Chapter 194: Cooperation with the Kurozumi Clan 2 - Silent Blood Draw
Wano Country is located in the southern part of the New World's middle section.
The entire route starts from Black Snake Island on the periphery of Wano Country's Sea Area, leaving Wano Country through a special Passage.
The route goes north, passing through the territory of the Pluto Pirates to the Kronos Kingdom.
A round trip takes about three months.
This kind of trade has been ongoing.
Black Snake Island is only a two-day journey from the main island of Wano Country, which is the foundation that prevented the Kurozumi Clan from being completely wiped out.
As for why Wano Country hasn't discovered this island belonging to the Kurozumi Clan?
Wano Country has been in isolation for hundreds of years.
Wano Country is indeed a treasure land.
Seastone is not valued at all in Wano Country.
Due to its hard material, mining is relatively difficult, and the technology for purification is very difficult for Wano Country, which lacks industrial machinery.
However, Hades doesn't need to purify it; he transports the Seastone ore back to the Kronos Kingdom to purify it himself.
If there are no accidents, Hades indeed hopes this line can be maintained indefinitely, but that's impossible.
The Rocks Pirates don't know how much longer they can last.
If nothing unexpected happens, that final great battle will break out within a few years.
By then, without the suppression of the Rocks Pirates, the entire New World will fall into chaos.
Under these circumstances, the Marines will begin to rise.
Hades also feels a sense of urgency internally, wanting to do as much as possible within this shortest period of time.
"It seems the trade needs to be expanded."
Hades mused.
In the future, the Kurozumi Clan will still need to rely on the grown-up Kaido, combined with schemes and plots, to defeat the Kozuki Clan.
The Kurozumi Clan, even at their peak, could be wiped out just like that.
With the current strength of the Kurozumi Clan, once their actions are discovered, it's impossible for them to withstand the encirclement and suppression by the Kozuki Clan and the other Daimyo in Wano Country loyal to the Kozuki Clan.
The Kurozumi Clan's belief that they can suppress those Samurai with just some munitions is far too naive.
Powerful Samurai cannot be dealt with by mere munitions.
However, Hades knows that the Kurozumi Family is not stupid.
The main purpose of acquiring munitions is to quickly arm themselves and form combat strength.
Compared to Samurai who require extensive training, the efficiency is undoubtedly countless times faster.
The number of Samurai in Wano Country, all combined, is at most only twenty to thirty thousand.
And the Kurozumi Family has enough money to assemble a military of one hundred thousand people without any problem.
For the Kurozumi Clan to rise to power, they truly need to rely only on external powerful forces.
To be honest, while the strength of the two siblings of the Kurozumi Clan is decent, that's all it is.
Knowing the future, he is aware that the Kurozumi Clan will eventually succeed.
After Kozuki Oden leaves Wano Country, the trade can definitely continue.
But now, he is unsure if the Kurozumi Clan will become arrogant because of this and be wiped out by the Kozuki Clan.
If the Kurozumi Clan hopes to use his strength to help them rise, they are completely overthinking it.
However, Hades also doesn't want the Kurozumi Clan to be destroyed.
Thinking this, Hades took out a Den Den Mushi.
"Hehehe! My dear Hades, what do you need from this Elder at this hour?"
The Den Den Mushi simulated a terrifying face like a ghost, letting out a strange laugh.
One has to admit the horror of the passage of time.
A few years ago, Kurozumi Semimaru still looked very young.
Unexpectedly, after a few years, she had become an old woman.
Her appearance was truly a bit frightening, but Hades was used to it.
There were too many strange-looking people on the Great Sea, especially within the Rocks Pirates.
"Double the population in our trade."
Hades said, his tone clearly unquestionable.
"Also, I want to know what you plan to do? To be honest, I don't think this single military can help the Kurozumi Clan rise. I don't want my partner to just disappear like this."
This made Kurozumi Semimaru's face look unpleasant, even uglier than before, which the Den Den Mushi perfectly simulated.
"My esteemed Lord Hades, fifteen thousand people at a time is already a lot. I am also taking on a great risk."
"Furthermore, I have no intention of taking action in a short period of time. I will not take the path of armed resistance."
Kurozumi Semimaru didn't care why Hades needed so many people.
The reason Hades gave her was that he needed manpower for mining.
Moreover, she didn't care about the issue of population loss.
There were as many as he wanted.
The fewer of these Civilians loyal to the Kozuki Clan there were, the more stable the foundation of rule would be in the future when the Kurozumi Clan ascended to power.
However, people are not something you can just get your hands on whenever you want; it takes time.
If the actions are too big, it will be very troublesome if they are noticed.
In reality, the Kurozumi Clan acts very cautiously, using methods that won't attract attention, such as recruitment, and then under the pretext of going to Areas managed by other Daimyo in Wano Country.
Furthermore, Hades doesn't need Elder, only those under fifty, which increases their difficulty.
Although their trade was initially proposed by Hades, the one holding the initiative is also Hades.
To be precise, the Kurozumi Clan is currently very reliant on Hades in various aspects like munitions and supplies.
And Hades can abandon them at any time.
The Kurozumi Clan is short on funds.
Even though Kurozumi Semimaru and Kurozumi Orochi acquired a lot of treasure during their time with the Rocks Pirates, it was actually insufficient to meet the Kurozumi Clan's needs.
Just the upkeep of the tens of thousands of troops is a huge cost.
And since the trade began, the two of them needed to return to Wano Country to oversee the situation, having left the Rocks Pirates a few years ago.
They only returned occasionally.
Compared to the Rocks Pirates, the revival of the Kurozumi Clan was undoubtedly more important.
Kurozumi Semimaru's words made Hades feel much more reassured.
A cold smile couldn't help but appear at the corner of his mouth.
He didn't believe Kurozumi Semimaru's words.
She said it was very difficult, but she didn't say it was impossible.
What she wanted was for Hades to offer a bargaining chip that would satisfy her.
That old woman!
Hades cursed inwardly.
However, this was the kind of business he liked the most.
Because he wasn't short on funds.
The trade they were doing was, to be precise, human trade, exchanging people for supplies.
After a while, both sides were very satisfied, and Hades hung up the Den Den Mushi.
However, it was agreed beforehand that doubling the population would only last for a maximum of three years.
In three years, at sixty thousand per batch, that would be seven hundred and twenty thousand people.
The scale might sharply decrease later.
To avoid being detected, this was unavoidable.
Even so, in Hades' view, the Kurozumi Clan could be said to be incredibly capable.
Hades supports the development of the Kurozumi Clan.
The strengthening of the Kurozumi Clan is equivalent to the weakening of Wano Country.
Moreover, such traitors are too hard to find.
They betray their country without hesitation and don't even see themselves that way.
On the other side, having received Hades' promise, Kurozumi Semimaru shouted excitedly.
This way, the Kurozumi Clan could expand their military strength to one hundred thousand.
The continuous flow of supplies and vast funds would be enough to sustain the Kurozumi Clan for many years.
Black Snake Island has too little arable land and cannot be self-sufficient.
The upkeep of the extra military is enormous every year, requiring support from external supplies.
Hades will provide the Kurozumi Clan with fifty Beli in funds and ten billion Beli worth of supplies in one go.
What she didn't know was that most of these things were obtained from Marines' storage bases.
As for how to recruit these troops, there were simply too many methods.
Kurozumi Semimaru was seen muttering to herself, her eyes filled with an eerie light.
"This time, where should I create a plague?"
(end of chapter)