"Yo! Yesterday was amazing," Kairos said with a bright smile, clearly in high spirits.
The moment he stepped outside, he ran straight into Nami at the door.
That made Kairos freeze on the spot.
"Nami… I was the one who made the move yesterday. If you're upset, just hit me," he said awkwardly.
Vivi also stepped out, looking a little uneasy, but still stood up beside him and added, "It's true."
Kairos felt his scalp go numb.
Damn…
This is what they call a Shura Field.
Even so, he stepped forward and shielded Vivi behind him.
She was already his woman now—if he didn't stand up for her in this moment, he wouldn't be much of a man.
"Hmph, you got off easy," Nami said with a sharp look, but surprisingly, she didn't seem nearly as angry as Kairos had expected. She rolled her eyes at him and let out a sigh.
Kairos gave her a sheepish grin.
She hadn't slapped him, which was a win in his book.
"I knew what you were planning when you invited her onto the ship," Nami muttered.
"…"
Kairos stayed silent.
He couldn't say no, because she wouldn't believe it.
But if he said yes, that was just asking for a beating.
Still… some things needed to be said.
"You both mean the same to me," Kairos said seriously, wrapping an arm around each of them.
"Typical player," Nami scoffed, looking disgusted.
Vivi didn't say anything. She simply looked down, quiet as a stone.
"Alright, go take a shower. You stink of last night," Nami said bluntly.
"Then let's shower together," Kairos replied shamelessly, pulling them both along.
…
On the ship—
After a fresh round of chaos, everything finally settled down.
Though someone on board was not in a good mood.
"Damn it, after all that noise last night, now you're going at it again in broad daylight? You're seriously a perv," Uta muttered from another part of the ship.
Though clearly frustrated, she didn't have the nerve to confront Kairos directly.
…
After cleaning up, Kairos and the other three finally emerged.
It was time to depart—training was over.
Their next destination: Alabasta, to claim the red-haired pirate's ransom.
"Ka-ka-ka-ka-ka!"
"Kairos, we'll be seeing you!" Broggy shouted as he waved from the shore.
"Gya-gya-gya-gya-gya! Let's have a drink together next time!" Dorry added, his voice booming.
Aboard the ship, Kairos returned the wave.
He may be a bounty hunter, making his living off the heads of pirates, but that was simply the path he chose after cutting out other boring or unfit jobs.
He wasn't defined by the label.
Just like Garp—
A man so devoted to his idea of justice that when the time came to act, he was paralyzed by it and could only watch as Ace died.
Even though Ace's death was a result of his own choices, it was clear that Garp suffered greatly because of his identity.
Kairos had no intention of repeating that.
If the World Government ever came for the people he cared about, he wouldn't hesitate.
He'd crush their enforcers without mercy.
The World Government too powerful?
Good.
He had the ultimate cheat finger—just give him time to build up.
The Five Elders?
Imu, the last surviving of the original twenty kings?
He'd take them all down, one by one.
…
On the shore—
"Broggy, we just witnessed the birth of a monster," Dorry said gravely, still shaken.
"Yeah," Broggy nodded. "Another beast is about to rise in these seas."
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't believe someone could improve so drastically in just ten days.
Even among the handful of geniuses they'd encountered over their 150+ years, none matched Kairos.
"The Grand Line's about to get real lively," Dorry said.
"A bounty hunter like him walking into the pirate era?" Broggy smirked. "That's like throwing a tiger into a pen of sheep."
"And this isn't just any bounty hunter," Dorry added. "He's a damn monster."
They had witnessed that growth in just ten days.
And they knew—they were lucky to see the rise of a legend.
…
On board—
As their ship sailed away from Little Garden, the sea suddenly began to swell and surge.
"It's here…" Kairos muttered as he walked to the bow.
From the water emerged a towering, monstrous figure.
Nami, Vivi, and Uta went pale on sight.
"This is it… we're done for!"
"I'm too young to die!"
"I haven't even become the world's top singer yet! Why now?!"
