Chapter 1 Wait for 3 Years before talking
In the 1496th year of the Sea Circle Calendar,
On Goat Island, situated in the first half of the Grand Line,
The future Straw Hat Pirates will stay here for a few days.
It's an island with abundant mountains and forests. Right now, a wild beast's roar echoes from deep within the woods, causing a multitude of birds to take flight into the sky.
Suddenly, a giant tattooed tiger measuring seven to eight meters in length bursts out of the forest, its frantic run shaking the mountains and causing a large spray of dirt. It dashes out as if chased by some ancient ferocious beast, yowling and fleeing with its tail between its legs.
"Still running!"
Sunlight filters through the dense branches, and a golden figure appears in a flash. In the blink of an eye, Gaia Chaos, a little golden man, appears three meters away and kicks the tiger's rear end out of thin air.
Amidst the cries of pain, the tattooed tiger is sent flying, creating a cloud of dirt and debris as it tumbles like a ball, eventually crashing beneath a giant tree. It quickly scrambles to its feet, snarling and grimacing. Its formerly imposing and fierce visage, which should have exuded the dignity of a forest king, now carries an air of supplication and grievance.
"You seem to have lost weight recently!"
Approaching, the golden little man, Gaia Chaos, looks down with a disdainful expression.
Year after year, counting from the time of his transmigration, he has been in this world for three years.
At the beginning of his transmigration, he was composed.
After all, in the village of Earth, every month, millions of predecessors receive scripts to become the protagonists, rise to godhood, defeat all enemies, and eventually ascend to a throne that the world can only look up to.
It's a road to becoming an all-conquering underdog.
Transmigration is merely a job—a novelty and excitement at first, but eventually, it becomes mundane and uninteresting.
When he transmigrated here, it was in the year 1493 of the Sea Circle Calendar, a bit early!
That year, Sakazuki and Borsalino had only recently joined the Marines.
That year, Donquixote Doflamingo, born to be king, would kill his father.
That year, the world's most beautiful woman, Boa Hancock, had just been born.
In other words, Kuzan hadn't joined the Marines yet, Gol D. Roger hadn't become the Pirate King, the current Fleet Admiral of the Marines was Kong, and the Four Emperors, Seven Warlords of the Sea—some were just starting to make their marks, and some were still innocent and cute children.
As for Monkey D. Luffy, the man who would become the Pirate King, he might still be liquid.
This era was the time of those legendary powerhouses from the future.
A period of chaos and demons dancing together!
As one of the many chosen ones, Gaia Chaos had the most basic kind of privileges.
It was just that these privileges were as common as dirt, something every chosen one possessed.
First: Automatically understanding the language and writing of the One Piece.
Second: Transmigration leading to a second growth of talents, soul, and body.
It could be seen as transitioning from mediocrity to sudden brilliance.
And that's the end of that.
Indeed, initially Gaia Chaos had doubts, but three years had passed.
Life had to go on!
But Gaia Chaos had a somewhat dreamy beginning, you could say he was lucky!
He transmigrated while needing to relieve himself, found a spot randomly, and just as he was relaxing halfway through, he noticed a glittering golden object. There were peculiar curling patterns on it, and the object looked oddly familiar.
At that moment, Gaia Chaos' heartbeat skipped a beat.
He even held his urine back, not minding the dirt, and picked up the thing. It had a faint smell of urine!
It was a golden Devil Fruit—a look was enough to know it was the Natural-Natural Fruit: Glint-Glint Fruit!
He was already soaring to the summit from the very start.
He had never eaten feces, but after consuming the Devil Fruit, Gaia Chaos felt he had taken the first step in his life. Even feces would taste better than this thing!
Not long after, his face turned green.
This wasn't the Glint-Glint Fruit he had wanted.
Instead, it was the Superhuman-Superhuman Fruit: Gold-Gold Fruit.
The Devil Fruit of Golden Emperor Gild Tesoro from the movie, now snatched by him.
However, after the disappointment, Gaia Chaos grew excited again.
The dreams from his previous life could now be realized in this one!
Who cares about being Pirate King or Marine Admiral? Isn't becoming the world's wealthiest person more enticing?
Things that can be solved with money, that's called real business, right?
See someone you don't like? Put a bounty of billions on them, and you'll have people doing your work for you.
In this corrupt and disorderly world, you can manipulate everything with money.
After his excitement, Gaia Chaos calmed down.
Considering the current situation and the fact that he's a weakling, he decided to lay low for a few years.
And he laid low for three years!
During these three years, he stayed on this island, even when merchant ships or even pirates came by, he had no intention of leaving.
