Kaos clenched his left hand into a golden fist, where dense golden spikes appeared, each sharp and flashing with a cold light.
He punched at Balfour, who was frightened and quickly retreated to avoid the strike.
But Kaos used his razor to close the distance in an instant, leapt high, and swept his right foot across Balfour's face.
Teeth flew, blood splattered, and Balfour's whole face twisted in agony. With a burst of breaking air, rubble and wood chips scattered, and he lay at the far end, dizzy and almost unable to rise.
Kaos landed firmly, raised his hand, and five golden swords flew out one after another. Each blade gleamed under the sunlight, but now they were nothing but instruments of death.
Balfour struggled to get up, rolling on the ground with no time to care about his image.
The five golden swords stabbed into the deck, their hilts protruding ominously.
Kaos was like a cat toying with a mouse, using Balfour as a test subject for the techniques he had developed with the Gold-Gold Fruit.
Sparks flew as metal clashed. The five golden swords split into dense golden needles, which shot forward in sharp rays toward Balfour.
"Damn it!"
The sound was like a swarm of bees. Balfour's pale face filled with terror as he scrambled to hide behind cover, gasping for breath.
A Devil Fruit user. That guy's a Devil Fruit user!
With his bounty over eight million, Balfour was considered a notorious pirate in nearby waters. He knew enough common sense to recognize what he was facing.
He had heard tales of the "secret treasures of the sea" more than once, but he never imagined he would encounter one today.
"Heaven's Lock!"
Three golden swords clashed and fused into a chain of pure gold, winding like a python toward Balfour. No matter how many shots he fired or how furiously he swung his machete, it was useless.
The chain dodged attacks, and even when cut, it reconnected itself.
Balfour's thick arms were bound, his massive body hoisted into the air. The chains coiled tighter and tighter, as though they would crush his bones to powder.
Kaos raised his hand and gestured, and the two remaining golden swords transformed into spears. They hovered behind him, poised to strike and pin Balfour midair.
"Have mercy! I can be your subordinate!"
The fear of death gripped his very soul. His face, bloodied and mangled, twisted with desperation as he begged. He didn't want to die.
Kaos glanced around and saw the captain, guards, and passengers watching from the distance. Others peeked nervously from the cabins. As for Balfour's men, most were already dead.
The few survivors had been tied up, awaiting fates common to pirates: either death or slavery.
"Puff~"
The golden spear pierced through Balfour's back. His body convulsed as blood gushed from his mouth and nose. His eyes filled with despair and terror before the light faded away.
As his life ended, the golden spear and chain shook themselves clean of blood before flying back into Kaos's sleeves, merging with his body as golden inner armor.
Killing Balfour wasn't just a necessity—it was a deterrent. The man's hands were drenched in blood. Eliminating him was justice in its own way.
If only he had been stronger, perhaps Kaos could've recruited him as a subordinate. But he was just too weak.
"Thank you, sir, for saving us!"
The captain and his crew stepped forward to thank Kaos. If it weren't for him, they would have been buried at the bottom of the sea.
The young steward who had sold Kaos a boat ticket earlier now stood with his mouth hanging open in shock.
I was wrong. This isn't some hunter… this is a true monster.
"It's fine. Just a piece of cake."
Kaos kept his thoughts guarded. He didn't know whether these people were truly grateful or just putting on a show. Either way, he was the strongest man on the ship now—so he had nothing to fear.
Mock Town, on Jaya Island in the first half of the Grand Line, was a notorious haven for pirates. Wealth flowed like water, and the place thrived on vice and violence.
Gambling houses, brothels, and pubs lined the streets. It was less a town and more a kingdom of chaos, a paradise built by and for pirates.
There were no "ordinary people" here. Everyone's hands were stained with blood.
In the town center, armed figures wandered openly. Even a delicate-looking girl might have claimed several lives already.
Fights broke out over the smallest disagreements. If you weren't careful, you could die before you realized it.
Far out on the horizon, a merchant ship anchored in the distance. From the bow, Mock Town looked like no more than a black sesame seed on the water's edge.
"Mr. Kaos, are you sure you want to go to Mock Town?"
On the deck, the captain, guards, and other passengers eyed him nervously.
"Yes."
Kaos's gaze locked on the black dot.
His clash with the Balfour Pirates two days ago had been his first real battle with humans in three years.
Though he defeated them with ease, Kaos realized he could still improve—his speed, his precision, his mastery of gold.
Fighting humans was different from fighting beasts. This experience had pushed his awareness and instincts a little higher.
As expected, some things can only be honed through battle.
Like the honey badger, Kaos lived by a creed: if you don't accept me, fight me. He was either fighting or walking the road to the next fight.
Work it to death.
Since Mock Town was nearby, the merchant ship agreed to give him a ride. After saving them, Kaos was treated far better than before.
The best rooms were arranged for him. The treasures looted from the Balfour Pirates were laid out before him, but Kaos only took the gold, refining it and merging it with his golden inner armor.
This was the difference strength made. With strength came wealth, fame, power, even women—all within reach.
Kaos also remembered that Mock Town was tied to Sky Island. Somewhere above lay Skypiea, and with it the possibility of the Thunder Fruit.
Even if he didn't find the fruit, the gold of Sky Island would be worth storing for the future. It was the perfect place for a base camp, a refuge few could threaten.
Mock Town itself was valuable, too. A nest of monsters and pirates, it was the perfect place to sharpen himself further.
So, Kaos decided not to rush toward Water 7 or the Sabaody Archipelago. He would stay in Mock Town and temper his strength.
"But Mock Town is crawling with powerful pirates…"
"Leave."
Kaos cut him off, waving dismissively. Then, clad in golden armor, his figure shot into the sky like a cannonball, soaring toward Mock Town.
"Let's leave this sea area as soon as possible!"
The captain urged the crew, anxious to escape the dangerous waters near Mock Town.
The merchant ship turned sharply and soon vanished over the horizon.
At that moment, Kaos descended quietly into the jungle at the rear of Jaya. He did not walk openly into Mock Town but chose to be discreet.
Even after twenty years, Mock Town's reputation as a pirate haven still carried immense weight.
Ambitious and arrogant pirates always came here, detouring just to make a name for themselves.
Because here, fame spread fast.
If you proved yourself in Mock Town, word would quickly spread across the Grand Line.
The only condition: your strength had to be enough.