How can I become the Pirate King if you don’t work hard?.

Chapter 282 Monster
late at night.

Deserted island beach.

Gawain's group of Scroll Kings gathered here, shirtless, undergoing arduous training. Their shouts and cries filled the air, drawing frequent glances from those around them.

Even though a major battle had just ended and many people were still injured, it couldn't stop their fervor for becoming stronger.

If their previous cultivation was for the pleasure of becoming stronger, then...

After experiencing the brutal battle in Water Seven and witnessing the gap between themselves and the world's top experts, the last bit of pride in their hearts was completely crushed.

This was especially true after realizing that if it weren't for Komon Aokiji blocking the strongest opponent, their side would have had no chance of survival.

Ode——!
The biting wind pierced through the oncoming waves.

Kuro strode across the water, speeding away, doing his utmost to explore the possibilities of the Kamaitachi Fruit.

All he could see was the scene of himself and A Jin joining forces, yet still being easily suppressed by Wang Zhi.

There was only unspeakable resentment in my heart.

Having obtained a fruit that perfectly suited him, he believed he now possessed combat strength comparable to that of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

Yet, when faced with a pirate like Wang Zhi who is close to being one of the Four Emperors, all they felt was an indescribable sense of powerlessness.

But the more this happened, the more resentful Clooney felt.

He could accept losing to Gawain, after all, Gawain was a monster that couldn't be estimated using common sense.

But what he couldn't accept was losing to anyone other than Gao Wen, not even an extremely arrogant old man.

"The abilities of the Kamaitachi... my abilities shouldn't be limited to this!"

"I can sense that boundary. Once I break through it, it will be a whole new world. Maybe I can catch up with that monster..."

"But where is the difference?!"

The wind at sea grew increasingly violent.

Every now and then, astonishing force would erupt from Kro's body, sending up splashes of water tens of meters high.

He could always sense that seemingly indistinct boundary, but he was always just a little short of breaking through it.

hiss--!
After a gasp.

Kro hovered on the sea surface, his inner turmoil gradually subsiding, and his heart calmed down at that moment.

As far as the eye could see, there were only undulating waves and a bright moon reflected on the water.

After catching his breath, Kuro resumed his training, exploring the boundaries of the Kamaitachi Fruit and the limits of his own abilities.

Zoro and Sanji clashed on the beach, demonstrating their will and the techniques they had developed to the fullest extent.

Kicks accompanied by flames and flying slashes flashed across the beach.

Lucci and Arkin abandoned their abilities and engaged in close combat. Every move they made was incredibly fierce. If they hadn't never managed to injure each other's vital points, onlookers would probably have thought it was a bloody battle rather than a training session!

Van Augur, Chopper, Bepo, Kalifa...

The cultivation of the people around them gradually entered a state of focus.

They, on the other hand, immersed themselves in cultivation, seizing every opportunity to improve their combat power.

The purpose is to avoid experiencing a tragedy like Water Seven in the future, and at least to avoid becoming the one who drags others down.

Nami stood to the side, watching the group of people training, and subconsciously pursed her lips.

Unlike the monsters who still had room for growth, he had already seen his limits shortly after entering the Grand Line.

That is an insurmountable barrier that no amount of cultivation can overcome.

She had forgotten how long it had been since she had felt any improvement; she only remembered that the last time she picked up a sword was in the Kingdom of Drums.

Even though she was unwilling, she had to admit that she no longer had the strength to fight alongside these people.

Although neither Gawain, Kuro, nor the other crew members would care about this, Nami herself found it hard to accept that she had to be the one being protected from beginning to end.

She was much stronger than she appeared, and more stubborn than Gawain had anticipated.

"..."

"I really envy those monstrous guys."

Nami couldn't help but sigh, but her face showed an indescribable sense of loss.

"There's nothing to envy about monsters."

A sudden sound broke the silence. Nami turned her head and saw Reiju with a gentle smile on her face.

She is still Gawain's prisoner, and when Akainu released her, she left with Gawain and his crew.

As for the other members of the Germa family, whether they survive or not depends entirely on their luck.