He made up his mind to become strong enough to protect himself before he'd go out adventuring—adventuring in a grand and conspicuous manner!
Everyone has a protagonist's script, so they should speak arrogantly and act audaciously. Otherwise, how could they be worthy of the heavens or the earth?
"Roar~"
The tattooed giant tiger's eyes revealed a human-like anger and frustration as it stared at those golden eyes, gradually backing away.
Ever since meeting this human three years ago, its carefree days were gone forever.
Its standard of living had been reduced to that of a poor household.
No matter if it was windy or raining, this guy would come to find it, fearless of any obstacle. Initially, it had been chasing after the other, but somehow, it had ended up being chased.
Since then, it had fallen into a state of spiritual decline, with its tiger spirit extinguished.
The only consolation was having two companions.
Like the lion with a fiery mane in the next mountain, and the armored crocodile in the largest river.
There was a time when the three of them had divided up the entire mountain range and were undoubtedly the rulers of the forest.
But now, they were in hot water every day.
"Snap!"
Gaia Chaos extended his golden arm and proactively brought it close to the giant tiger's gaping maw.
Looking at the golden arm before its eyes, the tattooed giant tiger looked humiliated, opened its sharp-toothed mouth full of resentment, and tried to bite.
"Put some effort into it."
Gaia Chaos grumbled somewhat dissatisfied. This fellow didn't even leave a tooth mark—it disappointed him. It used to be able to cause him harm.
"Roar~"
Exerting all its strength, the tattooed giant tiger let out a mournful roar. It really wanted to bite this guy to death, but he was too tough!
"It's useless, especially for someone who claims to be the Forest King."
After a moment, Gaia Chaos looked at his golden arm, there wasn't even a trace left on it. He wiped off the drool from the fur, which was brownish-yellow with black stripes, and then flipped and jumped onto the tiger's neck. He looked at his golden hands—hair, eyes, and everything about him had turned into gold.
Over these three years, he ran, did push-ups, sit-ups, and other exercises rain or shine. Over the months and years, he had become non-human. Combined with the second growth in soul and physique due to his transmigration, he now possessed a bit of self-defense power.
The Gold-Gold Fruit had also been developed to a certain extent.
Not only could his whole body transform into gold material, but he could also change his form at will.
With a thought, his entire arm quickly transformed into a golden longsword. It could be said that Gaia Chaos could turn his entire body into a variety of eighteen golden weapons.
And for the little tiger beneath him, its gaping maw could easily bite through trees half a meter thick, even rocks could be crushed. However, now it couldn't leave a tooth mark on Gaia Chaos.
One can imagine how strong Gaia Chaos' defense is now.
Additionally, he could sense the presence of gold within a certain range.
Aside from his enhanced physique, developed Gold-Gold Fruit abilities, Gaia Chaos had an unexpected delight over these three years.
That was one of the Rokushiki techniques, Soru.
Just three months ago, he had managed to successfully master Soru through blind training.
As for the Rokushiki techniques, those who have seen One Piece know all about them.
Shave is a Rokushiki technique that, in an instant (0.36 seconds), involves rapidly stomping the ground dozens of times to create an explosive reaction force for high-speed movement. To the eyes of an enemy, it appears as if the user has disappeared.
This technique doesn't require any internal energy, fairy aura, or fighting spirit to activate. As long as one's physique is strong enough and their foot speed reaches the required level, they can succeed in practicing it.
There are no profound martial art manuals involved; all it takes is to step ten times within the span of 0.36 seconds.
At first, he practiced with a somewhat lucky attitude.
Then there's Tekkai, which involves taking blows.
Moonwalk, Rankyaku, and Kami-e showed little progress, perhaps not meeting the necessary requirements yet.
While Finger Pistol hadn't been successfully trained, Gaia Chaos could leave finger marks on trees when his hands were in their golden state.
Compared to his self from three years ago, the current Gaia Chaos could easily take on thousands.
But these rewards now are all exchanged with sweat and torment over these three years.
Starting out, it was difficult to endure, but he gradually got used to it.
Lying on the back of the giant tiger, Gaia Chaos remained in his golden state. The duration of this state depended on when his stamina would be depleted.
But the stamina consumed per minute and second was almost negligible. If he remained in his golden state and endured hits, his stamina would be depleted relatively quickly.
"Roar~"
Not long after, the little tiger carried Gaia Chaos to the other side of the mountain. On a grassy field lay a scarred, seven to eight meters long male lion. Its scarred face made it appear even fiercer than the little tiger.
