"You're threatening the Navy and the World Government."
Tina's eyes widened in shock. She hadn't expected the man before her to be so bold—brazenly using this situation to threaten both the Navy and the World Government.
Even though she followed orders on the surface, deep down she had her own contempt for many of the orders passed down by the World Government. But still, hearing Kairos Flint make such a blunt, arrogant threat… she couldn't help but feel a strange sense of admiration. Even as a Navy officer.
"It's not a threat," Kairos replied with a calm smile. "It's just a friendly reminder of what happens if you refuse to offer compensation."
Whether they admitted it or not was beside the point. This was his way of giving them all an off-ramp—a diplomatic excuse to avoid further confrontation.
At this point, both the Navy and the World Government needed that off-ramp. And so did the Kingdom of Alabasta.
One needed to preserve face. The other needed resources—resources to pull itself out of a devastating crisis.
"Tina needs to report this to Navy Headquarters before she can give you a proper answer," Tina said after a pause.
"Go right ahead," Kairos gestured casually, granting her the space to act freely.
Tina took out her Den Den Mushi, but to her dismay, the creature had also been knocked out—likely by the overwhelming force of Kairos's Conqueror's Haki, just like the other navy soldiers. The Den Den Mushi lay limp and unconscious. There was no way to contact Navy HQ like this.
Kairos scratched his head in mild embarrassment. He hadn't meant to knock out everything and everyone—just enough to make a statement. After all, if he hadn't shown overwhelming strength from the outset, the Navy might've dismissed his demands outright.
In this world ruled by strength, the weak had no voice. Power earned you the right to speak. That was the unspoken law.
"I only used a little bit of Conqueror's Haki," Kairos muttered with a sheepish cough. "They'll be up in a few minutes."
Sure enough, just as he finished speaking, the Den Den Mushi in Tina's hand began to twitch and slowly woke from its coma.
Tina wasted no time. She didn't argue or delay. This situation was too important. She quickly dialed the number to Navy Headquarters.
The line connected after a short while.
"Tina, what's going on?" came a voice—calm, yet authoritative. The Den Den Mushi adopted the expression and tone of the man on the other end.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, here's the situation…" Tina began, reporting everything in full detail. There was no way she could make a decision of this magnitude on her own. Only someone with enough authority could handle it—Sengoku was that person.
After her report, there was a long pause on the other end.
Clearly, Sengoku was deep in thought.
This situation had put him in a very difficult position.
But in the end, he had to respond.
"The Navy agrees to their request for compensation."
Sengoku's voice rang out clearly, and even Tina didn't bother hiding the fact. King Cobra, listening nearby, felt a surge of excitement.
The Kingdom of Alabasta had been on the brink for too long—ravaged by Crocodile's influence, suffering three years of drought, crippled by civil war. They had reached the edge of collapse.
Even with the help of Kairos, and the temporary resources he brought from Little Garden—water, meat, and supplies—they could barely hold out another half-month. A month at most.
But now, with formal compensation in the form of water and food from the Navy? They could survive for several months without further fear. And if, during that time, natural rain returned to the drier regions of Alabasta, the remaining problems—rebels, civil unrest—could be resolved with relative ease.
Cobra was naturally thrilled.
As for Tina, after hearing Sengoku's decision, she passed along the message and then ended the call. Sengoku had warned her a few more times before hanging up, and while he hadn't openly shown emotion during the call, she could tell—he wasn't pleased about being threatened.
After all, they were the Navy—being strong-armed like this was a humiliation.
But deep down, he knew the truth. The Navy wasn't completely in the right here.
The Shichibukai system was, in many ways, a flawed and broken structure. Sengoku had opposed it from the beginning, but the system had been forced into place by the World Government.
The Navy was merely a subordinate organization. The World Government was the true authority.
So Sengoku's role now was, essentially, to clean up the World Government's mess. If he didn't, the Navy would look weak, and the World Government even weaker.
"Mr. Kairos Flint, you've just heard it—the Navy agrees to your request," Tina said solemnly. "As for the specific details, you'll need to work them out with me and the naval team."
