The New World, Gray Island.

An island named after a person.

Once obscure, it had now gained immense fame in the New World.

Gray.

A rising powerhouse of the past few years, Gray had become the strongest emperor of the underground world, amassing an unparalleled fortune.

Gray: A Paramecia-type Gold Gold Fruit user.

The mythical Zoan-type Daibutsu (Great Buddha) model Devil Fruit was in the possession of the Golden Emperor Gray, who had deliberately leaked the news.

Pirates from across the New World flocked to Gray Island.

Among them were Ace and his crew.

On the golden plaza, forged entirely from gold, the pirates’ eyes burned red with greed as they stared at the island, which resembled a city of gold. Pirates who weren’t covetous of riches were rare.

“No wonder he’s called the Golden Emperor. This is pure extravagance.”

“I feel like taking all of this for myself.”

“Are you insane? This is the Golden Emperor’s territory. No one has ever gotten away with stealing his gold.”

The pirates were both greedy and fearful—fearful of Gray’s power and the forces under his command.

“The Golden Emperor Gray?” Ace asked curiously, looking at Sabo.

“Who’s that?”

“An 890 million bounty, with limitless wealth. No one knows the full extent of his power, but he’s rumored to be the one closest to becoming an Emperor of the Seas,” Sabo explained while flipping through newly collected intel.

“The closest to the Four Emperors?”

Ace’s initial dismissiveness faded, his expression becoming serious. After experiencing Whitebeard’s unmatched strength, Ace was no longer the reckless youth he once was.

Suddenly, “Boom! Boom! Boom!”

All around the plaza, golden fountains erupted, showering the city in glittering streams.

Pirates bathed in the golden rain.

Some pirates, in their desperation, shamefully used various containers to catch the golden rain, knowing it symbolized treasure.

“Welcome, everyone, to Gray Island.”

A burly man in a red suit with slicked-back hair and sharp eyes exuded the demeanor of a true overlord.

This was the Golden Emperor Gray, whose rise in fame over the past few years had been as meteoric as Ace’s.

“Golden Emperor, you deliberately leaked the news about the mythical Zoan Daibutsu model in your possession. Why did you lure us here?”

“Enough nonsense! Where is the mythical Zoan Daibutsu model Devil Fruit?”

“Hand it over!”

Many pirates with bounties in the hundreds of millions ignored the gold and fixated solely on the mythical Zoan Daibutsu model Devil Fruit.

A top-tier Devil Fruit.

It represented power.

With power came wealth naturally.

“The mythical Zoan model once held by Fleet Admiral Sengoku is now in my possession,” Gray declared.

Two stunning women emerged, carrying a golden tray as they strutted seductively toward the high platform.

Their appearance quickened the breathing of many pirates.

The two women were none other than Karina and Baccarat, known from the original series for serving under the Golden Emperor Tesoro.

However, due to Doflamingo’s premature demise, the original Golden Emperor Tesoro had faded into obscurity.

The new Golden Emperor was Gray.

Gray took the tray and raised it high.

On the tray was a Devil Fruit, gleaming as if it had been cast in gold.

“This is the mythical Zoan Daibutsu model.”

Many pirates had researched the Devil Fruit encyclopedia beforehand and confirmed it matched the description of the mythical Zoan Daibutsu model.

“Golden Emperor, since the mythical Zoan Daibutsu model is in your possession, hand it over.”

“Don’t force us to destroy this golden city of yours.”

“Hand it over obediently.”

The pirates shouted aggressively.

Confident in their numbers, they felt no fear of Gray.

Among the pirates present, no fewer than five had bounties exceeding 500 million.

“This Devil Fruit, since I’ve lured you here, will indeed go to one of you,” Gray said, gazing down at the pirates with a playful smile. “But deciding who gets it… won’t be easy.”

“Of course, it’ll go to whoever takes it by force.”

“That’s right. Survival of the fittest!”

Some rash pirates had already drawn their weapons and firearms.

“Hold it!” Gray’s eyes turned cold. Golden spikes emerged from the surrounding sea of gold, pointing menacingly at the pirates below.

Simultaneously, a large number of Gray’s subordinates appeared, armed and ready.

Golden fountains continued to cascade from above.

“Think carefully, everyone, whether the price is one you can afford to pay,” Gray said, his tone dripping with menace.

For a moment, not a single pirate dared to act rashly.

Once the chaos subsided, Gray revealed his true intention. “I brought you all here not just to share this Devil Fruit but also to propose an alliance.”

“An alliance?”

The pirates narrowed their eyes.

So, he had his sights set on us.

He wanted to subjugate us.

“With my limitless wealth, if we join forces to form an even stronger power, we will become the new Emperors of the Seas.”

Gray laid bare his ambition—to challenge the existing Emperors of the Seas.

For many pirates, it was their ultimate dream and ambition. To become an Emperor of the Seas was to gain the right to vie for the vacant throne of Pirate King.

“Sounds nice, but you just want us to be your lackeys.”

“I’m not interested in being someone else’s subordinate.”

Some defiant pirates scoffed openly.

But many others were tempted.

The rumors of Gray being the closest to an Emperor of the Seas, combined with the possibility of working together to achieve that status, were highly enticing.

“I’m not asking you to be lackeys. This is a partnership—a win-win. Join me, and you’ll enjoy all my wealth. As for the mythical Zoan, whoever claims it will become the second-in-command of our alliance.”

Infinite wealth, the prestige of an Emperor of the Seas, and the allure of the mythical Zoan Daibutsu model.

More pirates were swayed.

Only a handful remained unmoved, including Ace.

“Ace, getting the mythical Zoan Daibutsu model won’t be easy today,” Sabo remarked.

“The harder, the better,” Ace replied fearlessly.

“To become a new Emperor of the Seas, I’m curious—who do you plan to dethrone?” Ace couldn’t help but ask.

Instantly, all eyes turned to him.

The pirates were wary of Ace, the most famous rookie pirate of the year, known as Fire Fist Ace.

Gray locked eyes with Ace, his gaze intense.

“The New World is vast. Making room for another Emperor isn’t difficult. Once we’ve established ourselves, we’ll challenge the other Emperors one by one. One day, the seas will bow to a single Emperor, and that Emperor will be us.”

Gray’s impassioned declaration further stirred the pirates’ ambitions.

But the veteran pirates furrowed their brows.

Challenge the other Emperors of the Seas?

What a joke.

Rookies might not grasp the past structure of the New World, or perhaps they’d heard of it but didn’t believe it. But the veterans had lived through that era.

“Challenging the Pirate King? Ridiculous.”

“With the Sun and Moon Pirates still around, no pirate is qualified to claim the Pirate King’s throne.”

“I have no interest in marching to my death alongside you.”

Suppressing their greed, the veteran pirates withdrew.

“The Sun and Moon Pirates?”

Of course, Gray was aware of their existence.

No matter how much effort the World Government put into covering it up, it was impossible to erase all traces of the Sun and Moon Pirates in a mere seven or eight years.

Besides, the Sun and Moon Pirates hadn’t disappeared.

They were merely lying low.

“If we join forces, why should we fear the Sun and Moon Pirates or the other Emperors of the Seas?” Gray said confidently. “The Sun and Moon Pirates are just one of the Four Emperors. Together, we’re already among the New World’s top powers.”

“That’s right! No one stays at the top forever. Why shouldn’t it be us?” Many pirates shouted in agreement.

The veteran pirates sneered as they stepped back, watching these naive rookies with cold eyes.

“Sounds like something big is about to go down,” a playful voice suddenly interrupted, catching everyone’s attention.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep