advanced further. They had even built a prototype phone.

It resembled a tablet computer from his previous life, about the size of an iPad. It could make calls and handle video chats, though it still needed refinement.

It could also take photos and livestream. They only needed to replicate some of the Den Den Mushi's functions.

And it could be folded up and carried around.

All they lacked was a base station capable of extending the signal, and that was only a few steps from completion.

Once it was finished, they would build a communications network covering the entire kingdom, then distribute phones to its people to replace Den Den Mushi.

Of course, communication with the outside world and intelligence gathering would still rely on Den Den Mushi. The kingdom would establish dedicated areas where their signals could not be blocked.

Under those circumstances, even citizens who wanted to send messages by Den Den Mushi could only do so under the kingdom's surveillance.

They had also developed a tablet that worked across the Four Seas—but only the Four Seas. The magnetic fields there were relatively stable, so dedicated base stations would suffice.

Once music, games, forums, and livestreaming were added, it would quickly become popular throughout the Four Seas.

Those features were far more advanced than anything a Den Den Mushi could offer.

If Hades wanted to make tablets widely available, they could replace Den Den Mushi to some extent. Their wider range of functions was their advantage.

But the Kronos Kingdom could not build base stations in every kingdom and on every island.

Besides, the stations' signals did not reach very far. Improving that would take time and further technical development.

Because of the Grand Line, the Calm Belt, and, of course, the Red Line, only Den Den Mushi could provide communications in areas of the Four Seas with unusual magnetic fields.

Den Den Mushi had their own peculiarities. Unlike phones, they did not share a single signal network.

Every Den Den Mushi had a unique signal.

And apart from certain special varieties, ordinary Den Den Mushi were not expensive.

They were also remarkably hardy. For Pirates, they were essential in extreme conditions.

Avoiding competition would be easy: they only had to remove the calling function from tablets sold outside the Kronos Kingdom.

The arrival of tablets would have a major impact on the world, especially on ordinary people and the spread of information.

It would inevitably shake the Grand Line. When the Four Seas had tablets and the Grand Line did not, people would certainly turn their attention to the Kronos Kingdom.

They already had a solution: build standalone base stations that could connect to the communications networks of the Four Seas.

But a device would have to be within a certain distance of a base station to connect.

Beyond that range, it would lose the connection.

Base stations could be classified as small, medium, large, or even super-large according to their range.

As for the price? That was another matter.

It was amusing to imagine a future where every Pirate ship carried a base station as an essential item, just like an Eternal Pose.

For now, though, that was only an idea—or a plan in progress. They had yet to build a base station.

Whatever happened, the Kronos Kingdom would have an independent information network.

In this era, it was better for the Kronos Kingdom not to draw too much attention.

Hades had no intention of doing that yet. The technology was not ready.

Besides, the kingdom's next stage of development would require enormous funding.

Not that funds were lacking.

There were the huge annual profits from trade, tariffs on goods passing through the Kronos Kingdom, shipping fees from routes across the Four Seas and the New World, domestic taxes, and profits from the arms trade.

The Kronos Kingdom's economic strength was undoubtedly among the greatest in the world.

But there was simply too much the kingdom needed to do next.

For the Kronos Kingdom, having enough was enough. There was no need to rush to spread its influence.

They had to take things one step at a time, not overreach.

An intermediate version of the nutrient solution had already been developed.

The basic nutrient solution replenished nutrients and energy and helped restore stamina and heal injuries. Its effects were significant for ordinary fighters, but much less noticeable for stronger ones.

The intermediate nutrient solution was more potent. Used with a medical pod, it could be absorbed rapidly, restore some of the body's vitality, nourish it, and help treat old injuries.

The proposed advanced version would replenish life force, slow aging, improve the body, and treat old injuries.

A top-tier nutrient solution might even enhance all those effects, transform the body, and extend a person's lifespan.

As for weapons, the secret submarine project had long since been completed. Some nations on the seas already possessed submarine technology.

But the Kronos Kingdom's submarine was no ordinary vessel. It was more like a nuclear submarine from Hades's previous life, with its power system replaced entirely by a powerful local energy source. Power was not a concern.

Only the missile remained.

Missile technology was extremely complex. Achieving precision guidance and striking any chosen target across a vast range was the challenge Hades had set the scientists.

Otherwise, they could simply launch something like a rocket. That would be easy.

What Hades wanted was guidance over immense distances.

The crucial guidance system—and even an automatic tracking system—would require full use of intelligent technology.

Once it was complete, the Kronos Kingdom and its coast would be secure. Anyone who dared attack would learn what it meant to have missiles rain down on them.

The string of weapons research projects perfectly illustrated Hades's fear of never having enough firepower.

If they extended the guidance range further,

they could even bring islands in the waters around the kingdom under Kronos rule. The New World had plenty of resource-rich islands.

Hades studied the kingdom's intelligence reports, then picked up a pen and began to write.

It was a plan for what came next. He was about to leave the kingdom, and before he did, he needed to map out its development step by step.

Agricultural reform, in particular, could begin now.

Agriculture was vital to any nation, especially the Kronos Kingdom. With its vast plains, it was a major agricultural power.

But agriculture had not been a priority before, and the Kronos Kingdom had no shortage of food, so it had been left until later.

In Hades's view, the kingdom's agricultural productivity was low, even though ordinary people in this world were fairly strong.

Under his plan, the Kronos Kingdom would introduce high-precision mechanized farming suited to local conditions and make the fullest possible use of its land.

Plains, coasts, mountains, and lakesides would be used for grain production, livestock, irrigated farming, or fruit growing as the environment allowed.

The vast plains were one of the Kronos Kingdom's greatest advantages.

The Royal Family had also established the Kronos Crown Company, adopting an agricultural production model similar to that of a country from Hades's previous life.

It would link agriculture, industry, and commerce into a single chain, connecting primary production through crop cultivation and animal husbandry with processing, sales, and after-sales service.

In effect, it combined the strengths of agricultural production in the Beautiful Country and the Fairy-Tale Country.