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

Chapter 362 Roger's Three Sons

"My father is not Gol D. Roger, but Whitebeard!"

"I will make Whitebeard king!"

Ace looked up, his voice filled with an unprecedented determination.

Even Garp fell silent for a moment. He had never seen anything like this in Ace's eyes, even though Ace had grown up under his iron fist training since childhood.

The pirates who had been silent with their eyes closed all opened their eyes and focused their attention on Ace when they heard Roger's name.

Surprise, unexpected, hatred, fear...

A complex mix of emotions culminated in a series of utterly shocking words.

"That bastard Roger actually has descendants?"

"This is impossible!"

"After Roger's death, the World Government even killed all the pregnant women who were suspected of carrying Roger's blood during that period. How could he possibly still have any bloodline left?!"

"and many more……"

"Naval hero Garp?!"

"That makes sense!"

Hahahaha~~~~~

……

The sixth floor of Impel Down instantly became noisy.

Among countless voices.

The strong man sitting alone in the corner slowly raised his eyes to look at Ace.

He was wearing loose and thin prison clothes, but they still couldn't hide the explosive muscles underneath. Even sitting there, he was already taller than an average person standing up.

a long time.

The man shook his head, his eyes filled with unspeakable disappointment.

"Roger's bloodline?!"

"Pity."

"He did not inherit that man's great strength, nor did he possess that kind of spirit."

Karp turned his head at the sound, and his expression darkened slightly when he saw the man's face:
"Barrett?!"

Looking at Barrett in front of him, Garp's eyes revealed an indescribable solemnity.

This man, who claims to be the heir of the devil, already possessed the power to fight Hades more than twenty years ago.

Garp originally thought that after being imprisoned in Impel Down for more than twenty years, his body would be overwhelmed and his combat strength would inevitably decline.

At least it won't be like before, requiring a general and a massive order of dozens of warships to capture it.

But now it seems that not only Garp, but the entire Navy was completely wrong.

Even after being imprisoned for over twenty years, even facing a dark and hopeless confinement, Barrett's domineering aura not only did not diminish, but actually grew stronger with the passage of time.

The only saving grace is that Barrett can never leave Impel Down; his immense power is meaningless.

Garp recalled Barrett's past experiences, then turned to look at Ace with a complicated expression.

In a sense, Roger had three children.

Redhead inherited the will, Ace inherited the bloodline, and Barrett inherited the fighting spirit.

The three had different personalities and circumstances, and ultimately went in different directions.

Following in Roger's footsteps, Shanks is still searching for One Piece and is now one of the Emperors of the Sea.

Barrett stubbornly pursued the title of the world's strongest, and after Roger's death, he stirred up wars everywhere and challenged the strong, all in order to chase Roger's shadow.

The time he spent on Roger's ship was perhaps the only warmth he ever felt in his life.

Surpassing Roger and becoming the world's strongest became his persistent obsession.

Even within Impel Down, he trained day after day for decades, waiting for that faint glimmer of a chance to break free from his prison and challenge the world once again.

And Ace...

All he felt was the pain brought by Roger's bloodline.

Knowing this, Garp was speechless when faced with Ace's fiery gaze.

It was only at this moment that Garp understood.

If we had seen Ace's confusion and loneliness sooner, things might not have turned out this way.

As a grandfather and a relative, I am truly inadequate. As a family member, Whitebeard has done a far better job than I have.

Garp opened his mouth, but it ultimately turned into a long sigh:
"you……"

"Old man!"

Ace's lips curled into a smile, still as unruly as ever:
"I don't regret my life, and you don't need to be sad for me. Just please do everything you can to stop Luffy from finding out about this."

"Given his personality, he would probably risk his life to save me."

“I met him in Alabasta a little over a month ago, and he was still the same carefree and nonchalant person he always was.”

"Luffy is much stronger than before, but you know, the New World is not yet a stage for him to get involved in."

"I've already lost one brother, and I don't want to lose a second one."

Ace was already determined to die.

