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

Chapter 358 Focus on one point, reach the pinnacle!

"Why do you think he didn't challenge me? My only target from the beginning has been you!"

Akin's nonchalant tone startled Kro.

Then I remembered.

A week has passed since the start of this ranking battle, but neither Zoro, Sanji, nor the emerging Law and Cavendish have challenged Gin.

Even a year ago, Bevel, who had suffocated Akin, never made a move against him.

Kro couldn't help but stick out his tongue and lick his lips, his eyes filled with fierce fighting spirit.

As the initial and final competitor.

In the past year or so, Akin has never fought him once.

It seems they've been holding back all along, waiting for me here!

"really."

"The only people who can get me excited, besides Gawain, are you."

"What surprises will you bring me this time?!"

Akin remained silent.

He simply gazed indifferently at the arena in the distance.

People came and went, and battles raged on.

After Zoro defeated Sanji with his stronger desire to win, he ultimately failed to reach Gin and was also defeated by Beville.

In the past year or so, he has grown rapidly, almost like a rocket, but his starting point was ultimately much lower, and Beville also had the advantage of the Door-Door Fruit.

The defeat was not unjust.

This only cemented his reputation as the perennial fifth-place finisher.

When Lucci was around, he was subtly overshadowed by Lucci. Now that Lucci is on an infiltration mission, he is being overshadowed by Beville, who just joined the group.

can only say……

That's just how fate is.

Sanji was in a similar situation, as Bevel seized the opportunity to teleport him to another dimension, thus ending his defeat.

Cavendish, however, brought the biggest surprise of this battle so far.

After more than a year of arduous training, he spent most of his time, apart from honing his swordsmanship, on controlling the white horse. He has now completely mastered the other personality within him, and there is even a faint tendency for them to merge.

Their combat power naturally advanced further, reaching the gold level.

Unfortunately, he was unlucky. All of Gawain's other officers above the Gold rank were monsters, and he could only suffer defeat after defeat.

At this point, the general ranking of the Knights of the Round Table has been determined.

Aside from Gawain, Clooney, and Akin, who consistently rank in the top three.

Eagle Knight Bevel secured the fourth seat, followed by Pirate Hunter Zoro in the fifth seat, and Black Leg Sanji in the sixth.

Next up is Law, the seventh seat surgeon, and Cavendish, the eighth seat pirate prince.

Lucci did not participate in the battle, but his combat strength was already slightly superior to Zoro's a year ago. Now he has awakened and has already entered the Gold level. He may not even be slower than Zoro.

He simply didn't participate in the ranking battle and can only be ranked ninth for now.

As for Chopper, Bepo, and others, after a year of hard training, they have made significant progress and entered the Silver rank, but they are still some distance away from the Gold rank.

Although Van Augur did not reach the Gold rank, Gawain gave him several Seastone bullets containing his own Conqueror's Haki.

If he really seizes the opportunity to strike, even a weaker King-level general would be in trouble; the threat level is far higher than that of an ordinary Gold Saint.

Government Building.

Gawain leaned against the window, calculating the strength of his troops, and couldn't help but nod in approval.

Even excluding himself, with eight Gold-ranked individuals, including one Legendary-ranked individual, he could easily form a Seven Warlords of the Sea.

This is the composition of his current high-end combat force.

Each of them possesses combat power comparable to that of the Three Calamities and Seven Warlords of the Sea.

It's absolutely outrageous and outrageous.

Gawain had never fought against Shanks, but even Shanks' subordinates could not possibly have amassed such a large number of high-end combatants.

in other words.

In terms of the strength of high-ranking officers alone, across the entire ocean, apart from the World Government and its navy, Gawain is the strongest!

Even now, with the Navy internally divided and the World Government's energy largely tied up in the Neo Navy and the rising Revolutionary Army.

Gawain's forces are perhaps the most numerous besides those of Mary Geoise.

A chaotic era is coming. As long as he accumulates strength for a while longer, he is confident that he can even challenge the World Government when Pluto lands!
"but."

"We still need to lie low for now. It's not the time to challenge the World Government until Pluto lands."

"only……"

Gao Wen narrowed his eyes slightly.

Since the King destroyed Avalon a year ago, it has not launched any more.

Even when faced with the Neo Navy openly challenging the World Government, the World Government chose to let the Navy handle the situation instead of destroying the G5 branch with a single shot.

