Certainly.
Words were just words.
Right now, Shirahoshi was only a 14-year-old girl—slightly more mature in appearance, sure, but not someone Kairos would ever think of touching. He wasn't that kind of man.
But... she had already joined his side. As a sign of sincerity and alliance, he needed to offer something in return.
Capturing those two—Vander Decken IX and Hody Jones—and delivering them to King Neptune would be the best gift he could offer.
Not long after, Nami and Vivi received the bubble corals from the attendants and, after confirming the exact location, headed out to find their targets.
With their strength, it wouldn't be a problem to take down Vander Decken IX or Hody Jones.
The only real issue was... finding them.
That was the hardest part.
Hody Jones was known to be lurking around Fish-Man Street, but locating Vander Decken IX was trickier. Still, they had time. If they found him, great. If not, no big deal.
Time passed quickly.
The first to return was Nami.
She held a rope in one hand—and trailing behind it were Hody Jones and a few of his cronies. All of them were tied up, bruised, and broken. Every limb on Hody was snapped, and he was being dragged across the ground like a ragdoll.
A long trail of blood marked their path.
The residents of Fish-Man Island looked on in disbelief.
Brutal.
This human girl was absolutely ruthless.
But despite the carnage, no one dared to stop her. These were ordinary citizens, not fighters.
Hody Jones—a powerful Fish-Man—had been reduced to this state by her. What chance did they have?
Certainly, no one dared confront Nami herself. In their eyes, she was a walking nightmare. But that didn't mean they wouldn't call for help. Someone from the Sea King Army had to be informed.
After returning, Nami casually tossed Hody Jones and the others to the ground.
"These guys were pathetic," she said, clapping her hands. "I had them down in just a few hits. Vivi's not back yet?"
"They probably haven't found their target," Kairos Flint replied, glancing in the direction she came from.
If Vivi wasn't back yet, it likely meant she was still searching. Vander Decken IX had always been a slippery one. But with Vivi's strength, once she found him, defeating him wouldn't be an issue.
He might run, sure. But she could fly—and faster than he could swim.
"I'm heading to rest," Nami said, brushing off the matter.
Kairos nodded and watched as she returned to her room.
He had thought that after arriving at Fish-Man Island, Nami might carry some resentment toward the fish-men due to her past experiences.
But it turned out, she didn't harbor any prejudice at all.
Maybe the past few months had helped her mature.
More likely, it was because she had already eliminated the Arlong Pirates—the fish-men who had once ruled her village. The ones responsible for her trauma were already dead.
With her revenge complete, there was no need to project that hatred onto innocent fish-men or mermaids.
While Kairos was waiting quietly, Vivi and Robin finally returned.
And they brought Vander Decken IX with them.
Of course, he hadn't gone quietly. Vivi had broken all his limbs, and now he was bound and gagged with a filthy rag in his mouth. Even if he tried to scream, no sound escaped.
He looked pathetic.
But someone like him—who had relentlessly and obsessively pursued Shirahoshi—deserved no sympathy. Perverts like him needed to be handled this way.
Now that all the targets were secured, the group rested.
After all, between shopping, hunting criminals, and fighting, they hadn't had a moment to relax.
The next morning, King Neptune arrived in person.
By then, Kairos and the others had already woken and freshened up. When Neptune arrived, Nami and Vivi came out—dragging both Hody Jones and Vander Decken IX behind them.
"This is…"
Neptune's eyes widened.
At first, he thought Kairos might have attacked these men out of resentment toward Fish-Man Island.
But when he recognized Vander Decken IX, he froze.
This was him—the freak who had stalked his daughter for years.
Beside him, Jinbei also recognized the man. He had once tried to apprehend Vander Decken IX at Neptune's request, but the man had disappeared, slipping through every net like an eel.
No one had managed to find him.
And now, here he was—captured, broken, and gagged—hand-delivered by Kairos Flint.
"Since King Neptune invited me to Dragon Palace City as a guest," Kairos said with a smile, "how could I come empty-handed? These men are my gift to you. I hope you find it satisfactory."
"Lord Kairos, you're too generous," Neptune said warmly. "We've been looking for Vander Decken IX for years, but he's a master of hiding and evasion. Thanks to you, my daughter no longer has to stay locked in the hard-shell tower. I can't thank you enough."
He was filled with relief and joy.
What Vander Decken IX would face now… well, it wouldn't be pleasant. Not in the slightest.
"And what about these other men?" Neptune asked, gesturing to Hody Jones and his gang. "Are they allies of Vander Decken IX?"
"No," Kairos replied. "Hody Jones is another gift. Do you still remember the death of Princess Otohime?"
Everyone fell silent.
Kairos's voice was calm. "He was the one responsible."
The words fell like thunder.
Neptune, Jinbei, the three princes—everyone was stunned.
"My mother… wasn't she killed by a human?" Shark Star asked, his voice trembling.
He wasn't doubting Kairos—just struggling to comprehend.
"You can ask Princess Shirahoshi's pet, Megalo," Kairos continued. "It witnessed everything and told Shirahoshi the truth. But she, following her mother's last wishes, chose to forgive the murderer and never revealed it."
"I've said what I needed to. If you don't believe me, you're free to ask her yourself. I leave this man in your hands."
With that, he passed the ropes over to the Sea King Army soldiers.
The shock still rippled through the air.
Neptune and Jinbei both believed him. This was the man who had killed a Celestial Dragon—why would he need to lie?
There was no benefit in making up something like this.
And so, even though it was hard to swallow, they began to accept it.
The truth wasn't what they'd believed for ten years. Otohime wasn't murdered by humans—but by one of their own.
"Lord Kairos… thank you for telling us the truth, and for delivering the murderer into our hands," Neptune said, holding back his rage.
He had spent years believing a lie.
Now, the real killer was finally within reach.
Neptune quickly ordered the Sea King Army to imprison the men. With Hody in their custody, interrogation would confirm everything.
Then, a moment later—
"Lord Kairos, Whitebeard wants to speak with you," Neptune said, pulling out a den-den mushi.
Kairos didn't need to be told. Just by looking at the snail's face, he knew who was calling.
"Sure," Kairos replied calmly. "I've been meaning to speak with him."
Buru buru buru—
The den-den mushi rang. Then it connected.
"Gurararara!"
"Neptune! Did you meet that brat who killed the Celestial Dragon?"
Whitebeard's unmistakable voice boomed through the line.
Kairos picked up the receiver.
"Whitebeard, I'm the brat you're talking about."
A pause.
Then a laugh.
"Gurararara! You killed a Celestial Dragon and strutted right into Fish-Man Island. Kid, you're not even the least bit afraid of the World Government's revenge?"
Kairos smirked.
"Whitebeard, let me ask you something—are you afraid of the World Government?"
Whitebeard paused, surprised by the bold counter-question.
Then he answered.
"Of course not."
He didn't fear them. He just avoided unnecessary conflicts.
Kairos replied, "Well, I'm younger than you and have strength on par with an Emperor. So why should I fear some pompous nobles?"
Gurararara!!!
Whitebeard laughed loudly.
"I like you, kid! Be my son!"
The entire room fell silent.
Then Kairos's voice cut through the stillness.
"Be your son? Whitebeard, I'll be your uncle!"
The audience was stunned.