This was one of the Three Stooges, the little lion.
Its experiences were similar to the little tiger's.
Ever since encountering Gaia Chaos, the life of a lion was one of ups and downs!
Seeing the golden little figure, its fierce expression instantly softened.
"Go and catch two top-quality deer for me!"
Gaia Chaos sat up and looked at the lion with a frowning face. He raised his golden eyes with a hint of provocation.
Who's he trying to look serious for?
Is he trying to give a stern lesson?
He's not even afraid of tattoos, so why would he be afraid of a fiery mane?
In terms of society, he's the top dog of the biological world.
"Pfft~"
The massive lion shook its head and sneezed. After that, the little lion flicked its tail and exuded the air of a melancholic prince all over its body.
Then, the little tiger continued forward until it reached the side of a wide riverbank. On the sandy shore lay a fifteen-meter-long crocodile, basking in the sunlight with its belly exposed, snoring away.
Its gaping maw was one thing, but even its tongue was lolling to the side, drooling.
It looked as if it was sleeping soundly.
It was the master of this river, and its greatest dream was to bite Gaia Chaos to death.
"Boom~"
Gaia Chaos appeared on the sandy shore out of thin air. He swung his right foot backward and kicked the sharp-toothed maw's head forcefully. Accompanied by a pitiful and inhumane wail, the fifteen-meter-long body went airborne and crashed onto the ground, rolling incessantly.
Swiftly flipping back up from the ground, the moment it saw Gaia Chaos, its anger vanished instantly.
It's that damned guy again!
Ten minutes later.
In the dry area by the riverbank, the little lion dragged two deer back begrudgingly. The little tiger had also brought back a lot of deadwood from the forest. As for the little croc, it emerged from the river with a few plump fish clamped in its jaws.
Everyone had their clear tasks.
After stopping his inverted finger training, Gaia Chaos started a fire. One man, one lion, one tiger, and one crocodile all gathered around the bonfire. Compared to the sizes of the lion, tiger, and crocodile, even though Gaia Chaos had experienced another growth spurt over the three years, going from 1.76 meters to 2 meters, he was still not up to par.
"Why are you staring blankly? Go clean the skin and innards, and do I need to teach you how to do that?"
Gaia Chaos raised an eyebrow, his gaze sharp.
"Roar~"
The three creatures were both angry and afraid. They sluggishly started preparing the fish and deer.
With sharp claws, they easily sliced open the guts.
Extremely proficiently, they removed the innards, stripped off the deer hides or fish scales, and then washed them clean in the river before threading them onto branches.
The entire process was clean and efficient, skillful enough to make one feel a pang of sympathy.
Gaia Chaos sat by the bonfire, watching the three big fellows toiling away, yet he felt no sense of guilt.
Speaking of this world, it was peculiar that some animals had a certain degree of intelligence. Some even possessed Haki and armed color, just like these three.
Over these two or three years, he had gotten along well with these three animals. If it weren't for them chasing him all over the mountains at the beginning, his physique might not have become as strong as it was now.
Regrettably, besides Shave, the other Rokushiki techniques, even Armament Haki and Observation Haki, hadn't shown much progress.
Regarding Armament Haki and Tekkai, he remembered that as long as he took blows, the more he endured, the more likely he might awaken.
Over these three years, he had taken quite a beating, but it had been in vain.
However, his ability to withstand hits and his recovery rate had improved. This was quite clear.
He had also practiced Observation Haki. He covered his eyes and turned into a golden figure to let these three sneak up on him, which enhanced his dynamic reactions. However, he was just a hair's breadth away from breaking through; the difference was still like night and day.
In the world of pirates, mastering Armament Haki and Observation Haki were basic abilities that were a must-have.
"It seems it's time to leave."
Gaia Chaos gazed at the bonfire, lost in thought. He had spent these three years interacting with animals. Although he had faced life-threatening situations, he hadn't engaged in battles against people.
This was a weak point.
In other words, he lacked real combat experience.
Only through battles could he discover his shortcomings, and it was battles that would allow him to grow quickly. Isolation and complacency weren't the way to go!
By now, he had acquired some degree of self-defense ability. It was time to go out and experience this tumultuous era.
The lion, tiger, and crocodile saw Gaia Chaos lost in thought but didn't disturb him.
Instead, they roasted the deer and the fish over the bonfire. Every so often, they would extend their big paws to flip the meat. As the aroma spread, their fearsome sharp teeth started to salivate, and their thick tails swept across the ground.
Only during this time of the day or in the evening were they willing to see Gaia Chaos.