The sheer scale of the beast made it impossible to stay calm.
Even the bravest would be paralyzed with fear.
The Island-Eater.
A giant goldfish that literally fed on islands.
Back when the Straw Hats faced this thing, they only survived thanks to Broggy and Dorry unleashing their strongest attacks.
But Kairos?
He didn't need any help.
"Back off, runt."
He stepped forward, eyes sharp, and let loose a wave of Conqueror's Haki that surged out and slammed into the monster.
A second later, the beast's eyes rolled back—and it fainted, collapsing into the ocean with a thunderous splash.
The resulting waves were massive.
Kairos managed to block them with a large umbrella.
The other three?
Completely soaked.
Their drenched clothes clung tightly, outlining every curve.
Kairos grinned. "Totally worth it."
He didn't say that aloud, of course. He casually handed them towels from his portable storage.
But it was obviously not enough.
The three women just glared at him and walked off toward the bathroom.
What was the point of wiping off?
They were soaked through—it was faster to just take another shower.
Kairos stood there, deep in thought.
Reflecting on the past ten days.
They had been intense.
But the results were worth it.
Fighting against Broggy and Dorry, he'd felt real danger—
and that triggered the awakening of his Conqueror's Haki.
Not just that—
he unlocked both Armament and Observation Haki too.
He had all three colors of Haki now.
And after unlocking them, he realized something vital:
To strengthen Conqueror's Haki, you had to grow your soul.
A strong soul gave Haki its edge—
just like a strong body boosted swordsmanship or martial arts.
Ten days of training and battle had leveled up his Conqueror's Haki from lieutenant-level (0/10) to mid-tier (5/10).
Same for the others:
Armament Haki: Lieutenant-level (4/10)
Observation Haki: Lieutenant-level (1/10)
All three had evolved from beginner to competent.
His physical combat skills had also increased by one point.
Same with his swordsmanship, which was now at the swordsman level, just two points away from great swordsman.
As for his physical body?
He'd consumed three perfect physique crystals—pushing his strength to the Major General level.
A huge leap.
Training was good—but time was short.
And finding opponents stronger than him was rare.
So when Broggy and Dorry offered to spar, he went all-in and used every enhancement he had.
Now?
He was ready for war.
…
The sea calmed after the Island-Eater fainted, and they continued their voyage smoothly.
Shortly after, the three girls returned from their shower.
"Vivi," Kairos asked, "do you want to get stronger?"
"Huh?" she blinked, not fully understanding.
"I've got a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit here that suits you perfectly," he said, holding out a glowing crystal.
"Wait… a Mythical Zoan?!" Vivi gasped.
She knew how rare those were.
Her kingdom's captain of the royal guard, Pell, had a Falcon Zoan Fruit.
So she understood the value—and sheer power—of what Kairos was offering.
A Devil Fruit like this could sell for at least 5 billion berries, possibly more if auctioned.
She'd come to Kairos for help, even used seduction to tie him to her side for the sake of Alabasta.
But she didn't expect this level of generosity.
"I… maybe I shouldn't," she stammered. "Maybe give it to Nami instead…"
She felt guilty.
Nami had been with Kairos longer.
She had just joined.
"No need," Nami said with a shrug. "That fruit doesn't suit me. Kairos promised he'd find one that fits me better."
She had declined because the form included a possible dragon transformation.
As someone who cared deeply about beauty, she wasn't keen on it.
"If I wanted it," Nami added, "it wouldn't still be here."
"This isn't a regular Devil Fruit," Kairos explained, handing it to Vivi.
"It's a Power Crystal I created with my ability. Once consumed, you'll gain the powers of the Mythical Zoan Dragon-Dragon Fruit: BattleGreymon form. And don't worry—no side effects. I've removed them."
Without hesitation, Vivi took the crystal and swallowed it.
There wasn't a flicker of doubt in her eyes.
That was how much she trusted Kairos Flint.
In that moment, Princess Vivi became a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit user—
The Dragon-Dragon Fruit: BattleGreymon Form.