"But—there's one condition," she added.
"Go ahead," Kairos nodded, signaling her to speak freely.
"Regarding the Shichibukai—Tina must take Crocodile's body back."
"That's fine," Kairos agreed without hesitation.
It was just a corpse. The value had already been extracted from it. There was no need to hold on to it any longer.
Tina was genuinely surprised by how easily he agreed. From the moment she arrived, she had assumed Kairos would be the kind of person who negotiated hard—who would use every detail as leverage.
But instead, he had been straightforward.
At that moment, the unconscious Navy soldiers began to stir and slowly regain consciousness. Confused and slightly angry, they tried to piece together what had happened. But under Tina's command, they fell into line, though not without some grumbling.
Kairos then brought over Crocodile's corpse and handed it off to Tina and the others. From there, they began serious discussions on the terms of compensation—water sources, food, and other vital supplies.
Once the negotiations concluded and the paperwork was arranged, the Navy prepared to depart.
As she turned to leave, Tina paused and looked at Kairos.
"Tina will remember you, Mr. Kairos Flint."
Kairos chuckled inwardly. So this is how it starts, he thought. A woman taking notice of a man… that's often the first sign of his downfall.
After the Navy's departure, King Cobra turned to Kairos with a grateful expression.
"My dear son-in-law, thank you. Truly. The Kingdom of Alabasta is saved because of you."
Cobra was a good-hearted king who cared deeply for his people. But he had one major flaw—he lacked confidence in his military forces. Had he nurtured even one officer at vice admiral level, Crocodile would never have had the opportunity to slowly seize control over three years.
Then again, not every kingdom had the means to cultivate such power. Even Dressrosa had its colosseum to train warriors, but in the end, they too fell to overwhelming force.
In this world, absolute strength trumps everything.
"You're welcome. It's my duty," Kairos replied with a grin.
After all, Vivi was now his woman. Helping her father was the least he could do.
"You've done so much for Alabasta," Cobra said. "Please, stay in the palace. Let us show our appreciation."
Kairos glanced around at the battered palace walls—still standing, but bearing the scars of recent battles. One crack in particular looked like it had been carved by a blade, splitting the structure in two.
"No need," he replied. "I've already lingered here long enough. Now that everything's settled, I'll be setting out for the Grand Line again—tomorrow."
Cobra nodded with understanding. A man capable of standing against someone like Red-Haired Shanks couldn't be kept in one place. If anything, allowing him to chase greater glory would only reflect well on Alabasta.
If Kairos Flint gains global fame, and people know that the king of Alabasta is his father-in-law… who would dare stir trouble in this kingdom again?
That evening, they shared a final feast—lavish and heartfelt.
The next day, Cobra personally came to see them off.
"Vivi, come visit when you can," he said with a warm smile. "This will always be your home."
"I know, Dad," Vivi said, reluctant but determined.
She had already chosen to leave with Kairos.
As they prepared to depart, Kairos turned to Cobra with a grin.
"Before we go, I've prepared a little parting gift for you."
He reached into his personal storage and pulled out a glowing, dark crystal.
"A… black crystal?" Cobra asked, confused. "Is this the gift?"
He didn't mind either way—after all, Kairos had already done so much.
"This is something to be consumed. It'll strengthen your body," Kairos explained.
It was a Legendary Body Crystal, designed to boost Cobra's physical health. Without it, the aging king might've been wheelchair-bound in just a couple of years. This was Kairos's way of giving him more time—and more strength.
Then, Kairos turned to Pell.
He handed him several items: a Legendary Body Crystal, a Legendary Soul Crystal, an Epic Talent Crystal, and a book detailing how to train in both Armament Haki and Observation Haki.
"These will help you grow stronger," Kairos said. "If you train seriously, surpassing Crocodile isn't just possible—it's likely."
"Thanks," Pell responded simply.
No need for flowery words. They both understood. This was Kairos entrusting Pell with the duty of protecting Alabasta in his absence.
With their farewells complete, Kairos and his crew left.
Next stop: Skypiea.
He had long set his sights on the power of the Thunder Fruit possessed by Enel.