"It can be considered as unlocking the Holy Grail projections of various worlds. Next, we just need to enable inter-world travel permissions. The only difficulty lies in getting them to meet."
After returning to the Marvel world, Kain felt a bit awkward, but he quickly came up with a solution and made up his mind:
"Some effort will do. Let's start with Tsunade."
The Kain Chamber of Commerce in the One Piece world was now almost fully established. Combat forces, security details, branch strongholds—everything was essentially mature.
Even if the World Government knew that the Kain Chamber of Commerce was a strong supporter of the Revolutionary Army, they still wouldn't dare act against it.
Kain's personal strength was a major factor. During the Summit War, he had demonstrated overwhelming power—defeating Kaido in a short time and single-handedly destroying the Beasts Pirates.
To wage war against the Kain Chamber of Commerce would require more courage than fighting Whitebeard. In such a case, not only would the Marines need to be mobilized, but the World Government would also have to reveal some of its trump cards.
Moreover, the blade of the Revolutionary Army had been sharpened by the Kain Chamber of Commerce.
Now, the Marines and World Government faced three powerful adversaries simultaneously: the pirates, the Kain Chamber of Commerce, and the Revolutionary Army.
Two loyal kingdoms—Alabasta and Dressrosa—stood firmly by Kain's side.
Both nations had been saved by the Kain Chamber of Commerce. The weapons used by Alabasta's royal guards were all provided by the Chamber—half of them the latest models, the rest previous-generation stock. Their military power now rivaled that of Marine Headquarters' vessels.
Dressrosa, too, held a favorable view of the Chamber—especially since Kain had personally beaten down Doflamingo.
Furthermore, when the Chamber expanded into Dressrosa, it openly supported the Liku royal family, restoring their monarchy and helping clarify how they had been manipulated by Doflamingo.
The Kain Chamber of Commerce gave the Liku family—and the entire nation—a chance at rebirth. With its commercial backing, Dressrosa formed close economic ties with the Chamber.
Even in Kain's absence, Robin, Hancock, and Baby-5 faced no danger.
"The New World is lacking in tradable materials—and also short on manpower."
After summoning Red and reviewing the inventory list, Kain assessed the remaining stockpiles. His forces were still formidable: the Pent Group in the Marvel world, the remnants of the bio-engineered world—though much of that had been destroyed, a fair amount of assets had survived.
Yoko and Naruto had taken a share, Lorelei had claimed another batch, and the rest had been used in Umbrella's own armament.
Now, if he could gather enough materials, he could prepare a new batch of trade goods—but the volume was limited. Most were specialty items from other worlds: alchemical goods from the wizarding world, animal serums from the pirate world, and so on.
"However, these are relatively low-tier. They won't fetch much in return."
The most valuable item in Kain's possession remained his energy weapons—those powered by Infinity Stone energy. These weapons had no upper limit in destructive potential. Their wielders could also benefit from mind-based enhancements and other bonuses.
But the serums were extremely rare now. With his production facilities compromised, Kain couldn't reproduce them quickly. It would take at least a year to build up another batch—Umbrella itself needed supplies for its own operations.
Upon returning to the Marvel world, Kain found little to occupy him, aside from ordering the underground Hive to manufacture more serum for future trades.
There was nothing on Earth that truly troubled him. The Ross government had grown increasingly domineering, and its military might had significantly improved. Moreover, the world's largest private military company was run by Kain's own daughter. The Ross administration was on the verge of dominating the planet.
Yet behind the scenes, it was the Pent Group—Kain's own conglomerate—that truly held the reins of global power.
"The Ten Rings Gang has been wiped out? Sharon's quite competent. No need to send me their weapons—they're useless to me."
Kain reviewed the accumulated materials. Nothing notable stood out—except that the Ten Rings Gang had recently clashed with the Super Personnel Bureau. He also learned that the U.S. government had destroyed the Super Soldier unit on the Middle Eastern front, a conflict in which the Ten Rings were involved.
During the aftermath, a magical weapon known as the Ten Rings was seized and sent to Kain.
Everything else on Earth was stable. The Asgardians, now working in Earth's mining industries, were far more efficient than human laborers. They demanded no wages and only required double the food intake to work twenty hours a day.