Compared to her identity as Germa 66, Reiju prefers her current situation, since she is surrounded by living, breathing people with emotions.

Instead of a group of brothers deprived of normal emotions, or mass-produced androids without even a sense of self.

In comparison, Gawain's men, even the prisoners, were more like human beings.

especially……

Reiju turned to look at the distant beach, her gaze softening as she met Sanji's.

She could naturally see Sanji's unusual behavior.

The intense heat of the flames wrapped around Sanji's feet was enough to scorch the flesh of an ordinary person, but it had no effect on Sanji.

It's clear that Germa's modification technology has taken effect on Sanji, and this ability, which is completely unreasonable for ordinary people, is the best proof of that.

Sanji may be Judge's only successful work, as he is powerful yet possesses normal human emotions.

Rather than someone with an incomplete personality...

monster.

"Reiju..."

Nami was somewhat taken aback, but seeing Reiju's gentle smile, she gradually relaxed.

Reiju is Sanji's older sister and the only family member he acknowledges. Neither Sanji nor Reiju intends to hide this fact.

Nami already knew.

Even when she saw Reiju, her heart gradually calmed down.

Nami lowered her head, her lips pressed tightly together:

"I'm starting to fall behind my companions."

"I can not be reconciled."

Reiju paused, then reached out and ruffled Nami's hair:
"Don't you want to be a burden to your companions?!"

"If you just want the power to protect yourself, Devil Fruits are the most cost-effective option."

"In exchange for the permanent loss of the ability to swim, one gains all sorts of amazing abilities, and if one is lucky, one might even obtain the powerful ability of the Golden Lion, which can make an entire island float."

"Let the islands all..."

Nami murmured softly, but her eyes gradually brightened.

As a navigator, he was also the one who designated the sailing route for everyone.

Nami naturally understood what a pirate ship that could fly in the sky truly meant.

Nami knew that Devil Fruits were worth hundreds of millions of Berries, and top-tier abilities like the Float-Float Fruit could be sold for tens or even hundreds of billions of Berries.

How could I possibly afford it?
But Reiju's words undoubtedly opened up another avenue for her...

Since one's own strength is insufficient and talent is limited, one should compensate through external means.

Devil Fruits are one path, but there might be other paths too!

Thinking of this.

Nami could no longer sit still. After thanking Reiju in a hurry, she turned around and returned to the camp. She searched through her nautical books and soon found an old book that was already quite worn.

"Weather, air currents, electricity... these can all become weapons! When combined, they can generate tremendous power!"

Crash-!
The sound of pages turning filled the camp.

Based on weather changes, the prototype of a weapon that could generate electricity and clouds on a small scale quickly took shape in Nami's mind.

The next morning, Nami approached Franky and shared her general idea with him. "What a brilliant idea!"

Franky nodded emphatically, amazed by Nami's ingenious ideas and even more impressed by the nautical knowledge in her mind. He patted his chest:
"Leave this to me!"

"I'd also love to try it out and see what kind of power a weapon made based on this theory would have. Maybe it could be used on that dream ship!"

"A warship capable of influencing the weather—just thinking about it is incredibly exciting!"

"A warship that can affect the weather?!"

Nami's mind suddenly flashed back to the blueprints for Hades she had inadvertently seen, but could such a thing really be created by humans?!

perhaps……

I misunderstood.

My design simply inspired Frankie to use it in future ship designs.

"correct!"

Franky whispered mysteriously in Nami's ear:

"Does Gawain need another shipwright?!"

……

……

……

After one hour.

As the sun rises, it dispels the lingering chill of the night.

As the crowd gradually gathered around the camp, Barry and his men counted the number of people before leading them to the next destination.

They had to reach the next island before their supplies ran out; they didn't have much time to waste.

Luo followed behind the crowd, his heart pounding as he looked at Bepo, who seemed to have grown even stronger beside him.

Damn it!
This has already produced visible changes after just one day of practice. What will happen if this continues?
At this rate, how long will it take Bepo to surpass me?
Two months? Three months?
Do not!
It might not work!
Upon realizing this, Luo felt like he was suffocating on the spot.

This is especially true when you see the exaggerated footprints behind Bepo.

