Kaos walked out of the jungle and looked at the buildings along the coast. He could hear the bustling sounds from a long distance away.
Looking up at the sky, he saw white clouds surrounding the sun. Just 10,000 meters above, there was an island full of mystery, magic, and gold.
"Bang!"
A burst of gunfire and shouting caught Kaos's attention. Just outside the town, in an open space, more than thirty pirates were locked in a life-and-death battle.
All around, other pirates were cheering, shouting, and even placing bets.
Chaotic, violent, and bloody—it was a spectacle from the start.
The battle was over in just five or six minutes. Soon, people came out automatically to drag the bodies away. If not for the bloodstains and bits of flesh on the ground, no one would believe more than a dozen men had died in such a short span.
The winner got cheers and money. The loser only got death.
"These pirates are completely crazy," Kaos thought.
After all, no one knew when they would die. Their nerves had long been corroded, their minds twisted, their spirits broken into madness.
Kaos walked past calmly and entered the town. Taverns, red-light districts, casinos, and shops lined both sides of the street. Pirates with knives and guns swaggered everywhere. The air itself stank of decadence, like a carnival of death.
Anyone running a shop here had to be armed or have the protection of someone powerful. Otherwise, they wouldn't survive.
A drunk pirate could do anything.
And those who looked like weak old men, women, or children? Most were retired pirates or thugs, each ruthless in their own right.
Of course, some were truly ordinary people. But most of them were descendants of pirates. Outsiders had no chance of living here.
In this place, you'd be embarrassed to walk outside without blood on your hands.
One look was enough to tell if a man had killed before or not.
Right now, Kaos was being targeted.
"Boss, this guy looks like a newcomer."
"Still alone."
Five madmen, armed with long swords and muskets, grinned as they surrounded him. Clearly, they had been watching him since he stepped into town.
"Boy, hand over all the money you've got, or you don't leave alive," the leader growled.
He was a big, bearded man, carelessly picking at his nails. With his experience, he thought Kaos was just a soft persimmon waiting to be squeezed.
Normally, a lone ranger entering Mock Town was someone best not provoked because he was likely carrying skills or power. But this kid? He didn't have the smell of gunpowder or blood.
He looked like a country bumpkin stepping into a bustling city for the first time.
The bearded man thought he smelled weakness.
And why did they dare to rob so brazenly in broad daylight? Because they had a backer.
The Lion King Pirates.
With a combined bounty of 76 million, their captain, Lion King Gappa, had a bounty of 53 million and was a devil fruit user.
The Lion King Pirates weren't top-tier in Mock Town, but they had a name.
Highway robbery like this was reserved for newbies or lone merchants. The real powerhouses didn't bother.
"Haha~ Another immature guy being targeted!"
"Kill him!"
"I bet he won't last five seconds."
"I say ten seconds."
"Isn't that the bearded lackey of the Lion King Pirates?"
"Pathetic. All they do is bully newcomers."
"Lion King Gappa's lucky bastard, he got himself a Zoan, the Cat-Cat Fruit: Lion Model."
"Forget it. That guy's already dead."
The crowd thickened, pirates eager to watch blood spill. Most were convinced Kaos was finished.
Veteran pirates who lived on the knife's edge carried a unique aura. Kaos clearly lacked it.
"It's even crazier than I imagined," Kaos thought.
He had expected this when he came to Mock Town. This was the real world of pirates—a life-and-death struggle triggered by just a glance.
Robbery here was as natural as drinking water.
And that was exactly what he wanted.
Only by living in a den of lunatics could he blend in and stop seeming out of place.
"Somewhat exciting," he smirked to himself.
Kaos played with heartbeats. His goal was clear. He was going to be the richest man in the world.
"Boy, did you hear me?"
"Hand over your money, or I'll kill you."
The thug jabbed his musket into Kaos's forehead, grinning ferociously.
The onlookers laughed, certain the kid was frozen in fear.
"Please don't poke me," Kaos said calmly, tilting his head back. He wasn't angry.
Because in his eyes, these men were already dead.
He hadn't come to Mock Town for low-key fun. He came to sharpen himself through real battles.
Yes, it was dangerous. But Kaos wasn't afraid, he was eager.
Some people were just begging for death.
"Haha! Bad temper, huh? I'll poke you!" the thug laughed arrogantly, emboldened by his backers.
It wasn't about intelligence.
"Puff~"
The laughter died instantly. The thug's eyes bulged, hands clutching his throat as blood sprayed. He stumbled backward, mouth gaping, but only choked hiccups came out.
Kaos lowered his hand, his index and middle fingers stained red, dripping onto the dirt.
He wasn't sure if he had fully mastered the Finger Gun, but he knew this much: even without turning into gold, his strikes could dent trees. As gold, he could pierce stone.
Not yet like CP9 or the underground king Stussy, whose Finger Gun bullets flew like air rounds but strong enough.
The atmosphere froze for three seconds. Then the chaos doubled.
"This brat actually fought back!"
"He's got guts!"
"Finally, something worth watching."
"Kill them, kid, I'll bet on you to win!"
"Yeah, boy! Slaughter them all!"
The laughter, the howls, the madness was endless.
The smell of blood only drove the crowd crazier.
"He's finished. Kill him!" the bearded man barked, face darkening. To him, Kaos was already a corpse.
"Go to hell!"
A thug swung a long blade at Kaos with all his strength.
Kaos calmly stepped sideways, body twisting. His right foot snapped through the air with a loud crack—
and smashed the thug's skull to pieces.
The headless body collapsed, blood spraying like a fountain.
"Haha~!"
"That's it! Wipe them out!"
The crowd roared in excitement.
One thug, sweating, raised his musket and fired desperately.
Kaos vanished.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared before the shooter, gripping his neck. With casual force, he slammed him to the ground. Bones cracked like dry twigs. The man twitched twice, then lay still.
Puff~
The wet sound of steel tearing flesh echoed again and again.
In moments, Kaos cut down the rest of the gang. He stood over the corpses, blood dripping from his fingers, and fixed his gaze on the bearded man.