He Was Going to Become the World's Richest Man

Chaos emerged from the jungle and looked toward the stretch of buildings along the coast. Even from far away, he could hear the hubbub of people.

He looked up at the sky. White clouds circled beneath the bright sun, and ten thousand meters above him, an island full of wonders and gold hung in the air.

"Bang! Bang!"

Gunshots and shouts drew Chaos's attention. In an open area just outside town, more than thirty pirates were fighting in a free-for-all, battling for their lives.

Plenty of other pirates stood around, cheering them on and placing bets.

Chaos, bloodshed, brutality—he'd walked right into quite a show.

The fight ended after only five or six minutes. People came out to carry away the bodies, and if not for the bloodstains and scattered chunks of flesh on the ground, who would have guessed that more than ten people had died in such a short time?

The victor earned cheers and money. The losers got only death.

These pirates were completely insane.

After all, when you lived by the sword, you never knew when you'd die. The strain of it had long since worn away at their minds, leaving them twisted.

Chaos passed by without a fuss and entered town. Taverns, brothels, gambling dens, and shops lined both sides of the main street. Pirates with swords at their waists or guns in their hands filled the streets, while the air reeked of indulgence and death.

Anyone who ran a shop here either kept a gun handy or had powerful connections and no fear of dying. Otherwise, they wouldn't last.

Drunk pirates were capable of anything.

Those who looked like frail old folks or women and children weren't helpless civilians. They might well be retired pirate thugs—all of them ruthless.

Of course, there were some genuine civilians, but most were descendants of retired pirates. Outsiders couldn't survive here.

Around here, you'd be embarrassed to leave the house without blood on your hands.

You could tell at a glance whether someone had killed before, or whether they were part of the underworld.

Like now. Chaos had caught someone's eye.

"Boss, this guy's obviously new in town."

"And he's alone."

Five brutes carrying long knives or flintlock rifles surrounded Chaos with sneers. They'd clearly had their eyes on him ever since he entered town.

"Kid, hand over all your money, or you're not leaving."

The bearded leader picked at his nails, looking unconcerned.

In his extensive experience, this was an easy mark.

Normally, anyone who dared come to Demon Valley Town alone had to have some skill. It was best not to mess with people like that.

But this guy here clearly hadn't seen much of the world.

He was like a country bumpkin visiting a big city for the first time.

He could smell trouble from a mile away. He could tell whether someone was dangerous.

As for why the bearded man and his men dared rob people in broad daylight, they had something to back them up.

They had the Lion King Pirates behind them, a crew with a combined bounty of 76 million. Their captain, Lion King Gappa, had a 53-million-berry bounty and was a Devil Fruit user.

The Lion King Pirates might not rank among the top crews in Demon Valley Town, but they had a little bit of a reputation.

They only pulled this kind of stickup on rookies or lone travelers. Powerful pirate crews weren't worth bothering with.

"Haha! Another greenhorn's been marked!"

"Kill him!"

"Place your bets! I say he won't last five seconds."

"I bet he lasts ten!"

"Isn't that the bearded guy? One of the Lion King Pirates' lackeys?"

"Boring. They can only bully newcomers."

"Lion King Gappa's got a bit of talent. He got lucky and found the great treasure of the sea, a Devil Fruit. It's the Zoan-type Cat-Cat Fruit: Lion Form."

"Come on, that guy's a goner."

In the blink of an eye, an ever-growing crowd gathered to watch. Most of the pirates were sure Chaos was doomed.

Pirates who spent their lives at sea, risking their necks, all carried a certain air about them.

Chaos clearly didn't have it yet.

"It's even more chaotic and insane than I imagined."

Chaos had expected something like this when he came to Demon Valley Town. This was what the pirate world was really like: even a glance could spark a fight to the death.

Robbery like this was as ordinary as drinking water.

That was exactly what he wanted.

Only after spending enough time in a den of lunatics could he fit in without standing out.

This was exciting!

But Chaos liked to live on the edge.

He was going to become the world's richest man.

"Hey, kid! You hear me?"

"Hand over your money, or we'll kill you."

The thug with the flintlock prodded Chaos's forehead, making a fierce face as he threatened him.

The people nearby watched with amusement, thinking Chaos was too scared to move.

"Please don't poke me."

Chaos leaned his head back, but he wasn't angry.

In his eyes, these guys were already dead.

He hadn't come to Demon Valley Town to keep his head down and have fun. He wanted to hone himself through battle.

It was dangerous, sure, but Chaos wasn't afraid. If anything, he was looking forward to it.

A bit of a death wish.

"Haha! Got a temper, huh? I'll poke you again! And again!"

The thug laughed loudly. Maybe he had powerful connections, because he acted without a care in the world.

It wasn't that he was stupid.

"Pfft!"

The thug's wild laughter cut off. His eyes bulged with terror as he clutched his throat with both hands. Blood sprayed as he stumbled backward, mouth opening and closing. All that came out was a strangled croak.

Chaos had pressed his index and middle fingers together. Blood coated them, dripping onto the ground.

Chaos wasn't sure if he'd mastered Finger Pistol. Even without Goldenization, he could leave marks on trees with his fingers. When he used Goldenization, he could poke right through them.

The same went for rocks.

He still couldn't shoot Finger Pistols like CP9 or the underground king Stussy could in the original story, firing them like bullets made of air.

The noisy crowd fell silent, but only for three seconds. Then it grew even louder.

"This guy actually dared to make a move!"

"He's a real tough one!"

"Now this is worth watching!"

"Kill them! I'm betting on you!"

"Kid, I'm rooting for you! Kill those bastards!"

The laughter of the troublemakers, eager to see the world in chaos, rang out without end.

The smell of blood only drove these violent pirates further into a frenzy.

"You're asking for it! Kill him!"

The bearded man's face darkened. He called to the rest of his men, already treating Chaos like a dead man.

"Die!"

A thug with a long knife swung viciously at Chaos.

Chaos merely sidestepped. He spun around and swept his right leg through the air, striking the thug's head. The man's face twisted, blood sprayed—and his entire head burst apart.

The headless corpse tumbled to the ground. Blood shot from its mangled neck, sending the crowd's excitement to a fever pitch.

"Haha!"

"That's more like it! Take them all out!"

As the spectators egged him on, one thug raised a flintlock, sweat dripping down his face, and fired.

Chaos vanished from where he stood and appeared in front of the thug in the blink of an eye. He grabbed the man by the throat and lifted him into the air. With a single squeeze, it was like crushing a chicken's neck. A sharp crack sounded, and Chaos casually tossed him onto the ground. The man twitched twice, then went still.

Pfft, pfft—

Several more sharp objects pierced flesh in quick succession. Chaos killed the remaining thugs in a flash, then looked toward the bearded man, blood dripping from his fingers...