Garp could see this, but the more he realized it, the more tormented he felt. He looked into Ace's eyes again:
"So your choice is to let Luffy have his second brother?!"

Ace closed his eyes, clenched his teeth so tightly that his cheeks bulged out, and a stubborn voice squeezed out from his throat:
"This is my adventure, my choice, my will."

"That brat..."

"Qi!"

……

The murmurs in the cell gradually subsided.

Garp sat in front of Ace's cell for a long time until Bogart, who was with him, couldn't help but remind him, and then he left with heavy steps.

Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
The footsteps gradually faded away.

The sixth level of Impel Down was once again shrouded in darkness.

Amidst the rustling sounds, a dry, hoarse laugh rang out, particularly jarring.

"Hahaha……"

Crocodile lay flat on the ground, staring at the ceiling, his domineering aura surging restlessly.

Roger's remaining bloodline, Garp's grandson, the world situation—a complex array of information flashed through his mind, ultimately conjuring up a massive war that might change the course of world history!
The grandest and most brutal war since the beginning of the Great Pirate Era!
This is also the time when the gates of Impel Down are most likely to be opened!
a long time.

Crocodile's laughter ceased, and his low murmur touched the hearts of every hardened criminal in Level 6 of Impel Down:
"I have a feeling."

"It won't be long before we leave this place."

"Na~"

"What do you plan to do then?!"

"Revenge against the Navy? Or set the world ablaze? Or become the strongest in the world?!"

in the corner.

Barrett opened his eyes and looked in Crocodile's direction.

More than 20 years ago, he had fought Crocodile and knew that the most dangerous thing about this man was not his strength, but his brain.

Barrett already had a vague idea of ​​what Crocodile was planning to do.

But he wasn't very interested in it.

His lifelong pursuit was to surpass Roger and claim the title of the world's strongest!

He didn't care what the world would become as a result!

But the pirates imprisoned here, who have been without the light of day for years or even decades, do not think that way.

The desire for revenge and destruction has been building up in their hearts for a long time. Once unleashed, it might be enough to set the new world ablaze!
"What do you want to say?!"

In the middle of the cell, the Moon Hunter Katarina Devon licked her lips, her gaze fixed on Crocodile's direction:

"A sand crocodile?!"

"Let's join forces!"

Crocodile's voice rose:

"Those qualified to be imprisoned here are all notorious pirates. If they were to come out in full force, the whole world would be ablaze!"

"This is a powerful force capable of rivaling the Four Emperors and competing for One Piece!"

Silence fell over the surroundings, and no one responded to Crocodile's invitation.

But the heavy breathing that occasionally came from the darkness, and the pairs of open, scarlet eyes, still betrayed the restless hearts of these people.

Crocodile naturally realized this; the seed had already been planted, and all that was needed was to wait for it to sprout!

He could wait twenty years for Hades in Alabasta, so he could certainly wait even longer to leave Impel Down.

"I can't wait to take off that white-bearded, no, that bastard Gawain's head!"

"Gawain?!"

Barrett remembered the unfamiliar name.

Crocodile's lips curled into a smile:
"what."

"A bastard who's strong like a monster!"

"That guy should have entered the New World by now. I just don't know if he can still say those words to Whitebeard."

"No!"

between words.

Crocodile shook his head, recalling Gawain's eyes and that resilience—the kind that allowed him to rise again even after being defeated by Shiki—and a sudden light flashed in his own eyes:
"Neither the Golden Lion nor Whitebeard can break Gawain's spine!"

"Things are probably not as simple as you think."

in the corner.

An old voice came.

Barrett turned to look at the location of the person who spoke and saw a thin, white-haired old man sitting slumped on the ground, as if his spine had been removed.

The old man's air of weariness was almost impossible to conceal.

Barrett stared at him blankly for a few moments before recognizing the person who had spoken:

"Wang Zhi?!"

Wang Zhi gave a bitter smile, his eyes filled with desolation:

"About two years ago, Knight Gawain defeated Shiki in Water 7, and a few months later he defeated Hawkeye Mihawk in the Sabaody Archipelago, taking the title of the world's greatest swordsman from Hawkeye."

