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

Chapter 289 The Pinnacle of Swordsmanship, The Metamorphosis of the Twins

For an ordinary swordsman to forge his blade into a black blade, it would take at least several years or even decades, and some people might spend their entire lives without ever even scratching the surface.

However, Gawain, who had awakened the Grandmaster title, completed this process in just a few days, and did so more steadily than ordinary swordsmen.

His process of constantly refining the sword techniques instilled by the system was also a process of discarding the dross and retaining the essence, extracting his own unique way of swordsmanship.

Now he has almost reached the end of this road, and all that remains in front of him is the man with the world's number one title—Hawkeye Mihawk.

Zheng!
Gao Wen raised his hand and swung the knife; the blade trembled slightly and emitted a buzzing sound.

The blade was pitch black.

It lacks some of the superficial ferocity and bloodlust, but only when you hold it in your hand can you feel the suppressed killing desire within.

This was originally an extremely mad knife, but now it has transformed into a black knife, becoming even more bloodthirsty and violent, with its inner will becoming increasingly restless.

But when it was in Gawain's hands, it was incredibly docile.

A fine sword chooses its master.

And Gawain is the master recognized by Kanze Masamune.

Gawain even suspected that if Zoro had used his own Kanze Masamune instead of Enma when he fought King the Wildfire, he might have been directly controlled by the bloodlust residing in the sword and become its slave.

but.

There is no chance, nor is there any need, to verify this matter.

Having completed Gawain's domineering tempering and, together with Gawain, undergone the baptism of hundreds of sword styles, Kanze Masamune has undoubtedly surpassed ordinary Great Grade Swords.

They are now qualified to challenge the Supreme Grade Sword, which stands at the pinnacle of renowned swords.

The devastating defeat that Donghai suffered was also vividly recalled in Gao Wen's mind.

In the battles he experienced before and after entering the Grand Line, whether facing Zephyr, King the Wildfire, or Lion the Golden Lion, Gawain was confident that he could escape unscathed even if he was defeated.

The only difference was the fight against Hawkeye. It was the most powerless he had ever been in any battle, and the first time he had ever felt that his life was not in his own hands.

But now everything is different.

His original stats were almost perfect, with no flaws in speed, attack, defense, or health.

Now, with the help of the Sword Sect, he has made up for the last shortcoming in his swordsmanship, and his combat power is almost at the level of a legendary figure.

He already has the confidence to face any opponent.

Gawain's gaze gradually sharpened, and an uncontrollable fighting spirit rose within him:

I won't lose next time!

laugh--!
Guan Shizheng returned to his sheath, and Gao Wen closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When he opened his eyes again, the extremely sharp aura around him had completely vanished without a trace. At first glance, he was just an ordinary person with a handsome face and a well-proportioned figure.

This change, when witnessed by Law and Zoro, only instilled in them a deep sense of dread.

"The captain's aura has vanished, and he's just like an ordinary person. He has found the path to the pinnacle of swordsmanship!"

"The so-called...return to simplicity?!"

Law's Adam's apple bobbed; he and Zoro had been guarding this place, witnessing Gawain's transformation.

Looking at Gawain in front of him, Luo couldn't help but recall what the Golden Lion had once said.

When he was young, Shiki fought against a top swordsman.

The man completely concealed his aura, appearing unremarkable at first glance. However, his move was earth-shattering. The long sword with a chip and rust was drawn from its sheath and possessed the power to annihilate any enemy!

According to Shiki, if it weren't for the advantage he gained from the Float-Float Fruit, the outcome of that battle would have been uncertain.

The ordinary demeanor that Gawain displayed at this moment was no different from that of the person in Golden Lion's memories.

Law subconsciously turned to look at Zoro beside him, but his breath caught in his throat for a moment:

“Lolonoa, you…”

Zheng——!
Zoro drew his sword three times, his eyes burning with fervor.

He walked towards Gao Wen step by step, leaving Luo with only his back to him.

Don't you want to see how far we are from the world?!
"Do not be silly!"

Law realized what Zoro was about to do, and couldn't help but curse him as a madman in his heart, but still subconsciously tried to dissuade him:
"Even a monster like the Golden Lion was defeated by the captain. Perhaps no one in this era can rival him. You..."

"Luo."

Zoro interrupted Law without turning his head, his tone calm yet revealing an unwavering resolve:
"From the East China Sea to the Great Maritime Silk Road, in a year and a half to nearly two years, I have become much stronger, but the gap between me and that man has not only not narrowed at all, but has become wider and wider."

