"Go!"
Crus's escape was something many people hadn't expected. It had happened far too suddenly and unexpectedly.
After all, he was a pirate with a bounty of 124 million. At the moment, fewer than ten people in all of Demon Valley Town had higher bounties.
Those pirate crews were mostly just stopping by Demon Valley Town. Their goal was the Grand Line's New World, not wasting time in a place like this.
Although Demon Valley Town was a pirate paradise, the pirates gathered there were mostly low-level, with the occasional mid-level pirate. They were few and far between, though.
You could think of it as a beginner's village.
Crus's retreat meant that Chaos had the strength to warrant a bounty of over a hundred million.
Not just anyone could afford to set their sights on a pirate of that caliber.
Blood Thorn Pradanite, the fat guy, immediately called for his men to withdraw. Strictly speaking, he had a bit of a grudge against Chaos. He was worried Chaos might come after him now, and figured it was better not to invite trouble.
There were also pirates like Reaper Tesys and Octopus Maniac Rotes. Their bounties were all over eighty million, and they had enough sense to read the situation. They weren't idiots with no brains.
They had already tested the Golden Emperor's strength. So what if they managed to beat him?
They'd definitely get hurt in the process, only for someone else to swoop in and reap the rewards!
After these powerful pirates left, only a few weaklings remained. The problem was, those weaklings couldn't read the situation. Blinded by gold, they actually sneaked off to steal the golden weapons stuck in the ground.
Chaos leaned back, and a golden throne appeared beneath him, floating in the air as he looked down over the whole scene.
Feeling the pirates fleeing with golden weapons in their arms, Chaos could only say that there were all kinds of oddballs in the world.
Any gold Chaos could control was practically a part of his body. The only exception was gold beyond the range of his senses. But Chaos had awakened Observation Haki and kept it active around the clock.
It took a heavy toll on his mind, but it was also a form of training.
At a thought, several screams rang out. All the gold returned, dropping through the air before merging into two five-meter-tall Golden Warriors. The Golden Throne then wriggled and transformed into a palanquin. The two Golden Warriors carried it from the front and back, and it glided three feet above the ground, stepping through the air toward another street.
It looked effortless, but in reality it placed a serious strain on his mind.
This was clearly another form of training and development.
Maintaining this state meant Chaos was training every moment, putting pressure and strain on both his mind and body.
"Bastard!"
"So damn annoying."
Along the way, some pirates glared at him with red eyes. Chaos's behavior was simply too extravagant—and far too good at drawing hatred.
They'd never seen anyone so arrogant.
They wanted to hack him to pieces, but Chaos thoroughly enjoyed the looks of envy, jealousy, and hatred from people who wanted to kill him but didn't dare. This was the life he wanted.
Flashy and overbearing!
His empty, lonely heart had finally been filled, at least for a while.
The night passed without incident. Chaos found another tavern and prepared to rest up before taking on the world again tomorrow.
He had his sights set on Reaper Tesys and Blood Thorn Pradanite. Those two had once decided whether he lived or died. Unfortunately, tonight hadn't been satisfying; it had fallen far short of his expectations.
Other than a few nobodies, only Swordsman Crus had appeared—and that bastard had run off at the first sign of trouble.
There hadn't been a shred of tension!
Meanwhile, a warship was rapidly approaching across the shimmering sea.
It might land at Demon Valley Town as early as tomorrow morning.
The sun rose, and a new day began.
In the western district of Demon Valley Town, Chaos stood on the top-floor balcony of a hotel, gazing at the cloudless blue sky. He took a deep breath of fresh air, looking revitalized.
After resting for three or four hours last night, his mind was refreshed and his body full of strength.
A new day of living it up in the spotlight had begun.
After knocking out two thousand push-ups to warm up, Chaos opened the door and headed downstairs. First, he'd fill his belly, then he'd go cause trouble for the Blood Thorn Pirates.
A huge pile of gold that had been leaning in the corner quickly transformed into three Golden Warriors, who followed behind him. As soon as they entered the dining hall, they attracted the attention of the waiters and many of the pirates.
It was hard to imagine there could be so many pirates drinking in the dining hall first thing in the morning. Some had been drinking since last night and were still going strong!
"Waiter, bring out the most expensive food you've got. Remember, only the most expensive. Start with fifty servings."
"This is your tip."
Chaos snapped his fingers. A thin male waiter came over, but he couldn't take his eyes off the Golden Warriors seated on the other three chairs.
As a fist-sized nugget of gold floated in front of him, the waiter looked at Chaos as if he were his father.
His face flushed red with excitement, and he couldn't get a word out.
"Golden Emperor, please, please wait a moment. We'll bring out the very best food."
"Go ahead!"
Chaos waved him off. He really wasn't interested in money.
"Wait!"
The waiter had barely taken a few steps with the gold cupped in both hands when Chaos called him back.
"Golden Emperor, is there anything else you need?"
"Put everyone's tab on me."
As Chaos's words fell, the entire dining hall went dead silent.
All the pirates stared blankly at him. Then someone shouted, and the whole place erupted into a clamor that nearly blew the tavern's roof off.
"Golden Emperor, I respect you, damn it!"
"Just now I wanted to hack you to pieces, but now I respect you!"
"You've earned the right to be arrogant!"
"Drink!"
"Anyone who doesn't drink themselves flat on the floor today is disrespecting the Golden Emperor!"
"Drink till you drop!"
"Waiter, bring out the most expensive dishes, the priciest liquor, and the prettiest geisha!"
"W-We don't have any geishas here!"
All the pirates howled and shouted, spending as if to get even. Their envy and jealousy had become impossible to suppress.
Chaos didn't care whether these people were grateful to him. He just wanted to experience what it felt like to have Young Master Zhao pick up the tab for everyone!
It was so smooth.
And so satisfying!
Chaos left the tavern half an hour later.
Just as he'd guessed, the owners of taverns and gambling houses had sources of information.
The Blood Thorn Pradanite he was looking for was only three streets away.
As he swaggered along, making a high-profile entrance, the sea of eyes filled with clenched teeth, envy, and hatred kept Chaos in a cheerful mood.
Meanwhile, out at sea.
"Rear Admiral Sakazuki, we've reached Demon Valley Town!"
One marine after another stood aboard the warship, weapons in hand and faces grim, as they watched Sakazuki step out of his office.
They knew exactly what kind of place Demon Valley Town was.
It was practically crawling with pirates.
They had only one warship, and just fifty people in all. Landing on the island like this might be a little too reckless!
But everyone knew that Rear Admiral Sakazuki would never back down.
Even if the pirates of all Demon Valley Town joined forces, he would fight to the last man without retreating.
All they could do now was hope Rear Admiral Sakazuki wouldn't act so recklessly as to try to wipe out every pirate in Demon Valley Town. If he did, things would definitely spiral out of control.
If they were only there to capture the Blood Thorn Pirates, the other pirate crews probably wouldn't pick a fight with them.
Especially since Sakazuki himself was leading this warship...
Before you continue