He then realized that the pirates under Gawain's command were getting stronger at a far more outrageous rate than he had imagined.

What's even more outrageous is that Lucci, Arkin, and others are getting stronger even faster than Bepo!

Realizing this, Luo even had the urge to lower his stance and directly ask to join the group.

No!

I must hold on!
Be patient now, and the road ahead will be easier!
"correct."

Bepo, moving his shoulders and neck in warm-up exercises before starting his training, said to Luo, seemingly unintentionally:

"I heard that Franky has brought his family to join Mr. Gawain's team and is now a shipwright under him."

"What did you say?"

Luo was jolted awake and immediately panicked.

He turned to look at the location of Gao Wen and his gang.

really.

Franky had already gathered in the crowd, joking around with everyone, and even leading his family to cheer that he had joined the group!

Many of them have already excitedly followed Kro and Akin to join the ranks of cultivators.

So much so that the glacier became a bit more lively.

The exhausted survivors couldn't help but smile at the sight, which lifted their spirits considerably.

However, Luo's mood was far from pleasant.

"Luo."

Bepo couldn't help but remind him:
"If you have any ideas, act quickly."

"I heard about it from Chopper-senpai."

"Before entering the New World, Mr. Gawain followed the path of an elite small group, and the number of people on his pirate ship was always kept at a scale of several dozen."

“Even if not all members of the Franky family can board the ship, many of them are elites who will choose to follow Mr. Gawain to the New World.”

"There aren't many seats left on the ship to begin with, and every seat used is one less available, so you..."

Bepo turned his head and looked around, but Law was nowhere to be seen.

The latter had already transformed into a blur and rushed towards Gawain and his group in the distance!
"Mr. Gawain!"

"Please let me join your ranks!"

boom!
Luo stood in front of Gao Wen in front of everyone, his face full of sincerity, where was his previous attitude of waiting for a better price?
"Forehead……"

Gao Wen didn't react for a moment. He was slightly stunned and was about to speak when Luo became anxious first.

To be honest, he really wanted to give Bepo's bear head a good rub right now.

That bastard talks nothing but useless nonsense all day long. Why didn't he say such crucial information sooner?!

It wasn't that Gawain was waiting for me; rather, there weren't many seats on the ship to begin with, and now the Franky family had snatched them up first!
Damn!

These were all originally mine!
Seeing Gao Wen in a daze, Luo assumed he was preparing to refuse in words.

After all, he had once been one of Golden Lion's men, and in theory, he was on the opposite side of Gawain's group. Normal people would be somewhat wary in this situation.

"My ability is special; you should be able to use it."

Luo decided to go all out:

"Surgery Fruit is not only extremely effective in surgical procedures, but it can even do some things beyond imagination."

"For example, directly removing the target's heart without harming the latter's life."

"real or fake?!"

Kro, who rushed over, had a sudden flash of inspiration and immediately thought of the perfect use of this ability.

As the Gawain Pirates grow larger, not everyone is as loyal as the core members present; there are more centrists.

But if you hold someone's life in your hands, that's a different story.

Kro glanced at Gawain.

He knew that Gawain had a kind heart towards his companions and the lower classes, but if they were enemies, Gawain would show no mercy when he struck.

"can do it!"

Luo nodded.

A slight smile played on Chloe's lips:
"As a test for your joining, then offer up your heart!"

"captain?"

"is that OK?!"

Gao Wen remained silent, merely glancing at Luo with an unspoken meaning. The surrounding crowd also adopted a spectator's attitude.

hiss--!
Luo took a deep breath, then raised his hand and drew the Ghost Cry, the blade pointing towards his heart, ready to stab it in.

A large hand blocked his movement channel.

"almost."

The familiar voice made Luo pause, and when he looked up, he saw Gao Wen with a mocking smile on his face.

"Just kidding..."

"Newcomer!"

The sound fell to the ground.

A burst of laughter erupted from all around. Without a word, Franky and the others tossed Law into the air and then caught him safely.

Amidst the ups and downs.

Luo's expression changed from initial panic to helplessness, and finally to laughter.

(End of this chapter)