The Romance a Man Should Have

Chaos's appearance truly shocked many people.

After all, he had taken down a pirate with a bounty of 330 million Berries, and more importantly, he was the captain of the 20th fleet of the Flying Pirates, a crew that was currently soaring. There were only a handful of powers that dared to disrespect the Flying Pirates like this.

This courage alone was enough to put ninety-nine percent of pirates to shame.

Furthermore, he had managed to kill Dragon Horn Jax using only puppets. So, what would the Golden Emperor's true combat power be?

Or perhaps the Golden Emperor himself wasn't that strong, and his strength lay solely in his control abilities?

Like having powerful long-range attacks but extremely poor close-combat skills?

However, one thing was certain: Chaos was about to become famous!

He would be even more famous than when he first received a bounty of 123 million seven months ago.

"Hey! What does the Golden Emperor want?"

Some pirates' faces contorted in shock, while the Marines looked on with horror.

Standing in the palm of the Goddess of the Heavens, Chaos's spiky hair and open-collared shirt fluttered without wind. The giant golden halo behind him began to ascend, transforming once again into various golden swords, spears, sabers, and halberds, all aimed squarely at the Marine ranks.

"Is this guy going to attack the Marines?"

"So arrogant? Attacking in the Sabaody Archipelago? Marineford isn't far from here."

Some pirates thought the Golden Emperor was incredibly audacious!

"Damn it!"

"Retreat, retreat!"

Vice Admiral Ox's hair stood on end. He turned and roared at all the Marines.

He hadn't expected the Golden Emperor to attack them.

"Last time's bounty left me very unsatisfied."

Chaos flicked his spiky hair to the side, revealing his smooth forehead. His eyes cast a dismissive glance downwards as he raised his right hand and gently pressed. The eighteen types of weapons filling the sky shot out like bullets towards the Marine ranks.

His vanity demanded a higher bounty!

He just wanted an attitude.

A bounty only felt satisfying when given by others.

It was a small sense of accomplishment.

Perhaps it was small-minded, foolish, and vulgar, but it was a matter of attitude.

It had nothing to do with good or evil, just different factions and different philosophies!

"Fire, fire!"

"Quick, defend."

"Ah~"

The entire ground was bombarded, kicking up countless fragments of rock and soil. Sand and dust flew everywhere, and craters appeared. Amidst the chaos, screams and the sounds of Marine counterattacks could be heard.

Whoosh!

From within the dense smoke and dust, a figure appeared out of thin air before Chaos. His Justice coat billowed in the wind, and his stern face was filled with fury.

"Golden Emperor, you're courting death."

Ox was enraged. His powerful aura spread throughout the area. His right fist surged forward, tearing the very air, and was covered in boiling Armament Haki, crackling with explosive power.

Chaos clenched his fist, filled with arrogance, and met the attack with his own Armament Haki.

A shockwave spread outwards. The Goddess of the Heavens took two steps back, while Ox was slammed violently onto the ground, his feet sinking ten meters into the earth, leaving two deep trenches. He looked up, his expression grim.

"Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals are indeed different."

Chaos left the Goddess of the Heavens and landed heavily on the ground, looking at Ox with a glint of battle in his eyes.

This was the first Marine Vice Admiral he had encountered.

It was a perfect opportunity to test the results of his seven months of training.

The Goddess of the Heavens ascended, hovering a hundred meters in the sky and overlooking the entire Sabaody Archipelago. At the same time, everyone on the archipelago could look up and see her massive form.

He had already tested the abilities of the Gold-Gold Fruit, which could be considered his long-range combat power. Now, Chaos wanted to test his physical techniques, his close-combat abilities.

To warm up, the eighteen weapons that had been bombarding the area suddenly exploded, forming a large cloud of golden dust that settled on many Marines. Silently, it merged into their bodies.

The Marines were initially very nervous. After touching their bodies and finding no issues, they didn't pay it much mind.

Because the golden dust then rose again, flying back to form the halo behind the Goddess of the Heavens.

Ox's face was grim. White steam began to rise from his body, and his body temperature started to increase.

