People are sailing and synthesize the devil fruit of phantom beast sp

Kairos Flint watched as Jinbei dove quickly into the sea and disappeared without a trace. He stood there momentarily stunned.

The one-month deadline was fast approaching.

He wasn't sure how many Devil Fruits Whitebeard had collected, but there had to be at least five.

After all, for Whitebeard's crew, finding five Devil Fruits should be relatively simple.

"Kairos... what should we do now?"

While Kairos and Jinbei had been talking earlier, all the women had wisely gone inside the cabin. Now that the conversation was over and Jinbei had gone, they cautiously stepped out again.

But the moment their eyes fell on the coffin before them, their expressions changed dramatically. All color drained from their faces.

Except for Uta, the others had all experienced deadly combat. An was the only one who hadn't—so her expression was especially exaggerated.

They all knew the cultural weight of death.

And now, in front of them lay the actual corpse of the former Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.

It would be a lie to say they weren't shaken.

Kairos let out a bitter smile.

"Don't come up here for now. I'll take him and find a proper place to bury him."

The main reason he had stolen the Pirate King's body was to keep anyone from discovering that the Roger he had used earlier was a fake.

Now that the deed was done, it was only right to give Roger a proper resting place.

So Kairos carried Roger's coffin and soared into the sky, vanishing from the Mythical Sky.

After navigating through the clouds and crossing a few island chains, Kairos arrived at a barren, uncharted island.

The landscape was harsh—rock walls everywhere, no visible life. It was desolate.

Perfect.

"No one will disturb your peace here," Kairos said softly, patting the coffin. "I'll bring some of your old friends here someday."

He didn't know why Roger had willingly surrendered to the Navy, chosen public execution, and thus started the Great Pirate Era.

That puzzle still lingered.

But he was sure of one thing—Roger, a man who'd reached such incredible heights on sheer will and swordsmanship, wasn't some fool making reckless decisions. He had to be orchestrating something much bigger.

Someone like that—someone who carved a legacy into the sea—deserved respect.

Kairos summoned the Life Slate.

The moment it materialized, the dry, lifeless earth around him erupted with vegetation. Flowers bloomed. Trees sprung from the ground. Birds sang.

Life swept across the island like a miracle.

The once-barren land became a lush, green sanctuary in mere seconds.

Kairos couldn't help but smile.

He hadn't even tried to fully control the slate's power, and yet it had rejuvenated the entire area.

This Life Slate was truly something extraordinary.

He walked to the highest peak of the island, where a massive rock wall stood.

From here, one could see the entire island—an ideal resting place.

Satisfied, Kairos gently laid Roger's coffin against the wall. He attempted to use an earth inscription technique to merge the coffin with the stone, but it failed.

So instead, he erected a nameless monument.

Then he took out a bottle of fine wine from his spatial ring and poured it over the grave.

"Roger, I'll carve your name on the monument later. For now, I'll leave you with some good wine and food."

With that, his figure disappeared in a flash.

———

The day before the World Government's planned execution of Ace…

After a week of travel, Jinbei finally returned.

Aboard the Moby Dick…

"Dad!"

Jinbei rushed up to Whitebeard with a bright smile.

"Oh? Jinbei?"

"I have great news for you, Dad!"

He knelt directly in front of Whitebeard.

Whitebeard, surprised by his enthusiasm, quickly pulled him up. "If it's that good, get up and say it."

Jinbei wasted no time explaining everything he had learned from Kairos Flint.

By the time he finished, everyone aboard the Moby Dick was stunned. The air seemed to freeze.

"Five Devil Fruits... for 500 years of life?" Marco grabbed Jinbei's shoulders. "You're not messing with us, right?"

"I swear it's true," Jinbei said. "Originally, I helped Lord Kairos with something, and he gave me two power crystals as a reward."

"He figured out I wanted to give them to you, Dad. But he said they wouldn't do much for your condition."

"Then he said something else—if you could gather five Devil Fruits, you could exchange them for 500 years of life. That would help you more than anything."

His tone was serious. Everyone could see the sincerity in his eyes.

It wasn't long before the crew believed him.

Five hundred years of life.

It wasn't immortality. But it was the next closest thing.

"Dad, how many Devil Fruits do we currently have on hand?" Jinbei asked urgently.

"Not much. Just six," Marco replied.

"That's more than enough!" Jinbei beamed. "That means you could live for six hundred more years, Dad!"

Whitebeard's eyes widened slightly. His heart stirred.

He hadn't expected Kairos to wield such miraculous power—or to willingly offer such life-changing news.

The wariness he'd once felt toward Kairos… began to fade.

"Set sail immediately. We're heading to find Kairos Flint."

Whitebeard gave the order without hesitation.

The Moby Dick changed course on the spot. After contacting Kairos via transponder snail, they began sailing toward the Sabaody Archipelago to rendezvous with him.

But they weren't the only ones on the move.

The Red-Haired Pirates.

The Whitebeard Pirates.

The Flying Pirates.

Kairos Flint's own Godslayer crew.

And then… the Straw Hat Pirates.

They had heard of Ace's execution and were en route as well, though their strength paled in comparison to the major players in this conflict.

Still, the convergence of so many forces created immense pressure on the Navy.

At Marineford, the Navy Headquarters, the atmosphere was grim. Tension blanketed the base like a storm cloud.

There were no jokes, no idle chatter. Only solemn order and relentless patrols.

All available top brass had returned—Sakazuki, Ryokugyu, even Garp.

War was coming.