Chapter 93

At the same time, Kairos Flint followed Rayleigh into Xia Qi's somewhat shady bar.

"Welcome," Xia Qi said casually, cigarette in hand, greeting Kairos and the others.

"Four coffees, and a juice for the kid," Kairos ordered as he sat down.

He handed out coffee orders to Nami and the rest. As for Perona, even though she was second in age only to Robin, her childish behavior earned her the juice order.

"Who are you calling a kid?!"

"Ugh! I don't want juice!" Perona snapped.

"I'm 23, a full-grown adult! Bring me a glass of wine!"

Kairos ignored her outburst. "Ignore her, boss. Just the juice."

"No problem," Xia Qi replied with a smirk, walking off to prepare their drinks.

Rayleigh gave Kairos a look. "Didn't we come here to drink? And you're ordering coffee?"

He'd brought Kairos to this bar with the intention of sharing a drink, chatting, and getting to know the young man Shanks had spoken about. But here he was, sipping coffee.

"I only drink on occasion, Rayleigh-senpai. I usually prefer coffee or juice," Kairos said earnestly.

Rayleigh didn't push it. "In terms of age, you should probably call me 'uncle,' not 'senpai.'"

Kairos chuckled. "So, Uncle Rayleigh, where's my gift? Got any Logia or Mythical Zoan Devil Fruits for me? I wouldn't mind calling you uncle every day if you do."

Rayleigh stared at him, speechless.

This brat really had the nerve to joke about that. Mythical Zoans and Logias were rare and powerful—worth more than 3 billion Berries on the black market. He couldn't just hand them out like candy.

Just having one of those could make someone strong enough to be a top-tier fighter.

And forget Chopper's Human-Human Fruit—that wasn't a Mythical Zoan. But other Human-Human Mythical Zoans? Incredibly powerful.

Even a skilled fighter with a Mythical Zoan could reach Admiral level someday.

So no, Rayleigh wasn't giving him one.

"Forget it. I'll drink alone," Rayleigh muttered, pouring himself a glass and sipping slowly, though it was clear his mood had soured.

Kairos tried to change the subject. "I actually planned to find you after arriving on Sabaody Archipelago. Didn't expect you to find me first—saved me a lot of trouble."

He wasn't lying.

To cross from the first half of the Grand Line to the second, one had to either dive into the deep sea and pass through Fish-Man Island, or abandon their ship and take the long, expensive route over the Red Line.

Kairos wasn't giving up his ship. Besides, he'd killed several Celestial Dragons. There was no way the World Government would let him pass quietly.

His best bet was to coat his ship and travel beneath the sea—a risky journey that needed expert craftsmanship. One bad job, and the coating could burst underwater, dooming everyone aboard.

Rayleigh was the most reliable option.

"You were looking for me?" Rayleigh raised an eyebrow.

He was beginning to think this kid was trying to work an angle.

"Come on, Rayleigh-senpai. For Shanks's sake, can't you help out the younger generation? Let's not talk about money. That would just make things awkward," Kairos grinned.

Rayleigh nearly choked on his drink.

For Shanks's sake? And now for your sake? Double guilt trip?

And what's this about not talking about money?

Rayleigh was boiling. This shameless punk...

"Why don't I just give you some money while I'm at it?" he snapped.

Kairos's eyes sparkled. "Really? Three to five million Berries would be enough. I'm not greedy."

"Cough! Cough!!" Rayleigh hacked violently. This kid was something else.

"I'm joking, Rayleigh-senpai," Kairos grinned. Then he pulled out a stack of Berries. "Here's 30 million. Let's consider this the official coating fee."

He wasn't about to freeload. He had money, and the best coaters charged around that much anyway.

Rayleigh blinked, surprised by the sudden change of tone. But with his years of experience, he got it quickly.

"No need. For Shanks, I'll coat your ship for free," he said kindly.

Just then, Xia Qi returned with coffee and juice. She handed Perona the juice, who was still pouting in protest.

Kairos and the others received their coffee.

"Rayleigh, you still owe me a ton in bar tabs. I'll take this 30 million to offset the debt," Xia Qi said, taking the cash.

Rayleigh opened his mouth to protest, but shut it again. He had been drinking on credit for years, and realistically, that debt had long surpassed 30 million.

He turned to Kairos, who looked back at him with sympathy.

"Xia Qi was joking, right?" Rayleigh attempted to save face.

"Ah, yes, yes. Of course."

"I mean, normally I run this place."

"Ah, yes, yes."

"I just gave her some face. If I wanted to, she couldn't say a thing."

"Ah, yes, yes."

Rayleigh gave up. Nothing he said would change the sympathetic look Kairos was giving him.

So he changed the subject.

"You killed a Celestial Dragon. That's serious trouble."

"Want to explain that a little more?" Kairos asked playfully.

Rayleigh slammed his glass down on the table with a loud bang. If it weren't for his Haki, the glass might've shattered. He was fuming.

But this brat was clearly goading him.

"Alright, let's talk Celestial Dragons," Kairos offered, arms open.

Rayleigh sighed. He had to stay calm.

"The World Government won't stop just because you handled one Buster Call. If they want you dead, they'll keep coming—second wave, third wave, however many it takes. They don't care how many lives it costs."

Kairos nodded. It was true. The Government viewed soldiers as tools, and losing a few—or even a few thousand—meant nothing to them.

"If they weren't worried about weakening their control over the world, I'd take on every Buster Call they throw. Each one drops more Ability Crystals," Kairos said casually.

To him, it was a farming opportunity. The more they came, the more he gained.

He'd thank the Five Elders personally if he could.

Rayleigh warned, "Be careful. The World Government isn't stupid. Kizaru's report will reveal your strength. Next time, they won't just send random soldiers. It'll be admirals, vice admirals, maybe even Garp. You won't have it easy."

Kairos just smiled. "Let them come. I'll send them all to heaven."

In his mind, he wasn't just an elephant they could bury under numbers. He was something far greater.

And the World Government had no idea what they were messing with.