[Pickable items detected. Do you wish to collect them?]
"Collect."
[Ding! Successfully collected: Ordinary Body Crystals ×6212, Superior Body Crystals ×224, Rare Body Crystals ×32, Exceptional Body Crystals ×11, Ordinary Soul Crystals ×6665, Superior Soul Crystals ×382, Rare Soul Crystals ×71, Exceptional Soul Crystals ×22, Ordinary Talent Crystals ×5886, Superior Talent Crystals ×1332, Rare Talent Crystals ×541, Outstanding Talent Crystals ×132, Perfect Talent Crystals ×55, Ordinary Physical Technique Crystals ×6338, Superior Taijutsu Crystals ×422, Rare Taijutsu Crystals ×211, Exceptional Taijutsu Crystals ×8, Ordinary Swordsmanship Crystals ×7889, Superior Swordsmanship Crystals ×433, Rare Swordsmanship Crystals ×88, Exceptional Swordsmanship Crystals ×3—all stored in the portable space.]
—
This harvest was beyond anything Kairos Flint had expected.
When he first launched his assault on the Creek Pirates, he had only used his last remaining exceptional body crystal to restore some physical stamina—and then killed them all.
He had assumed he was underestimating the Creek Pirates.
But now, looking back, it was clear he had overestimated them… and underestimated himself.
Lucci may have taken out over five hundred men, but he had done it barehanded. Kairos, on the other hand, wielded a sharp weapon. That alone made the difference. All he had to do was slash the vulnerable parts of his enemies, and their lives would be forfeit.
That's why sharp weapons must be used with caution.
But when it came to dealing with pirates, there was no need for caution—he could kill freely and without hesitation.
The number five thousand sounded overwhelming.
But in truth, most of the pirates were just regular men. Not elites. Not warriors. Just criminals with swords.
And when Kairos moved?
He was wielding the Third Generation Kitetsu, a demon blade of unmatched sharpness.
Killing these pirates was no more difficult than slaughtering livestock. No… even easier—like killing chickens. Each swing of his sword ended several lives.
Five thousand? He could have handled ten thousand, as long as his stamina held out.
And the rewards this time… were incredible.
Over five thousand pirates had dropped such an abundance of ability crystals. Some pirates must've dropped more than one of each kind, explaining the massive haul.
—
Back aboard the ship…
"Y-You killed all five thousand of them... just like that?"
Nami was in shock as she stood on the deck, staring at the aftermath of what Kairos had done. It was a massacre.
"What?" Kairos glanced at her. "You sympathizing with them?"
"No." Nami's expression immediately turned cold.
Sympathize with pirates? What a joke.
Nami could feel compassion for many kinds of people, but never for pirates. Their deaths were well-deserved. She was just stunned by the sheer brutality of Kairos Flint.
One man, alone, had killed over five thousand people.
And he still looked calm. Expressionless.
If she hadn't traveled with him for over a month, if she didn't know who he was, she would've taken him for some villain straight out of a nightmare—stepping out of rivers of blood as if it were nothing.
"I'm going to clean up," Kairos said, starting to walk toward the ship's bathroom. "You tie these pirate ships together with ropes. If they drift away, we'll lose a lot."
"Why me?!" Nami protested. "Why do I always get stuck with the dirty work?!"
Kairos didn't even turn back. "If you don't want to do it, I'll handle it. But when we find treasure on those ships, don't expect a share."
"No, no, no, no! Kairos, my dear, go take your shower. Leave everything to me!" Nami's attitude flipped instantly. She smiled sweetly and gave a confident pat on her chest.
This was what she was good at—changing faces in a heartbeat.
She had even boarded the Creek Pirates' ship earlier during the fight. Though pirates had tried to capture her to use as a hostage, Nami had taken them down herself, thanks to the ability crystal Kairos had given her.
Now, with a captain-level physique, her life was far more valuable than any amount of effort or discomfort.
Still… when she first stepped onto the pirate ship, she had to fight the urge to throw up.
The smell of blood was thick. Severed limbs and broken arms littered the deck. Corpses were strewn everywhere. The deck was dyed deep red.
No matter how tough she tried to be, the sight overwhelmed her, and she vomited on the spot.
After several moments of retching, she finally regained her composure.
"Kairos Flint… you're terrifying," she muttered, her face pale.
But then again… maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.
After all, she still wanted him to come with her to Cocoyashi Village to deal with the Arlong Pirates and save her hometown.
With that thought in mind, Nami rolled up her sleeves and got to work—determined and focused.