"Sorry, I killed your boss,"
Kairos Flint said casually.
Robin stared at him.
"If you had even a trace of remorse on your face, I might actually believe you."
"It's fine. Worst case, I just find another boss."
Robin shrugged as if it were no big deal.
To her, it really wasn't. She'd been on the run since childhood, slapped with a bounty before most kids even finished grade school. She'd worked for countless bosses, captains, and warlords. Crocodile was just one more name on that list—now crossed off.
Just another backer gone. Time to move on.
"So, what do you say? Want to join my bounty hunting crew?"
Kairos asked, his voice light, but his gaze serious.
Sure, part of the reason he extended the offer was because Robin was a beautiful woman. But more importantly—he could afford to.
He had reached emperor-level strength. From his physique and combat skills to his swordsmanship and Conqueror's Haki—every ability had been honed to the highest tier. When comparing the Four Emperors, Kairos's power landed him on the higher end. He was stronger than those who had only just broken into emperor-level territory.
He had the strength. So he had the freedom to make offers like this without fear.
"Aren't you afraid the World Government will target you for recruiting someone like me?"
Robin asked with a faint, bitter smile.
She alone understood the pain behind that smile. From the moment she was branded a criminal at eight years old, she'd lived a life of betrayal, fleeing from allies and enemies alike. The running never ended. It was exhausting.
"The World Government?"
Kairos snorted.
"If you respect them, sure—they're the World Government. If not? They're just trash."
"Should I be afraid of them?"
"No."
His eyes narrowed. "They should be afraid of me. If they cross me, they'll regret it. They won't be able to handle the consequences."
It wasn't arrogance. It was fact.
If he really wanted to, Kairos could have abandoned all morals and turned pirate. With his golden finger ability, he could have slaughtered and plundered his way to overwhelming power. But he hadn't.
Because at the end of the day, he had values. Basic human decency. Compulsory education had given him at least that much.
But the World Government? Other than pirates, they were the biggest scum on the planet.
To put it simply—if they left him alone, fine. That was their good fortune. But if they came after him?
He wouldn't hold back.
Did they really think his golden finger was just for show? Killing a few general-level enemies would give him enough ability crystals to synthesize an epic-level one.
While others spent decades struggling to climb the ranks, he could leapfrog past them with every kill. Some people never even made it to the general level, let alone emperor. But Kairos? He could boost an ordinary fighter to emperor level with the right number of crystals.
So if the World Government really wanted a fight...
He didn't mind teaching them what it meant to go up against a cheat.
The more he fought, the stronger he got.
Could they say the same?
Robin watched him in silence, surprised and oddly moved by his confident, almost reckless bravado.
She didn't know what his secret was—but she saw it in his eyes: he meant every word.
"Alright," she said. "I'll join your crew."
"Welcome aboard," Kairos grinned.
"So, should I call you captain or boss now?"
Robin teased as she stepped closer, clearly more relaxed.
"You can call me husband~"
Kairos smirked.
"Yeah, no."
Robin rolled her eyes and smacked his arm.
Then Kairos moved to retrieve Crocodile's body.
He needed it to prove to the people of Alabasta what had happened. Though, of course, it wasn't his job to deliver the message—King Cobra could handle that.
Over the next few days, Kairos remained in Alabasta.
King Cobra presented Crocodile's body to the people via a live broadcast and explained everything: the truth about the missing rains, the Baroque Works conspiracy, and Crocodile's betrayal.
He also promised to deliver water to the drought-stricken areas and offered amnesty to the rebels: lay down your weapons now, and all past crimes would be forgiven.
But the people were skeptical.
Words were cheap, especially from a king who'd supposedly betrayed them.
And then there were Crocodile's loyal fanatics—people who saw him as a hero. Some of them were outraged, swearing Kobra had murdered Crocodile to hide his own crimes.
That is, until someone said,
"Why don't you go to the capital and avenge him then?"
Silence.
Talk was easy. Action was something else.
