Kingdom of Dressrosa
With the fall of the Donquixote Family, Doflamingo's escape, and Sugar's ability finally undone, the Kingdom of Dressrosa had descended into utter chaos.
But that chaos didn't last long.
With Cyrus restored to action, he immediately sought out Kairos Flint to learn the whereabouts of King Riku. With the information he obtained, Cyrus successfully rescued King Riku from the depths of the treatment plant. After some convincing, the former king returned and resumed his role as the kingdom's leader.
With Cyrus's help, Dressrosa's turmoil was brought under control within just a few days.
Soon after, King Riku personally visited to express his gratitude to Kairos for his assistance. He even extended an invitation to a royal banquet—held specifically to honor the man who helped save Dressrosa.
Though Kairos didn't particularly care for such fanfare, he went along with it. His main purpose for coming here was simple: to kill Doflamingo.
He hadn't expected the man to flee like a coward. Disappointing.
His second objective was to recruit a new member for his bounty hunter team. Though the World Government had labeled him a pirate, he didn't acknowledge the title. In fact, he was confident that once he'd crushed a few of the G-series naval bases, even the Five Elders would have no choice but to make peace with him—offering apologies and compensation.
Inside the Royal Palace
"Mr. Kairos Flint, I sincerely thank you for your help," said King Riku with deep gratitude.
Without Kairos's intervention, reclaiming the kingdom from Doflamingo would have been impossible. The royal family, and the people, owed him everything.
"No need. Just taking what I need," Kairos replied, shaking his head nonchalantly. He had simply taken advantage of an opportunity.
"I leave my granddaughter in your care," King Riku added with a hint of reluctance.
Though he had only recently reunited with Rebecca, she was already preparing to leave with this man. It unsettled him, but seeing how his granddaughter had willingly accepted the decision made it slightly easier. At least, he was relieved she hadn't been forced.
All he could do as her grandfather was ask—no, beg—Kairos to look after her.
"Mm," Kairos nodded, not offering any elaborate promises. He wasn't one for formalities. What needed to be said had already been said.
Cyrus and Violet joined them, raising their glasses in a toast to show their thanks. Kairos smiled and accepted.
Although the Kingdom of Dressrosa had only just begun its recovery, it was already teeming with life. A grand feast was laid out before them, rich with flavors and dishes from across the land.
Kairos and the others enjoyed their meal.
Later That Night – Private Meeting Room
After the banquet, Kairos arranged to meet Cyrus alone.
"Mr. Kairos Flint," Cyrus said as they sat down, "Is there something you needed from me specifically?"
Though Kairos was much younger, Cyrus didn't dare treat him lightly—not after witnessing his strength.
"I want to test something," Kairos replied bluntly. "Are you willing to be my guinea pig?"
Had anyone else said that, they would have been thrown out—or worse. But this was Kairos Flint.
"What kind of test?" Cyrus asked carefully, unfazed.
"A physical experiment. If it works, your severed leg will grow back. If it fails, you won't lose anything. In fact, you might even gain strength from it."
"Would you be willing to try it?"
Cyrus met his gaze and answered without hesitation, "Mr. Kairos, I'm ready."
After all, it was because of Kairos that the kingdom had been saved from Doflamingo. That debt ran deep. If this experiment could help him, then Cyrus would face it head-on.
Besides, Kairos promised that failure wouldn't bring harm. The possibility of growing stronger excited him.
"Good. I need to reopen your wound. Then, eat this."
Kairos took out a glowing Legendary Body Crystal and handed it over.
"Understood."
Without questioning, Cyrus accepted the crystal. He trusted Kairos completely. With power like his, Kairos had no need for deception.
"Let's begin."
Cyrus gritted his teeth.
Kairos pulled a weapon from his inventory and slashed toward the old wound at Cyrus's severed limb. The skin split open instantly, and blood began to pour.
"Eat it," Kairos said sharply.
Cyrus quickly followed instructions and swallowed the crystal. It melted the moment it hit his tongue.
Almost immediately, he felt something stir at the stump of his leg. There was no pain at first—just a maddening itch. Then, the pain hit like a hammer.
Even a warrior like Cyrus couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.
Kairos, standing before him, watched intently. His face lit up with satisfaction.
Because it was working.
Cyrus's severed leg was regenerating.
This was why Kairos had used a Legendary Body Crystal—to test if such crystals could truly regenerate lost limbs.
And it worked.
In this brutal world where strength meant everything, losing a limb could mean the end of a warrior's path. One lost hand or leg could weaken combat potential significantly.
Kairos had long wanted to test this.
Until now, he had only used body crystals to restore strength, heal minor injuries, or push his limits. But now, seeing a limb regrow before his eyes?
It changed everything.
After all, back in the East Blue, there hadn't been anyone strong enough to injure him like this. He'd never had a reason to test such an experiment—until he saw Cyrus and remembered the idea.
So he asked the man to assist him.
Even if it failed, the wound could be healed. With the boost from a legendary crystal, the worst-case scenario was still beneficial.
And with Rebecca already joining his bounty hunter crew, he had no concerns about Cyrus's loyalty.
Watching the success unfold filled Kairos with joy.
Ten Minutes Later
The process had taken ten painful minutes—an eternity for Cyrus. Judging by his face, the pain of limb regrowth was intense.
But the result?
A fully restored leg.
"The test is complete," Kairos said, satisfied. "The result is excellent. Since you helped me, I'm leaving you a reward."
He placed three glowing crystals on the table:
An Epic Talent Crystal
A Perfect Armament Haki Crystal
A Perfect Observation Haki Crystal
As he prepared to leave, Kairos paused at the door.
"You can use these for yourself. I'll take care of arrangements for Rebecca."
And with that, he was gone.
He knew Cyrus was the kind of man who might give all those rewards to his daughter. It was just the kind of father he was. But Kairos wanted to be sure the gifts were used wisely.
Though he had technically made a deal for Rebecca to join his ship, it still felt like he had taken someone's daughter away. These gifts—and the restored leg—were his way of balancing that act.
"Thank you," Cyrus muttered, marveling at his new leg and the rare crystals.
Back on the Ship
Kairos returned and pulled Nami and Vivi into his embrace. After an intense time together, they fell into deep sleep, utterly exhausted.
Kairos lay back and opened his Golden Finger system to check his stats.
Then, he took out nine Epic Physical Technique Crystals and devoured them all at once.
His mastery of hand-to-hand combat exploded—breaking through from the Emperor Level to the True God Level.
He could now not only understand existing physical techniques on a deeper level but could also invent advanced variants based on the Six Powers.
With this level of insight—and true god-tier talent—his growth wasn't just linear. It was exponential.
Though these techniques only offered double the original power for now, he wasn't satisfied.
To him, real development meant crafting truly overwhelming new physical arts.