The peace of the Golden Sea was gone for good.
Following the World Government's public announcement, large numbers of civilians began leaving Jaya Island.
There was no denying that the World Government still held considerable sway over ordinary people.
Some of the more perceptive small and medium-sized factions also began to leave.
Once war broke out, even salvaging gold in peace would become a problem.
They would also draw the Navy's attention, making the venture more trouble than it was worth.
Faced with war, many people felt genuine fear and scrambled to get away.
Wealth mattered far less than their lives.
It was time to quit while they were ahead. They had only been there a few months, but their gains were already enough.
Some latecomers lamented that they had not arrived sooner.
There was no predicting such things. Who could have known how the situation on Jaya Island would develop?
They were among the first to take the plunge. Even if they left now, they would return with their holds full and substantial gains.
Once the war broke out, digging for gold would no longer be so easy.
Even the biggest fool knew that gold only truly belonged to them once they got it off Jaya Island.
If they could not take it off Jaya Island, what good was digging up more gold?
Even if they deposited their gold in the Dark Bank, once they lost their lives, that gold would naturally belong to the bank.
The Dark Bank had no inheritance system. It recognized only proof of deposit and passwords or special instructions established in advance.
Faced with death, some people would rather let their gold lie forever in the Dark Bank than hand it over.
Once they surrendered their gold, death would most likely follow.
On Jaya