Chapter 80

"We are CP9, the secret intelligence division of the World Government. You're just a bounty hunter. Do you even understand the consequences of standing against us?"

Bruno's comrades arrived swiftly, trying to restrain their impulse to act immediately.

Kairos Flint chuckled at their threats.

"CP9? A secret agency under the World Government? Wow, I'm shaking," he replied with a smirk.

His tone said everything—it was clear he had no respect for the World Government.

Yes, the World Government was powerful. But what did that have to do with him?

Was he supposed to be scared?

Especially when he had a golden finger—his system—on his side?

Kaku stepped forward. "Nico Robin is our target. If you hand her over now, we'll overlook what just happened."

Their intel suggested that Kairos was just a rookie bounty hunter from the East Blue. But if he could defeat Bruno with a single blow, he was clearly not ordinary.

They didn't know how he got so strong, but they weren't eager to find out the hard way.

This mission didn't need to become a war. Facing someone this strong—possibly stronger than them—wasn't worth it.

If anything, Bruno had acted impulsively.

"Do you have hearing problems?" Kairos asked coldly. "I said: Get. Lost."

Kaku's expression darkened. "Are you seriously planning to oppose the World Government? Do you realize what that means? Turn over Nico Robin right now or prepare to be marked as a criminal."

Kairos' eyes narrowed.

"Get out."

A wave of pure pressure erupted from Kairos—his Conqueror's Haki.

BOOM!

Even though he only released a portion of it, the effect was immediate.

Kaku's face drained of color. His body gave out, and with a dull thud, he collapsed to his knees in front of Kairos, trembling uncontrollably.

"Go back to your superiors," Kairos said calmly. "Tell them Nico Robin is now part of my crew. If they want to come after us, they better think very hard about the consequences."

"The World Government? If they annoy me enough, I might just sail into the New World and become a Yonko."

Kairos then withdrew his Haki. Kaku gasped for breath, drenched in cold sweat. He couldn't believe this guy—just a bounty hunter from East Blue—had Conqueror's Haki.

And not just any Haki—this one was terrifying.

He wanted to punch the World Government's intel agents. How had they not known this?

This was top-tier information!

And then he saw it—Kairos pulled out his weapon and slashed downward toward Bruno, who was still lying motionless on the ground.

Blood splattered.

"Bruno!"

Kaku's pupils shrank. He had worked with Bruno for years. No matter how professional they were, that bond was real.

"Soru!"

Kaku dashed forward using one of the Navy's high-speed movement techniques.

But—

BANG!

Before he could even get close, Kairos met him with a devastating kick, sending Kaku flying faster than he'd approached.

He crashed into a nearby pile of rubble and lay still.

Kairos didn't bother walking over.

"I killed him to make a point," he said, glancing at Kaku. "Opposing me comes with a cost. Keep pushing, and next time it'll be worse."

Then he turned and walked calmly back to his ship.

He'd held back on Kaku—intentionally.

Bruno's death was meant to send a message: he didn't fear the World Government, and anyone who tested him would pay.

A message for CP9... and for the entire World Government.

Just then, the golden system prompt appeared:

[Detected items available for pickup. Pick them up?]

"Pick up," Kairos responded.

[Ding! Pick-up complete: 5 Perfect Body Crystals, 4 Perfect Soul Crystals, 3 Legendary Talent Crystals, 8 Perfect Physical Skill Crystals, 1 Perfect Navy Six-Style 'Soru' Crystal, 1 'Tekkai' Crystal, 1 'Rankyaku' Crystal, 1 'Shigan' Crystal, 1 'Geppo' Crystal, 1 'Kami-e' Crystal, and 1 Legendary Paramecia Devil Fruit Crystal (Doa Doa no Mi). All stored in inventory.]

Bruno really had dropped a treasure trove. CP9 wasn't just talk.

And best of all? A rare space-type Devil Fruit.

Not to mention—he'd scored all six Navy combat styles in crystal form.

Kairos returned to the ship, deep in thought.

