Sea Circle Calendar, Year 1496.
Goat Island — located in the first half of the Grand Line.
One day in the future, the Straw Hat Pirates will make a brief stop here.
But for now, this mountainous and forest-rich island was undisturbed, at least until a deafening roar suddenly shattered the forest's silence. Birds burst into the sky in startled flocks as a massive tiger — nearly eight meters long and covered in jagged black markings — came crashing out of the underbrush.
The beast looked absolutely panicked, kicking up mud and leaves as it fled, claws raking the ground and tail tucked between its legs like it was being chased by something far worse than itself.
"You're still running?"
Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, glinting off something golden as a human-sized golden figure suddenly shot forward — crossing three meters in a blink. With a flash of motion, he appeared beside the tiger and launched a powerful kick right into its rear.
With a pitiful howl, the giant tiger was sent flying, tumbling across the ground like a ragdoll. It finally slammed into the base of a massive tree and rolled to a stop, limbs splayed and fur caked with mud. Once the king of this forest, the beast now looked anything but regal. Its ferocious aura was gone — replaced by a look of humiliation and pleading in its wide, golden eyes.
"You've lost weight," the golden figure muttered with disapproval.
Standing tall atop the tiger's back was Gaia Kaos, his entire body shimmering in radiant gold. From the luster of his hair to the glint in his eyes, he looked like a living statue of wealth.
It had been three years since he'd arrived in this world — since the moment he'd crossed over.
At first, he'd taken the whole "isekai" thing in stride. After all, back on Earth, transmigrating into a fantasy world was practically a rite of passage. Every month, millions of "lucky" chosen ones would find themselves thrown into novels or games, granted cheat abilities, and rocketed to godhood before becoming kings among men.
So yeah — it was exciting for about five minutes.
But ultimately, transmigrating was just another job. Once the novelty wore off, reality set in.
Kaos had landed in this world in the year 1493 — a bit earlier than expected.
That year, Sakazuki and Borsalino had only just joined the Marines.
That year, Donquixote Doflamingo made his infamous move to "prove himself" by killing his own father.
That year, the so-called world's most beautiful woman, Boa Hancock, was just being born.
Aokiji hadn't even enlisted yet. Gol D. Roger wasn't Pirate King. Kong was still Fleet Admiral. The future Yonko and Warlords of the Sea were just kids, or barely starting to make names for themselves.
And as for Monkey D. Luffy, the future Pirate King? He was probably still a puddle of cells in Dragon's gut.
This was the era of monsters — the dawn of legends.
Luckily, as a chosen transmigrator, Kaos hadn't come empty-handed. He had… well, the standard issue cheat perks:
First — instant fluency in the language and script of this world.
Second — enhanced physique and mental aptitude thanks to his soul "recalibrating" during transmigration.
Basically, he'd gone from average to genius overnight.
...And that was it.
No hidden system, no ten-thousand-fold cultivation multiplier, no godly bloodline. That was the full package. He didn't want to believe it at first, but three years in, he had to face the truth.
This was it.
So life had to go on.
Still, Kaos had caught a lucky break at the start. The moment he arrived, he'd been looking for a place to relieve himself when he spotted something gleaming under the bushes. Curious, he bent down and found a strangely patterned golden fruit — coiled and mysterious, radiating power.
His heart skipped a beat.
He'd recognized it instantly.
A Devil Fruit. Not just any fruit — the Glint-Glint Fruit, a Logia-class treasure!
Excited beyond belief, he forgot all about his full bladder and grabbed it immediately, not even caring that it reeked of urine.
He'd thought he'd hit the jackpot. The Glint-Glint Fruit — Kizaru's power — light-speed travel, devastating laser beams… what more could you ask for?
He swallowed it in one gulp.
...and immediately gagged.
It tasted worse than death — like biting into rotten gold dipped in sewage. He'd never eaten literal shit before, but in that moment, he imagined even that would've been better.
But the worst was yet to come.
He soon realized it wasn't the Glint-Glint Fruit.
It was the Gold-Gold Fruit, a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit used by Gild Tesoro, the Golden Emperor from the movies.
At first, Kaos had been crushed.
But then… he started to smile.
This wasn't so bad after all.
Screw becoming Pirate King or Fleet Admiral — that was old news.
He was going to be the richest man in the world.
What problem couldn't money solve? Didn't like someone? Put a hundred-billion bounty on their head — someone would deal with it for him.
In this corrupt, chaotic world, gold was power.
But excitement faded into reason.
Given his current strength — which was pitiful — Kaos made a decision: hide out for a few years and build himself up.
So he stayed.
Three years. That's how long he'd remained on this island — even when passing ships or pirate crews came near, he never revealed himself.
He wouldn't leave until he could hold his own. And when he did leave?
He'd make a splash so loud, the world would have to notice.
Everyone else was walking around like main characters. Why shouldn't he? If you're going to play the part, do it right. Be loud. Be wild. Be legendary.
He was going to be a certified badass.
"Roar…"
The tiger beneath him growled in frustration and shame, backing away slowly, its golden eyes fixed on Kaos like it was staring at a nightmare.
Since meeting this golden demon three years ago, the tiger's life had been hell.
It used to be king of the forest. Now? It was living below the poverty line.
Rain or shine, Kaos showed up like a relentless tax collector. At first, the tiger had chased him. Then somewhere along the line… the roles reversed.
Now it was the one running.
Its spirit had been broken. Its pride crushed. And its only solace? Misery had company.
Over in the neighboring hills lived a permed-hair lion and a heavily armored crocodile — two other apex predators who'd once ruled the region. Now, the three of them were just regular victims in Kaos' training routines.
"Bite."
Kaos extended his shining golden arm toward the tiger's fanged maw.
The tiger looked horrified — its expression almost human. Reluctantly, it opened its jaws and clamped down.
"Harder," Kaos muttered. "You used to be able to leave bite marks."
The tiger let out a miserable growl and bit down with all its strength.
Still nothing.
"Useless. And you call yourself king of the forest?"
Kaos examined his arm — not even a scratch. He casually wiped the tiger's slobber on its striped fur and then leapt onto its back, settling near its shoulders.
From his head to his toes, he gleamed in polished gold — a walking statue.
Three years of non-stop training — running, pushups, sit-ups, rain or shine — had forged his body into something superhuman. Combined with the enhancements from transmigration, Kaos was no longer someone who could be easily messed with.
He'd also made serious progress with his Devil Fruit.
He could now turn his body into gold, massively boosting his defense. The tiger below him could bite through stone and tree trunks like candy — yet couldn't even dent his golden skin.
His durability now was nothing short of monstrous.
He could also sense nearby gold within a certain range — useful, though still limited.
And three months ago, he had an unexpected breakthrough…
He accidentally mastered one of the Six Powers of the Marines — Soru.
Anyone who's watched One Piece knew how ridiculous that was.
Kaos was just getting started.