Chapter 157

But even so—

After Kairos Flint saw the true power of the Third Generation Kitetsu, he still had to acknowledge it.

After all, for the sword to unleash such a terrifying attack just by absorbing a bit of Conqueror's Haki? That was impressive in itself. It was a testament to how extraordinary the blade had become.

As for the problem of Haki...

That was on him.

At the moment, his Conqueror's Haki was still too weak.

At least, it couldn't keep up with the rest of his configuration. It was time to level up.

The only regret?

He didn't currently have any Conqueror's Haki crystals in his inventory.

So now, all he could do was rely on Whitebeard to bring him more high-level pirates with Conqueror's Haki.

In that case, he wouldn't need to go looking for them himself.

Once his Haki was upgraded, not only would the quantity increase—but so would its intensity.

Still—

This was the Third Generation Kitetsu's ability.

For Kairos, it was... acceptable.

Sure, it was high-level—elite, even.

But in his hands, it didn't feel that special.

"Guess I'll make do with it."

Kairos sheathed the Third Generation Kitetsu and stopped thinking about it for now.

Instead, his gaze shifted toward the island around him—now almost completely devastated.

A once-beautiful island had been reduced to rubble during his battle with Whitebeard.

Coincidentally, this island was about the same size as the one near the Navy's G-2 base. And just like that battle, the land here had been utterly transformed—scarred and broken.

"All I wanted to do was test out my new abilities..."

"Well, might as well restore the island while I'm at it. It'd be a shame to leave it like this."

With that thought, Kairos turned back toward the ruined landscape and stepped onto the island once again.

He knelt down.

Placed his hand flat against the earth.

Divine Art: Creation of the Land!

As he activated the Earth Slate's power, he could feel his stamina being rapidly consumed. He was channeling a massive amount of energy.

But then—

The ground began to shift.

To breathe.

As if reborn.

The massive canyon-like gash he had split into the island earlier—which had reached all the way into the ocean—began to seal itself back up.

Under Kairos's full control, the land quickly healed.

Not only was it restored, but it actually expanded.

The island was now twice the size it had been before.

"Next…"

Simply making the land larger wasn't enough to satisfy Kairos.

Divine Art: Rebirth of All Things!

This time, he tapped into the Wood Slate's power. And not just that—the Water Slate joined in too.

With both energies flowing through him, Kairos sent a pulse through the newly formed land.

Green life exploded from the soil.

Plants surged upward with ferocious vitality—flowers, grass, and trees spreading like wildfire across the barren ground.

Life took root.

And quickly flourished.

Within moments, the newly expanded island was fully covered in lush greenery.

Thanks to Kairos's abilities, the once-destroyed island wasn't just restored—it was reborn, more beautiful and fertile than it had ever been.

Mission complete.

Kairos returned to the ship.

"Lord Kairos, I've drawn a hot bath. Would you like to wash up?" Baby-5 asked sweetly as she stepped forward.

As a dutiful maid, she always kept close watch over her master. So, while he had been busy restoring the island, she'd gone to prepare everything he might need.

"Sure," Kairos replied with a nod.

After fighting Whitebeard, restoring an entire island, and expanding its size dramatically?

Yeah, a bath sounded like a great idea.

Truthfully, the amount of energy he'd burned through wasn't small.

If it weren't for his fully awakened divine body, he wouldn't have been able to handle this kind of consumption so quickly.

Then, with a smile, he scooped up Nami, Uta, and a few others.

"Alright—let's bathe together."

With that, he carried them off to the hot spring.

Time passed in peaceful bliss.

While Kairos Flint was enjoying a serene and well-earned moment of happiness...

The outside world was in chaos.

The World Economic News Agency had just published a breaking news special edition.

An emergency issue.

The headline?

"The Strongest Man in the World—Has Changed Hands!!"

It was a bombshell.

Photos taken from a distance were published all over the front page.

There was no doubt:

While Kairos and Whitebeard were battling, a News Coo, specially trained by Morgans himself, had been circling above and snapping pictures.

So Morgans got the scoop immediately.

His team worked through the night.

And by morning?

The news was out.

The headlines were outrageous—and sensational.

Shock! Whitebeard, the strongest man in the world, defeated!

Stunning! Bounty King Kairos Flint rises to the top in a single battle—now the world's most powerful man!

Unbelievable! The Four Emperors were like children before the Bounty King—utterly crushed!

With titles like those, the entire sea went into a frenzy.

Copies of the newspaper sold out everywhere.

Morgans made an absolute fortune overnight.

And of course—

The news that Kairos Flint had defeated Whitebeard, one of the legendary Four Emperors, spread like wildfire.

Within hours, the entire ocean knew his name.