After taking the crystal, Kairos Flint's mind immediately cleared.
He wasn't exactly sure what the process entailed, but after a brief moment of lucidity, the surge of power subsided, and he fully regained consciousness. Without hesitation, he pulled out four perfect-grade soul crystals, five perfect-grade taijutsu crystals, and one perfect-grade kendo crystal. One after another, he absorbed them all.
His strength leaped forward once more. He was one step closer to reaching the power level of a high-ranking general. While the progress wasn't earth-shattering, it was significant enough to warrant checking his current stats.
[Host]: Kairos Flint
[Talent]: Emperor Level (0/10)
[Physique]: School Level (1/10)
[Soul]: School Level (4/10)
[Abilities]: School-level Physical Skills (5/10), Swordsman (1/10), Lieutenant-Level Silent Steps (0/10)
[Weapons]: Good Blade - Sandai Kitetsu (0/10)
[Ships]: Rare Large Ship (5.9/10)
At this point, Kairos realized his only major shortcoming was his lack of Haki—both Observation and Armament types. Of course, this wasn't something he could just conjure up.
To obtain Haki, he needed to face someone who already wielded it, defeat them, and hope that they dropped a Haki ability crystal. Then, and only then, could he absorb it.
"Looks like I'll have to head to the New World or the Sabaody Archipelago. There's bound to be someone there with Haki," Kairos thought to himself.
Then he recalled something else: his talent level had upgraded from general to emperor.
"A general-level talent wasn't enough to comprehend Haki on my own. But maybe... just maybe, an emperor-level talent will give me a shot."
Still, he was aware that even with top-tier talent, learning Haki wasn't something that happened overnight. It would take time. No need to rush.
...
Time passed quickly. Before he knew it, a whole day had flown by.
The next morning, a Den Den Mushi call came in.
Smoker.
He was letting them know he had arrived.
Kairos was tempted to stay in bed and catch a few more hours of sleep. But knowing Smoker, if he wasn't ready by the time the man showed up, he'd likely erupt in a full-blown fury.
So Kairos begrudgingly rolled out of bed, went through a quick wash-up, and brought Nami along with him—along with the bound and gagged Captain Mouse and his detained marines. They headed to the coast of Cocoyashi Village.
...
At the shoreline, a large naval ship was already docked. Dozens, maybe over a hundred, sailors stood at attention.
At the head of the group stood Smoker, cigar as always clenched in his mouth.
Beside him was Tashigi, the same woman who had been too flustered to string together a sentence the last time they met.
"Smoker, you didn't need to show up this early. A few more hours of sleep would've been nice," Kairos said as he approached, yawning openly.
Smoker's brow twitched. If Kairos had been a fellow Marine instead of a bounty hunter, he'd have been on the receiving end of a full-volume berating. But Kairos wasn't part of the military, so Smoker swallowed the outburst.
"Captain Mouse, you are now officially under investigation. I've already reported your crimes to higher command. They will be sending someone to look into everything you've done during your tenure," Smoker said coldly, eyes locking on Mouse with thinly veiled contempt.
It was clear: Smoker hated nothing more than Marines who tainted the very concept of justice. To him, corrupt officers were worse than pirates.
"He's all yours," Kairos said, handing over Captain Mouse without hesitation. "Now, about the bounty on the Dragon Pirates..."
Smoker nodded to his subordinates, who promptly delivered a sack containing the bounty payment.
"Giving you the money in advance breaks protocol. You'll still need to hand over the bodies of the Dragon Pirates."
The Navy didn't pay out bounties without evidence—normally it was a body, a head, or even a captured pirate. Verifying identity was part of the process.
"The bodies are still in Cocoyashi Village. You can send some men over with barrels of rum to pick them up," Kairos said casually.
Smoker gave a rare nod. "I owe you one for this."
"Wow. You admitting that you owe someone a favor? That's rare," Kairos said with a grin.
He knew Smoker hadn't said anything the last time, even when Kairos had fed him intel on Colonel Morgan. But the fact that he said it now showed how disgusted he was by Mouse's corruption.
Kairos turned to Tashigi with a teasing smirk. "So, your boss owes me now. What do you say? Want to ditch the Navy and become a bounty hunter with me?"
Tashigi's eyes widened in alarm.
"No way! Once a Marine, always a Marine! I'm not leaving!"
She looked genuinely flustered.
Smoker sighed, knowing full well Kairos was just messing with her. But still, he stepped in to intervene.
"Enough. Let's talk Haki. Observation and Armament. I want to learn how to use both," Kairos said, his expression now serious as he looked directly at Smoker.
There was no jest in his voice anymore. Just determination.