No one on the ship could react in time. Not a single soul saw how he had crossed the distance between the two vessels to appear instantly behind their leader.
"A 'Big Name' is truly a 'Big Name'... unbelievable," Mad Treasure managed to stutter, fine beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead.
"Mad Treasure? Quite the arrogant title. Too bad you picked the wrong place to act up." Aeridar placed one hand heavily on Mad Treasure's shoulder while raising his other hand, palm flat like a blade, ready to strike downward.
"Aeridar-sama! Please, stop!"
Suddenly, a figure resembling a bobblehead doll rushed out from the ship's cabin, shouting desperately at Aeridar.
"Hmm?!"
Aeridar paused, his palm-blade halting inches from Mad Treasure's neck. The sharp wind from the sudden stop made the pirate's hair stand on end.
"Tanaka... is this guy one of yours?" Aeridar turned his head to look at the large-headed man.
"We only have a minor partnership, Aeridar-sama!" Tanaka bowed deeply, his eyes filled with profound respect, and fear. To him, the man standing there was an existence far more terrifying than his own boss.
"Then tell me: how did you follow me? Or rather, how did you know I was here?" Aeridar licked his lips, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
Tanaka felt a chill run down his spine. He knew that if his answer didn't satisfy Aeridar, he wouldn't live to see tomorrow's sun.
"It was just a coincidence, Aeridar-sama!" Tanaka explained hurriedly. "Tesoro-sama is also aware of the 'Pure Gold.' He originally commissioned Mad Treasure to handle it, but when you and the World Government began your struggle for it, we chose not to interfere."
"Tesoro-sama then speculated that the ruins of Alchemi might be connected to the Alchemi treasure, so he sent us to investigate. We truly didn't expect to run into you here!"
Tanaka laid everything out honestly, not daring to hide a single detail. As he finished, he stole a quick glance at Olga back on the Chris.
Seeing Tanaka's humble and submissive attitude, Aeridar nodded thoughtfully. He believed the story. However, he felt a flicker of internal embarrassment; he knew that the ruins of Alchemi were just a red herring he'd chosen. He had planned to use the light of Pure Gold to summon Bonbori to find the real Alchemi. He hadn't expected his decoy location to actually attract other hunters.
"Fine. I believe you."
Aeridar feigned composure, his expression softening as he removed his hand from Mad Treasure's shoulder.
"Surururu! Thank you, Aeridar-sama!" Tanaka's face broke into a smile, and he bowed deeply once more.
The moment Aeridar's hand left his shoulder, Mad Treasure collapsed inward, drenched in sweat. The relief was overwhelming.
What a terrifying man! Mad Treasure took a ragged breath, turning to look at Aeridar with lingering horror. That feeling of having his life held in someone else's palm was unbearable. He hadn't dared to move an inch, sensing that even a twitch would have meant instant death.
"Since you're here, you might as well witness the 'Pure Gold' for yourselves," Aeridar said with a casual wave.
Before the sentence was even finished, Aeridar vanished into thin air, reappearing instantly at the bow of the Chris.
Mad Treasure's pupils shrank. "So fast! I still can't track his movement!"
Tanaka shot Mad Treasure a stern, warning look. "Don't even think about testing that man. You nearly got me killed!"
In truth, Tanaka had warned him to have Psycho P deactivate the Shark Emeralda's cloaking before they got close. But Mad Treasure thought that by staying hidden, they could at least get a glimpse of the Pure Gold even if they couldn't take it. He hadn't expected to be detected the moment they approached, nor did he expect a single air-pressure blast to shatter their bow and break Psycho P's invisibility.
Stripped of his usual bravado, Mad Treasure muttered sheepishly, "I didn't think his Observation Haki and abilities were this powerful... a casual strike broke the bow and nullified Psycho P's power. He's a monster."
Tanaka looked at him and said solemnly, "No. He is a monster among monsters!"
…
On the Chris, the crew didn't react much to Aeridar's return; to them, someone like Mad Treasure wasn't worth a second thought.
"Well?" Dimitri asked casually.
"Just a coincidence," Aeridar replied, dismissively.
Dimitri nodded and didn't press further.
Aeridar turned to Olga with a grin. "Alright, we have a few more spectators now. Let's show them the main event! Olga, it's showtime!"
Olga pouted, clearly reluctant, but she slid the ring off her left hand. She held the tiny golden speck from the inner lining up toward the sky.
In an instant, that speck, no larger than a grain of sand, erupted with an incredibly brilliant golden light. It was dazzling, yet possessed an ethereal, haunting beauty.
"So... this is... 'Pure Gold'!!"
"What a gorgeous, blinding light!"
"To think such a tiny grain could emit such radiance... truly miraculous!"
The onlookers stared, their eyes glazed with fascination. This wasn't just gold; it was the light of 'Immortality.'
Before long, soft rumbles echoed from the depths. A colossal shadow cast itself upon the sea. In an eyeblink, the waters became turbulent, churning violently as if caught in a sudden gale.
RUMBLE—RUMBLE—
Then, the massive shadow breached. The sea surface shattered as the creature erupted upward, sending waves hundreds of meters high that rocked the ships violently.
A beast of unfathomable proportions appeared before them. It had a bulbous body and a gargantuan maw filled with rows of razor-sharp tusks capable of swallowing worlds. From its forehead hung a massive, yet currently dark, 'lantern.'
The sheer scale of the creature was staggering. Compared to it, even a giant would look like an ant meeting Sanjuan Wolf.
"What is that thing?!"
"It's... it's too big!"
Everyone was horrified. Even the giant Sea Kings of the Calm Belt weren't this large! (Of course, they had never seen the Ancient Sea Kings summoned by Shirahoshi, which exceed 5,000 meters in length).
Olga gripped the ship's railing, her voice heavy with awe. "That is the colossal anglerfish... Bonbori!"
"Bonbori... you really are unexpectedly huge!" Aeridar's eyes went wide with excitement.
He knew that Bonbori's favorite food was Pure Gold. The massive 'lantern' hanging from its head was actually a stomach where it hoarded vast quantities of the metal. Under the eternal radiance of the Pure Gold's life-extending light, this creature had lived for an unknown number of centuries.
With a body this massive, even Aeridar knew that killing it would be no simple task.