Pirate: Hades! ( One Piece)

# Chapter 232: Fish-Man Island, Like a Tool

Within the Kingdom, various industries developed steadily, and the scale of trade targeting the Four Seas grew larger and larger.

 Besides establishing an absolutely secure defense system, Hades's gaze was focused more on external matters, seeking to enhance the strength of the Kronos Kingdom through outside means.

On an Island named Coral Island on the west coast of the Kronos Kingdom, the Fish-Man Tribe population residing there had reached 500,000.

 Fish-Man Tribe warriors were an important force for patrolling the Sea Area around the Kingdom.

 With such a large number, approximately fifty to sixty thousand Fish-Man Tribe members came to the Kronos Kingdom each year.

 This number was steadily increasing.

 As for Fish-Man Island, it had no intention of stopping this.

Fish-Man Island is said to be an Island, but it is actually just a Small Island.

 Yet, this Island has a dense population of five million.

 Less than a tenth of the population lives on the Island, able to feel the light transmitted by Sun Tree Eve through its roots from the Sea Surface down to the Deep Sea ten thousand meters below.

 The vast majority of the population can only live in the coral clusters below the Island, in small spaces like apartments, unable to reach sunlight, even forgotten by others, as if without hope.

This is related to the Fish-Man Tribe's reproductive ability; many Fish-Men have seven or eight, or even a dozen children.

 In their impoverished lives, perhaps the only pleasure is reproduction.

 Because of this, there are more and more Fish-Man Tribe children, and more and more orphans appear.

The appearance of the Pluto Pirates and the existence of Coral Island gave countless Fish-Man Island residents the hope they craved: to step onto land, feel the sun, and have the protection of the Pluto Pirates without worrying about Human Traffickers.

 Coral Island is simply a paradise.

The number of Fish-Men and mermaids going to Coral Island each year is increasing.

 The Kronos Kingdom and Fish-Man Island have close trade connections, facilitated precisely through the Pluto Pirates.

Periodically, merchant ships loaded with various goods and supplies from The Great Sea arrive at Fish-Man Island.

 Using a bartering method, they trade for Fish-Man Island's rare supplies and specialty products.

 As the merchant ships leave, transport ships continuously take away residents belonging to Fish-Man Island, heading to the Sea Area of the Kronos Kingdom.

After the destruction of the Rocks Pirates, the situation on the Great Sea calmed down slightly, and even more Fish-Men and mermaids left Fish-Man Island.

 The Pluto Pirates have completely monopolized trade with Fish-Man Island.

 The monthly trade, with dozens of merchant ships, brings supplies that have greatly changed the lifestyle on Fish-Man Island.

 Life seems to have become better, and they naturally rely more on the Pluto Pirates.

 The Pluto Pirates also have extremely high prestige within Fish-Man Island.

Regarding the Pluto Pirates taking away these Fish-Men and mermaids, Ryugu Palace has no objection whatsoever; on the contrary, they are even promoting it.

 In their view, this is a good thing.

 A huge population is difficult to manage, or more accurately, impossible to manage.

 Just like the Fish-Man District near Fish-Man Island, these are troublesome matters they find hard to handle.

 Taking away these residents is actually reducing the stress on Fish-Man Island, so they are naturally happy to promote this matter.

According to the Kronos Kingdom's plan, they can now take away at least over ten thousand Fish-Men each month.

 Furthermore, they discovered that Fish-Man Island still has great potential to be exploited: establishing factories, expanding productivity, gathering more manpower to cultivate pearls in the seabed, and collecting valuable supplies.

 By controlling Fish-Man Island through supplies from the Great Sea, using capital control methods to secretly turn Fish-Man Island into a tool for continuously obtaining rare supplies.

 As Fish-Man Island's productivity increases, the Kingdom will further expand trade.

This way, coupled with the Fish-Man Tribe's reproductive ability, in just twenty years' time, the Fish-Man Tribe population on Coral Island will reach three million.

 This is the minimum.

 Compared to the small Fish-Man Island, the land area of Coral Island is twelve times that of Fish-Man Island.

 In the near sea around Coral Island, Fish-Men can also live.

 In short, Fish-Man Island is nothing more than a tool.

The Tartarus Family, including Hades, has never regarded this variant race as human, except for beautiful female mermaids.

Compared to the Fish-Man Tribe, the Mink Tribe is more difficult.

 The total Mink Tribe population on Uso Island is only twenty thousand, considered a race with a small population.

 And is more valued by Hades than the Fish-Man Tribe.

 In terms of innate overall potential, the Mink Tribe is clearly superior to the Fish-Man Tribe.

At this point in time, before Kozuki Oden had established contact with the Mink Tribe, through the influence of the Mink Tribe Cadre within the Pirate Crew, plus the Mink Tribe members rescued by the Pluto Pirates from The Great Sea through various connections after becoming Slaves.

 Clearly, the Pluto Pirates have gained the friendship of the Mink Tribe, and currently, the Mink Tribe population in the Kronos Kingdom is over six hundred.

 Furthermore, their children can also learn in the Royal Military Academy.

 This is an authority that the Fish-Man Tribe currently does not have.

 Similarly, the Mink Tribe has been allocated a special tribal land within the dense forest in the northeastern part of the Kronos Kingdom, which further indicates the gap in Hades's eyes regarding them.

 What is obtained too easily is not cherished; the Kronos Kingdom is clearly like this.

Of course, in a few years, Hades will gradually include Coral Island within the recruitment scope of the Royal Military Academy, but with limited spots.

However, there is something Hades is still considering: he now has rubbings of three Road Poneglyphs in his hands.

 Aside from the Poneglyph containing information about the "Sea King (Weapon)" that Hades has already taken.

One of these three Road Poneglyphs came from the Rocks Pirates.

 This Road Poneglyph was plundered by Charlotte Linlin in the struggle among many Core Cadres.

 One came from Uso Island, which Hades secretly had someone make a rubbing of.

 One came from Fish-Man Island.

 This Road Poneglyph is next to "Joy Boy's Apology".

 In the future, Roger will find this place and entrust it to Whitebeard for safekeeping before turning himself in.

 The last one, which has not yet appeared, is most likely in Wano Country and will fall into Kaido's hands in the future after he occupies Wano Country.

Hades is hesitating whether to obstruct Roger from becoming the Pirate King, to completely take this Road Poneglyph into his possession.

 However, Hades also dislikes the feeling of being out of control.

 If there truly is such a thing as destiny, Roger will likely seek him out to reach the Final Island.

Of course, an important matter is whether the start of the Great Pirate Era is beneficial to him or not, and is it necessary?

After thinking for a long time, Hades decided not to interfere and temporarily leave the Road Poneglyph on Fish-Man Island untouched.

 After all, a rubbing is fine, but if it were the actual item, it could potentially bring considerable trouble to the Kronos Kingdom.

(end of chapter)