Kairo blinked, his eyes turning back to normal as he paused for a moment.
He touched his face.
Okay. He was back in control of his own body. That was good. That was very good, actually.
Then the memories hit him.
Everything he had just pulled flashed through his mind, and his face went completely white.
He had just realized what he'd done—more precisely, what Kairo had done.
Kairo had just gone up to the leader of the world.
Called them pookie.
Threatened them.
And dipped.
What the fuck.
He was so fucked.
He wished his bounty wasn't so high.
God, he really wished.
He appeared next to Luffy, who still had his Sea Prism cuffs on.
Apparently, that Lucci guy hadn't pushed him at all.
Not even slightly. Sure, Luffy had used Gear 2 for a bit, but only until his Haki grew to the point where even staying in base was too much.
"Oh, Kairo, you're back!" Luffy said happily.
"Seems like you had no problem with your guy," Kairo replied, glancing at Lucci's unconscious body on the floor.
"It was easy. Pigeon guy was weak," Luffy said, sounding disappointed.
"I didn't even get to test my Gear 4."
Yep. That was what he was disappointed about.
"We'll eat, finish the boat, and leave soon," Kairo said.
"Okay!" Luffy replied with his usual innocent smile, not questioning Kairo's words at all.
Luffy could read people. He could tell—at least roughly—why Kairo was saying that.
"So... are we leaving because of the other guy's actions?" Luffy asked.
Kairo raised an eyebrow.
"The other you," Luffy said, pointing at him. To Luffy, there were two Kairos.
The one standing in front of him—
And the one with terrifying Haki. Even their presence felt different.
"I see," Kairo said, realizing Luffy could sense that side of him.
"Long story short, I flipped off the king of the world, and now we have a limited time to leave before the Marines retaliate."
Kairo expected anger.
Instead, he got laughter.
"Hahaha!"
Kairo frowned. "You're not mad?"
"Why would I be?" Luffy asked.
"Because I angered the world leader?"
"And I told you I'd beat up anyone who tries to take my crew away from me," Luffy said like it was obvious.
"Are you stupid?" Luffy tilted his head.
What part of 'ride or die' did you not understand?
Motherfucker, you are not escaping my crew.
"You're an idiot sometimes," Kairo chuckled.
"HEY!"
"But an innocent one," Kairo said softly.
Luffy really was just a lovable idiot. Kairo could see exactly how the baddest woman in the world—Nico R... okay, Boa Hancock—fell for him.
There was just something about him that pulled people in.
"Let's go eat some meat!" Luffy said.
And just like that, he was back to normal.
They regrouped with the crew, said what needed to be said—
And dipped.
And maybe—maybe—Luffy would force a certain Straw Hat to join the crew.
After all, that someone had the blueprints for Pluton.
Kairo had planned for that.
POV Change — 6 hours later
Sengoku was having a really bad day.
What do you mean he hadn't had a moment of peace ever since the Straw Hat crew formed—especially after they recruited that Lunarian?
That goddamn Lunarian was causing endless trouble.
They were even struggling to find a suitable Warlord replacement for Crocodile since he got put in a pack.
Their best option so far was Marshall D. Teach.
They could also try inviting Luffy in—use him as bait to get that Lunarian.
"Bwahahahaha! If you stress so much, your hair will turn white—oh wait, it already is! Bwahahaha!" Garp laughed.
Sengoku was not having it.
Getting rage-baited by your best friend while dealing with a crisis was not something he enjoyed—yet he experienced it weekly with the Hero of the Marines.
Garp.
"As if you're one to talk," Sengoku snapped. "Your hair's just as gray as mine."
"You must've gone blind—you're clearly older! Bwahahaha!" Garp laughed again.
Sengoku's eye twitched.
"At this rate, we'll need to send an Admiral after your grandson's crew," Sengoku said.
Garp paused.
If he didn't act, his grandson might get slimed out before he could do anything.
Not that he wouldn't let the World Government do it.
No backbone.
Who would protect the Navy, headass.
Suddenly, the Den-Den Mushi rang.
Sengoku walked over and answered.
The Five Elders.
Orders came down immediately: increase Kairo's bounty.
They were laser-focused on him—not his captain, strangely enough.
To be fair, propaganda wasn't exactly working.
Apparently, Big News Morgans had already released something.
And it wasn't looking good for the World Government's image.
The Admiral Sengoku had dispatched to the island had to be recalled.
If an Admiral was spotted there mere hours after an attempted Buster Call?
The PR fallout would be catastrophic.
Worse than a third-world economy collapsing.
Things were bad.
And they were only going to get worse.
Kairo, however, made sure he could help everyone survive. If he was correct, their next step should be Thriller Bark in the Floridian Triangle, or more precisely, the Florida of the One Piece world.
This was where he intended to go next; that was their next destination.
After that, the next choice would be Sabaody, to get their ship coated, and then Fishman Island.
Which currently was Whitebeard Territory.
A/n chapter 15 of my novel out, do read it