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Chapter 161 - Lantern Fish Found

Different people need different approaches when it comes to handling them.

For example, when dealing with the three sisters, Robin and Boa, as well as the two sisters, Koala and Monet, who are all trapped in darkness, Kahn would take on the role of the knight and hero they long for. He'd pull them out of their despair and use a gentle approach to help heal their psychological scars.

However, for girls like Baccarat, Yamato, and Kuina, who aren't shrouded in darkness, Kahn would instead invite them to become his maids.

For Nami and Carina, Kahn opted for the second method as well.

In fact, Kahn could have gone to the island and dealt with Nami before she left Cocoyasi Village, using the first method to reshape both her and Nojiko. 

But Kahn chose not to.

He had high hopes for Nami, the absolute lead female character in the original story, hoping she would awaken the Paramecia-type Gold-Gold Fruit and become the true ruler of the Golden City.

For this reason, Kahn was willing to wait, silently protecting Nami for nearly a year instead of taking a direct approach to saving her and Carina heroically.

The reason for not saving them heroically wasn't due to impatience or laziness in planning but because, as a time traveller, Kahn knew that in order to secure Nami's loyalty, he had to help her free herself from Arlong's control.

Once Arlong was dealt with, Nami's loyalty would naturally follow, given her character.

Of course, after recruiting Nami and Carina, Kahn didn't rush to help Nami defeat Arlong immediately. Instead, he waited for her to ask for help on her own.

Thus, Kahn left Nami and Carina under Monet's care for training while he sailed the Grandine toward the 153rd Marine branch.

The 153rd branch of the Marines was located in a small town called Shells Town.

This is where Luffy originally recruited Zoro.

Kahn headed there in search of the Paramecia-type Slip-Slip Fruit.

Of course, the Slip-Slip Fruit wasn't in Shells Town itself but in one of the nearby islands.

Why was Kahn so sure?

It was based on speculation. In the original story, after Luffy knocked Alvida away, the Marines came to rescue the merchant ship.

Alvida managed to escape the Marines' pursuit by abandoning her ship and fleeing. With no boat, she would have had to swim to the nearest island.

Having lost her ship and crew, Kahn bet that she would swim to a nearby island and, by sheer luck, found the Slip-Slip Fruit, which dramatically changed her life.

Kahn, with his unique perception and past experience in tracking down Devil Fruits, was confident that he wouldn't be wrong.

Besides, it was all to pass the time anyway.

Much like how Whitebeard and Fleet Admiral Sengoku, or Kaido and Charlotte Linlin, hadn't crossed paths in decades. Once someone reaches an overlord level of power, unless there's a major conflict or an exceptionally close bond, it's not uncommon for overlords to go ten, twenty, or even more years without meeting each other.

The top officers of these overlord forces can easily handle any threats below their level.

There were still ten years before the era of chaos would arrive, and Kahn had plenty of time to relocate his base to the waters near Wano. He could take his time, even spend nearly a year just travelling.

With that much time, Kahn could focus on training Nami and Carina while also searching for the Paramecia-type Slip-Slip Fruit. But life always has a way of throwing in unexpected surprises.

Just when Kahn was preparing to head to Shells Town, things started developing between him, Nami, and Carina. As he watched them undergo Monet's rigorous training, their expressions growing more serious with each passing day, it became clear that their affection for Kahn had grown considerably. 

The two clever girls soon realized that their master wasn't the harsh figure they had first imagined but a kind and gentle man with a warm heart.

Nami, upon realizing this, was thrilled. She often thought about asking Kahn for help but hadn't been by his side long enough to build up the courage to ask.

"Pere~Pere~Pere~Pere~..."

Just as Nami was hesitating, Kahn received a phone call that caught him by surprise.

"Found the lantern fish, really?" Kahn exclaimed, standing up excitedly while watching Nami and Carina practice their maid duties in their uniforms. "Good job, Robin! You're in charge of this. Tell Hancock to bring the Vivre Card and coral bubbles and use the electric field to teleport to the lantern fish. Even if you can't kill it, make sure to get inside its stomach and wait for me to return to the New World."

"I'm currently in East Blue, but I'll be back in the New World in two days."

After hanging up the call, Kahn turned to Monet and the others, who were curiously watching. "Monet, take care of Yamato and make sure Nami and the others are safe. Continue exploring East Blue for a while. I'll head back to the New World and return for you soon."

"Yes, Master," Monet nodded obediently.

"Master, are you really going back to the New World? To find the lantern fish? Can I come with you?" Yamato asked excitedly. Having been in East Blue for almost a year, she was bored of the weakest sea and eager for new adventures. If it weren't for Kahn's ongoing Devil Fruit search, she would've been demanding to explore new waters already.

"Don't make a fuss," Kahn said, giving Yamato a playful slap. "I have important business to attend to. Stay here and protect Monet and the others. I'll be back soon."

With a single powerful leap, Kahn soared tens of meters into the air. Under the stunned gazes of Nami and Carina, whose jaws nearly dropped to the floor, he transformed into a massive sky dragon, nearly 200 meters long, with wings spanning over 100 meters. As he took flight, a gust of wind sent Nami and Carina tumbling down while Kahn headed towards the North Blue.

Kahn was confident he could return to the New World within two days. After all, East Blue and North Blue were only separated by the Red Line, and from North Blue, all it took was crossing the Calm Belt to reach the New World. That was the advantage of flight.

For most, unless they were with the Marines, entering the New World from East Blue required travelling through the first half of the Grand Line, reaching its end, then coating the ship to pass through Fish-Man Island, or abandoning their vessel to cross Mariejois. Such a journey, even for a large ship, would take at least two weeks without resupplying.

But for Kahn, who could fly, the journey was much shorter.

As the massive sky dragon became a black dot in the sky and disappeared, Nami and Carina, who only knew Kahn had a bounty of 4.555 billion berries, finally began to grasp just how powerful their master truly was.

At that moment, any hesitation Nami had felt was washed away. She turned to Monet, her expression softening into a pitiful look. "Sister Monet..."

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