Soon after, Nami climbed down from the Black Cat Pirates' ship.
"Talk about a crew of paupers," she grumbled, clearly disappointed.
Her search had turned up barely two million Berries—hardly the haul she'd imagined.
"These guys were famous in East Blue three years ago, and this is all they've got?" she muttered. "Even if Kuro went into hiding, the crew's combined bounty is over twenty million. After three years, they're down to spare change?"
Kairos Flint gave a non‑committal shrug. "Since Kuro played dead, the Black Cats kept a low profile. Too much noise and the Navy would have hunted them down. He probably kept them on a tight allowance."
"One million each, then." Nami sighed. A month ago that would have made her giddy. Now, after wiping out several pirate crews, her standards had risen.
"Don't forget the bounties," Kairos reminded her. "The crew's heads total thirty‑nine million. That's the real payday."
"True." Nami's eyes drifted to the bodies scattered across the beach. To her, they looked like stacks of cash waiting to be redeemed.
Between the bounty rewards and the treasure she'd found, she and Kairos would net about twenty million Berries apiece—more than they'd earned in an entire month of hunting smaller crews.
Yet even as the money piled up, Nami's thoughts spun. With her own savings from the past eight years, she finally had enough to buy Cocoyasi Village's freedom from Arlong. But that meant leaving Kairos—just as she was starting to feel truly connected to him.
The conflict left her silent.
"Kairos?" she called at last.
He was hauling coffins off their ship, getting ready to pack the high‑bounty corpses. He glanced back. "Yeah?"
"I… I…" She faltered, unable to voice what weighed on her heart. "Never mind. Go on."
Kairos studied her for a long moment, then turned away without pressing. He knew what troubled her, and he wouldn't force her hand.
Together they embalmed the valuable bodies, dumped the rest into the sea, and Kairos merged the Black Cats' vessel into his own. The fusion added another tier of reinforcement; now he was only two high‑grade ships short of evolving his vessel to the "Excellent" class.
With the work done, they retired to their cabins—another perk of the upgraded ship. No more sharing a single room; now each had private quarters and even a spare.
—
Dawn, the next day
Kairos and Nami returned to Syrup Village to say their good‑byes. Keya and Merry had intended to gift them a ship as thanks, but after seeing Kairos's sleek vessel, they abandoned the idea. Instead, they pressed a small suitcase into Nami's hands—ten million Berries in crisp notes.
"Please accept this," Keya said. "It's little enough for what you've done."
"I don't usually take gifts," Kairos replied, "so I'll trade you."
He produced a Rare Physique Crystal from his space and explained how to use it. Afterward, he and Nami sailed away, their ship shrinking to a speck against the horizon.
On the beach, Keya stared at the blue‑glimmering crystal. Remembering Kairos's instructions, she swallowed it. The shard melted on her tongue like snow. Warmth blossomed through her limbs; frailty evaporated, replaced by a vibrant strength she'd never known. Tears of relief slid down her cheeks.
"Miss Keya, the wind's picking up," Merry urged gently. "They've gone. Let's head inside."
Keya nodded, still clutching the empty palm where the crystal had been.
—
Aboard their ship, Kairos leaned on the rail, pondering.
He'd just stolen the Merry Go from Luffy's fate line—so how, he wondered, would that straw‑hat rookie get a ship now? Necromancy? The thought made him chuckle.
Either way, Kairos Flint sailed on—stronger, richer, and a step closer to the Grand Line.