For the rest of the time, they wished they could just bite him to death. There would be nothing left but bone fragments!
After stuffing the innards, they began their usual "love and kill" routine.
Gaia Chaos closed his eyes, evading the attacks of the three fellows. If he couldn't dodge, he would take the hit head-on, occasionally launching a counterattack. Basically, it was a battle to the death.
The three creatures didn't hold back; they were eager to take Gaia Chaos down.
Everyone was harboring murderous intent!
At present, their lives weren't those of a lion, a tiger, and a crocodile, enjoying their freedom.
In essence, it was about killing him.
Scratching, clawing, biting, ramming – the three creatures only needed a glance to establish their silent understanding. Over these two years, a tacit agreement had formed. Once this human was eliminated, they'd be great buddies again.
At that point, they would return to their peak states as the lords of the lions, tigers, and crocodiles, and enjoy their freedom once more!
For a moment, there were miserable screams of chickens and dogs, continuing until the setting sun sank below the horizon.
"Phew~"
"Feels great!"
Drenched in sweat, his body covered in patches of blue and purple, Gaia Chaos shook his hair, wet from the sweat, and lazily stretched. Every part of his body ached unbearably. He didn't know if it was a misconception, but he felt a bit uncomfortable if he went without taking a beating for too long.
On the ground, the three fellows had noses swollen and faces bruised, sticking out their tongues and panting heavily. They twitched occasionally, their faces twisted in anguish due to the pain.
It was like experiencing the first time life had forcibly been taken away from them.
They weren't clean anymore.
Ten minutes later, when Gaia Chaos dragged a deer and waved goodbye to them in a friendly manner, the three dim-witted creatures squatted on the ground, all neatly spitting a mouthful of phlegm onto the ground with crooked mouths. They wished Gaia Chaos would evaporate from the human world forever.
This dream had been their prayer for over two years.
But it was in vain.
The next day, that damn bastard would still come looking for them.
…
The crimson hues of the setting sun adorned the sky, casting a warm glow as it descended towards the horizon. The gentle sea breeze rustled through the mountains, creating an atmosphere of serene tranquility.
Carrying the deer on his shoulder, Gaia Chaos descended from the mountains. Over these three years, he had become well acquainted with the townsfolk and neighbors of the small town.
He had never revealed his abilities or found the gold on the mountainside. He had always exchanged hunted game for daily supplies. His home was halfway up the mountain, a ten-minute journey from the small town at the foot of the mountain.
"Hey! Gaia Chaos caught another deer. It's quite large this time!"
Walking along the town's streets, many villagers greeted Gaia Chaos.
"Looks like luck is on my side today. It's going to be a good day again."
Gaia Chaos smiled cheerfully. He was familiar with these people who came and went.
He didn't manage to catch prey every day; sometimes it took two or three days before he could get anything. Occasionally, he would only catch wild chickens or rabbits. Gaia Chaos maintained the persona of an ordinary person.
In other words, he was extremely cautious and had perfectly integrated himself into the ranks of regular people.
Otherwise, with Gaia Chaos's current abilities and the lion, crocodile, and tiger trio, catching large prey would be an effortless task.
With a smile on his face the whole way, these people had, more or less, provided him with assistance at some point.
Sometimes, they would offer vegetables, soy sauce, vinegar, rice, and other everyday items. In return, Gaia Chaos would occasionally share some game meat and medicinal herbs. Through mutual help, everyone's lives remained peaceful and harmonious.
Having carried the deer to the butcher's house in town, Gaia Chaos then headed to the udon noodle restaurant run by an elderly couple named Trest. He had often run up a tab to enjoy noodles there.
"Uncle Trest, as usual, extra spicy and lots of green onions!"
Sitting down on a stool, Gaia Chaos shouted towards the kitchen.
"No problem."
Uncle Trest didn't come out to greet him. He recognized Gaia Chaos from his voice alone.
"There's a new issue of the newspaper today."
Looking at the newspaper on the table, Gaia Chaos flipped it open and began reading.
Throughout these three years, he had been keeping up with the outside world's news through newspapers.
The newspaper birds in this world were quite magical. Almost everywhere people lived, newspaper birds would come with papers to sell.
"Patrick Redfield, the Solitary Scarlet, and Admiral Sengoku, clashed for five days and five nights in the New World, destroying a medium-sized island before both parties fled."
"Admiral Garp, in pursuit of Roger Pirates, engaged in battle on the Grand Line; results unknown."
"Edward Newgate, Whitebeard, appeared in the New World, clashing with Golden Lion Shiki, the Flying Pirate, in conflict."