"If we lose even the courage to face him now, how can we possibly reach the summit?!"

Luo opened his mouth, but swallowed back all the words that were about to come out.

Looking at Zoro, who was a few years younger than him but whose fighting strength far surpassed his own, he suddenly understood why Zoro was able to possess such formidable strength at such a young age.

As long as his will to face the mountains remains, his future will be bright!
Hey!
Zoro put a sword in his mouth, his jaw straining so much that it deformed the hilt, producing a muffled sound:

"Captain, let me see what a high mountain is!"

"Nice look."

Gawain watched Zoro walk towards him step by step, his eyes filled with unspeakable admiration.

"I may have to change my mind. The second person among us to reach the ranks of legends may not be Kro, but you."

"Deserves praise."

The sound landed.

Gawain's figure appeared in front of Zoro, his fingers forming a sword as he slashed at Zoro's shoulder, but stopped at the last moment on Zoro's shoulder.

"So fast!"

It was only at this moment that Zoro reacted, his face filled with extreme astonishment, and he couldn't help but turn to look at Gawain's hand chop.

The next instant, he felt an immense, mountain-like aura pressing down on him, and even his consciousness became blurred at that moment.

call--!
An invisible wave of air emanated from the two of them, spreading outwards and sending yellow sand flying. It mixed with the howling wind and obscured everything.

"Roronoa!"

Luo looked anxious.

He knew that Gawain wouldn't actually attack his comrade, but Zoro was already injured, and Gawain might not have known that.

If Gao Wen makes a misjudgment, the consequences will be extremely serious.

He couldn't resist rushing towards the center of the battlefield, but was forced back by the yellow sand and could only stand there anxiously waiting.

A few breaths later, the yellow sand dispersed.

Gawain emerged from the sandstorm carrying the unconscious Zoro. He casually placed Zoro beside Law and said:

"Take him back to recuperate."

"Captain, Zoro, he..."

"No problem."

Gawain shook his head and explained:

"Once he wakes up, if he can get through this ordeal, he should undergo a transformation, and his strength might even reach a higher level."

"Is this so..."

Luo was immediately relieved. When he looked down at Zoro, a hint of awe appeared in his eyes for the first time.

This guy is very strong.

It wasn't strength, swordsmanship, or even domineering aura.

It's the heart.

Zoro has already forged the heart of a strongman; all he needs now is time. As for me, I'm still on my way.

Luo couldn't help but sigh. When he looked up again, Gao Wen had already vanished without a trace.

He immediately checked Zoro's injuries and confirmed that the latter was not seriously injured, but was just too tired and had lost consciousness due to the impact of Gawain's sword intent.

I relaxed completely. "Seriously... you had your fun, but in the end, I'm the one who has to clean up the mess."

For some reason, Law felt a sense of foreboding as he looked at Zoro, who was already snoring softly.

"Don't tell me this is just the beginning."

After muttering a few words, Luo shook off the unrealistic thoughts in his mind, picked up Zoro, and headed towards the hospital in the center of the port.

at the same time.

The ranking battle within the Gawain Pirates has ended. With Lucci's departure and Franky and Law joining the crew, the rankings of the crew have been reset.

Kuro and Arkin still hold the top two positions with their Gold-level combat power. The third coin was taken away by Lucci, and the fourth and fifth coins are still Zoro and Sanji.

However, the rankings changed quite a bit afterward.

The cat-people brothers and others who remained in the East China Sea were excluded again because they did not participate in the battle.

Although the two did not give up their cultivation, their potential was ultimately limited. Even with the blessing of the Devil Fruit diagram, their rate of improvement slowed down after entering the Bronze level.

The fact that the two can offer less and less experience now reflects this problem.

In fact, Gao Wen's main source of experience now comes from the crew members on board who have higher potential and have not yet reached their bottleneck period.

but.

With the Catman Brothers' bronze-level combat strength, it's more than enough for them in the East China Sea.

Van Auger-Jackson opted out of this ranking battle altogether.

In his words, this kind of one-on-one combat is simply torture for a sniper.

But the increased distance is unfair to others, so Lao Fan will have to suffer.

Chopper unexpectedly defeated Kalifa, Law, Bepo, and others to take the sixth position, clearly showing that he had put in a lot of hard work during his training period.

Several years in advance, they developed a seven-stage transformation form, even surpassing the original work, and were able to perform the seven-stage transformation without the aid of the Rumble Ball.

Chopper's combat power has now reached the Silver level, making him arguably the biggest dark horse in this ranking battle.

