Kairos thought about Crocodile for a while, then glanced back at the small building behind him.
This was one of Baroque Works' hidden bases.
Maybe he could stay here and wait for Crocodile to show himself?
The idea lasted only a moment before he dismissed it.
That wasn't Crocodile's style.
Someone as cautious as him would never casually walk into a place after losing contact with his subordinates.
Kairos gave up on the thought.
No point forcing it.
If he met Crocodile, he met him.
If not, there were plenty of strong people in this world anyway.
He stretched lazily and looked up at the sky.
The sun was beginning to sink westward.
Without realizing it, the entire afternoon had passed.
And after dealing with Baroque Works all day, he still hadn't eaten.
Kairos suddenly felt hungry.
This time, he decided he was going to eat something decent.
With that thought, he left Nanohana and headed toward Alubarna, the capital of Alabasta.
As he walked through the streets, more and more people noticed him.
"…That's Kairos, right?"
"The one from the newspapers?"
"I heard he beat up some beautiful girl in broad daylight…"
The locals wearing desert robes immediately moved out of his path the moment they recognized him.
Some lowered their voices and whispered nervously.
Others simply turned around and walked away.
Kairos wanted to remind them that whispering from a few hundred meters away was pointless.
He could still hear everything clearly.
But after thinking about it, he gave up.
Rumors were rumors.
Trying to explain would only make things worse.
So he ignored them and continued forward.
By the time he left Nanohana completely, the sky had already dimmed.
The burning heat of the desert softened slightly as evening approached.
Then—
a rustling sound came from nearby.
Kairos turned his head.
Several white birds were sprawled pitifully across the sand.
Their feathers were snow-white, their beaks long and red, and each had a little curled tuft on top of its head.
At the moment, they looked badly injured.
Some weakly flapped their wings.
Others let out miserable cries, as if they were on the verge of death.
Warusagi Birds.
A species unique to Alabasta.
They specialized in pretending to be injured so they could trick travelers into lowering their guard before stealing supplies.
Even Luffy had fallen for them before.
"Warusagi Birds…"
A nearby traveler recognized them instantly.
Then his expression changed.
He looked at the birds.
Then at Kairos.
Then he quietly backed away.
Far away.
Very far away.
Those birds were done for.
Other people might pity them.
Kairos definitely would not.
Sure enough—
Kairos crouched beside one of the birds and sighed softly.
"What pitiful little things."
The Warusagi Birds secretly exchanged delighted looks.
Hooked.
Another idiot fell for it.
Then Kairos continued calmly,
"…Guess I'll roast them."
The birds froze.
One of them instantly tried to get up and run.
Too late.
Kairos had already grabbed it by the neck.
"GYAAAHHH—!"
The fake miserable cry instantly became a real scream.
Then—
silence.
In the distance, the traveler twitched slightly.
That cry…
Yeah.
That definitely wasn't acting anymore.
Meanwhile, Kairos had already started plucking feathers.
A while later, he sat beside a small fire with several roasted birds.
The smell was surprisingly good.
Kairos took a bite and nodded thoughtfully.
"Not bad."
A few minutes later, only clean white bones remained.
Kairos looked slightly regretful.
"If only I had seasoning."
"Cumin would've been perfect…"
He seriously considered buying some spices to carry around in the future.
After burying the feathers and bones in the sand, Kairos stood up again as if nothing had happened.
The desert night sky above him glittered with stars.
After eating, his mood improved considerably.
"A walk after dinner is good for digestion."
So he decided to walk the rest of the way to Alubarna.
He could treat it as training.
Several days later—
Alubarna.
The capital of Alabasta stood atop a gigantic circular stone plateau.
Ancient buildings covered the city, each carrying the weight of more than a thousand years of history.
Towering walls surrounded the capital.
Countless soldiers patrolled the city in strict formation.
At the center of it all—
inside the royal palace—
sat a middle-aged man with black hair and a neatly trimmed beard.
Even while seated, he carried the dignity of a king.
Nefertari Cobra.
The ruler of Alabasta.
But at this moment, the king's expression was heavy.
Very heavy.
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