Chapter 486: Hades' Wrathful Request
"Huh?"
"Are you kidding me, Kong? What do you take us for?"
Hades couldn't help but sneer.
Receiving a communication call from the World Government, he had thought it was something important.
But unexpectedly, it was a call from Marine Headquarters.
They actually wanted the Kronos Kingdom to help, asking his son to rescue a group of Navy Cadets training in the East Blue.
To Hades, what was this?
What did this matter have to do with the Kronos Kingdom?
He didn't care about the life or death of those Navy Cadets at all.
What interests could this bring to the Kronos Kingdom?
Hades had briefly sorted out the cause of this matter; it was originally the Marines' own problem, an accident caused by bad luck.
Since it happened, they should solve it themselves and bear the consequences themselves.
As for how heavy the losses were, what did that have to do with the Kronos Kingdom?
Hades was so angry he laughed.
What did they think the Kronos Kingdom was?
They even specifically used the World Government to relay the message to the Kronos Kingdom.
The Kronos Kingdom had a huge amount of daily affairs; even Hades wouldn't pay attention to such a small matter.
In Hades' eyes, this was indeed a small matter.
The air grew heavier.
Through the Den Den Mushi, one could feel Hades' faintly erupting wrath.
As for the Marines, Hades didn't particularly take them seriously.
He had too many ways to bring down the Marines.
It was just that he preferred the Boiling Frog Strategy, which wouldn't expose him, rather than deliberately targeting them.
Otherwise, he was fully capable of instigating a great battle between Pirates and the Marines, causing the Marines heavy losses.
Although the Marines were requesting his help.
In Hades' view, this was asking for trouble.
The Kronos Kingdom had no need to help the Marines with this favor.
Such losses were not worth the Kronos Kingdom taking action for.
This precedent couldn't be set carelessly.
If there was a first time, would there be a second?
A third?
How would the other superpowers that had secretly formed a Strategic Alliance with the Kronos Kingdom see this?
This was indeed a small matter, but the influence it brought was huge.
It was very likely to create a crack in the alliance that had been so difficult to assemble.
Superpowers that had not interfered with each other and had very little communication for hundreds of years were now making contact and forming an alliance.
This was established against the World Government under the rising tide of the Rocks Pirates.
It also showed them the World Government's decline and the expectation of replacing the World Government.
Therefore.
The Six Nations Alliance, including the Kronos Kingdom, Eternal Kingdom, Hilton Kingdom, Landis Kingdom, Divine Light Empire, and Great Xia Kingdom, held significant meaning in itself.
Of course, this alliance was very loose, with each having its own goals and development methods.
The Hilton Kingdom also had relatively close connections with the World Government.
The death of "\"Golden King\" Donovan" back then involved the Hilton Kingdom's interference.
Currently, the Kronos Kingdom and the World Government were also in a rare honeymoon period, and they had pulled in the Eternal Kingdom to monopolize most of the ore trade in Wano Country, especially Seastone.
But this was not a reason for the Kronos Kingdom to take action.
Ultimately, what qualifications did the Marines have to ask the Kronos Kingdom to take action?
The World Government itself, excluding the Member Nations, was on equal footing with the Kronos Kingdom in terms of status.
Even if it was stronger, it wasn't by much.
And the Marines, no matter how much influence they had on the Great Sea, were essentially just a special institution controlled by the World Government.
"What bargaining chips can you offer?"
"Furthermore, what qualifications do you have to talk to me? Let the World Government speak to me."
As soon as he finished speaking, Hades hung up the telephone.
He tossed the Den Den Mushi aside, handing it to the Minister of Foreign Affairs standing beside him.
Such matters were originally handled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Hades had been somewhat curious about what the matter was, but he hadn't expected it to be this, which was simply a waste of his time.
"Next time there's something like this, handle it yourselves and just report to me," Hades said calmly.
He left the discussion of the matter to his subordinates, letting the Cabinet interface with the Staff Headquarters.
All he wanted was the result and the final decision.
If the bargaining chips offered were sufficient, the Kronos Kingdom wasn't unable to take action.
Ultimately, this was just a small matter, just requiring Möbius to make a move.
He left Kong and the two others with stiff expressions.
They had already felt Hades' contempt.
Until now, this was the first time they had felt this way on the Great Sea.
