"I have no idea."
The red-haired man shook his head at his companions, who stared at him in disbelief.
"Stop pretending, Captain."
"Yeah, we're basically like family here. Why hide it from us?"
"We're Uta's uncles, you know! Not telling us something this important? That's just mean!"
"..."
The teasing from the Red-Haired Pirates drew laughter from everyone around. Despite the captain's serious face, none of them seemed to believe a word he was saying.
All their expressions clearly said: We don't believe you.
"But I'm telling you the truth! I really didn't teach Uta any swordsmanship! I honestly have no idea what's going on!!!" the red-haired man insisted.
Still, his crew refused to believe that Uta, only nineteen, could become a supreme swordsman all on her own. Unless she was taught by someone who had already reached that peak.
Aside from their captain, there were only a handful of people in the world capable of doing that—and none of them had any connection to Uta.
So the conclusion was obvious: It must have been you, Captain.
There's no way Uta could have reached the level of a supreme swordsman in just a few years without guidance.
"..."
The red-haired man was clearly frustrated. He really didn't know how Uta had become a supreme swordsman. Honestly.
The craziest part?
Her achieving that level had absolutely nothing to do with him.
So then… how had she managed to reach such a pinnacle of swordsmanship?
There was no way she figured it out on her own, right?
The red-haired captain's eyes narrowed as he looked back at the live broadcast screen.
"It couldn't be him… could it?"
He immediately thought of Kairos Flint.
That guy had reached the imperial level while still so young.
And it was precisely for this reason that he had allowed Uta to follow Kairos and possibly learn the way of the sword.
Maybe that really was the case—maybe it was Kairos who helped her reach the realm of a supreme swordsman.
But how much time had passed since they first met in the Kingdom of Alabasta? Even counting the day Kairos took Uta with him, it had only been a few months.
A few months.
Could he really have trained someone like Uta—who wasn't particularly gifted in swordsmanship—to such a level in that short time?
Highly unlikely.
If Kairos Flint had actually done it… that would be terrifying.
Whitebeard Pirates
"Gurararara!!!"
"This girl's not bad. I wouldn't mind taking her as my daughter."
Whitebeard chuckled as he observed the Navy's movements with interest.
Of course, the main reason he was even watching was because of Kairos Flint—the God-Killer who had taken Fish-Man Island right from under him and refused his offer to join his family as a son.
Not to mention, they'd had quite a few arguments.
That just made Whitebeard more curious about the boy.
So when he found out the Navy's operation was targeting Kairos, he tuned in to watch closely.
"Haha, if that brat gets caught by the Navy, it'd be hilarious."
"But if he defeats the Navy… now that would be something."
"Didn't he say he wanted to be a bounty hunter?"
"Beating the Navy would be like stomping the World Government's face into the dirt."
"If that happens, the Government's going to lose its mind."
"And they sure won't cancel his bounty unless he disappears completely."
Whitebeard took a long swig of sake as he spoke.
"Dad, stop drinking so much! It's bad for your health!"
His sons' concerned voices rang out—but as usual, their words didn't do much.
Navy Headquarters
Warring States was also watching the broadcast closely.
"A supreme swordsman?" he muttered.
"When did the enemy's pirate crew gain someone like that?"
"Damn it! The World Government's CP division is a total joke! They missed something this important?"
The sight on the massive live screen had caused Warring States' eyes to narrow, his expression twisting in anger. A supreme swordsman wasn't just any threat—they were the equivalent of an emperor-level combatant.
Even if the swordsman wasn't fully proficient in Haki, stopping them would still require a Marine Admiral.
As for asking Dracule Mihawk to help?
Warring States didn't hold out hope.
He knew exactly what kind of person the Shichibukai were.
Some joined because they were interested, others because they were forced—but very few would go all-out for the sake of the Navy.
Could they really expect one of them to stand in the way of a rising great swordsman?
"According to Kizaru, both Kairos Flint and Princess Vivi from Alabasta possess royal-level combat power," the Chief of Staff said, frowning. "If this swordsman can hold off an Admiral, our chances of winning this operation plummet."
The man who was supposed to be a side character in Kairos's crew turned out to be a supreme swordsman.
This changed everything—and not in the Navy's favor.
"If Garp takes the field, our chances improve significantly," Warring States said after thinking it over.
He knew better than anyone how strong the old man was.
Unlike himself—now often buried in paperwork—Garp hadn't lost much power with age.
His strength had barely declined.
If anyone could help balance the scales against two Emperors and a supreme swordsman, it was Vice Admiral Garp.
"Garp, huh?" one officer muttered.
"If he moves, we wouldn't need to worry as much."
"But right now, he's just sitting there munching on senbei and watching the show…"
The live screen shifted, showing Garp just as they described him—calmly snacking, completely unbothered by the events unfolding.
That didn't inspire much confidence.
The room fell silent.
Everyone knew what kind of man Garp was. Whether they'd known him for a few years or a few decades, they understood his temperament.
So they all knew exactly what the silence meant.
"…He is reliable when it really matters," Warring States finally said.
Which also meant—when it didn't matter, he was anything but.
Holy Land Mariejois – Pangaea Castle
"As expected," said Saint Saturn. "If we don't eliminate Kairos Flint now, he'll be the one to destroy the balance of the world."
A Den Den Mushi broadcast played before the Gorosei, showing the current battle.
They, too, had been following everything.
They had noticed the man with mysterious powers in Kairos's crew—and the shocking emergence of Supreme Swordswoman Uta.
"What has the CP Division even been doing?" Pit Saint snapped. "They didn't find out anything about this swordsman?"
"The report just says she's a Song-Song Fruit user. Nothing else! It says she's an ordinary person?"
"A supreme swordsman—an ordinary person?"
"Are they mocking us?"
He slammed the intel documents down on the table.
Each file contained profiles of Kairos and his crew—but the actual strength didn't match the reports at all.
"The CP Division is complete trash," Saint Vuchuli said with a scowl.
"This is dereliction of duty. They just wrote whatever they wanted. It's time for a purge."
Maz Saint glared as well.
"This kind of misinformation is unacceptable."
"It's hard to believe they even tried," added Saint Nashouro grimly. "Let's wait until this mission is over."
For now, all they could do was watch.
Their greatest hope was for the Navy to wipe out Kairos and his companions.
Because if Kairos Flint survived another full-scale operation from the World Government, it would be yet another massive blow to their reputation.
A humiliating one.
Navy G-2 Branch
"Pirates—prepare to die!"
Vice Admiral Laculova, a giant, appeared on the battlefield. Right behind him was Longzi, another of the Giant Tribe.
Each wielded a massive weapon—one a longsword, the other a battle axe.
With just a few steps, they closed an enormous distance, bringing their colossal weapons down toward Kairos Flint.
Their swings split the air with an ear-piercing roar.
But Kairos didn't flinch.
He continued walking calmly, unbothered by the incoming attack.
He didn't even raise a hand.
Because this level of attack wasn't even worth his attention.
So…
The two women beside him moved instead.