"Admiral Kong personally struck Kaido, causing significant damage, but Kaido managed to escape."
"Charlotte Linlin's Whole Cake Island is rapidly expanding its influence."
"World Destroyer Byrnndy World, destroyed a Marine branch, and Admiral Black Arm Zephyr took action forcefully!"
"Naturals, the emerging stars of the Marine - Sakaski, Borsalino, and Kuzan - captured numerous pirates with bounties in the hundreds of millions."
"..."
The latest issue of the newspaper contained numerous reports.
Apart from the pirates that would become legends in twenty years' time, there were also many notorious pirates with bounties exceeding a billion Berries. In this era, a bounty of a billion Berries was equivalent to three or four billion in Luffy's time, and it was the real deal.
In the future Pirate Era, the bounty amount no longer represented strength; instead, it reflected the extent of one's crimes. Such as indiscriminate killing of innocents and destruction of villages and kingdoms.
Bounties would significantly increase in such cases.
Unlike the current era, where bounty and strength were linked. The higher the bounty, the stronger the individual.
"Damn, it's dangerous!"
Looking at the reports, many of them were about events that had happened a month or even half a month ago!
Outside, all sorts of formidable characters were stirring up trouble. The mere thought of it was thrilling.
Although it was true that only a handful of individuals would become legends in the turbulent sea, anyone with a bounty exceeding a billion Berries in this era undoubtedly had some real skills up their sleeve.
As long as he could survive until Luffy's era, Gaia Chaos would undoubtedly be hailed as a legendary pirate.
In this era, Kaido and Big Mom had already begun to show their might. Roger, Whitebeard, Golden Lion, Lonely Red, Garp, Zephyr, Sengoku, and the World Destroyer were all penning their own legends. Rising stars like Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan were also shining brightly.
The future Yonko, Seven Warlords of the Sea, Marines, Revolutionaries, and Underground Kings—the world's hierarchy hadn't taken shape yet. The World Government remained the unquestionable supreme ruler.
The fools of Mariejois still reveled in their ignorant revelries, singing and dancing without a care.
The Great Pirate Era had yet to begin.
Having scraped by for three years, it was time for him to go out and explore, to make some waves.
His previous life had been unremarkable, just an invisible speck in the sea of humanity.
Seeing those glamorous stars on TV, the rich second generations cruising in luxury cars, or the powerful and wealthy magnates—who didn't attract attention wherever they went?
He also wanted to be ostentatious, to be arrogant!
And he would be untouchable, just like those he admired. That was the kind of life he yearned for.
After finally getting the protagonist's script, if he doesn't turn the world into a mess, he might as well just die.
Even if he ended up with a broken leg or died halfway, he was determined to see this through. Not only would he walk the path, but he'd walk it with swagger and arrogance.
He had to act!
It was a matter of principle.
No room for negotiation!
...
After finishing the udon noodles, Gaia Chaos returned to his wooden house halfway up the mountain.
This island was called Goat Island, situated on the Grand Line!
Approximately every six months, some trading ships would dock here to trade or purchase supplies. And if luck was against him, there might even be a few pirates!
Calculating the time, there were still three to four months until the next trading ship passed by.
Gaia Chaos planned to hitch a ride on one of those ships to venture out and gain experience. Currently, he didn't have a clear goal in mind.
At its core, his main objective was to become stronger.
Once he possessed the strength to protect his wealth, he'd undoubtedly be the world's richest man.
Even the Pirate King wouldn't have a title as resounding as his.
After all, during Roger's Great Pirate Era, it was all about ONE PIECE. But ONE PIECE symbolized wealth, power, and fame—three things that were already at the disposal of the world's richest man.
If things went well, Roger might have had to find other enticing reasons to start the Great Pirate Era.
And if he got bored, he could even engage in a couple of side jobs, like becoming one of the Four Emperors or one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!
To be able to say the grandiose statement "I'm not interested in money, and I've never even touched it" required a long and arduous journey.
Though there was some hypocrisy, that feeling was quite exhilarating.
Night had fallen, and there were no entertainment activities to engage in. Gaia Chaos had no choice but to continue training.
Despite feeling fatigued, the thought of setting sail soon, with the potential for life-threatening danger, rekindled his fighting spirit.
He could endure some hardship now, tire himself out a bit, all in preparation for the future.
Thinking about the arrogant and prosperous life that lay ahead, none of this seemed like a big deal!
In three to four months, he would see if he could successfully master the Six Styles or at least one of the Two-Haki Auras. Even achieving just one of them would be a major gain...
(Chapter End)