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

Chapter 356 Ranked Battle 40: Knights of the Round Table!
The value of this evaluation is self-evident.

In just over a year, Gao Wen's harvesting experience has reached an astronomical figure.

Armament Haki, Observation Haki, and the Six Powers have all reached their theoretical limits. Awakening new abilities pushes his already exaggerated combat power to an even more outrageous level.

His swordsmanship and physique have also improved significantly, but they have not yet reached the point of qualitative change.

At least among the powerful figures Gawain knew, no one could rival him, including kings like Roger and Whitebeard who dominated an era.

But this is already Gawain's current limit, or rather, the limit of humanity, as evidenced by the series of "max" values ​​next to the skills on the system panel.

To go further, one must surpass one's own limits.

just.

Three years ago in the East China Sea, Gao Wen was still able to rely on the pressure brought by Hawkeye to break through his own limits and reach a higher level.

But even now, looking at the whole world...

Whitebeard, once the strongest man in the world, is now old and his fighting strength is far from his peak. Even at his peak, he could not put much pressure on Gawain now.

Although Garp claims that his combat power will not decline with age, the fighting power he demonstrated in the battle of Beehive Island in the original timeline is no longer what it used to be.

There is no significant difference between Kaido, Shanks, the three admirals, and the aforementioned powerful figures.

Gawain's mind flashed back to the pillar of light that pierced through heaven and earth a year ago, erasing the entire Avalon from the map, and the fear in his eyes was still undisguised.

His power has undergone a qualitative change, but it is still impossible for him to directly block the Heavenly King's attack.

The only thing capable of countering ancient weapons is ancient weapons!
That terrifying thing, capable of destroying a country in one strike and causing sea levels to rise, surpasses any nuclear weapon Gawain knew in his previous life in terms of sheer destructive power.

The power to trigger changes in the global geographical structure is something we wouldn't even dare to imagine, let alone do.

However, to achieve his goal, he must overcome two insurmountable obstacles: the Heavenly King and Im.

Gao Wen closed his eyes and pondered:
"The construction of Hades has been progressing poorly."

"Franky is undoubtedly one of the best shipwrights in the world, but as a scientist, he is still some distance away from the likes of Caesar, Queen, and Judge, let alone Vegapunk."

"If we really want to create Hades, we still need these top-notch researchers, and at the same time, we need to make use of the power of Devil Fruits."

"Lucci's team has been searching for Vegapunk's whereabouts, but so far they haven't found anything. As for Judge, Queen, Caesar, and the others..."

Recalling what these people had done, Gawain immediately rejected the idea of ​​recruiting them into his ranks.

Judge, being a simple android, can still be discussed within the realm of ethics and morality, but what the other two did was truly inhuman.

"never mind."

"Our main target is still Vegapunk. Let's wait for news from Lucci first."

"But after more than a year, even with the help of Tesoro and Du Feld, we still haven't found any trace of the Gluttony Fruit. Are we really forced to settle for a trip to Impel Down?!"

A resolute face appeared before Gao Wen's eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips:
"A man chasing Roger's shadow, aiming to defeat the world's strongest? I wonder how much you can please me."

"The time to enter Impel Down is just waiting, but that day won't be too far away."

"My arrival changed many things, but not all of them."

Gawain lowered his eyes to look at the bounty poster on the straw hat.

A few months ago, Lucci sent back a message, which led Gawain to learn that the Whitebeard Pirates had undergone a major change.

The captain of the Fourth Division has changed, and the captain of the Second Division, Porthos D. Ace, has not appeared for a long time.

Connecting the two events, it's not hard to deduce that Blackbeard, just like in the original timeline, killed his close friend Thatch, stole the Dark-Dark Fruit, and betrayed the Whitebeard Pirates to start his own crew.

Blackbeard and Straw Hat are two sides of the same coin.

The former represents the bloody, cruel, and ambitious side of pirates, while the latter represents the brave, exploratory, and compassionate side.

The straw hat's Gum-Gum Fruit has been proven to be the white Nika. As for the black Nika, given that Im's ability is confirmed to be related to demons, there is a very high probability that it is Blackbeard's Dark-Dark Fruit.

"I just don't know how much pressure these two people can put on me."

