"Gyahahaha!"
"Golden Emperor, you're late!"
Golden Lion Shiki swept his gaze over Crocodile and the others, then fixed it on Chaos, who stood at the head of the group. His orange-and-yellow cloak whipped wildly in the wind.
The fleet captains behind him all wore vicious, amused grins.
The Golden Emperor was really arrogant. He'd come charging into their stronghold with only a few people in tow. He was practically asking to die.
The vast square was packed with vicious, savage pirates on Golden Lion's side. They watched Chaos and his group like a pack of wolves eyeing their prey.
The sheer pressure made Baccarat and Bonis swallow nervously, their legs trembling despite themselves.
It was the first time either of them had ever faced a scene this overwhelming.
They could hardly keep it together.
In response to Golden Lion's question, Chaos said nothing. With one hand behind his back, he let the Pure Gold glow surrounding him fade, then rose into the air.
At the same time, his upright hair grew longer, falling to his waist as it quickly turned gold, as if dyed. His calm black eyes became golden, too.
Spiraling steam rose around him, flecked with sparks.
Perhaps by unspoken agreement, Golden Lion also began to rise from the square. The two of them finally stopped in midair, facing each other from five meters apart.
"Fall back!"
Crocodile's expression turned grave. He grabbed Baccarat and Bonis and led them away from the golden flower-lined avenue, retreating quickly!
Betty, Archino, and the others did the same.
"You should fall back, too!"
Dragon's voice came from beneath his hood, low and heavy.
He was giving orders to his own people.
"What's going on? It hasn't even started yet. Why do we have to retreat?"
Feeling the large hand on her