Starting with the Small Ones

"Flying Pirates?"

With a mocking look on his face, Ye Chen had not expected this trash to have latched onto the Flying Pirates. During his month at sea, Ye Chen had learned a little about the current situation on the seas.

The Flying Pirates were currently at the height of their power, having become one of the foremost overlords. Not even the equally renowned Roger Pirates, Whitebeard Pirates, or Red the Aloof could compare. This was because the captain of the Flying Pirates, Golden Lion Shiki, possessed immense ambition and had gathered an unknown number of pirate crews beneath him.

Their influence spread across nearly half of the New World and the Grand Line. Ye Chen had not expected them to have holdings even in the Sabaody Archipelago.

"I've already notified the Rhino Pirates, Golden Lion's most capable subordinates. Kid, you dared destroy the Flying Pirates' property, so you're dead for sure. Kneel before me now, and perhaps I'll let you live."

Even as he hung in the air with his throat gripped, Anslage looked at Ye Chen with contempt. The Flying Pirates had become so powerful that even the Marines had to think twice before provoking them.

Over the past two years, he had spent a great deal of treasure to establish ties with the Rhino Pirates, a Flying Pirates subordinate crew with a 95 million bounty. Otherwise, how could his auction house have expanded into a medium-sized auction house in just two years? It was because the Rhino Pirates stood behind him, and behind the Rhino Pirates stood the Flying Pirates.

"You truly deserve to die."

His expression turning icy, Ye Chen repeated the same process. Accompanied by a scream, he forcibly tore off Anslage's arm.

Scalding blood splattered across the ground, filling the entire place with the stench of blood.

"Ah! I'll make you die! I'll make you die!"

The soul-rending pain twisted Anslage's face into a savage mask. He glared venomously at Ye Chen and continued threatening him.

"You can't even endure this little pain? I endured far more than you did back then."

A miserable howl rang out as his other arm fell away. Anslage's eyes rolled back, his entire body convulsing uncontrollably. His face had turned deathly pale and contorted horribly.

Bang!

Ye Chen let go and slammed Anslage onto the ground. Looking down at him, his eyes were utterly cold.

He raised his foot. With a crack and a scream, Ye Chen crushed Anslage's right foot beneath his heel, then slowly worked his way upward inch by inch.

"Please, spare me! Spare me!"

His mind collapsed, and Anslage could no longer bear it. He wept and begged as he struggled in the pool of blood.

Yet Ye Chen gave him no chance, continuing until the heart-wrenching screams shook the ground.

"Let me remind you. Two years ago, you bought me from Elwin." Ye Chen bent down slightly, tore open his collar, and revealed the blurred scar on the right side of his chest. With a feral smile, he said, "Then you sold me to that fat woman on Hotel Street. The pain I endured was far greater than you could ever imagine."

"Now tell me, where is Elwin?"

Whether Anslage had heard him or not, Ye Chen lifted his foot and moved it toward Anslage's other leg.

"I... I don't know."

Pain had left Anslage's entire body weak and spasming. Besides, two years had passed. How could he remember?

"You don't know? Then I'll let you taste hell." Ye Chen's lips curved into a gentle smile, yet it sent chills through Anslage's entire body.

"I... I... Elwin got incredibly lucky and ate a Devil Fruit. He's already become one of the Flying Pirates' fleet captains. I haven't seen him for half a year. Please, spare me."

Anslage wept bitterly. Back then, it was through Elwin's introduction that he had come to know the Rhino Pirates.

Ye Chen frowned, his face darkening. He had not expected that guy to have eaten a Devil Fruit and become a member of the Flying Pirates. That was a major problem.

Looking down at Anslage, whose face was covered in blood and sickly pale from excessive blood loss, Ye Chen suddenly felt disgusted.

To him, this man had been one of the executioners responsible for the months of torment he had suffered. But now, everything had been reversed.

"You can die now."

"No, no! I've already told you everything I know!"

Too lazy to listen to Anslage's pleas, Ye Chen stomped directly on his head. Brain matter and blood mixed together and sprayed across the ground.

After dealing with Anslage, Ye Chen spread his Observation Haki and proceeded to purge the entire auction house. Every staff member, male or female, was killed. These people were even more wicked than Anslage and all deserved to die.

As for the slaves, Ye Chen set them all free.

Soon afterward, the entire auction house exploded with a thunderous blast. Smoke spread through the air as it was reduced to ruins.

Walking out of the smoke, Ye Chen felt none of the imagined satisfaction of revenge. Everything felt normal.

Perhaps it was because things were no longer the same. Enemies who had once seemed so powerful had become so weak, leaving him with a sense of emptiness.

Still, there was one more person who had to die, even if he had the Flying Pirates behind him.

He definitely could not defeat the Flying Pirates right now. Then he would break them apart one by one, starting with the small ones and killing his way upward layer by layer. One day, he would catch that man.

As it happened, he was a Marine and needed military achievements and accomplishments. He would start with the Flying Pirates and slowly temper himself.

If he couldn't beat the old ones, he refused to believe he couldn't beat the young ones too.

Ignoring the fearful looks from both sides of the street, Ye Chen headed toward Zones 60 through 69, where the Marine base was located.

He was going to wait for the so-called Rhino Pirates.

When he arrived at the Marine base, it had not changed much from two years ago. The same Vice Admiral was still stationed there.

Ye Chen's arrival caused only a small commotion at the base. After all, Ye Chen was a Rear Admiral, and his Future was clearly far greater than that. Even a Vice Admiral had to treat him as an equal.

Moreover, the higher-ups had specifically given instructions about him. That left the Vice Admiral with no choice but to take seriously the man who had once departed from this place.

That day, the destruction of the Drunken Auction House became known across more than half of the Sabaody Archipelago. Later, when people saw Ye Chen enter the Marine base, several factions could not help but begin thinking.

Others might not know who stood behind Drunken Auction House, but how could they not know? Ye Chen's actions made many instinctively wonder whether the Marines were preparing to move against the Flying Pirates.

Of course, that was only one possibility. The Flying Pirates and the Marines were both among the greatest forces on the seas, so friction between their subordinates was inevitable. But the chances of an outright war were not high.

Still, it drew everyone's attention. In the chaotic Sabaody Archipelago, information was the most important thing.

At the same time, upon the turbulent sea, a pirate crew was racing toward the Sabaody Archipelago.

The Rhino Pirates were one of the lower-ranking subordinate crews of the Flying Pirates. Their captain, Death Rhino, had a bounty of 95 million. He was powerful and loved killing and treasure.

Anslage offered him a huge amount of wealth every year, so Death Rhino valued Anslage highly. Although Anslage had no strength to speak of, as long as he could offer wealth, Death Rhino was willing to protect him.

Now, what force on the Sabaody Archipelago did not know that Anslage had Death Rhino backing him? Yet someone had actually killed Anslage and destroyed the auction house. It was a blatant slap in Death Rhino's face.

So he personally set out, determined to see which blind fool had done it.