With this in mind, Gawain's plans gradually became clearer. He looked down at the straw hat's bounty poster, his eyes radiating absolute confidence:
"Those of you who inherited Nika's abilities, will you ultimately reach the heights I have reached? Will you become my driving force to go even further? Will you be able to touch the mythical realm beyond humanity?!"

"Or is it that after I pierced your original route, you won't even be able to reach the point of fruit awakening?!"

"Never mind, time will tell. I just need to sit here and wait quietly."

call--!
A sea breeze blew in from the vast inner sea outside Camelot.

A year has passed, and the seawater that flowed back from the ocean has filled the giant pit left by the Heavenly King.

This inland sea has also been given a new name.

Avalon.

Today, many ships sail on Lake Avalon, engaging in various trades and transporting goods from the outside world to every corner of Britannias, which can be considered a blessing in disguise in a way.

Sa——!
The flag above the arena was fluttering in the wind; it was the flag of the Gawain Pirates, though it was somewhat different from the original pirate flag.

It still features a round shield as the base and crossed longswords, but the skull on it has been replaced with a lion, which is the origin of Gawain's current title, Lionheart.

The Round Table Arena is also the final venue for the Martial Arts Tournament, but it is not yet open to the public and is temporarily used as the venue for the internal ranking battles of the Gawain Pirates.

This is Gao Wen's group's fourth internal ranking battle, and also the most special one.

Today, Gawain and his crew are not known as pirates within Britannias, but as a knightly order.

Knights of the Round Table.

The battle currently taking place in the Round Table Arena is a contest for a seat in the Knights of the Round Table.

The first seat naturally belongs to Gawain, who is the leader of the group and whose combat strength is not on the same level as everyone else. Everyone is eager to compete for the seat below Gawain.

This time, Gawain added a new rule: the Knights of the Round Table would only send combat-ready units, and each of them would be required to have a combat strength of at least the Gold level.

As for special talents like Nami and Franky, there are other rules.

boom--!
Another roar erupted in the arena, the earth trembled, and dust billowed out.

The two figures fought from day to night, yet showed no signs of exhaustion.

Although it did not display the same powerful ability to alter the terrain as before, it made the onlookers even more terrified.

But more than anything, it was the sheer power of Zoro and Sanji that made the audience so bloodthirsty.

"Awesome! Awesome!"

"Both of them are absolute monsters!"

"I just don't know who will rank higher this time!"

Countless people craned their necks, eagerly awaiting the final outcome of this battle.

Unexpectedly, this wait lasted for three whole days.

The two were determined to fight to the death here, but the more they fought, the more they realized how well they understood each other.

After three days and three nights of fierce fighting, both physical and mental strength were nearing their limits.

When all your moves have been countered by your opponent, when all your strategies have been seen through, all that remains to be fought is pure willpower!
"Three-Sword Style Secret Technique: Unparalleled Power!"

Zoro chanted softly, his twin swords spinning in his hands, creating a whistling gust of wind.

This is his most powerful move, and it is also a microcosm of everything he has come to understand after witnessing Gawain's swordsmanship at the rapeseed flower port.

He originally intended to save this move for Gawain.

Even knowing she was no match for Gawain, she still wanted that man to see her transformation!

Ode——!
Zoro suddenly lunged forward, kicking up a cloud of dust like a dragon!

The wind pressure hit my face.

An invisible aura made Sanji's expression solemn, but his eyes also revealed absolute confidence in himself!
boom--!
A deep blue fire lotus blooms in the arena, radiating extreme heat in all directions.

The audience members on the sidelines felt a burning pain on their faces, and their hair almost caught fire on the spot!
"Demon Wind Kick - Dragon Bone Sniper Shatter!" A loud shout brought everyone back to their senses, and they looked at the Round Table Arena once again.

A blur of light shot out from the flames, like a blue comet, and collided with the green figure!
"Will win..."

"it's me!"

Two angry shouts overlapped!

Their final, all-or-nothing confrontation sent tremors through the earth.

The azure flames exploded with a roar, intersecting with the emerald green aerial slashes, shooting towards the surrounding audience seats.

boom!
boom!
boom!
Countless empty seats were hit, instantly melting or cleaving apart, accompanied by cries of panic.

