Kairos and Nami stepped into the naval base—and came back out with a heavy suitcase in hand.
"Being a bounty hunter is amazing," Nami grinned, clutching the suitcase tightly. "Making money this fast feels so good."
She looked genuinely thrilled.
"Next, we'll stay in Loguetown for a few more days," Kairos said, his expression calm and composed. "We'll spend a bit on pirate intel, restock our supplies, and then head back out."
Buying information on pirate locations was essential. Without it, they'd just be sailing blindly, hoping to stumble upon a crew. With accurate intel, their chances of finding pirate groups—and profiting from them—increased significantly.
As for supplies, the ones they'd bought last time were meant to last more than two weeks. But since they'd returned in less than a week, they still had plenty left. Even so, some essentials still needed to be restocked.
"Leave that part to me!" Nami said confidently, giving her chest a pat.
Kairos nodded. He was happy to let Nami handle the logistics. All he needed to do was tag along and help if needed.
Even though Loguetown had gotten safer since Smoker had taken over, it was still the Grand Line. Precautions were never a bad idea.
Two Days Later
Kairos and Nami were back at sea.
Nami was eager to catch more pirates and claim more bounty money.
Kairos, on the other hand, was focused on taking down powerful enemies to collect ability crystals—and grow stronger.
Life on the sea was monotonous and slow. If he were sailing alone, Kairos figured he would have gone crazy by now. But with someone by his side, the days passed more easily.
"Why haven't we come across any pirates yet?" Nami groaned in frustration.
She used to dread pirates. Now, she hoped for a pirate ship with a decent bounty to show up—so Kairos could cut them down and she could cash in.
"These things can't be rushed," Kairos said, scanning the endless blue around them. "The pirates we're tracking were spotted near this area, sure—but who knows which direction they went after that?"
Kairos could feel the boredom setting in, but he kept his cool and tried to reassure Nami.
"I have to find them," she muttered, eyes burning with determination. "I will claim their bounty!"
Kairos smirked to himself. Judging by the fire in her eyes, if a pirate appeared in front of her now, she might just leap overboard and try to bite them to death herself.
Still, he turned away and focused on his own growth.
"Trying to unlock Haki with just my current abilities... It's no use," he admitted silently. "Even with that enhanced talent crystal, I've only reached the level of a typical captain. That's still nowhere near enough to awaken Observation or Armament Haki on my own."
Truth be told, Kairos had been hoping he could awaken Haki through sheer talent and will. But the reality was clear: unless someone had Yonko-level talent, awakening Haki without guidance was near impossible.
So instead, he focused on improving his physical combat and swordsmanship—skills that were easier to train and steadily build up.
Three Hours Later
"Kairos! Kairos! I see a ship! It's a pirate ship!" Nami shouted, practically bouncing on her toes as she looked through her spyglass.
Kairos snapped to attention. His eyes lit up.
"Finally! After ten days at sea—we've got a target!" he exclaimed, more excited than even Nami. Pirates meant one thing to him: ability crystals.
"Full speed ahead!" Nami yelled.
She took the wheel and raced toward the pirate ship. Kairos quickly jumped in to assist, helping her steer to maximize their speed.
The pirate crew had noticed them too. It was clear from the way they adjusted their sails—they were preparing for battle.
Both ships closed in rapidly, eyes locked on each other like predators sizing up their prey.
When the ships were close enough—
"ATTACK!!!" came the roars—from both sides.
Thirty Minutes Later
Drip...
Blood trickled slowly from the edge of Kairos's blade, falling onto the blood-soaked deck with a soft splash that sent out a tiny ripple. The entire pirate crew had been wiped out. No survivors.
Kairos stood alone among the corpses, panting lightly.
"Kairos, you got stabbed earlier. Let me patch you up!" Nami called out, running over with a worried look.
After all, he had taken on an entire ship full of pirates—on his own. As the powerhouse of their bounty hunter duo, she knew how vital he was. Without him, she'd be lost.
"I'm fine," Kairos said, waving her off.
"Are you kidding? I saw you get stabbed by the pirate captain! There's no way you're fine," she insisted, rushing over.
She reached for his shirt and opened it to check the wound... only to find—nothing.
Not a single scratch.
She blinked, confused. Then rubbed the area, wiping away blood... but still, no wound.
"What the hell?" Nami mumbled. "I know I saw him get hit... Could I have imagined it?"
"If you're this into touching me, Nami, I don't mind if you warm up my bed at night," Kairos teased, shooting her a sly grin.
"Keep dreaming, perv," Nami said, blushing furiously. She quickly pulled her hand back, rolled her eyes at him, and stormed off to check the pirates' loot.
Kairos watched her go, smirking—then winced.
"That captain's sword... really did hurt," he muttered under his breath.
The truth was, Kairos had been hit.
If not for the five Refined Physique Crystals he had taken before the fight, he would never have survived. Let alone killed every pirate on board within thirty minutes.
Each of those crystals had healed his injuries, restored his stamina, and enhanced his body to the point where he could keep going.
Originally, he had only one refined crystal. But after his last haul, he'd synthesized all of the standard physique crystals he'd gathered—forty-two in total—into four more refined ones.
Including the one he already had, that made five in all.
And now?
They were all used up.