Chapter 94

Navy Headquarters.

Kizaru's warship had already returned and was now docked at the harbor. Shortly after, Kizaru walked straight into Fleet Admiral Sengoku's office.

Inside, the roars of Fleet Admiral Sengoku echoed like thunder. Navy personnel walking by—even from a distance—could hear the commotion and could only feel pity for whoever was on the receiving end of Sengoku's fury.

"Kizaru, are you joking with me?!"

"You just retreated? Just like that?"

"The mission was simple—yet you still failed?!"

"And what about the Buster Call?! Even before you returned, Flying Squirrel already reported in via Den Den Mushi. Over six thousand navy soldiers were injured! Among them, countless colonels and major generals lost their lives—and even three vice admirals fell in battle. And you just ran away?"

"Were you not aware there were seriously wounded soldiers still waiting for backup?"

"You're telling me you couldn't even handle a rookie from the East Blue? And now you're saying he's too strong?! Do you think I'm pushing you too hard by asking you to work overtime? Since when did that become a reason to slack off?! Don't you understand this operation was personally ordered by the Five Elders?!"

"With this mission botched, what exactly do you expect me to tell them?!"

Sengoku's face was crimson as he berated the admiral. The blood vessels on his forehead pulsed with rage.

Kizaru remained silent, but the awkwardness in the room was almost tangible. The rebuke was merciless.

Do I not know how strong you are? Sengoku fumed internally.

According to intel, the target only defeated a CP9 agent, meaning he should barely be at the level of a vice admiral. But you're a full-fledged admiral—a top-tier powerhouse. You couldn't subdue someone like that?

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, maybe take a good look at me first?" Kizaru said with a sigh.

He had anticipated this dressing-down the moment he stepped off the ship.

Sengoku, arms crossed, looked him over. Kizaru's clothes, once pristine, were now in tatters. Several parts of his uniform were burned or torn, and fresh bandages were wrapped around his torso.

That gave Sengoku pause.

Kizaru rarely looked this disheveled. Normally, after subduing even powerful pirates, his uniform would remain wrinkle-free. But today? He looked like he had been dragged through the mud.

"What the hell happened?" Sengoku's tone softened, curiosity edging into his fury.

"Fault in intelligence," Kizaru said flatly. "Kairos Flint—the one who killed the Celestial Dragon—he's not just vice-admiral level. He's at emperor level. He uses Conqueror's Haki and can imbue it into his attacks. His footwork is extraordinary—he managed to avoid even my Observation Haki. When I finally reacted, I was already a step behind and took a direct hit."

His voice dropped.

"There were two emperor-level individuals on that island. And when I was leaving, I even saw Silvers Rayleigh appear. If they had all attacked together… I wouldn't have made it out with just minor injuries."

Sengoku's jaw dropped. "What?!!!"

"Kizaru, come on," he snapped, trying to dismiss the shock. "You failed the mission—fine. But now you're making up excuses? He's a young man, maybe twenty at most. You expect me to believe he's emperor level? You think I'm that gullible?"

Sengoku didn't want to believe it.

Even legends like Garp, Roger, and Whitebeard didn't reach such heights so young. If what Kizaru said was true, then Kairos Flint wasn't just a monster—he was a monster among monsters.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, do you really think I'd beat myself up like this just to get out of overtime?" Kizaru replied bitterly.

That stung Sengoku a little.

"Ahem… Of course, Porusalino, I trust you," Sengoku said, coughing to cover his initial doubt. "It's just… a bit much to take in."

"If that's hard to believe, let me tell you something worse," Kizaru added. "That wasn't all. There's a young woman on Flint's crew with an unidentified Zoan Devil Fruit—likely a Mythical Zoan. If I had stayed to fight her any longer, the entire Sabaody Archipelago would've been wiped off the map."

Sengoku stared in disbelief.

Two emperor-class fighters on one rookie pirate crew?

If that was true… then these people were destined to become the next Yonko.

"If you don't believe me, send Akainu to confirm it himself," Kizaru said flatly. "Also, there are other women on his crew whose powers are still unknown. If you're sending someone… they better be careful."

His tone made it clear—he wasn't going back there. Not for any price.

He was just a government employee. Why should he risk his life for a Celestial Dragon? If that pompous bastard is dead, so what? What's it got to do with him?

"I understand." Sengoku finally nodded.

Looking at Kizaru, he realized—if he dared order him back to work, the man might file for medical leave.

The whole report sounded absurd. Yet…

Sengoku trusted Kizaru's instincts. If even he was this cautious, it meant the Intel Division had failed catastrophically.

Those fools!

They should be strung up on the Navy HQ flagpole for a month!

But more pressing than that was dealing with the Five Elders.

The death of a Celestial Dragon had cost the Navy nearly 7,000 lives. It wasn't just a tactical failure—it was a financial disaster. The compensation and pensions for the dead alone would be astronomical.

Sengoku's face turned purple with rage.

Fine.

If the Five Elders didn't give the Navy a massive budget boost after this… they could forget about him ever answering their calls again!

Sengoku picked up the phone and made the call.

The entire HQ shook with the furious roars and cursing that followed.

Elsewhere.

Half a day passed quickly.

Kairos Flint and his crew had retrieved their ship from portable storage. Rayleigh took charge of recoating it for underwater travel, while Xia Qi arranged a place for them to rest.

For the first time in a while, they could sleep in peace.

At least for now, the Navy was licking its wounds and wouldn't be sending anyone soon. The worst seemed to be behind them.

The Next Day.

Kairos had worked all night synthesizing various materials. His work wasn't finished yet, but progress was being made.

Among other tasks, he had fed several animals with Devil Fruits, killed them, and harvested the fruits' ability crystals.

He now held thirteen Devil Fruit ability crystals in his hand, considering combinations.

Two in particular caught his eye:

A Mythical Zoan Fox-Fruit Crystal

A Paramecia Energy-Fruit Crystal

At a glance, the two seemed unrelated. But Kairos saw potential.

With his golden-finger ability, even unrelated abilities could produce shocking results when synthesized.

He was just about to begin when—

Knock Knock Knock!

"Hey, Kairos," Nami's voice called from outside. "There's a talking albatross asking for you."

"I'm not an albatross!" a raspy voice barked. "I'm Morgans—the president of the World Economic News Agency! I'm just a bird-type Zoan user!"

That jogged Kairos's memory.

Yesterday, he had indeed contacted the news agency, hinting at major headlines—specifically, the death of a Celestial Dragon, with high-definition photos.

He asked Morgans to come to Xia Qi's bar in Sabaody to negotiate.

What he didn't expect… was for Morgans to arrive so quickly.

Was the guy nearby the whole time?

Kairos didn't dwell on it. He put away the two ability crystals and opened the door.

Outside stood Morgans—grinning ear to ear.

"Mr. Kairos Flint, what you've done is… historic!" he exclaimed.

The death of a Celestial Dragon was already front-page news—but without photos, it lacked punch.

Morgans knew this. That's why he had burned every favor and resource he had to rush to Sabaody.

"Here," Kairos said calmly, handing him a photograph.

Morgans's eyes lit up.

"Yes! This is it! Just tell me your price—whatever you want!"

Morgans had considered robbing him, but after seeing Rayleigh at the bar and learning Kairos was under his protection, he wisely backed off.

Only a fool would steal from the apprentice of a legend.

And Kairos Flint? A man who killed a Celestial Dragon, defeated an admiral, and dismantled a Buster Call?

This wasn't just news. It was world-shaking history.