Law barely managed to defeat Bepo and save face, and the two were ranked seventh and eighth respectively. Next up, number ninety, were Franky and Kalifa, who had just joined the group.

All four are still struggling at the Bronze level.

Law and Bepo have reached the Bronze level, but if Franky wants to make a significant improvement, he can only further modify his body or eat a Devil Fruit that matches him.

Nami made the same choice as Van Augur, as her current strength is no longer able to keep up with the main group.

Aside from drawing sea charts every day, he spends his time with a well-worn Devil Fruit encyclopedia, searching for the Devil Fruit that is destined for him.

……

Port center.

Inside the lord's manor kitchen.

Sanji was preparing food for everyone that night, but he was unusually absent-minded.

Although he had a band-aid on his face, his injuries had already healed.

This was forced onto his face by Reiju, who said she was worried about him being disfigured.

Sanji has little resistance to women, let alone his only acknowledged older sister!

Therefore, they let Reiju do as she pleased.

Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
The even, dense sound of knives falling echoed in the kitchen.

At one point, Sanji suddenly stopped moving. Recalling Zoro's arrogant behavior a few days ago, he couldn't help but swear.

"Damn green algae head!"

The difference between the two is negligible; if they fought again at a different time and place, the outcome would likely be very different.

But now the outcome is decided, and until he gets his revenge next time, he has to endure Zoro's endless taunts. How can he accept that?!

We can't lose to that bastard, no matter who we lose to!

Thinking of this.

Sanji's knife work was noticeably heavier when cutting vegetables.

He didn't notice at all that Reiju had been standing at the kitchen door for quite some time.

"You can really wear your resentment on your sleeve!"

A playful smile played on Reiju's lips as she couldn't help but sigh:
"Your bond with Zoro is truly deep~"

"Although we argue and fight each other constantly when we meet, we understand each other's existence the most."

"Who's with him..."

Sanji instinctively wanted to retort, but when he turned around and saw Reiju smiling, he stopped himself from saying anything, and even his hands, which were chopping vegetables, returned to normal at that moment.

He said seriously:

"The food here will take a while to arrive, but I've prepared a dish specially for you made with the venom of the armored tigerfish."

“You can look forward to it.”

A hint of warmth flashed in Reiju's eyes, and her previously hesitant heart hardened at that moment:

"If you want to defeat Zoro, there are other ways."

"you……"

"Lady, whatever you ask for, I will fulfill it."

Sanji slid down to his knees in front of Reiju, pressing one hand to his chest, and performed a perfect knightly salute.

In reality, his face was already flushed with excitement.

I'm willing to pay any price to defeat that arrogant green algae-headed guy!
Reiju's eyelids twitched, and she gave her younger brother a disapproving look before taking out a completely black aluminum can.

"This is... Germa's combat suit?!"

Sanji frowned slightly.

He had made up his mind to sever ties with Germa, as evidenced by his calling Reiju "Sister" instead of "older sister." Moreover, in his memory, there was another risk involved in using Germa's battle suit.

That is the loss of humanity.

If used indiscriminately, one might eventually become a heartless monster like Ichiji or Niji, who would not hesitate to attack women.

This is something he cannot accept.

His mother, Jeep, and Princess Guinevere all guided him to uphold the code of chivalry.

Sanji immediately shook his head:

“I can’t accept anything from Germa.”

Reiju had anticipated this:

"If you're worried that this will cause a loss of humanity, then you don't need to worry. What really makes Ichiji and Niji flawed is their innate modifications, not the effects of the combat suits."

Ironically.

"You, whom your father—no, Vinsmoke-Gage—deems flawed, are the truly perfect cyborg."

"You should have noticed that by now."

"Your formidable physique, ability to control flames, and near-inhuman regenerative abilities all demonstrate that you have inherited Germa's power and are not lacking in emotions."

"Your power is not the work of Vinsmoke Judge, but a treasure that your mother risked her life to bring into the world."

Sanji fell silent for a moment. He put down the kitchen knife, leaned against the cutting board, and lit a cigarette for himself.

hiss--!
As the smoke entered his mouth, Sanji relaxed completely, and his heart was filled with something he had never experienced before.

Reiju continued:
"The other No. 4 suit is codenamed Stealth Black within Germa. In addition to enhancing physical abilities and even further activating bloodline factors, it also has the ability to become invisible."

Sanji felt a jolt of electricity run through his body and abruptly stood up straight:
"Can they become invisible?!"

(End of this chapter)