"Is it a concern that rising sea levels will cause even greater chaos, or is it..."

Gawain pictured Vegapunk, who bore a striking resemblance to Einstein.

Judging from Vegapunk's actions on Future Island in the original timeline, he was definitely not someone who left no room for maneuver.

He saw through almost all of Satan's schemes, and even tricked the World Government into revealing the news that the world was about to sink.

This is also what Gawain is most worried about now, apart from the king of Mary Geoise.

Based on the clues he knew, the most likely factor that could silence the world was the misuse of ancient weapons.

However, Gawain's current information is severely insufficient, leaving him with no way to begin even if he wanted to prepare in advance...

"We must find Vegapunk as soon as possible!"

"Do not……"

An elderly man with silver hair appeared before Gao Wen's eyes:
"It seems I'll have to make a trip to the Sabaody Archipelago."

"Rayleigh must know everything!"

Gao Wen was deep in thought.

In the Round Table Arena.

Kro had already taken off his coat, and was standing on one side of the arena wearing only a loose shirt.

He pushed up his glasses.

The posture was strange; instead of using fingers to support it as a normal person would, it was pushing with the palm of the hand.

His gloomy and aloof face, combined with his stern expression, gave him a unique air about him. Many wealthy women on the sidelines gasped at the sight.

Gawain and his group dared not even think about it, after all, no woman had flirted with Gawain in recent years, all of whom had been subtly punished by Morgan, who was clearly protecting his possessions.

But if we could win over the second-in-command of the Knights of the Round Table...

"Lord Crow~~~~"

"Keep it up!"

"If you win, I'm yours tonight~~"

……

In the arena.

Kro coldly glanced at the noblewoman who had spoken, and almost stumbled. The woman had filled three seats by herself, and her width was almost as much as his height.

Although he didn't care about these things, the thought of Gawain's outrageous popularity with women, and the fact that he had taken a liking to him...

Kro suddenly felt a little sour.

He took a deep breath and turned his head to focus his attention on Akin in front of him.

Also at this moment.

In the arena, the once gentle wind began to rage. Like countless steel blades, they tangled and spun in the wind, crashing against the earth like dense raindrops, creating a symphony!
next moment.

Pure white flames rose from Chloe's shoulders, carrying a sacred and inviolable aura.

A long tail, swirling with air currents, extended from behind him, its sharp blade slicing through the air and tearing apart the swirling air currents!

A powerful aura swept outwards, and an invisible force, like sharp swords, pierced the minds of those watching the battle!
"This is... Hundred-Plan Cloth?!"

"Gawain and his gang, no, the second-in-command of the Knights of the Round Table?!"

"Even just one glance at him makes me feel like I'm being sliced into pieces, as if everything around me is in his hunting ground!"

"At this moment, the Round Table Arena has become his domain!"

"His authority is unshakeable!"

"This is already comparable to the power of a Navy Admiral!"

……

A gasp of surprise rippled through the audience, with many even choosing to leave the stands at that moment.

Even though what they wanted to see was fighting and battle, they now felt an inexplicable threat, and every cell in their bodies was telling of fear!

"It's no longer safe here!"

"Even being caught in the crossfire of Lord Kro's attack could cost you your life!"

"go!"

A chorus of exclamations erupted.

The only ones who could remain seated at the scene were Zoro and his companions who had come to watch the battle.

But even their faces were filled with solemnity at this moment.

"Although I've heard that Kro has broken through to the legendary level and his combat strength has already widened the gap with ours, but..."

Luo looked at Kro in the distance, his gaze serious, and even more so with surprise:

"But the sense of oppression that people can feel is not far from that of the middle-aged women from two years ago."

Cavendish, standing to the side, smiled wryly:
"I have to say, he truly lives up to his title of first mate!"

"what."

Sanji nodded and exhaled a puff of smoke:
"Mr. Kro was one of the first to board the ship, and he's a Mythical Zoan type ability user, which is even rarer than Logia-type. Isn't it only natural that he did something like this?!"

"But how do we deal with Captain Akin, after all..."

Kakakaka—!
A sickening grinding sound suddenly rang out.

A tree of white bones suddenly sprouted in the arena, only to collapse completely in the next instant, turning into dust in the air!

