NOVEL WEB Chapter 201: Chapter 201
"Hmph, if Kairos doesn't give me a good reward this time, I won't let him off the hook," Vivi said, sounding like she was complaining—but inside, she felt genuinely happy.
The whole acting experience was unexpectedly thrilling. She had been hesitant at first, but once she got into it, it became quite fun. Playing someone else's role made her feel like a real actress.
She enjoyed every second of it.
From across the deck, Kairos Flint approached, holding a heavy sack in his hand—50 million Beli.
"Well done. This is your reward," Kairos said, handing the sack over. "But tell me—will you stay aboard my ship and become one of my crew, or are you planning to leave?"
He looked at An with genuine curiosity. He still had plans that would require her abilities, so he wasn't ready to part ways yet.
An stared at the box overflowing with gold and jewels. Her head felt dizzy just looking at it.
So much treasure, right in front of her… it almost seemed too easy. Not only had she earned a fortune, but she'd gained powerful new abilities—her Devil Fruit power had even evolved.
It felt like a miracle had just fallen from the sky.
To be honest, she no longer wanted to leave Kairos Flint.
According to rumors, he was a notorious and brutal pirate. But now that she had spent time around him, she realized those stories didn't match the man in front of her.
He was sharp-witted, surprisingly humorous, and incredibly generous to the women on his ship—casually throwing around hundreds of millions like it was spare change.
An couldn't help but feel envious. Her admiration for him grew stronger by the minute.
She began to genuinely consider the idea of staying. Truthfully, her singing career hadn't amounted to much. Her voice was average, and her future in music didn't look very promising. If she continued on that path, she'd probably live out a forgettable, mediocre life.
Sure, with 50 million Beli and her new powers, she could retire in comfort on any island… but what would be the point?
That kind of life would feel empty.
Being beside Kairos—someone who stood tall even against the World Government—offered something more: adventure, excitement, and freedom. And of course, more money.
What kind of fool wouldn't want a life like that?
After some serious thought, An finally looked up at Kairos, her face glowing with enthusiasm.
"Captain Flint, if you'll have me… may I join your crew?"
Kairos grinned. "I'd be glad to have someone with your abilities aboard."
An practically jumped with joy.
She had officially become a member of Kairos Flint's bounty-hunting crew.
"Congratulations!" Robin walked over with a pair of drinks, handing one to An and one to Kairos.
"Thank you, Sister Robin," An said sweetly.
Other than Uta, An was the youngest aboard the ship. Calling the others "sister" came naturally.
Kairos smiled, watching them chat.
He quietly left the group, heading into the nearby jungle. After finding a shaded spot, he sat down and took out a Den Den Mushi.
Bloop bloop bloop.
"Lord Flint! What can I do for you?" came Jinbei's respectful voice from the other end.
Ever since Kairos had granted him general-level strength, Jinbei had revered him—almost worshipped him like a god.
After all, who could believe such power could be transferred so easily?
But Jinbei had experienced it himself. He understood just how incredible Kairos's abilities were. It made perfect sense now why every woman aboard Kairos's ship had such terrifying power—they hadn't earned it through years of training… it had been given to them.
"Jinbei, do you know where Roger's body was buried?" Kairos asked.
Despite having crossed time itself, Kairos still didn't know the location. He knew Roger had been executed in the East Blue, but his burial site remained a mystery.
Still, someone had to know. The Pirate King's final resting place couldn't be that well hidden.
"Huh? Lord Flint… are you saying—"
"I want you to dig up Roger's body and bring it to me," Kairos said bluntly. "Do it within the next few days. Once it's done, I'll give you another crystal to increase your strength."
He knew it was a morally questionable request—grave robbing wasn't exactly noble. And Kairos figured Jinbei might hesitate, even outright refuse.
But the mention of another crystal… that would be enough to tempt him.
And it worked.
Jinbei went silent for a long moment, breathing unevenly.
He had tasted the power of a crystal before. And while he wasn't thinking about keeping this one for himself, he desperately wanted to give it to Whitebeard—a man who had shown him kindness, and whom he deeply respected.
But… stealing the corpse of Pirate King Roger?
Even for Jinbei, that was crossing a line.
Still, the temptation gnawed at him.
"Well? Do you want it or not?" Kairos asked, his tone cool.
Jinbei struggled internally. After a tense pause, he finally made up his mind.
"...Yes, Lord Flint. I'll do it."
But just as Kairos was about to hang up the call, Jinbei stopped him.
"Wait—there's something I need to report."
Kairos raised a brow, slightly annoyed. "What now? Don't tell me you're backing out."
"No, it's not that," Jinbei said quickly. "It's about the crystal you already gave me. It helped me tremendously—my strength is now at general level."
"You might have read it in the papers: Fire Fist Ace, the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, has been captured by the Navy."
"The Navy is gathering all seven Warlords and dozens of top officers at Marineford to execute Ace."
"Whitebeard doesn't have enough manpower… so I told him about you, Lord Flint. About how you gave me strength with the crystal."
"He's now scouring the seas for Devil Fruits, hoping to trade one with you for a crystal."
Jinbei sounded nervous. Until now, only a few people knew about the existence of the crystals. Revealing it to Whitebeard's entire crew might have been a mistake.
He feared it would anger Kairos.
But Kairos's response wasn't what he expected.
"...That's all?"
There was no scolding. No fury. Just a calm, intrigued voice.