As Wano Country descended into chaos, the Kurozumi Clan grew ever more brazen.
In Hades's eyes, the Kurozumi Clan had already crossed a line, despite the cover provided by the turmoil and its tangled alliances with various factions.
With the Shogun's Residence and the Daimyo's estates furious, however, the clan could be exposed at any moment.
It was a dangerous sign.
Hades did not fear Wano Country's strength. He thought nothing of Kozuki Oden as he was now, and Oden had no connection to Whitebeard anymore.
Hades had not abandoned his plan to bring Wano Country to its knees.
But it was time to bring in outside forces.
Since the Kronos Kingdom could not intervene directly, it needed help from elsewhere.
More factions would also divide Wano Country's attention.
With that in mind, Hades made a secret call.
A long while passed.
"Hello, hello!"
"Hades, is that you?"
A young voice came from the other end of the Den Den Mushi.
"Yeah. Victor, how have you been?"
Hades smiled. They had not seen each other in years, yet they spoke like old friends.
"I can't say I've done as well as you." Sterling Victor chuckled. An endless expanse of sky stretched before him as he stood at the edge of the Red Line.
"I spent a few years in the Holy Land, but I had no interest in hanging around with those spoiled heirs. I work at the West Blue office now."
Hades knew the spoiled heirs Victor meant were the good-for-nothing Celestial Dragons.
As one of the Holy Land Mary Geoise's most prominent young men, Victor knew plenty of Celestial Dragons.
He had never thought much of them. Frankly, he had no reason to.
Victor's father, Langman, was the World Government's Minister of Finance and the Holy Land's Steward,