Next Bonus, 100!!
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In September of Sea Calendar 1520, a conference that had captured the world's attention was about to convene, and every newspaper was covering it.
This was a profoundly diverse world, a complex web of powers and races holding each other in a delicate balance.
Beyond the pirates and the Marines, the world was dotted with nations large and small.
The majority of these nations were members of the World Government. Every four years, they would attend the Levely.
The World Economic Journal dedicated a special edition to explain it.
What was the Levely?
Simply put, it was a world summit.
It was a grand assembly where the kings and rulers of the member nations would meet and negotiate with the highest authority of the World Government—the Five Elders—in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise.
What was discussed at the Levely?
Major political events that had occurred around the world.
The past and future affairs of the World Government itself.
And other political matters, including the operations of the Marines.
How important was the Levely?
Although the conference itself was often tedious, its decisions would have a monumental impact across the globe.
Of course, while the World Government claimed to be composed of 170 nations, in reality, only 50 were permitted to attend.
So, not every king could participate.
The kings were escorted by Marine warships, though they had the right to refuse this protection.
The Winter Blossom Kingdom—formerly the Drum Kingdom—was on the list.
If Wapol could attend, then it went without saying that Jin was invited.
For his first conference, he did not refuse the Marine escort. To this end, the Marines dispatched Admiral Kizaru.
It was less an escort and more a babysitting assignment—a way to keep an eye on Jin and make sure he didn't cause any trouble in Mary Geoise.
Since the beginning of the year, the primary focus of the World Government and the Five Elders had been the preparation for this event.
Regardless of outside opinions, the Levely was far more than a simple meeting to the World Government.
It was a declaration of their authority, their "dominion" over the world.
It was a symbol of their "unity" with the member nations.
It was an exercise in "obedience training" for the world's rulers.
Neither the Five Elders nor the top brass of the Marines wanted any incidents.
Jin's own focus was currently on internal reforms and accumulating strength. He didn't want any trouble either.
He intended to keep a low profile.
But he was still the subject of much scrutiny. For the past several months, his establishment of diplomatic ties with the Ryugu Kingdom had been a topic of heated debate.
There were even extremists among the human population who criticized his actions.
For the most part, however, the world simply watched and waited.
Through avenues like the slave trade, Fish-Men and Merfolk had gradually begun to appear in human nations across the globe.
This interaction had, to some extent, eased the tension between the races.
No one could deny that in a world dominated by the sea, the advantages of Fish-Men and Merfolk were obvious.
Humans, on the other hand, had the advantage of rapid growth and a higher ceiling for potential.
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The outside world's controversies had little effect on Jin. He continued his cooperation with the Ryugu Kingdom, launching a deep-sea exploration project.
The main objective was to find mineral resources.
They had already discovered vast underwater deposits of copper, iron, lead, aluminum, coal, and oil.
Aside from the oil and natural gas, which were more difficult to extract, the other deposits could be mined by a large workforce of Fish-Men.
The raw materials were then processed by the Munch-Munch Factories into finished products and sold abroad.
This partnership had perfectly solved the resource problem for Jin's "Industry 1.0" plan.
Not only that, but during their explorations, they had also discovered the ruins of a city that had "sunk"—in reality, it had been swallowed by the sea during the Great Flood.
Robin was intensely interested. She personally took part in the archaeological work and, for this purpose, chose her second Devil Fruit ability.
Zoan-Type, Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Model: Kraken.
It allowed Robin to withstand the crushing pressure of the deep sea, to breathe underwater like a fish.
It also gave her the power to control the sea itself, to create whirlpools and maelstroms.
Its tentacles, combined with her Flower-Flower Fruit, allowed her to move massive objects on the seafloor.
Within the ruins, Robin discovered the mark of the Lunarians, as well as a number of ancient technological artifacts.
These included murals depicting Lineage Factor modification and "miner-type" robots.
As it turned out, the ruins were a city built by the Lunarians to mine a mineral called "Titanium."
It could be used to create a memory alloy—a key component in the construction of giant war machines.
Giant war machines?
Jin thought of the Iron Giant, Emeth, on Egghead. It was undoubtedly a product of Lunarian technology.
By deciphering the few stone carvings and murals in the ruins, Robin had uncovered a part of the historical truth.
The Lunarians, their own homeworld depleted of energy and resources, had migrated to this world and begun to exploit its resources.
Due to their advanced technology, the ancient people had called them "...Gods."
The people had mined for the Lunarians, some undergoing modifications to gain power, others gradually mastering a portion of their technology.
Together, they had formed a great kingdom.
The Kingdom of the Gods.
What happened after that was unknown. Connecting the dots, it was likely that the Twenty Kingdoms had later attacked the Kingdom of the Gods and formed the World Government.
But more than ancient history, it was the ancient technology within the ruins that interested the tech-nerds like Jin and Judge.
It was astounding.
The Lunarians had already mastered technologies like the Lineage Factor and robotics?
Vegapunk, the self-proclaimed "smartest man in the world"... was he just recreating ancient technology?
This was the root of why the world's technology tree, in what was the early days of the steam age, was so twisted.
Deus ex machina.
The Lunarians had arrived, left behind future technology, and then, due to the ravages of war, a technological gap had been created.
The discovery of this technology was a massive windfall. It gave Judge and the other scientists a new wave of inspiration.
The last "Great Flood" had submerged the land, and many ruins were now buried in the deep sea.
The value of the Fish-Men had just skyrocketed.
Jin's investment had paid off handsomely.
And the Fish-Men, in turn, had found employment under Jin.
Exploration, mining, security, underwater transport... all of it required manpower.
It was a natural driver of job growth.
And with jobs came income. With income came consumption. With consumption, the economy flows...
As the economy improved, tax revenues increased, and the Ryugu Kingdom finally had the money to move forward with projects like the redevelopment of the Fish-Man District and the construction of the light-rail system.
In just a few months, the face and the mood of Fish-Man Island had changed dramatically. The smiles on people's faces were more genuine.
In a period of economic growth, social conflicts are often papered over.
It was a virtuous cycle.
And with the backing of the vast deep-sea mineral resources, Jin planned to prioritize the development of his military, defense, and industrial sectors.
He would lay down a network of Sea Train tracks between Drum Island, Asuka, Hannabal, and his other islands.
All of this would take time.
But for Jin, every day he had to develop was another day that his chances of victory increased. There was no need to rush.
And just like the "hearts and minds" of Fish-Man Island, the world was not yet ready.
Timing...
Sometimes, it's more important than an army of a hundred thousand men.
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