Mother Nyx

The seas ahead would be anything but calm. The pressure the World Government placed on the Kronos Kingdom might ease, but the kingdom still needed to strengthen itself.

Fortunately, the immense profits from the Arms Trade provided support, and the Five Royal Trading Companies' share of trade across the Four Seas and the New World grew year by year.

The Kronos Kingdom's Foundations could also sustain its domestic development.

Whether it was investment in the Underworld Prison, investment in the Royal Academy of Sciences, or the coming agricultural reforms, some losses were inevitable in the early stages.

After Hades left, the Kronos Kingdom would begin its agricultural reforms, spreading them steadily from the center outward.

At the same time, construction of maglev trains had begun in a few parts of the kingdom. Eventually, they would form a transport network linking its major towns and ports.

Dedicated freight trains would carry cargo separately from passenger trains. Working alongside sea transport, they would move vast quantities of goods in containers, cutting costs and greatly improving efficiency.

There would also be dedicated military trains to transport troops and supplies, though their lines would all run underground.

As the transport network took shape, the Kronos Kingdom would become an even more important trade hub. It was already forging closer ties with powers throughout the New World.

As long as there was profit to be made, more people would join this grand trade alliance and draw closer to the Kronos Kingdom.

These were the tasks Bane needed to carry out for Hades before he returned. Agricultural reform and the transport network were both enormous undertakings that would take many years to complete.

Now that they had their goals for the future, all that remained was to put them into action. The entire kingdom would throw itself into the coming work.

Never before had the kingdom's path of development been so clear. Its goals and targets were all laid out on that single sheet.

Heading north, they crossed the primeval forest and finally reached the coast of the Kronos Kingdom.

The osprey descended steadily from the sky and landed.

"You can go now."

Hades stroked the osprey's head, wrapped an arm around Ananke's slender waist, and jumped to the ground.

A steep cliff stood before them. Below it, a pirate ship had already come to a stop.

Its flag did not bear the emblem of the Rocks Pirates as he had expected. Instead, a black moon loomed over a skull.

Hades' eyes lit up with delight. He had spotted a familiar figure aboard the ship.

The moment he saw that pirate flag, Hades knew who had come to pick him up.

He had not expected this. He had thought his uncle had already arranged for someone to take him to Hachinosu Island.

Their gazes met across the distance. The woman wore a black robe and a purple veil over her face.

She was Hades' mother, Nyx, the "Night Lady."

Two years after Hades' father, Jaeger, died, Nyx had left the Kronos Kingdom. Hades was six at the time. She had returned to the Rocks Pirates.

She wanted to use the Rocks Pirates' strength to take revenge on the World Government and the Marines.

She had also founded the Black Night Pirates.

Never underestimate a woman bent on revenge.

The Marines had suffered badly at Nyx's hands. Within their ranks, she had even earned the nickname "madwoman."

None of them had expected Jaeger's death to bring out such tremendous potential in her.

Before that, Nyx had been an unremarkable figure in Jaeger's shadow, an ordinary member of the Rocks Pirates, despite possessing a powerful ability.

Truth be told, the Marines had never considered Nyx much of a threat.

Nyx, the "Night Lady," was an officer of the Rocks Pirates.

She was the captain of the Black Night Pirates, a Logia user of the Night-Night Fruit, and a Great Pirate renowned across the seas with a bounty of four hundred million Beli.

Nyx had founded the Black Night Pirates after returning to the Rocks Pirates.

The crew was only a few years old and served under the Rocks Pirates as an Affiliated Pirate Crew.

Hades had received news of his mother from time to time over the years.

Still, he had not expected her to come for him in person. On reflection, it was hardly surprising.

Since Jaeger's death, Hades had been Nyx's one remaining source of support. How could she trust anyone else to bring him to her?

What if someone plotted against him?

She knew all too well what the Rocks Pirates were like on the inside. There was not a decent person among them.

"My precious boy."

When Hades came aboard, Nyx rushed to embrace him and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek.

Then she gazed at his handsome face, tracing it tenderly with a hand as fair as jade.

"Hades! You've grown up."

Nyx sounded wistful and excited.

Hades had been only six when she left, and six years had passed in the blink of an eye. They had seen each other only a handful of times since.

The Rocks Pirates had been busy, seizing the opportunity to expand. As the number of forces under their command grew, their overall strength snowballed.

Those forces mobilized en masse to challenge and conquer the pirates of the New World who had not yet submitted to the Rocks Pirates.

The Rocks Pirates did not personally deal with weaker crews. They left those to affiliated forces like the Black Night Pirates.

And as the Rocks Pirates gradually came to dominate the New World, more pirates sought to join them of their own accord.

Nyx could clearly see Jaeger in Hades.

Suddenly, Hades frowned. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, sharpening his gaze. Anger surged through him, and an astonishing pressure burst from his body.

"Mother, who hurt you?"

In Hades' memory, his mother's face had been flawless. Now a terrible scar marred it.

Nyx wore a veil, but that could not hide it from his eyes.

"A Marine Vice Admiral named Vic. He caught me off guard and wounded me."

Seeing Hades' anger warmed Nyx's heart. She cared little about the scar on her face.

As a pirate, she was willing to risk her life. Why would she worry about a mere scar?

She did not hide the truth from Hades, because she knew her son would avenge her.

Vic.

Hades repeated the name silently, engraving it in his memory.

You'd better stay alive!

From that moment on, the days of the Marine Vice Admiral named Vic were numbered.

After a brief reunion, Nyx left Hades and joyfully embraced Ananke beside him.

"Dear Ananke, it's been so long!"

Ananke was the daughter-in-law Nyx had chosen for herself. How could she not be excited to see her?

"You're as beautiful as ever, Nyx."

Ananke's words were sweet. She had always been close to Nyx, though they had not seen each other in years.

Nyx then greeted Titan.

"Little Titan, look how much you've grown!"

Nyx knew Titan. He had already been at Hades' side for a year when she left.

"Greetings, my Queen!"

Titan had long since finished his food, bones and all.

He held Nyx in great respect.