Is Sakazuki already this strong at this period?

On the spacious yet messy streets, a number of fearless pirates stood on both sides, sneering with weapons in hand as they watched the fifty-strong Marine contingent on the street.

Sakazuki, at the forefront, carried a long sword on his back. He was still wearing that open-chested red short-sleeved shirt and Marine cap, exuding an aura of iron and blood that made many pirates subconsciously hold their breath, daring not to make any rash moves.

A hint of ingrained disdain flickered across Sakazuki's resolute face. These petty thugs weren't even worthy of dying by his hand.

"Do you know where the Blood Thorn Pirates are?"

Currently, Sakazuki had three Colonels under his command. One of them, a Colonel with a centipede-like scar on his face, walked up to a pirate from above, his gaze as cold as if he could strike at any moment.

The targeted pirate instinctively pointed in Chaos's direction, his entire heart pounding with trepidation.

"Let's go!"

With the confirmed direction, Sakazuki and his group pressed deeper into Demon Valley Town.

The pirate breathed a sigh of relief, his back already drenched in sweat.

The Marines' aura was simply too strong. One might have thought a Vice Admiral was leading them.

"Are they just looking for the Blood Thorn Pirates?"

"I remember now. I heard the Blood Thorn Pirates recently killed a warship led by a Marine Colonel. That Colonel was Sakazuki's subordinate."

"So that's why Blood Thorn Pradanite is in Demon Valley Town. He must be hiding here after being hunted."

Many pirates whispered amongst themselves, piecing together the situation in just a few sentences.

If they were merely looking for the Blood Thorn Pirates, almost no pirate would have made a move.

But if they intended to destroy Demon Valley Town or arrest pirates in a grand display, then the pirates of Demon Valley Town would absolutely not stand idly by.

One could see many pirates following behind the Marines, some of the stronger ones wearing dangerous smiles, as if contemplating whether to make a move and eliminate Sakazuki right here.

If they could take down this rising star the Marines were currently nurturing with great effort, they would surely be on the front page of the newspaper tomorrow. Their fame would be secured.

A few minutes later, Sakazuki and his Marines stood before ruins, looking at Chaos, who was seated on a golden throne in mid-air, legs crossed, chin resting on his hand, with a magnificent and noble Giant Golden Sword erected behind him.

An overwhelming sense of luxury, nobility, arrogance, and pride washed over them!

Chaos scanned Sakazuki from head to toe, his demeanor incredibly flippant.

Sakazuki was still very young at this time, and the long sword on his back was particularly striking.

Sakazuki in his youth wielded a sword and might have possessed Swordsman-level strength. He should have already eaten the Magma-Magma Fruit by now, but he still hadn't completely abandoned swordsmanship.

During the Ohara Incident, Sakazuki was already a Vice Admiral and had abandoned swordsmanship, focusing primarily on the Magma-Magma Fruit.

While Chaos appraised Sakazuki with a flippant gaze, Sakazuki scanned Chaos with an expressionless face. Both exuded arrogance and self-confidence from head to toe.

"Rear Admiral Sakazuki, the Blood Thorn Pirates, including their captain Blood Thorn Pradanite, were killed by the Golden Emperor Gaia Chaos. It's that guy!"

A Major returned to his position and pointed at Chaos on the golden throne.

"What's his bounty?"

A Colonel beside Sakazuki asked.

"The Golden Emperor doesn't have a bounty yet. He's neither a pirate nor a pirate hunter."

"Clang! Crackle!"

As soon as the Major finished speaking, the giant sword hanging upside down behind Chaos began to split, transforming into eighteen different weapons that all aimed at Sakazuki and his group. A sinister smile curved his lips.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

"Dodge quickly!"

"Defend!"

The expressions of the Marines instantly changed, as did those of the pirates.

No one had expected the Golden Emperor to suddenly attack.

"You're asking for death!"

The moment Chaos attacked, Sakazuki's face turned vicious. He drew the long sword from his back and swung it in a single strike. Instantly, a brilliant Slash attack descended, forcefully blasting away the incoming eighteen weapons. Simultaneously, Sakazuki vanished from his original position, reappearing below Chaos.

"Great Eruption!"

His entire right arm flowed with magma, eventually forming a lava fist the size of a villa. It surged upwards with the sound of a storm.

Sakazuki unleashed his ultimate move right from the start, intending to finish Chaos with a single punch.

Observation Haki was constantly at the ready. The golden throne immediately formed armor that wrapped around Chaos. Chaos used Soru to disappear and, in the blink of an eye, appeared before Sakazuki, thrusting a dazzling golden longsword straight into Sakazuki's heart with his right hand.

Chaos's face showed no joy at landing the attack. Instead, he frowned with an expression of "just as expected."

As for Sakazuki, his face was filled with contempt and disdain. The long sword in his hand rapidly swung down towards Chaos, even imbued with a strange power.

Chaos's left gauntlet shifted, forming a long sword to block above his head. The next moment, a massive crisis surged, and the golden longsword was easily cut in half.

Golden sparks flew. Chaos used Soru to create distance, appearing ten meters away. He looked down at his chest, where the torn Golden Armor revealed a trickle of bright red blood.

"Armament Haki!"

Chaos's expression was grim. Although his physique hadn't transformed into gold, the armor's defense far surpassed ordinary steel, yet it had still been breached by Sakazuki.

Ding!

The transformed Golden Longsword fell from Sakazuki's body, more than half of it already melted into golden liquid. Sakazuki's chest dripped with scarlet magma, and the gasping wounds healed in the blink of an eye.

Chaos's attack was useless.

With a wave of his hand, all the weapons in the air shot towards Sakazuki with a whistling sound. Sakazuki, holding his long sword, completely ignored them and strode towards Chaos, swinging his hand as he charged.

The ground was torn apart, and Chaos vanished from his spot. A huge explosion erupted from the ruins behind him.

"Without Armament Haki, Logia types are simply unbeatable."

Chaos hovered in the air, watching Sakazuki's body being destroyed by eighteen kinds of weapons, but it quickly recovered as magma flowed.

"Whoosh!"

Sakazuki approached rapidly. His entire left arm swelled with lava, forming a monstrous dog. It tore through the eardrums, radiating intense heat. Even before it arrived, Chaos felt a sense of danger.

His body beneath the armor goldenized. Chaos clenched his fist, not dodging or evading, and met Sakazuki head-on.

He needed to push himself.

Boom!

The ground beneath him exploded. A trace of pain appeared on Chaos's face. He couldn't control his body as it was sent flying, tumbling uncontrollably along the way, kicking up a continuous stream of ruins and rubble. His right fist glowed scarlet, emitting white smoke.

Simultaneously, his entire right arm trembled slightly.

He had lost in terms of strength.

Climbing up from the ground, Chaos watched Sakazuki sheathe his long sword and walk over, his body flowing with magma. The scattered gold flew back and merged with his armor. As his size continuously grew, he eventually transformed into a ten-meter-tall golden warrior, majestic and radiating explosive power.

The two approached each other with powerful strides. With a world-shattering explosion, a giant golden fist collided with a giant magma fist. A circular shockwave lifted the stone pavement and destroyed the surrounding buildings.

Half the street simply vanished.

Chaos couldn't stop retreating. The golden face beneath his armor held a trace of unwillingness and disbelief.

That punch was his full power, yet he had lost.

Was Sakazuki already this strong at this period?

The Magma-Magma Fruit simulating a volcanic eruption... that kind of power was truly not something an ordinary person could withstand.