A storm spread outwards from Ox's center, cracks forming on the ground beneath him. His aura was more than twice as strong as before.

"Life Return!"

Chaos's eyes lit up. Ox's current state was similar to Luffy entering Gear Second. His body had slightly expanded, and wisps of steam rose from him. His body temperature could be clearly felt to be rising.

In reality, Luffy's Gear Second wasn't Life Return, but rather a method of accelerating blood flow to enhance all physical abilities. When activated, his skin would turn red and steam would emit from his body, much like using a stimulant.

It can be said to be a technique unique to "Rubber People."

Moreover, this technique consumes lifespan.

The Marines' Rokushiki: Life Return is different. This technique requires mastery of all Rokushiki, and can be considered an advanced version that integrates Rokushiki into one. It allows for free control of the body, hair, and internal organs. As long as consciousness is infused, any part can be controlled freely.

This is equivalent to becoming a combat machine, where even a single strand of hair possesses immense destructive power, while speed, defense, attack power, recovery ability, and so on, all increase dramatically.

It does not consume life like Luffy's Gear Second.

In the original work, Life Return first appeared on Rob Lucci and shone brightly.

But it did not cause white mist to float all over his body like Ox.

Perhaps everyone's understanding of Life Return is different, leading to variations in the resulting state, but the essence is to enhance combat power, defense, recovery ability, and so on.

The only certainty is that anyone who possesses Life Return is almost invariably a master of physical combat.

This is universally acknowledged at sea.

Among those who have mastered Life Return to an astonishing degree are, first and foremost, the Marine Hero Garp, Black Arm Zephyr, and the current Fleet Admiral Steel Bone Kong. It can also be confirmed that such powerful individuals exist within the World Government's CPO organization.

Currently, at Marine Headquarters, most Vice Admirals who are not Devil Fruit users have either mastered Life Return and Rokushiki, or possess two types of Haki. After all, being a Vice Admiral is not just a position, but a symbol of combat power.

Chaos has always wanted to awaken Life Return. Rokushiki, Armament Haki, Observation Haki, and the Gold-Gold Fruit have all been put on the right track. As long as he trains relentlessly in any of these directions, he will eventually become stronger.

Now, only Life Return is missing.

Of course, there is also Conqueror's Haki. Chaos doesn't know if he has that kind of talent.

After all, Conqueror's Haki is a great tool for showing off.

Because of his transmigration, his talent has been enhanced, making him a one-in-a-million genius. However, that thing seems to be innate and requires a certain spirit, which is a bit complicated!

Regarding Conqueror's Haki, Chaos takes a more relaxed view.

Whatever happens, happens.

But Life Return, Armament Haki, Observation Haki, and Rokushiki are different. These are things he must learn, and he must master them.

BOOM!

The ground beneath Ox's feet exploded, forming a five-meter spiderweb-like crater. After kicking up a large amount of gravel and soil, he instantly appeared before Chaos. His sandbag-sized fist, wrapped in Armament Haki, tore through the air with a deafening roar.

Even before he arrived, Chaos could feel a strong gust of wind.

A deafening collision rang out. Chaos clenched his fist, also imbued with Armament Haki, and clashed head-on with Ox.

Instantly, the mountains and earth cracked. A shockwave rolled up the ground, radiating outwards like a tidal wave. Chaos's spiky hair and shirt flew wildly, while Ox, with a blank expression, threw another punch with his left fist.

Chaos roared with laughter and threw a punch in return.

Bang bang bang!

Leaving a large pit in their original positions, the two appeared a hundred meters away and their fists collided again. Several red trees around them snapped, and various clods of earth and debris shot out.

Before the pirates could get a clear look, the two appeared thirty meters in the sky. Their elbows collided, scattering even the white clouds in the sky.

The two were sent flying.

Chaos somersaulted a few times in the air, his feet sinking deep into the ground as he slid. He shook his fists, feeling the thrill of battle.

This kind of fist-to-fist, hormone-fueled, tough-guy fight is the romance a man should have.