Notably, Laura had sent Kain the financial records of their Australian mining company. After the Asgardians joined, profits rose by 3%.
Aside from the emerging Celestial buried within the Earth, Kain had no real concerns.
"No—there is still one matter. The Time Stone. That must be dealt with soon."
This thought crossed Kain's mind just as the Infinity Wand appeared in his hand. The wand had always remained within the underground Hive and could only be used by him. Even in his absence, it was impossible for anyone to steal it.
Taking it from the Hive was just as difficult as taking it from Kain directly.
He lightly tapped the ground with the wand. In the next moment, a bluish mist enveloped him, and the power of the Space Stone transported him directly to the gates of Kamar-Taj.
Not one of the many portals across the world—but the sacred sanctuary of Kamar-Taj itself, nestled in the high mountains of Tibet.
As Kain arrived, the Ancient One sensed the disturbance. Her regular use of the Eye of Agamotto to peer into the future made her particularly sensitive to upcoming changes—especially those involving herself.
The Ancient One called a mage and instructed him,
"Please invite the guest waiting outside."
The mage accepted the command with a slight bow, then withdrew and promptly brought Kain in from the gates of the Holy Land.
"Ancient One, it's been a while," Kain greeted with a smile. "But I'm sure you already know why I've come."
After offering him a cup of tea, the Ancient One asked,
"Mr. Kain, with two Infinity Stones, you're already one of the most powerful beings in the universe. Why insist on collecting all six?"
"For safety," Kain replied calmly. "To push the power of the stones to their limit. Even five stones aren't enough—missing one makes the wand incomplete. I spent a great deal of effort creating this Infinity Wand. It would be a shame to leave it unfinished."
Part of it was Kain's collector's instinct. The wand had six slots; leaving one empty would look unsightly—never mind missing four.
The Ancient One understood Kain's resolve. He would acquire the Time Stone eventually—of that she had no doubt. His determination would only grow stronger with time.
While the Time Stone was not essential for the current Sorcerer Supreme, it was the most powerful defense against the Dark Dimension. Without it, that protection would be severely weakened.
Sensing there was no need to argue further over the stone, the Ancient One instead began discussing magic and alchemy with Kain. Setting aside the debate, she found herself increasingly fascinated by the magical system Kain brought from other worlds.
Although her own magical potential far exceeded most, the idea of hundreds of mages wielding individual magical reserves excited her imagination. If Kamar-Taj could harness that, the Sorcerer Supreme might become stronger than ever before.
They talked at length, exchanging insights on alchemy and magic until the tea had gone cold.
"Discussing magic with you has been a pleasure, Mr. Kain," she said. "The Eye of Agamotto will be entrusted to you. I hope you'll support the next Sorcerer Supreme. Without the Eye, they'll be far less equipped to face threats from the Dark Dimension."
Kain was momentarily surprised, but quickly caught on to her intent.
"If that's the case, I have no objections," he said with a smile. "If the Dark Dimension invades, that'll cause me plenty of trouble. It's in everyone's interest to keep them locked away."
"If Kamar-Taj ever needs help, Umbrella will assist."
The Ancient One nodded.
"That is enough."
With that, she handed over the Time Stone. She couldn't stop Kain, nor could she risk fighting him—not without endangering Kamar-Taj itself. And she would never sacrifice her sanctuary just to protect the stone.
"Thank you very much, Ancient One," Kain said sincerely.
He placed the Time Stone into the Infinity Wand. It slid perfectly into place, and a shimmering, tangible-yet-invisible enchantment wrapped around it. Kain immediately felt the pressure of the stone's power.
The wand was capable of drawing out nearly the full potential of the gems—but the wielder had to be strong enough to handle it.
Even three gems were beginning to place a strain on Kain. Thanks to the deep bond between the wand and himself, he could feel the negative effects constantly gnawing at the edges of his being.
"Then, I won't trouble you further."
Kain bowed slightly and took his leave from Kamar-Taj.
The Ancient One had shown great respect by not demanding any oaths in exchange for the Time Stone. But if the Dark Dimension ever did attack Earth, she knew Kain would step in. From a human standpoint, he and beings like Dormammu were destined to be at odds.
Such entities were a threat to everyone—whether it was Dormammu or even someone like Chthon.
