"Lord Kairos, if there's anything you need from Fish-Man Island, please don't hesitate to ask," Jinbei said, correcting his posture with newfound respect.
After all, he had made his choice—and now he had to stand by it.
The World Government.
If they were to be offended, so be it.
His title as a Warlord of the Sea (Shichibukai) had offered him little benefit. Back then, he had accepted the World Government's call only because many of his fellow Sun Pirates had been captured by the navy. Becoming a Warlord was the price for their release.
As for the Five Elders—Jinbei had only been invited to join the Warlords to promote racial harmony. Nothing more. Once the Sun Pirates were freed, the World Government gave him nominal authority. But they never backed that with any real support.
So, losing the title of Warlord now meant little to him. It had no real effect on Fish-Man Island either. Truth be told, the island's peace during the Great Pirate Era wasn't due to the government—it was because of Whitebeard. His protection kept greedy pirates at bay.
"No need," Kairos said, sipping juice with ease. "If something comes up, I'll let you know."
"Lord Kairos, King Neptune wishes to invite you to Dragon Palace City," Jinbei added.
Kairos, who already knew about Poseidon, one of the three ancient weapons, had never once shown interest in using that power for himself. That alone showed how broad-minded he was.
"Got it," Kairos nodded. "Send someone to pick me up tomorrow."
Judging by how much shopping Nami and the others were doing on Fish-Man Island, there was no way they'd make it to Dragon Palace City today. He'd have to bring them along, at the very least.
"Understood, Lord Kairos. I'll take my leave now," Jinbei replied, bowing before exiting the mansion.
Outside, Jinbei went straight to King Neptune and carefully relayed everything that had happened.
Hearing Jinbei's report, Neptune was stunned.
He hadn't expected Jinbei to make such a bold decision—especially without consulting him. But he also realized: in that moment, there had been no time for deliberation. Hesitating would've made them lose credibility in Kairos Flint's eyes.
Had Neptune been in Jinbei's position, he likely would've made the same choice.
Especially after learning that Kairos already knew that Princess Shirahoshi was Poseidon. How he had found that out was a mystery, but the revelation left Neptune deeply unsettled.
Still, if Kairos was willing to protect Fish-Man Island, that was a blessing.
Whitebeard himself had spoken to Neptune once, and during that meeting, Whitebeard mentioned he admired the young man greatly. Knowing Whitebeard, Neptune suspected he might've even considered making Kairos his son.
After the conversation, both Neptune and Jinbei departed.
Meanwhile, back at the mansion, Kairos rested briefly before beginning his training.
Over time, he had developed a solid grasp of his True God Talent. Through experimentation, he figured out the following:
Those with general-level powers gave him 0.01 experience per hour.
Those at school-level granted 0.05 experience per hour.
Emperor-level powers? Only 0.001 experience per hour.
That meant:
Training 10 hours/day = 0.01 EXP/day.
10 days = 0.1 EXP.
100 days = 1 EXP.
So, in just over two years, he could max out an emperor-level power. If he pushed himself to 20 hours/day, he could do it in a little over a year.
Compared to Big Mom, Kaido, Whitebeard, and Shanks, who took decades to reach their strength, Kairos's talent was terrifying—second only to that of a protagonist.
Of course, if he had more epic-level ability crystals, he wouldn't even bother training. He'd just level up instantly. Still, even practicing had its advantages. Every bit helped.
About eight or nine hours later, Nami and the others returned with bags and supplies—tons of them.
The mermaid tribe staff had also delivered gifts—essentially everything Nami and the others wanted. Kairos didn't even have to pay.
Clearly, Nami had gone wild. If Vivi and Uta hadn't reined her in, she might have cleared out the entire Marin Mall.
From the haul alone, Kairos guessed they had visited almost every shop on the island. At least 90% of the goods were things Nami and the others specifically wanted. The rest? Likely afterthoughts for Kairos.
"I'm exhausted. My feet are killing me," Nami groaned, slumping onto the couch.
"Oh, now you're tired?" Kairos chuckled. "Didn't hear you complain once while you were out there spending."
Nami pouted, but said nothing.
Kairos continued, "After you all left, King Neptune and Jinbei came to see me…"
He recounted the day's events. The only one present who wasn't yet "his woman" was Perona. Nami, Vivi, and Robin had already fallen under his influence. Uta was close behind. Only Perona, who worked as a maid aboard his Mythic Sky, remained untouched.
He wasn't in a rush, though.
Especially with Nami and Vivi around—he had all the time in the world.
In his view, any woman who stepped aboard his ship was already his. After all, he wouldn't have let them on if he didn't find them interesting. And once onboard, they'd inevitably be drawn to his charm.
"Does this mean Fish-Man Island is yours now?" Nami asked, eyes sparkling. "So we can shop for free forever?"
Kairos sighed.
That's what you took from all this?
What mattered was that King Neptune had surrendered to him—a powerful show of allegiance. That kind of loyalty was hard to find these days.
Still, he turned to Vivi and Robin.
"Since we're heading to Dragon Palace City tomorrow, we should bring a gift. Something… memorable."
"What kind of gift?" Vivi asked.
"Vander Decken IX. He knows Shirahoshi's secret—that she's Poseidon. He's been harassing her endlessly. He's a wanted terrorist now. If you bring him in, the meeting will go a lot smoother."
"Vivi, your Devil Fruit ability doesn't suffer underwater, and with a coral bubble, you'll have no trouble breathing. Tonight, try to find him. If he resists—break his limbs. Just keep him alive."
"Got it," Vivi said confidently. "I'll find him and bring him in."
Nami narrowed her eyes at Vivi.
This woman really didn't understand who the main wife was around here…
"I can handle it too," Nami added.
Her power had already been boosted by Kairos—and with the added Human-Human Fruit: Mythical Beast—Naruto Form, she was even stronger.
The target wasn't supposed to be powerful. Two punches, maybe three, should be enough.
"What about me?" Perona suddenly asked.
It surprised even her. Maybe she had been PUA'd by Kairos—because here she was, volunteering.
"You're too weak," Kairos said plainly. "Stick to delivering food. If you're free, give me a massage."
The words hit Perona like a brick—but she had to admit he was right.
Grumbling, she flew over and started massaging his shoulders.
Kairos smiled, satisfied.
His women were growing stronger by the day, thanks to his epic-level crystals.
But Shirahoshi... if she was truly the most beautiful woman of the sea—he couldn't wait to see her.
And as for that bastard Vander Decken IX, who dared harass his future wife?
He'd be lucky if breaking his legs was all Kairos did.