NOVEL WEB Chapter 198: Chapter 198
An stared blankly at the exquisite crystal in her hand, completely at a loss.
How was she supposed to eat something that looked even more radiant and refined than a gemstone?
She was clearly overwhelmed.
Kairos Flint noticed her hesitation and, without saying a word, took out a crystal of his own and casually popped it into his mouth.
For Kairos, this kind of crystal was nothing more than icing on the cake—of little value to him now. He still had a few perfect and refined-grade crystals left, though most of the rest had already been synthesized into legendary-level items.
The reason he gave this one to An wasn't out of charity.
He simply wanted to test whether enhancing her physical strength would lead to a corresponding boost in her Devil Fruit abilities.
If it did, then things were about to get very interesting.
Kairos was already playing a long game. Hawkins had warned him earlier that a major event was on the horizon—something that would shake all the powers of the world.
Though Kairos hadn't officially crossed paths with the Revolutionary Army yet, he knew they wouldn't stay uninvolved for long.
Given his current standing, he couldn't expect to remain on the sidelines for much longer either.
So instead of waiting to get pulled into the storm, he figured he might as well make his move now.
On one side, there was the Golden Lion Shiki making waves again.
On the other, he could stir up chaos in the world using the power of the shadows—literally.
The thought alone was thrilling.
But first, he had to know for sure—could An's ability reach the level he envisioned?
"…Okay," An said hesitantly.
Seeing that Kairos had swallowed the crystal himself and seemed just fine, and knowing that he was the one seeking her help, she figured he wouldn't do anything to harm her.
She took a deep breath, clenched her eyes shut, and finally tossed the crystal into her mouth.
Huh?
That was... odd.
The moment it touched her tongue, the crystal melted into a fragrant liquid that seeped through her body and heart like warm honey.
And then—BOOM.
A torrent of energy surged through her, hitting her like a tidal wave, flooding her meridians, filling every fiber of her being with unimaginable strength.
"What… what's happening to me?"
She stared at her hands in disbelief.
They felt different.
More powerful. Alive with energy.
Could all this really come from that one crystal?
It had to be.
"I want you to try projecting Roger's shadow again," Kairos said calmly.
"Wait… what?"
Still confused, An nodded. Since she'd already come into contact with the image of Pirate King Roger earlier, she could still summon his projection using her Phantom Fruit.
She raised her hand, assuming it would feel just like before.
But as soon as she activated her ability, a figure materialized on the ship once more.
"Good to see you again."
It mimicked Roger's voice perfectly.
This time, Kairos' eyes gleamed.
Where the earlier projection had been a faint and hazy silhouette—barely more than a wisp of light—this version was sharper. More vibrant. Almost… alive.
His body wasn't completely solid, but it was far less transparent than before. It was as if Roger were truly standing there.
"How… how is this possible?" An gasped, covering her mouth.
As the user of the Phantom Fruit, she could feel the projection—feel that it had weight and presence, as if Roger had really returned from the dead.
Of course, she knew logically it wasn't real.
It was just an illusion.
But it felt real.
"That's already more than ten seconds…"
Kairos muttered, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
He began silently counting the seconds in his head.
Ten seconds passed… then twenty… then thirty.
Before he knew it, a full minute had gone by.
He stepped forward, staring into the illusion of Roger.
Roger, still smiling, stared right back.
Two men from completely different eras locked eyes across time.
The air was charged with something strange—an eerie tension.
"This is… so creepy," Vivi muttered, shivering.
She knew Roger was long dead. Yet here he was, in front of her—standing tall, full of life.
The last time she saw the projection, it was clearly a ghost. This time, though, it felt like an actual human being was aboard the ship.
An was equally shaken. She never imagined her ability could reach this level of realism.
After about seven minutes, the phantom of Roger finally vanished.
Compared to the seven seconds her projection lasted before, this was an enormous leap in power.
And that was just from eating a single refined body crystal.
Kairos was pleased.
"Do you want to become even stronger?" he asked her with a knowing smile.
"Wait… you mean I can still get stronger?" An blinked in astonishment.
She already felt more powerful than ever. She didn't think there was any more room to grow.
But An had worked in the entertainment industry long enough to know: nothing comes free.
"If that's the case… may I ask what I have to pay in return?" she asked cautiously.
Kairos chuckled. "You don't have to pay anything. Just follow my instructions and help complete the tasks I assign. That's all."
He then pulled out another crystal—this one glowing with an otherworldly brilliance.
It was a legendary body crystal.
And that wasn't all.
He also laid out several refined soul crystals, refined talent crystals, perfect-level physical skill crystals, perfect-level swordsmanship crystals, and legendary-grade crystals of the Navy's Six Powers.
He handed them all to An.
Her eyes widened, and she instinctively swallowed a lump in her throat.
Just one crystal had brought her this far. And now he was giving her all this?
Was she about to become a goddess?
She looked at the assortment of glowing crystals—each one a different color, each one humming with potential—and her heart began to race.
They had to carry different abilities… different powers.
"Eat them," Kairos said with a gentle smile.
An nodded eagerly.
Without hesitation, she began eating the crystals—one by one.
Right in front of him.