"Kairos… he…"
Robin stood frozen on the small boat, staring at the horrifying scene unfolding before her.
Shock spread uncontrollably across her usually composed face.
The harbor had turned into a nightmare.
Blood.
Screams.
Bodies.
Fifteen corpses lay scattered across the ground.
Thirty-three others remained alive—barely.
Every one of them had deep wounds carved across their bodies.
They collapsed onto the ground, groaning in agony.
But the massacre hadn't stopped there.
A road of blood stretched out from the harbor…
and into the town itself.
Kairos had chased them inside.
Wherever Robin looked, there were severed limbs, wounded bodies, and the dead lying everywhere.
Blood had completely flooded Whiskey Peak.
It was a scene straight out of hell.
About twenty minutes later—
Kairos appeared at the end of the street.
He walked slowly toward the harbor.
His white clothes remained spotless.
Not a single drop of blood stained them.
Only Sandai Kitetsu dripped crimson.
The metallic scent of blood hung thick in the air.
"Tch…"
Kairos exhaled softly.
The faint red glow in his eyes faded.
The jet-black Armament Haki covering the blade slowly dissipated as well.
He slid Sandai Kitetsu back into its sheath.
His gaze swept across the bounty hunters lying on the ground.
His expression showed clear dissatisfaction.
"No cards?"
Kairos muttered to himself internally.
He clicked his tongue.
"Tch."
Just as he thought.
If they weren't strong enough—or if they weren't characters who appeared in the original story—the system wouldn't drop cards.
Still, he wasn't particularly upset.
He hadn't used any cards in this fight anyway.
No loss.
Just no profit.
Besides—
he had needed a good fight.
The frustration he'd built up from being repeatedly stonewalled by Robin during the past few days had finally been vented.
Kairos shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside.
Then he walked toward Robin.
"Come on," he said with a faint smile.
"Let's go eat."
"…Alright."
Robin glanced at the wounded bounty hunters still crying in pain on the ground.
Then she looked back at Kairos.
The corners of her mouth twitched slightly.
Twenty minutes earlier—
Kairos had charged into Whiskey Peak and started cutting down anyone he saw.
He hadn't asked questions.
He hadn't cared if they begged.
He simply carved a river of blood straight through the town.
This guy is absolutely insane.
Robin immediately discarded all her previous impressions.
Her conclusion became completely firm.
Kairos was a complete maniac.
…
Inside Whiskey Peak.
In front of a restaurant decorated in a western-style cowboy theme.
The gray-brown building was now soaked in blood.
Outside.
Inside.
Bounty hunters lay everywhere, clutching their wounds and groaning in pain.
Quite a few had already died.
Yet within this blood-soaked restaurant—
two people sat calmly at a table.
Kairos.
And Robin.
Kairos needed no explanation.
He had caused all of this.
Robin, on the other hand, had spent most of her life fleeing from place to place.
She had endured far worse situations than this.
Scenes like this no longer rattled her.
"S-sir… your steak…"
The restaurant owner trembled as he approached the table.
He carefully placed a freshly grilled steak in front of Kairos.
"Mm."
Kairos responded casually.
The owner immediately scurried away in fear, retreating into the kitchen.
Kairos shook his head slightly.
If he didn't need the man to keep cooking, he would've beaten him already.
In a place like Whiskey Peak—
a town full of bounty hunters—
no one could claim to be innocent.
Kairos shrugged off the thought.
Then he placed a plastic bag he had picked up from a nearby shop onto the table.
He slid it toward Robin.
"Here," he said.
"Your favorite food."
Robin blinked in surprise.
She looked into the bag.
Just like Kairos said—
inside were sandwiches and low-sugar cake.
Her favorites.
"How do you know what I like?"
Robin's eyes immediately sharpened.
She was certain she had never met Kairos before.
Yet he knew her preferences.
That meant—
he had investigated her.
Years of living on the run instantly triggered her survival instincts.
For a brief moment, the urge to escape surfaced in her mind.
Kairos spoke at exactly the right moment.
"Relax."
"I know you're Nico Robin… the Devil Child."
"But I don't have any hostile intentions toward you."
As he spoke, Kairos calmly cut his steak into neat pieces.
Robin fell silent.
After a moment, she nodded slightly.
Then she picked up a sandwich and began eating slowly.
What Kairos said made sense.
If he really wanted to capture her, he had countless opportunities during their journey.
He wouldn't have waited until now.
"Actually," Kairos continued while eating a piece of steak dipped in black pepper sauce,
"I was interested in you before."
"But now I'm not."
Robin paused mid-bite.
She looked up at him calmly.
"Am I that lacking in charm?"
There was a strange glint in her eyes.
Part curiosity.
Part confusion.
Kairos blinked.
"That's not what I meant."
He lowered his head and continued eating.
Truthfully…
it was exactly what he meant.
Not romantically.
He had only been interested in getting a system card from Robin.
Now that he had it—
there was nothing left to pursue.
Robin watched his indifferent expression.
A faint light flickered in her eyes.
She lowered her head again and picked up the low-sugar cake.
The two continued eating quietly.
Outside—
the scent of blood still filled the streets of Whiskey Peak.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 60 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/StrawHatStudios