The sea was calm again. Too calm.
The kind of calm that made your skin crawl if you'd been a pirate for more than five minutes.
Kairos sat on the deck of The Moment, staring at the sky. The arena fight at Aruma had made waves — literally and figuratively. His name had been written down in taverns, bounty offices, and whispered in markets like a spark in dry grass.
Kairos, the Swap-Swap Kid.
The boy who stole strength and handed back pain.
The brat who humiliated Lady Vermina.
It wasn't long before a new kind of attention found him.
---
A New Kind of Threat
Lokk was patching the sails. Toma was humming while cleaning fish. Jinx was adjusting the Den Den Mushi's frequency.
The snail suddenly screeched.
Bzzzt. Click.
A voice came through. Calm. Cold.
"Kairos. You've drawn quite the bounty."
They froze.
The Den Den Mushi's eyes narrowed, mirroring the voice's unseen speaker.
"Fifty thousand berries. And rising."
Kairos frowned. "Who is this?"
A pause.
"The one who collects those bounties."
The line cut off with a soft click.
And then—
Boom.
Something exploded in the water behind them. A cannonball. Not fired from any ship in sight.
The next one landed in the water just inches from their hull, sending a geyser over the deck.
"Where are they firing from?!" Toma shouted, already grabbing a scope.
Kairos narrowed his eyes, scanning the horizon.
And then he saw her.
---
The Phantom Skiff
It wasn't a ship. Not exactly.
It was a narrow, skeletal skiff — barely large enough to carry two people — skimming across the water unnaturally fast. Mounted on its prow was a strange, glimmering cannon made of polished brass and something glowing inside.
Standing at the helm was a tall woman in a dark overcoat, hair braided tight, eyes hidden behind thin, tinted goggles.
"That's her," Jinx said slowly. "I've heard stories."
"Who is she?" Kairos asked.
"Her name's Yula. The Windlash. A bounty hunter who sails solo. She's taken down small pirate crews alone. No Devil Fruit. No mercy."
"Perfect," Kairos muttered. "Another maniac."
---
Boarding and Blood
The skiff rocketed forward, almost flying across the water. As it neared, it launched a hook-line cannon, latching onto The Moment's railing with a metallic clunk.
Yula launched herself aboard in a smooth flip, landing in front of Kairos like a phantom.
"Nice boat," she said coldly. "It'll make a fine trophy."
Kairos raised his fists.
"I'm guessing we're not talking this out."
She didn't reply — just unsheathed a pair of long, hooked daggers with glassy edges.
---
Battle: Kairos vs. Yula the Windlash
She was fast.
Not flashy-fast. Efficient fast. No wasted motion. Every move was calculated to end the fight quickly.
Kairos lunged to grab her wrist — but she slipped under his reach, slicing across his side with a hooked dagger.
Shhk!
Blood sprayed.
He staggered.
"Already?" Yula said, disappointed. "You made too much noise for too little skill."
He grit his teeth and lunged again.
Swap: Pain.
He tagged her sleeve — barely. She gasped, stepping back, hand instinctively touching her ribs.
Her wound wasn't deep, but it surprised her.
That hesitation was all he needed.
Swap: Vision.
Suddenly, her world blurred. His eyes sharpened.
He ducked a swing and retaliated with a knee to her chest.
But she recovered fast — blindly slashing and nearly catching his neck.
"Enough games," she hissed.
She slammed her foot down.
A sonic charge detonated from her boot — a pulse that sent Kairos flying back into a barrel.
She had tech.
Not Devil Fruit… but gear. Wind-cannons. Sonic boots. Custom goggles.
And experience.
---
Crew Intervenes
Lokk threw an axe. She deflected it.
Toma hurled a net. She burned it with an acid blade.
Jinx launched a modified bolt from her crossbow — it whistled through the air and clipped Yula's shoulder, exploding into blinding powder.
Kairos crawled to his feet, bruised and bleeding, as the fog surrounded them.
"Still think this bounty's worth it?" he coughed.
She didn't respond.
But her footfalls stopped.
She couldn't see.
Perfect.
Swap: Sound.
He stole the faintest vibration of her steps and rerouted them—behind her.
She turned in the wrong direction—
And Kairos struck from the opposite side.
Fist to stomach.
Swap: Strength.
Her body folded. She dropped.
Kairos fell to one knee, gasping. Every swap drained him further.
But this time, she didn't get back up.
---
A New Kind of Notoriety
They tied her up. Took her weapons. Then let her skiff drift into the sea, minus the cannon.
She'd live.
But she wouldn't forget.
The Den Den Mushi lit up again hours later — this time with static, whispers, bounty boards updating.
Kairos – 110,000 berries.
Status: "Dangerous Devil Fruit User."
New title: "Power Devil."
Jinx handed him the snail.
"Looks like the world's starting to believe in you."
Kairos stared out over the horizon.
He didn't smile.
Not yet.
Because he wasn't done fighting.
Not until every weak, voiceless soul had someone who would step up.
Just like he once needed.