But most people were still focused on the two in the center of the arena!

"These two have been fighting fiercely for three days and three nights. Their physical and mental strength have reached their limits. This move will determine the winner!"

“Who will win?!”

"Sanji, who uses a flame kick, or Zoro, who's as strong as a monster?!"

"Is that Sanji's older brother?"

“I once saw him fight with a powerful opponent. He was hit by the opponent's attack, and his bones were twisted and deformed, but he managed to straighten them with his hands. That body was not normal at all!”

"No no no!"

"It's Zoro! That guy... that guy... he's practically a human-shaped sword, no, a person made up of three swords!"

……

In front of the spectator stands.

Ajin's eyes showed a slight surprise.

He knew that Zoro and Sanji were growing rapidly and were close to the level of Gold Saints, but he did not expect that they were not just Gold Saints, but the highest level!

Even if one wanted to take down one of them alone, it might require using all one's strength.

"That's amazing!"

Kro looked with great interest towards the center of the arena and remarked:
"We were nowhere near as good as they are now when we were their age, it's really..."

"The future life is to be feared."

"but."

"Are the results out yet?!"

"what."

Ajin nodded, with an expression that said, "I didn't expect this."

Kro's gaze was indifferent as he looked up into the distance.

After counting the breaths.

The dust cleared.

The two men remained locked in a wrestling stance, and cracks appeared on the ground beneath their feet.

"Is this... another fight?!"

"Having fought this badly, do we still need to fight?!"

A chorus of doubts arose from the audience, while everyone marveled at the two men's fighting spirit and formidable strength.

next moment.

call--!
The wind howled.

The pirate flag is unfurled high in the sky.

Sanji swayed in the center of the battlefield, then collapsed, having lost consciousness in the collision.

"Sanji lost?!"

Akin was slightly taken aback, his gaze falling on Zoro, and he instantly understood what was going on:

"I see……"

On the battlefield.

Zoro's eyes were already closed, but he had pierced his own foot with a knife beforehand, so even though he lost consciousness, he did not fall down.

They stood until the very end.

The rules of the Round Table Arena are the same as those of the Martial Arts Tournament: the last person standing is the winner!
"Such an intense desire to win...a monster!"

Kro exclaimed in admiration:
"Their strength is about the same. Sanji did not lose in the battle, but in his desire to win."

"Tch—!"

Kuro's gaze towards Zoro had somehow taken on a serious tone.
"I have a feeling that Zoro might be the third legend on the ship, besides me and Gawain!"

Ajin loosened the headband on his head, a fierce and arrogant grin spreading across his face.
"That's not necessarily the case."

Akin withdrew his gaze and fixed it on Kro, his fighting spirit almost uncontrollable.

"Their battle is over, now it's our turn."

"Not urgent!"

Kuro shook his head, raised his hand to call over the medical staff on the sidelines, and carried Sanji and Zoro off the field to treat their wounds.

He snapped his fingers again, and another figure walked from the sidelines into the round table arena.

One man wore a black and white dotted hood and carried an oversized long sword on his shoulder, while opposite him was a knight in silver armor with a cold gaze!
"This is……"

Akin's pupils contracted, and he immediately became interested:

"Beverly is challenging Law!?"

"No!"

"It's Luo who's actually challenging Beville?!"

Akin was well aware of Bevel's fighting prowess.

Even a year ago, it had already reached the gold standard.

Even though Bevel spent most of his time with Morgan during the year and didn't train like Arkin and the others, he shouldn't have remained stagnant under the blessing of the badge.

He's likely on the same level as Sanji and Zoro.

While Gawain acknowledged Luo's potential, he joined the group late, and his combat strength still lagged behind the other two.

but now……

"This kid..."

"Oh~"

Kro slowly sat up straight, his eyes lighting up:
"After swordsmanship and martial arts, will there be a civil war among the superhumans?!"

"The door fruit and the surgery fruit."

"Gawain has a very high opinion of both of these abilities. They are both spatial abilities, and if used well, they are virtually unbeatable."

"Therefore, the combat strength of these two on paper is of even less reference value."

"If the opponent is suitable, there shouldn't be too much of a problem in challenging opponents of a higher level."

(End of this chapter)