Momousagi was genuinely conflicted.
It wasn't because Robin had appeared at Kairo's side—she wasn't surprised by that in the slightest.
After all, Kairo was a free-spirited traveler who did whatever he pleased.
Every time she received news of where he had appeared next, she had the strange feeling that Kairo was like a bystander to the world itself.
He seemed to care about nothing...
Yet somehow, he cared about everything.
It was precisely because of that feeling that she couldn't figure out how to bring Kairo to Marine Headquarters.
Whether it was Garp's idea or Fleet Admiral Sengoku's didn't really matter anymore.
The important thing was...
She wanted to.
Time flew by.
In the blink of an eye, five days had passed.
During those five days, Kairo spent his time either explaining the Tao Te Ching to Princess Vivi or wandering around Alabasta.
He had an absolute blast playing with Alabasta's unique wildlife—the Super Spot-Billed Ducks, the Scams Birds, and the Sandora Lizards.
Compared to the Super Spot-Billed Ducks...
He liked the Scams Birds even more.
The birds, whose specialty was deceiving others, had been completely broken by Kairo.
In the end...
Perona even managed to play one of them to death.
Well...
That had been an accident.
Before long, Kairo's lectures on the Tao Te Ching caught Cobra's attention.
After hearing Kairo explain the philosophy contained within the text, everyone present came to regard it as a sacred classic.
From then on, whenever Kairo began teaching Princess Vivi, Igaram, Pell, and numerous ministers would all arrive carrying their own little stools, faithfully attending every lecture.
After every lesson, Igaram would rush back to repeat everything Kairo had explained to Cobra.
Eventually...
Cobra simply began attending the lectures himself.
Although none of them could understand the original text of the Tao Te Ching...
Kairo's explanations were remarkably easy to grasp.
The sixth day arrived.
Princess Vivi had now become completely captivated by the Tao Te Ching.
Instead of running off to play every morning, the first thing she did after waking up was review the passages Kairo had previously taught her.
Then she would hurry to the courtyard and patiently wait for him.
The moment Vivi sat down...
Igaram, Pell, and the kingdom's ministers began arriving one after another, neatly taking their places on either side of her.
Not long afterward...
Cobra leisurely made his entrance as well.
Neither Igaram, Pell, nor Cobra could ever have imagined that the self-appointed mentor who had suddenly appeared in Vivi's life would bring them such an incredible gift.
Although Kairo had taught only a single work—the Tao Te Ching...
The lessons they had drawn from it would last them a lifetime.
Especially Cobra.
By now, he practically regarded Kairo as an enlightened sage.
And the Tao Te Ching...
As a heavenly scripture.
Not for any mystical reason...
But because it contained countless principles on how to rule a kingdom and how to conduct oneself as a person.
"Hm?"
"There seem to be even more people here today."
As Kairo entered the courtyard and saw it packed to the brim, he blinked in surprise before walking toward the front.
"Teacher!"
"Mr. Kairo!"
The moment he appeared, Vivi immediately stood and bowed respectfully.
Meanwhile, Cobra and everyone else unanimously addressed him as "Mr. Kairo."
To them...
He deserved that title.
"It seems everyone has grown quite fond of the Tao Te Ching."
Kairo nodded.
"In that case..."
"Let's skip the small talk and get straight to today's lesson."
As soon as he finished speaking, Cobra and the others all sat down together, eagerly awaiting the day's lecture.
"Today..."
"We'll finish the remaining chapters of the Tao Te Ching."
After looking around at everyone present, Kairo turned toward Vivi.
"Vivi."
"Where did we stop yesterday?"
"Chapter Seventy-Seven!"
"Very good."
"Then today we'll begin with Chapter Seventy-Eight."
"Listen carefully."
"Nothing in the world is softer or weaker than water, yet nothing surpasses it in overcoming what is hard and strong..."
"...The weak overcome the strong, the gentle overcome the rigid. Everyone knows this, yet few put it into practice. Therefore the sage says: He who bears the nation's disgrace is fit to rule it. He who bears the nation's calamities is worthy to be king under Heaven."
"So..."
"What does this chapter mean?"
Kairo had long since become accustomed to everyone's bewildered expressions.
He continued calmly,
"It means that nothing in the world is softer than water."
"And yet..."
"Nothing surpasses water when it comes to overcoming hardness."
"The weak overcoming the strong."
"The gentle overcoming the rigid."
"Everyone understands these truths..."
"But almost no one can truly practice them."
"That is why the sage says..."
"'Only the one who bears a nation's humiliation is worthy to govern it.'"
"'Only the one who bears its disasters is worthy to be king.'"
"This chapter may be difficult for Princess Vivi to truly appreciate right now."
"But..."
"His Majesty the King should understand it deeply."
"After all..."
"It is under His Majesty's governance that Alabasta has enjoyed such lasting peace and stability."
"So..."
"Let's move on to Chapter Seventy-Nine."
An hour later...
Having finally completed all eighty-one chapters of the Tao Te Ching, Kairo looked at his audience, who all wore expressions of reluctant satisfaction and deep contemplation.
Smiling faintly, he said,
"Alright."
"We've finished all eighty-one chapters."
"That's all for today."
The moment those words fell, the system's voice sounded in Kairo's mind.
Notification: Congratulations, Host. Mission completed successfully. Reward: 10,000 Travel Points.
Notification: Travel Points have been credited successfully. Current balance: 56,000 Travel Points.
Perfect.
Hearing the system notifications, Kairo narrowed his eyes with satisfaction.
He had finally accumulated enough Travel Points.
Now...
He could finally upgrade his Armament Haki to Level 9.
Meanwhile...
At the hotel where Momousagi was staying.
Dressed in casual clothes, Gion sat alone by the floor-to-ceiling window of her room, quietly watching the bustling streets below.
Her brows gradually drew together.
Six days.
For six whole days, she had been struggling to figure out how to "kidnap" Kairo back to Marine Headquarters.
She understood Kairo well enough to know...
If he didn't want to go...
No method in the world could persuade him.
And if he did want to go...
There would be no need for anyone to invite him.
"...Sigh."
After a long silence, Gion let out a deep breath.
She decisively stood up, changed out of her casual clothes, draped her Marine vice admiral's coat over her shoulders...
...and headed toward the royal palace.
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