"ROOOAR!!!"
Weiwei tilted her head to the sky and let out a thunderous roar. Her entire body began to transform.
A blinding light enveloped her, radiating from her clothes.
The glow was so intense that Kairos Flint and the others had to squint, barely able to look directly at her.
Moments later, the dazzling light slowly faded.
Weiwei now stood clad in armor forged from the ultra-rare super-metal, Chronic Digizoid. Her armor bore a resemblance to that of BattleGreymon, but with some key differences—it was clearly custom-made for her physique, accentuating her figure without compromising its protection.
Notably, the lower half of her armor took on a more regal design, similar to the battle skirts worn by King Arthur and Artoria in Fate. The skirt-like Digizoid plating shimmered with elegance, enhancing both form and function.
Her head was protected by a Time Digizoid helmet, which adapted perfectly to the contours of her face. Three pointed crests covered her features completely, giving her an imposing, knightly presence.
Her arms were fitted with Dragon Bane Gauntlets, specialized weapons designed for slaying dragon-type enemies. On her back, she carried the Shield of Courage, further completing the awe-inspiring ensemble.
These were the full extent of her changes.
Kairos's eyes gleamed as he nodded in approval.
"Looks like it worked out better than expected."
Weiwei hadn't transformed into a dragon. Rather, the armor fused naturally with her clothing, like a second skin of battle gear.
"I feel stronger… unbelievably strong," Weiwei murmured, flexing her fingers and studying her new form.
She felt invincible—as if the former version of herself would stand no chance now. Her strength had skyrocketed.
The power came from the Phantom Beast-type Dragon Fruit – Fighting Greymon Form she had consumed. It had drastically boosted her physique to a level she never imagined. Her old self was no comparison.
"You've just awakened the ability, so you still need time to adapt. I'll help you through it," Kairos said calmly.
"For now, try deactivating your transformation."
Under Kairos's guidance, Weiwei quickly learned to retract and re-manifest her powers with ease.
He then began teaching her how to use the abilities of the BattleTyrannomon Devil Fruit, helping her grow more comfortable in her new form. It would take time and patience, but Kairos had both.
They still had plenty of time on their journey to the Kingdom of Alabasta.
Time passed swiftly.
Their ship sailed steadily toward Alabasta. Only three days remained until the appointed meeting with Red-Haired Shanks.
During this time, Weiwei's power grew rapidly. Her once-fragile body now held strength that even Kairos found astonishing. Within days, her physical capabilities had jumped from soldier level to that of a seasoned captain.
The transformation provided by the Fighting Greymon Devil Fruit was immense.
Was it her talent? Kairos doubted that. If Weiwei had been so naturally gifted, he wouldn't have captured her so easily before. It had to be the Devil Fruit. Its effects were extraordinary.
It allowed someone like Weiwei, who once had basic strength at best, to break through her limits in mere days.
Kairos sighed in admiration. The power of an epic-tier Phantom Beast Devil Fruit was on full display.
Still, he had no desire to eat it himself.
The level was too low. He couldn't risk using up a Devil Fruit power slot on something that might not evolve further. His goal was higher—much higher.
He planned to synthesize multiple abilities into one Devil Fruit and evolve it into god-tier—far beyond epic.
That's why he gave the Fighting Greymon fruit to someone else. He offered it to Nami first, but she wasn't interested in close-combat abilities and politely declined.
Then came Weiwei.
She was already his woman, so gifting her the fruit not only enhanced her power but also strengthened his team. He didn't want to be some overprotective babysitter. He wanted his women to fight alongside him—not just look pretty in the background.
The more powerful they were, the more deterrent they would become to outside threats. He knew exactly how dirty the World Government could be. If his crew lacked strength, they could become targets at any moment.
But if each crew member reached emperor-level power?
Even the Navy and the World Government would hesitate before crossing them.
Currently, they had only four members. But Kairos intended to recruit more—five, six, even seven. Every single one would be a powerful female warrior.
Why only women?
Simple. One man—him—was enough. He didn't want to share a ship with other men who might get in the way. He wasn't about to play cuckold for anyone.
So his rule was clear: female crew only.
Suddenly—
"Brrubru—"
The Transponder Snail started ringing. It was a call from Red-Haired Shanks.
Ever since Kairos had demanded part of Uta's dowry, the redhead had been blowing up his line.
At first, it was dozens of calls a day. Kairos ignored them all. Eventually, Shanks realized the calls weren't being answered and cut back to about ten per day.
Still, Kairos never picked up.
Why should he? To hear empty threats?
But now… the day of their deal was close.
Time to finalize where the exchange would happen.
Click.
Kairos finally picked up the snail's receiver.
Immediately, on the other end:
"Boss! It's connected! He picked up!"
The Transponder Snail's expression changed, mimicking Shanks's face.
"So… you're the new bounty hunter from the East Blue. The Demon Sword Hunter—Kairos Flint, right?" said Shanks.
"As expected from one of the Four Emperors. You've probably had me under investigation for weeks," Kairos replied coolly.
He wasn't surprised. Shanks had a reputation for intelligence-gathering. If he didn't do his homework, it would be out of character.
"Young man, give me some face. Let Uta go. I'll let this go," Shanks said, trying to use his infamous Face Fruit power—an ability that forced others to give him respect.
But—
"Eat shit."
"Your face means nothing to me, Red-Hair."
"If those ten big pirates you promised don't show up, don't blame me for wrecking the deal."
"The meeting place is the royal palace in Alabasta's capital. I'll be waiting."
Click.
He hung up without giving Shanks a chance to respond.
On the other end, Shanks stared in disbelief at the cut connection.
This was the first time anyone had ever refused his "face."
In the past, people bent over backward when he invoked that phrase. But this time?
Nothing.
"He really doesn't give a damn," Shanks muttered.
"Red-Hair… if Uta really likes this guy…" Beckman started to say but stopped.
Everyone already understood.
If Uta loved Kairos… then he was likely their future son-in-law.
And this son-in-law had just disrespected the Four Emperors without blinking.
Terrifying.
"I'm grateful to him for helping Uta deal with her trauma… but this brat has no respect. I'll teach him a lesson in Alabasta," Shanks growled.
His reputation wasn't just for show.
As one of the Four Emperors, his influence stretched even to the East Blue. He had investigated everything—Elegia, Twin Cape, even spoke to Gordon and Crocus to confirm Uta's situation.
He knew Kairos wasn't an enemy.
But his blackmail tactics and attitude?
Unforgivable.
Still, Shanks had brought ten captured pirates with him to honor the deal.
Each one was a high-level criminal with a bounty over 500 million Beli.
All of them had been personally taken down by Red Hair's crew.
Back with Kairos—
He stored his massive ship into his personal dimensional space. Then, with Nami and Weiwei at his side, he began the final trek to Alabasta's royal capital.
His heart pounded with anticipation.
If each of those pirates dropped ability crystals…
He could break into emperor-level strength.
And maybe—just maybe—others on his crew would too.
All that remained… was the battle.