It was a sense of déjà vu, as if facing the World Government, facing the Five Elders.
However, they were all smart people.
This matter wasn't impossible to discuss, provided they could offer bargaining chips that could persuade Hades.
The essence of asking for help was a transaction.
Moreover, they had no relationship to begin with.
In addition, the Marines needed to persuade the World Government to have the Government negotiate with the Kronos Kingdom.
The Marines and the Kronos Kingdom were not equal in status, regardless of strength.
Only the World Government had this qualification, and even then, only the Five Elders and a few important ministers were qualified to speak directly with Hades.
"Bargaining chips, persuade the Government."
Tsuru stated the two most crucial points.
As long as these two points were resolved, getting the Kronos Kingdom to take action wouldn't be a problem.
"We must act quickly. The longer we delay, the greater our losses will be." This kind of matter was clearly not suitable for Zephyr, who looked somewhat anxious.
Thinking of the students facing a strong enemy, Zephyr found it hard to remain peaceful.
Although his wife and child were unharmed.
He had also fully dedicated himself to the cause of cultivating the future of the Marines.
Seeing each student grow, become stronger, graduate from his hands, and become a core force within the Marines.
This made Zephyr feel very satisfied.
Despite the heavy training work being tiring, Zephyr enjoyed it.
Although this had a considerable impact on Zephyr's strength, he didn't even have time for his own training.
For every young, vibrant young cadet, Zephyr treated them like his own sons.
Zephyr also had feelings for the few assistant instructors who had followed him for several years.
No matter what, he didn't want to see the worst happen.
As for giving up on this group of cadets, that was impossible.
If there was no way, it would be understandable.
But there was clearly a way right now.
If they failed, they would definitely regret it.
Even Tsuru and Kong wouldn't easily give up.
Once this matter was exposed, the negative influence it would bring would be terrible.
No matter what, it would be a manifestation of the Marines' incompetence.
The incompetence of the Intelligence Force, the weakness of the instructors' strength.
"How should we do it?"
Persuading the World Government was relatively easy; as long as it didn't affect the World Government's interests, he could even swallow his pride.
However, Kong couldn't think of any bargaining chips the Marines could offer that would persuade the Kronos Kingdom.
Given the scale of the Kronos Kingdom, there was nothing they lacked.
Trying to offer something that would make Hades' heart flutter was simply a fantasy, completely impossible.
Just Hades himself had acquired countless good things during the Rocks Era, and he also owned the Sky Arena, a treasure trove.
"Even superpowers aren't without flaws. If you think about it, there are definitely weaknesses."
Tsuru didn't think this was impossible.
Her brain worked at high speed, thinking about what the Kronos Kingdom needed.
Time was pressing, and soon, Tsuru had some ideas.
"What the Marines can do is leverage their advantage in the Four Seas. The Kronos Kingdom is ultimately in the New World, and some of their industries in the Four Seas might be in danger. We Marines can help the Kronos Kingdom clear out some trouble."
Helping to escort the Kronos Kingdom's industries was not within the Marines' scope of responsibility.
But this was the only bargaining chip they could offer, something that could move the Kronos Kingdom.
Life always requires compromise.
To save that group of cadets, they had to pay something.
Helping the Kronos Kingdom clear out a group of factions that posed a threat in the Four Seas, even if there were some losses, was worth it.
This group of cadets were the future core force of the Marines, and the value they brought was greater than imagined.
"Alright, I'll relay the message to the World Government."
Kong nodded, not wanting to delay.
"The Marines are truly clever."
Hades couldn't help but sigh as he listened to the message from the Cabinet.
The Marines had immediately hit the Kronos Kingdom's weak spot.
Many of their industries located in the Four Seas were under threat.
And only the Marines, whose faction was spread throughout the Four Seas, could easily and quickly help the Kronos Kingdom solve these troubles.
One of Möbius's missions while touring the Four Seas was to clear out the factions threatening the industries.
This perfectly aligned with the Kronos Kingdom's wishes.
With the Marines taking action, it could also save a lot of time and energy.
"Then agree to them. Afterwards, give them a report and have the Marines clear out most of these factions."
Undoubtedly, Hades was attracted by the bargaining chip offered by the Marines.
The reason for saying "most" was to give the Marines some leeway.
As long as they helped clear out the majority, the Kronos Kingdom would handle the rest themselves.
(end of chapter)