Chapter 4
Tian Chen took a single step forward.
He channeled the Supreme King's Power. Nine golden colossal dragons materialized, coiling around him like loyal guardians—pure, effortless show-off energy.
His feet stepped on empty air, ripples of light spreading outward. He appeared directly above Sabaody Archipelago, suspended in the sky.
Majestic. Overbearing. An emperor's aura that crushed all beneath it. Every single person below felt their souls tremble in awe and submission.
"Tian Chen the Great Emperor… he must be a true god descended upon the world."
"Look at him—just a casual gesture shakes the void, and nine dragons follow his every move. Who in this world could possibly compare?"
...
Tian Chen overheard the discussions and felt deeply satisfied. They were all worthy of his protection now.
"Rise!"
With a slight lift of his hand, Tian Chen commanded the Supreme King's Power. In an instant, he effortlessly extracted the milky-white resin produced by the Yarukiman Mangroves across the entire archipelago.
"Today, your Emperor shall make a small demonstration. Using the resin of Sabaody's mangroves as the medium, I will construct an indestructible, unbreakable supreme barrier for the Giant Empire!"
"You may live here in peace, become subjects of the Giant Empire, and enjoy its eternal protection."
"You are also free to invite others—people from any kingdom, any race—to join us!"
As his words fell…
Countless streams of milky-white mangrove resin surged upward, gathering in the sky.
Infused with the Supreme King's Power, the once-pale resin now shimmered with dazzling golden light—blindingly radiant.
People below instinctively raised hands to shield their eyes, unable to look directly at the brilliance.
"Barrier! Condense!"
Tian Chen spoke as if issuing an absolute decree.
The golden resin shot thousands of meters into the sky, then cascaded down in a perfect circle of golden light.
In an instant, the entire Sabaody Archipelago was enveloped in a massive, shimmering dome.
With a single thought, Tian Chen opened seventy-nine entrances and exits across the barrier's surface.
Then, with a casual wave of his hand—
Vice Admiral Momousagi, Vice Admiral Chaton, Sentomaru, Silvers Rayleigh, and several other powerhouses from the crowd were suddenly lifted into the air, floating helplessly.
Momousagi, Chaton, Rayleigh, and the others were startled, hearts pounding.
"No need to be nervous!"
Tian Chen showed them a holy, radiant smile. "Next, would you be willing to test with all your strength whether the barrier your Emperor has created is truly indestructible?"
Momousagi, Chaton, Rayleigh, and the rest felt their hearts tighten. Was that smile hiding a blade?
How could they possibly refuse?
They all agreed to test it.
Tian Chen casually flicked his wrist again, teleporting them outside the barrier.
Now standing beyond the dome, Momousagi, Sentomaru, Rayleigh, and the others thought: Perfect timing to probe just how strong this so-called barrier really is.
For the Marines, this was a rare chance to gather intel on the Giant Empire. For Rayleigh and the pirates, it was a way to gauge whether they could truly settle here safely.
Sentomaru immediately coated his massive axe in Haki and swung with full force.
The dome didn't even tremble.
Unconvinced, he roared and struck the exact same spot over a dozen times in rapid succession—fierce, violent, all-out.
Still nothing. Not a scratch.
Sentomaru was dumbfounded. This barrier's defense… was absurdly broken!
He then summoned the Pacifistas and unleashed a barrage of laser beams.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Dozens of explosions.
Yet the golden light barrier remained completely untouched.
Momousagi was stunned. She drew her sword and attacked with everything she had.
Still—no effect.
Rayleigh somehow produced a double-bladed sword, wrapped it in Armament Haki, and unleashed a sky-splitting slash.
A deafening buzz rang out. A terrifying shockwave exploded outward in all directions.
The barrier didn't budge. Not even a mark.
Even at his age, Rayleigh couldn't help but inwardly curse: Holy shit.
That strike could split a thousand-meter sea surface. It could bisect a Sea King with ease.
But now… it couldn't even scratch this thin resin membrane?!
Rayleigh sighed in genuine admiration. "This barrier's defense is truly indestructible. Silvers Rayleigh… has no power to shake it."
At the same time, he thought: With a shield like this protecting Sabaody… I probably don't need to take Shakky and run anymore.
If the World Government and Marines want to attack Sabaody, they'll have to get through this first!
Inside the dome, the crowd had watched Momousagi, Rayleigh, and the others attack one after another. They were already slack-jawed in disbelief.
When Rayleigh's words echoed, they finally snapped back to reality. Aside from shock, all they felt was wild excitement.
"This barrier is way too tough!!!"
"Silvers Rayleigh's slash hit it like an egg smashing against a rock!"
"Hahaha! Now we can live here in peace—no need to worry about the Marines or World Government breaking in!!!"
"Exactly! Starting today, I'm not just staying—I'm officially joining the Giant Empire. I'm becoming a subject of Tian Chen the Great Emperor!"
"This place is my new home. Outside I can kill and burn; here I'll live like a proper citizen and enjoy the good life."
"Hahaha, same! This is too damn good!"
...
"Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have successfully halted the mass exodus of your subjects. You have obtained the Enslavement Function."
Tian Chen eagerly opened his status panel.
Sure enough, a new entry had appeared: Enslavement Authority And Prestige Points: 100,000.
He checked the details.
These 100,000 Prestige Points came from ruling Sabaody Archipelago—it was the current maximum cap. To increase it further, he needed more kingdoms, races, and people to join the Giant Empire.
Tian Chen's lips curled into a satisfied smirk.
Hmph! With such overwhelming presence and an impregnable defensive barrier… Who wouldn't want to join?
"Ding! The system has detected that the Giant Empire currently lacks a proper legal order. If the Host establishes the Empire's Laws, you will be rewarded with 50,000 Prestige Points."
Tian Chen thought for a moment. Yeah, an empire needs rules.
He descended a vast wave of King's Power, forcing everyone within the dome to their knees.
Then he proclaimed:
"From this day forward, all who reside on Sabaody Archipelago are subjects of my Giant Empire."
"As subjects of the Giant Empire, you must obey its absolute order."
"First: All fighting and violence is prohibited within Sabaody Archipelago."
"Second: All people on Sabaody Archipelago possess the rights to freedom and equality."
...
Tian Chen rattled off about ten core laws in one breath.
Immediately afterward, the Heroic Spirit Army began enforcing the new imperial order.
They swiftly dismantled all illegal trades, abolished slavery and granted freedom to every slave, expelled World Government agencies, Marine outposts, and foreign organizations from the islands.
With Tian Chen's absolute deterrence looming over everything… The transition proceeded smoothly and without resistance.
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