Akin's figure came into view.

But it was unlike any stance they knew!
The bones that were wrapped around his body at this moment were not white, but black, a pitch-black color like an abyss, as if they wanted to absorb all the light!
The glaring and ferocious bone spurs covered his entire body, making him look just like a demon in a temple, and the sense of oppression he brought to everyone was unprecedented!

"This thing doesn't look good!"

Luo's lips twitched as he felt a stinging sensation.

While everyone was shocked, they were also filled with unspoken questions!
"Is Captain Kin's new mindset based on the Bone-Bone Fruit?"

"What exactly is this..."

"Three Bones - Six Heavenly Demon Kings!"

Beville's voice carried a sense of resentment, yet also a profound feeling of powerlessness:

"I was defeated by this very move last time. From the moment he displayed this stance to the end of the fight, it was only a fleeting moment!"

Everyone's pupils contracted sharply; they naturally knew what such an ability truly meant.

Bevel's combat power is already at the Gold level, capable of instantly killing him...

Akin has already taken one step into the realm of legend!
……

In the arena.

The long tail behind Kro swayed with the air currents, its sharp blade reflecting the moonlight.

That's an unusually excited expression!
"Even I feel a sense of threat. You've already touched the threshold of legend. It seems this battle won't be boring!"

"Then I..."

"Let's use fifty percent of our strength to save them!"

Kro calmly extended his palm.

But in the next instant, he rushed to A Jin's side, and the air currents swirling at his fingertips gathered into a blade and slashed at A Jin!

when--!
A deafening noise exploded, and Akin's feet sank into the ground. Terrifying air pressure poured down on him, and even the clouds in the sky were cut in two at that moment!

This single strike was enough to cleave an island in two!

Kro's Emperor-level combat power was already overwhelming, leaving everyone breathless, but his expression wasn't exactly pleasant; in fact, it carried a hint of seriousness.
"you……"

"If this is all there is to a legend, then I will be very disappointed!"

Kro lowered his eyes, and what came into view was a pair of eyes hidden beneath the black bone armor, confident, arrogant, and burning with ambition.

His air blade had cut through the jet-black bone armor on Akin's body, but the exposed internal structure was still black.

"This is... just like that Zephyr, the ultimate form of Armament Haki - Armament!"

"what!"

A Jin grinned, his eyes brimming with undisguised excitement:
"The captain once said..."

"My compatibility with the Bone-Bone Fruit is not as high as yours with the Weasel-Weasel Fruit, nor do I have the outstanding potential of Zoro and the others."

"There is only one path that suits me, and that is to hone a single ability to its fullest potential. Therefore, I have only done one thing this year!"

"Refine your Armament Haki, refine your Armament Haki, and refine your Armament Haki again!"

"And this is the result of my dedication to cultivation!"

"I can now cover every inch of my flesh and blood, every bone, with Armament Haki. My body is the strongest war machine. This is my path!"

"Focus on one thing, and you'll reach the pinnacle!"

The sound fell to the ground.

Ajin raised his hand and delivered a heavy punch, pushing it horizontally forward.

With the blessing of the three badges, his one year of hard training was equivalent to ten or twenty years, and what he had forged at this moment was a near-invincible combat power beyond legend.

It is even superior to Zeff, who fought Gawain in Alabasta.

boom--!
The earth trembled, and shockwaves even spread from the Arena of the Round Table to the surrounding buildings.

Many people lost their footing, thinking it was an earthquake, and immediately covered their heads and lay on the ground. But in the next instant, they realized their lapse in composure and hurriedly covered their faces and left.

No one around him dared to laugh at him.

Those still in the Round Table Arena couldn't even manage a smile!

"Even the Round Table Colosseum was shaken. Although the Bone-Bone Fruit does enhance strength, going to this extent seems a bit excessive..."

Zoro's lips twitched as he looked down at the Muramasa at his waist, pondering whether he could cut through Gin's bone armor.

The answer he finally received left him speechless.

Cavendish even showed a look of lingering fear:

"Luckily, I didn't act rashly and challenge Captain Akin directly."

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone turned to look at Beville standing to the side.

"no……"

Why are you all staring at me like that?!

"He was spouting nonsense about avenging his humiliation and getting revenge, and then he opened his third bone and threw a punch at me."

"What can I do?!"