A solid foundation

After returning to Search Bureau headquarters, Lofan shut himself in his office.

The idea of warships had occupied his mind for a long time, but he had never had the resources to make it happen.

Now things were different. He controlled Punk Hazard and had the entire Navy behind him.

He also had complete financial autonomy. With conditions this good, it would hardly be reasonable not to develop some advanced technology.

Lofan had strong reservations about the Navy and naval warfare in this world.

Even ships built with timber from the giant tree Adam had major problems, both in sailing and in combat.

Related to this was the backward thinking behind naval warfare, which focused on boarding actions.

This kind of fighting was somewhat primitive and outdated.

In Lofan's world, this form of combat had gradually been replaced after ironclads appeared.

Battles were no longer fought as they had been in the age of sailing warships, either. Engagements usually took place at great distances.

Lofan knew about big ships and heavy guns, and embraced the idea that battleships were a man's romance.

Lofan decided to begin by upgrading the warships and changing the Navy's approach to combat. Clashes between individuals still had to remain the preserve of powerful fighters like him.

Ever since the Navy Investigation Bureau had established itself on Punk Hazard, Lofan had been in contact with the prison and research units stationed there.

This was his home base. Any other departments that could not be absorbed would have to move out. Lofan was not in the habit of sharing a bed with others.

The development of the new blueprints was also entrusted to the Development Agency.

Punk Hazard's industries were gradually being developed and expanded as well. A rising power needed a home base to match.

After spending half the day tinkering in his office, Lofan finally finished writing his planned Navy warship upgrade program.

In Lofan's plan, the Navy's warships first had to tackle hull materials and propulsion.

Sail power had to be abandoned entirely in favor of external paddle wheels fitted with propulsion mechanisms.

Metal would also begin replacing wood across large sections of the hull, since wood was expensive and less strong than steel.

After that, the hull designs, propulsion systems, hull materials, and so on would be updated step by step.

The technology behind the Navy's ships would gradually advance.

The second task was for the Development Agency to begin research into relevant fields such as materials science and mechanics.

Research related to ship design would also have to proceed alongside it. Lofan promised the head of the Development Agency:

The Investigation Bureau would provide all the support they needed. They only had to focus on research, and Lofan would handle any problems from above.

The third step was to build the relevant production facilities.

In Lofan's conception, if he could recruit someone with the Molten Fruit or a similar ability...

Then his plan to make use of ore could be implemented quickly. But he had never found a suitable candidate.

Combined with inadequate preparations, this had kept the plan from being implemented.

But things were better now. With Punk Hazard as his foundation, he could finally get to work.

The only problem he needed to solve was transporting raw materials.

Punk Hazard itself produced no minerals, as its environment made mining extremely difficult.

As a result, no one had ever developed mineral deposits here, and Lofan did not intend to do so either.

Buying ready supplies was far more economical than mining this place.

These three moves had to be made quickly.

He had to build up his forces before the Paramount War began if his plans were to move forward smoothly.

Lofan looked at the few general requirements he had drawn up from rudimentary theory and the sample designs he had provided on his desk.

After carefully checking that everything was correct, he put them in a sealed bag, sealed it with wax, and had someone run it over to the Development Agency.

"A technological revolution... I should go see how the personnel training is coming along first. People are the key to war, after all."

To this day, Lofan still remembered something a great man in his own world had once said:

"Weapons are an important factor in war, but not the decisive factor. The decisive factor is people, not things."

Those words rang deeply true to Lofan, and he wholeheartedly agreed.

No matter how advanced the weapons were, they were useless if the people were not up to the task. The technological innovations he provided still needed people to operate them.

In the courtyard of Search Bureau headquarters, training with all kinds of equipment was arranged in an orderly fashion.

The training ground was filled with newly arrived personnel undergoing basic training.

Many classrooms had been set aside inside the building, and they, too, were filled with personnel attending lessons.

The subjects taught were extremely varied, from cooking to piloting, from machinery to biology. Almost every subject was covered.

All personnel trained on a schedule that alternated one day of physical training with one day of knowledge instruction.

They had been training for almost half a year now, and he wondered how the results were.

A squad of Navy soldiers was practicing formation drills on the training ground. Most of the former core members had now become instructors capable of handling things on their own.

"At ease! Attention! Dress right! Eyes front!"

As the instructor issued one command after another, the slack soldiers quickly formed up.

This was knowledge of military drill manuals that Lofan had dredged up from his memory.

After discussing it with old Zephyr, he had decided to put it into full use in training.

Subjects covering stamina, strength, technique, and more filled Lofan's mind with the words "scientific military training."

For a moment, he could hardly tell whether he was still in this world.

Another burst of shouts came from soldiers sparring beside the sandpit. Old Zephyr was among them, pairing off with the trainees to fight.

It was hard to say whether he was feeling playful or genuinely instructing them, but at least it was clear that Zephyr was enjoying himself.

As Lofan wandered, he circled back to the front of the building, pushed the door open, and went inside.

The sounds of people reading aloud reached him. Reconnaissance students, chemistry students-talent in all kinds of fields was still being cultivated in an orderly fashion.

Passing an office, Lofan spotted Ain working with her head lowered.

Ever since he had handed the Search Bureau's administrative work over to Ain, he had not had to worry about it again. The credit for that belonged to her.

This young girl had gradually changed from the unconfident Ain who used to trail behind her teacher.

She had gradually grown into someone who could handle things on her own, and he felt truly fortunate to have witnessed that process.

Buried in her work, Ain did not notice Lofan watching her from the doorway. Since taking over the Administration Department's work, Ain had barely rested.

She worked even while eating every day, and her mind was filled with nothing but Search Bureau business.

The Search Bureau's smooth start could not have happened without Ain's hard work.

Suddenly, as though sensing something, Ain jerked her head up. Seeing Lofan standing at the door watching her, she lowered her head in embarrassment.

"What brings you here, Admiral?" Ain's voice grew softer and softer until it was as faint as a mosquito's hum, almost inaudible.

Lofan smiled. "Thank you for all your hard work lately, Ain."

Hehehe, a woman's sixth sense. How interesting.