With the Time Stone in his possession, Kain felt much more at ease. He began experimenting immediately, using its power to amplify the energy output of the Space Stone—accelerating it a hundredfold. In just moments, its entire charge was depleted and quickly replenished.
The Time Stone had other uses too. It could restore a person's body to their prime, essentially granting biological immortality.
"Infinity Stones really are broken-level abilities in this universe," Kain mused.
"Too bad they lose their specialty when taken out of it."
While they could still serve as enormous energy reservoirs outside their native universe, they lost their control over specific concepts like time, soul, or reality.
Still, this was more than enough. Kain's own powers were formidable. Unless he encountered a truly broken world, he could protect himself without much issue.
Later, Kain traveled into deep space and opened a rift, releasing Captain Marvel from her confinement in a pocket dimension.
"Danvers, don't come back to Earth again," he warned her coldly. "I'm not killing you because I don't need to. But if you force my hand, I won't hesitate."
As she reemerged, Carol Danvers realized something had changed. The Time Stone's power had subtly attached itself to her. If she ever approached Earth again, her personal time would reset.
In other words, the moment she neared Earth's orbit, she would be returned to where she was exactly three minutes ago.
"I just want to help a friend," Carol said solemnly.
Kain chuckled darkly.
"You people only learn humility after you've been beaten. Someone really should've taught you a lesson earlier."
He stared at her and added:
"Nick Fury is serving a 20-year sentence at a mining site in Australia. If you really want to help, go mine with him. Otherwise, stay far away from Earth. And don't even think about using cosmic energy—
or I'll put you in a 50-year time loop."
With that, Kain teleported back to Earth using the Space Stone, leaving Carol floating alone in the void.
After a moment of hesitation, she slowly began flying toward Earth.
This time, she didn't trigger the Time Stone's loop.
For the first time, Carol Danvers was free to make a choice: she could go to the Australian mining area to help her friend. However, if she tried to forcibly take anyone away, the power of the Time Stone would activate.
Carol's power source wasn't weak by any means—but compared to the might of the Time Stone, it was insignificant. She had no way to resist it.
Even Dormammu couldn't escape its grasp.
"Godfather, Godfather~ Didn't you call me here? Hmm~ Were we supposed to talk about something?"
Hermione hummed softly, her voice playful and teasing.
Her legs were firmly supported by two strong arms, and to avoid falling back from the forceful motion, she clung tightly to Kain's neck, her chin resting against his shoulder.
This time, Kain was far more intense than before—and Hermione soon surrendered under the pressure.
No matter what Kain said, she was quick to agree.
"Of course it's important, Hermione," Kain whispered. "If you have the time, I'll need you to accompany me to other worlds. The Kain Chamber of Commerce may soon expand across dimensions."
As he spoke—his tone steady despite his ongoing actions—he outlined his plans for interdimensional trade, while continuing to press into her with rhythmic determination.
Upstairs, Tsunade had already been convinced.
She hadn't gotten angry upon learning that Kain had other women. At first, she was only mildly jealous. If it had been three or four women, she could have tolerated it.
But when Kain casually mentioned the real number—over twenty—Tsunade had been stunned.
By then, she was already too weak to protest. Even if she wanted to punch him, she no longer had the strength. And Kain, persistent as always, never gave her a chance to recover.
Still, Tsunade didn't let herself be idle. She continued to train—or perhaps, endure—without retreating.
Some of the trade goods had already been prepared. Most of the currency for upcoming exchanges was gold, a resource of relatively little use to Kain himself, but highly valuable in many other worlds.
And gold was something he had in abundance.
With accumulated wealth from several universes, Kain could now move thousands of tons of gold at will.
Hermione's agreement came without hesitation.
She had admired her godfather since childhood. Over time, that admiration had deepened—twisted into devotion—and now, his words carried the weight of absolute truth in her eyes.
Caught up in the thrill of the moment, Hermione even pretended to hesitate, just to draw things out and enjoy the moment longer.
Although only a limited quantity of goods had been prepared, and producing more in a short time would be difficult, Kain planned to establish a trading hub in the next world first.
If demand justified it, the world would become a permanent stop in his interdimensional commerce route.
However, if acquiring trade materials there turned out to be as difficult as it had been in the Desert World, Kain would consider delaying the expansion—or abandoning that world entirely.