"Ding. Host has defeated Robin. Reward obtained: SSR Shikigami Onikiri Card (Onmyoji Version — 1 Use)."
When the system notification echoed in his ears—
Kairos felt completely satisfied.
Finally.
The past few days hadn't been wasted.
What Robin didn't know was that while she secretly thought Kairos was a complete weirdo, Kairos thought Robin was just as strange.
If you can't win, just admit defeat.
Was that really so hard?
Yet every single time he proposed a spar, Robin would firmly refuse with a long list of perfectly reasonable excuses—Anything except actually saying the words "I surrender."
It had driven Kairos to the brink of boredom.
At one point he had even taken the fishing rod from Robin's boat and started fishing just to pass the time.
Thankfully—
she had finally said it.
Robin had admitted defeat.
Mission accomplished.
Kairos looked at her with a smile.
"Alright then. I won't ask you to spar anymore."
"????"
Robin froze.
Completely baffled.
Previously, even when she rejected him outright, Kairos would simply pretend not to hear and bring it up again later.
But now—
he suddenly gave up?
"Come on, let's go. I'll treat you to a meal."
Kairos suddenly set down his fishing rod and spoke cheerfully. He seemed to be in a very good mood.
Robin watched him for a moment before a faint smile appeared on her youthful face.
She nodded gently.
Kairos might be a little eccentric—
a little hard to understand—
but he actually wasn't unpleasant to travel with.
Over the past few days he had even shown surprising gentlemanly manners in small details when dealing with her.
"By the way," Kairos asked, "where do you think the food is good?"
He knew the general story of the world, but details about local places were definitely something Robin knew better.
"Hmm…"
Robin thought for a moment before smiling lightly.
"The place you're heading to—Whiskey Peak. The food there is quite good. And it's close."
"Good. Then Whiskey Peak it is."
Kairos nodded.
Unlike most towns, Whiskey Peak was famous for welcoming pirates.
But its true nature was very different.
It was a gathering place for bounty hunters—
and also a hidden outpost of the secret organization Baroque Works.
Bounty hunters were a chaotic crowd.
Some were honorable.
Many were not.
Kairos had chosen Whiskey Peak for a simple reason.
He wanted to see if he could farm some cards from bounty hunters.
The thought made him grin slightly.
After obtaining the SSR Onikiri card, his mood was already excellent.
Now anticipation rose in his chest.
"Oh, right."
Kairos suddenly looked at Robin.
"You don't mind if I stretch a bit before dinner, do you?"
"Huh?"
Robin blinked, completely confused by what he meant.
…
A sea breeze drifted across the harbor.
The weather had been unusually calm lately—clear skies, gentle waves, no storms.
Because of that, Whiskey Peak's port was lively.
Bounty hunters of every appearance and background gathered there, quietly exchanging information and job offers.
And today—
a rather unusual boat arrived.
It was nothing more than a small wooden skiff.
Yet that very simplicity made it stand out.
A tiny boat like that—
sailing the Grand Line?
That alone drew the attention of many bounty hunters along the docks.
Soon they saw the passengers.
A young man, roughly twenty years old, wearing a white shirt. His black hair fell to his shoulders, and his features were sharp and resolute.
But what drew the most attention were his eyes.
They were clear like spring water—
yet within them hid a sharpness that felt capable of piercing straight through a person's thoughts.
Beside him stood a young girl in a white robe.
Her long black hair was tied into a ponytail, her appearance elegant and refined.
She carried the air of someone intelligent—
and someone who did not welcome strangers.
These two were none other than—
Kairos and Robin.
"Hm?"
The moment the bounty hunters looked closer, many froze.
Their pupils shrank.
Then the harbor erupted in shocked whispers.
"Isn't that Kairos?!"
"That's the strongest rookie of this era!"
"What's he doing here?"
"And the woman with him… she looks familiar…"
But after the initial shock—
many expressions began to change.
Some lowered their heads.
Their eyes, however, gleamed with naked greed as they stared at Kairos.
Kairos' head—
was worth a fortune.
Kairos sensed those gazes immediately.
His eyebrows lifted slightly.
Instead of anger—
he smiled.
A glint of excitement flashed in his eyes.
"You're not seriously thinking about…"
Robin noticed the change in his expression and looked at him carefully.
She could already guess what he intended to do.
But before she could finish speaking—
Kairos smiled.
Not a friendly smile.
A smile filled with battle hunger.
A smile of someone who had been suppressing their urge to fight.
The past few days had been painfully dull.
Now—
finally—
he had a chance.
Kairos stepped forward and planted his foot on the bow.
Sandai Kitetsu slid from its sheath, the cursed blade flashing brilliantly under the sunlight.
Most of the people in this town were killers who thought nothing of taking lives.
He had no reason to hold back.
Bang!
The instant Kairos landed on the dock—
a gunshot rang out.
Someone had already taken the first shot with a sniper rifle.
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