Especially after Cobra publicly displayed Crocodile's body. People started to believe—maybe Cobra had really found someone powerful enough to take Crocodile down.
So... what could a bunch of ordinary citizens do? Die for nothing?
No thanks. They kept their heads down. Complained quietly. Mourned their idol. But no one was foolish enough to pick a fight.
Most people were more interested in the promised water.
It hadn't rained outside the capital for three years. In a desert country, that was a death sentence.
In fact, many had joined the rebellion purely out of desperation.
But now...
Thanks to Kairos's foresight, that crisis was temporarily solved.
Back when he'd departed from Little Garden, he'd stored massive quantities of fresh water in his personal portable space—barrels upon barrels of it.
With the help of the giant warriors Brogy and Dorry, they'd built hundreds of massive barrels in just a day.
The barrels were rough and oversized—some as big as ships—but perfect for holding water.
In stasis within Kairos's portable dimension, there was no risk of leakage or spoilage.
He'd begun preparing for this the night Vivi begged for his help. He couldn't ignore her plea.
If he was going to assist Alabasta, the first step had to be: solve the water crisis.
The barrels, carved from the largest trees in Little Garden, held enormous capacity.
Enough to temporarily ease Alabasta's suffering.
Of course, this was just a bandage.
If the rains didn't return soon, it would all be for nothing.
And Kairos wasn't going to spend the rest of his life hauling water around the desert.
After all, Cobra was just his father-in-law—not his actual father. He'd already done more than enough.
Still, for now, the people of Alabasta breathed easier.
Even many rebels laid down their arms after seeing the relief efforts in action.
For now, they chose to believe in their king.
A few days later...
Tina arrived in Alabasta with a group of naval officers, invited by Kairos and Smoker.
As they entered the palace to meet King Cobra, a powerful wave of Conqueror's Haki burst through the air.
Boom!
The marines behind Tina dropped to the floor, unconscious.
Their faces hit the stone one after another like dominos.
Tina staggered. Shocked and furious.
"Is the Kingdom of Alabasta declaring war on the Navy?!" she shouted at Cobra.
But her eyes quickly found Kairos.
Among all present, he was the only one who didn't flinch.
"Colonel Tina," Kairos said calmly. "That wasn't a declaration of war. I just needed to show you my strength. Otherwise, I doubt this conversation would go smoothly."
Cobra stood silently. They had already agreed—Kairos would handle all negotiations with the Navy.
Tina scowled.
"Tina knows who you are. The bounty hunter Smoker told us about. You asked him to call me here. But was that display of power necessary?"
She was still reeling from the pressure of his Haki.
"Don't throw accusations at me so easily."
Kairos's tone cooled.
"And so what if I did declare war on the Navy? Do you think I'd be scared?"
His gaze pierced her.
"I brought you here to discuss compensation."
"Compensation?" Tina asked, genuinely confused.
"Yes. The World Government made Crocodile a Warlord. Because of that decision, he was allowed to wreak havoc here in Alabasta—triggering civil war, destroying lives."
"Shouldn't the Navy take responsibility for that?"
"The Warlord system was established by the World Government. The Navy has no say in the matter," Tina replied.
"I'm aware," Kairos said with a smile. "But knowing that doesn't mean I'm going to let it go."
"In this case, either the Navy or the World Government must compensate Alabasta. Food. Water. Supplies. Take your pick."
"They'll never agree to that."
Tina shook her head.
"In that case," Kairos said, "I'll write a full account of Crocodile's plot—how he infiltrated Alabasta as a Warlord, sparked a rebellion, and nearly overthrew the kingdom. Then I'll send it to the World Economic News."
He shrugged. "If your superiors don't mind global disgrace, you're free to walk away right now."
Tina froze.
That hit the Navy where it hurt.
They didn't fear brute strength. The World Government had too many monsters of their own. But bad press?
Reputation was everything.
Force might be ignored. But public shame? That stuck.
Kairos had just cornered them. If they wanted to save face, they'd have to play ball.
Better to lose some resources... than lose the world's respect.