The massive, steel-behemoth-like hull of the Conqueror slowly sailed into the Sabaody Archipelago, approaching Port 1.
The port was bustling with people, shoulders nearly touching. The instant you set foot on this extraordinary island, a unique, chaotic atmosphere would wash over you—one thick with clamor, sin, and, most importantly, opportunity.
"Hey! Look over there! What… what is that?!"
On the crowded port, a pirate trying to sell cheap, fake treasure maps suddenly screamed as if he'd seen the legendary sea monster, pointing frantically toward the distant sea.
Everyone's gaze instinctively followed the direction he was pointing.
Then, the same expression of profound shock and utter disbelief instantly appeared on everyone's faces.
On the clear, azure horizon, an incredibly massive, silver-white steel behemoth—smooth as a mirror and looking like a piece of advanced, futuristic Capsule Corp. technology—was slowly approaching the port. It moved with an extremely steady yet oppressive posture, making it look more like a floating fortress than a ship.
The ship's sheer size was truly enormous!
Compared to the colossal hull of the Conqueror, the so-called large three-masted sailing ships anchored in the port looked like ridiculously small children's toy models.
As the giant ship drew closer, someone finally recovered from the immense shock and exclaimed, "My goodness! How can there be… such a big ship in the Grand Line?!"
"I know! I've truly lived long enough to see everything now! I wonder which important person's private ride that could be?" another person commented.
This reminder made everyone's gaze turn to the flag fluttering powerfully in the wind above the giant ship.
It was a flag with a purely black background.
On the dark cloth, only a clean silhouette of a black-haired, spiky-headed young man with a wild, unrestrained smile was printed.
The style didn't look like any well-known pirate crew or even the Marines.
"What is this symbol? I… I've never seen it before?" one pirate muttered in confusion.
But among the crowd, there were a few more well-traveled and experienced merchants, the kind who did business between the Four Blues.
After carefully identifying the recognizable silhouette, one merchant's expression suddenly changed to one of panic.
"It seems… it seems to be… the Golden Group's symbol?!"
The Power of the Golden Group
"Boom—!!!"
This name, the Golden Group, landed like a heavy bomb, instantly causing the entire Port 1 to completely erupt into noise and chaos.
"The Golden Group?! Is that the Golden Group that is as powerful as the midday sun back in the North Blue?!" a startled bounty hunter shouted.
"Is it that huge commercial empire that launched the revolutionary Omnipotent Capsule and completely changed the entire transportation and storage industry across the Four Blues?!" another person questioned.
After a fierce discussion, the crowd finally confirmed the frightening truth—
That's right!
The newcomer was indeed the Golden Group, a name now famous throughout the world and all four seas.
Everyone had heard of the Golden Group's great reputation.
They were the uncrowned king of the North Blue, the undisputed leader of future technology, with the formidable Saiyan Guard under their command—a private military force often compared to the elite fighting units of the Marine Admirals. Any one of these titles was enough to prove that this was a definite "big shot" that could not be easily provoked or ignored. They were, by all accounts, a Tier 3: World-Class Power organization.
But some people also felt deeply puzzled by their appearance in such a remote area.
"That's strange… why would the Golden Group's ship suddenly appear here? Don't they usually only operate in the North Blue?" a ship captain wondered aloud.
"Why do you care so much about him?!" a seemingly shrewd pirate standing nearby immediately retorted, his voice strained with anxiety. "When a ruthless character of this level suddenly comes to a lawless area like ours, it's definitely not a good sign! Hurry up and leave now! If something big goes down later, you won't be able to escape the port in time!"
Greed and Unrest
As soon as these words were spoken, some fellows who valued their lives immediately became like startled birds, turning around without a word and quickly leaving this troubled place in the direction away from the port.
But such cautious people were only a minority.
Most people chose to stay and watch. Among them were ordinary citizens who held the attitude of "the more chaotic, the better" for pure entertainment, and also… a large number of guys with ulterior and very dangerous motives.
There were ferocious pirates, desperate bandits who had nowhere else to run, and relentless bounty hunters who would stop at nothing for a pile of Berries.
Their eyes were filled with undisguised greed, a visible fire of desire.
Although the Golden Group's name held absolute authority and was an unprovokable existence in the North Blue, here—in the lawless Sabaody Archipelago, the infamous gathering place for desperadoes from all over the world, the end of the Grand Line, and the dangerous entrance to the New World—their reputation was not as effective.
Most of the people who gathered here were those who valued money more than their own lives, and they didn't care about those so-called "rules" or the political stability of the World Government at all.
"Hehe… such a big, rich-looking ship, there must be a lot of valuable things on it, right?" a scarred bandit whispered, licking his lips.
"The Golden Group… just hearing the name sounds like pure gold! They must be loaded with cash!" another agreed.
"Hehehe! Little ones! Go and contact more people! Get ready for a big fight! We're going to rob these rich folks blind!" their leader snarled, a wicked grin on his face.
For a time, the entire Port 1 was thrown into utter turmoil and expectation. Everyone's eyes burned with the flame of dangerous "desire", hoping to carve out a massive share from this huge, unexpected "fat meat" that had suddenly come right to their doorstep.
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