“I challenged him a few months ago.”

"He was defeated, defeated by his subordinate, the Hundred-Purpose Cloth."

"Now, the knight Gawain is entrenched in Britannias and is known to the world as..."

"The Lionheart!"

"There are even rumors that the current knight Gawain has surpassed Whitebeard, and he should not be called the world's number one swordsman, but the world's strongest."

That battle broke his spine and shattered his last bit of pride.

He suddenly realized it.

I don't know when it started, but I've become like a piece of rotten wood, half-buried in the ground, on the ship heading to the new era, with no place for myself.

"The Lionheart!"

Barrett remembered Gawain's title.

He had never met Gawain, nor had he ever fought him, but he knew just how strong the Golden Lion was, who had driven Roger to the brink of defeat several times.

That was a legend that dominated an era, almost unstoppable.

Does taking Gawain's head count as surpassing Roger?
Barrett felt his blood boiling at that moment.

The loneliness of being imprisoned in the cell, which was originally bearable, now felt like a thousand knives cutting into my flesh.

a long time.

Heavy breathing echoed from Barrett's cell as he began to hone his physical skills once more, striving to perfect everything about himself.

Then I'll go and claim the title of the world's strongest, no matter if my opponent is Whitebeard or Lionheart!

Crocodile closed his eyes, but opened them again a few breaths later, his mind filled with only Wang Zhi's words.

Slaying the Golden Lion, the world's greatest swordsman!

His fist clenched suddenly, then he was unable to open it, but in the next instant he clenched it even tighter, so tight that blood flowed out between his fingers.

……

……

……

Britannias.

Shortly after Fujitora left, a warship slowly docked at the Britannias border.

The leader was dressed in a yellow striped suit with a coat draped over his shoulders bearing the words "Justice." He exuded a lazy and decadent air about him and was none other than Kizaru, who had been reinstated to his original position.

Kizaru stood on the deck, looking at Gawain who stood calmly in the harbor. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and slowly said:

"Sashiburidana~"

"Knight, no, I mean Lionheart Gawain, what a cool title!"

"The rookie who threatened me to be his sparring partner in Alabasta back then has now become a big shot on par with the Four Emperors?!"

"What a complete monster!"

"A naval admiral has come knocking on my door; surely he's not here to collect tuition fees?!"

Gawain completely ignored Kizaru's flattery and retorted expressionlessly.

Actually.

Gawain knew perfectly well why Kizaru had come here.

What truly surprised him was that Kizaru, who had only been suspended for less than a year, was reinstated.

It's important to know that Vegapunk's escape brought many of the World Government's research projects to a standstill, almost completely disrupting the World Government's plans.

Adding to the Zephyr incident, the relationship between the World Government and the Navy is becoming increasingly strained.

The fact that Zeff's student, Kizaru, was reinstated to his original position as an admiral at this time can only mean that even the World Government's forces are in dire need of combat power in the face of increasingly turbulent seas.

For me personally, this is, in a way, good news.

Kizaru said seriously:
"In the name of the Navy Admiral, Gawain, the next Shichibukai Knight, is hereby summoned to the Navy Headquarters to participate in the pre-battle meeting."

call--!
A sea breeze blew by.

Gao Wen and his group stared expressionlessly at the warship before them.

The oppressive atmosphere made the marines on deck instinctively raise their flintlock pistols, but in the next instant, Kizaru pressed them down with his own hands.

"Oh~"

"Even I'm not confident I'd leave Britannias alive if I fought that guy here."

between words.

Kizaru's gaze fell on the officers standing next to Gawain.

Even the weakest of these individuals possesses the fighting strength of one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

Among them, the strongest, such as the Hundred-Purpose Cloth standing next to Gawain, would be more than qualified to serve as a Marine Admiral.

Even though they had already obtained information about Gawain's group from the World Government, nothing was as shocking as witnessing this moment firsthand.

(End of this chapter)