"Captain, you were so cool just now! I think my heart skipped a beat," Robin said teasingly with a smile.

Whether she meant it or not, who could say?

"You'd better be careful then," Kairos grinned. "Because I'm always this handsome."

Robin gave a soft laugh, then asked, "Aren't you afraid of being targeted by the World Government? Even the Four Emperors get harassed when they do something bold."

She wasn't just making conversation. Her eyes fixed on him, quietly awaiting his answer.

"Are you worried I'll betray you?" Kairos asked, then continued without waiting for a reply.

"To me, the World Government is just another power-hungry organization. If they were truly invincible, the Four Emperors wouldn't still dominate the New World. The Revolutionary Army wouldn't still exist."

"They're powerful. But not unbeatable."

"I'll say it again—"

"You're under my protection now. And if anyone demands I hand you over... they'll get only one answer: Get lost."

His voice was steady and sincere.

Robin turned away, brushing something from her cheek.

"As expected of my captain. That was... really touching," she said quietly.

She believed him. Because he hadn't just spoken—he'd acted.

Killing a member of CP9, an agency directly under the World Government? That was the ultimate insult.

And she knew—the Government wouldn't take that lightly.

But in this moment, she fully trusted Kairos Flint.

"How about a kiss then?" Kairos asked with a smirk.

Robin rolled her eyes. "I'm going to take a shower."

She turned and walked away, leaving him behind with a sigh of disappointment.

He'd missed his chance. But it wasn't a big deal.

They still had time—and a journey ahead.

Kairos pulled out a recliner and laid back, reflecting on what he'd gained.

"The iron-body technique is worthless. Even a dog could learn it, and it'd still be useless," he muttered. "I'll just absorb the others."

He selected the Navy Six-Style crystals—excluding 'Tekkai'—and absorbed them.

Instantly, new knowledge flooded his mind.

Soru. Rankyaku. Shigan. Geppo. Kami-e.

He now knew how to perform them all, perfectly.

Just as he was reviewing everything, a new system prompt appeared:

[Ding! Similar abilities detected: Lieutenant-rank Silent Step and School-rank Soru. Would you like to synthesize them?]

Kairos blinked.

Wait—he could combine skills he already learned?

Would doing that overwrite the originals?

He thought about it for a moment—then shrugged.

"Whatever. Let's try it."

[Ding! Synthesizing... Success! You've obtained: School-rank 'Soundstep'.]

A new technique—and suddenly the method to perform it downloaded into his memory.

He opened the system details to read the description:

[Soundstep]: A high-speed movement technique that temporarily blocks perception by Observation Haki.

Kairos raised an eyebrow.

"...Isn't this just like Kyōka Suigetsu from Bleach or something?"

He chuckled. If he wanted, he could probably sue his own system for plagiarism.

But hey—this thing already gave him the BattleGreymon fruit. It wasn't like this was its first offense.

Still, the ability was excellent.

Even someone using Observation Haki wouldn't notice him until it was too late.

That made this technique lethal.

He smiled.

Another step up in power.

He began synthesizing the remaining crystals while Nami and the others were still showering.

When they came out, he handed Nami the Log Pose for the next leg of their journey.

Their ship turned and sailed away from Water 7, heading toward the Sabaody Archipelago.

Elsewhere, Spandam—head of CP9—received word of the incident.

He was furious.

As much of a buffoon as he was, he knew the value of Nico Robin.

She was the only living person who could read the Poneglyphs, the key to the Void Century.

His father had told him: capture Robin, and you'd earn eternal glory with the World Government.

But instead?

His elite agents had failed miserably.

One of them—Bruno—was even killed. By some unknown bounty hunter.

Spandam was enraged.

After he calmed down, he filed a report—one full of false accusations.

He exaggerated Kairos Flint's behavior, claiming Kairos had mocked and insulted the World Government, even spat on their name.

He wanted the higher-ups to get angry—furious enough to take action.

Because if they saw Kairos as a dangerous threat, they'd issue orders to bring him down.

And that... was exactly what Spandam wanted.

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