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

Chapter 379 Akainu: Why is this different from what we agreed on?
As soon as the sound fell, silence fell around Gawain, and Eagle Eye's pupils shrank even more sharply.

He knew that Whitebeard's words meant he considered Gawain as an opponent of equal standing.

Even though Hawkeye had already guessed Gawain's strength and could vaguely sense that in this era of Whitebeard's gradual decline, Gawain, who had risen to power by stepping on his shoulders, was now qualified to compete for the title of the world's strongest.

But when he actually saw this scene, he still couldn't help but be surprised and instinctively gripped the black knife in his hand tighter.

Om-!
The black blade trembled, expressing its resentment.

This is especially true for Hawkeye.

After all, Whitebeard's earth-shattering attack just now directly changed the terrain within a radius of dozens of nautical miles around Marineford!

Even after this battle, the Navy Headquarters will inevitably have to relocate!

This is the price of confronting the world's strongest man!

Even though Whitebeard has grown old, his youth has faded, he is plagued by serious illness, and his power is gradually dissipating, he is still invincible.

That was a monster that dominated an era and surpassed everything!

But such a monster, after just one encounter, regarded Gawain as an opponent of equal strength?!
This guy's growth has been far more significant than I anticipated; he's already out of sight.

Hawkeye was amazed.

Gawain's hand was already on the longsword at his waist.

What he held was not the Kanze Masamune, which had been tempered into a black sword, but the Stone Sword, which he had just acquired and was still being broken in.

As a national treasure passed down from the Britannias era, the Sword in the Stone is of excellent quality, in no way inferior to the Kanze Masamune.

They just need enough battles to get to know each other.

The opportunity to seize the Grandmaster and instantly refine Kanze Masamune into a black sword, similar to the previous Grandmaster awakening, is a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

Zheng——!
The sword in his hand was drawn, but no powerful aura emanated from it; Gao Wen, on the other hand, appeared unusually calm.

Even the air around him was filled with a calming power, as if as long as this man was here, nothing would be a problem!

The group of pirates looked at Gawain, who was standing on the high platform, with a puzzled expression.

The scene they were expecting did not appear. What they saw was merely someone drawing a long sword from his waist, looking down at the entire battlefield from a high vantage point!

Apart from that, there were no other amazing scenes.

Everything can only be described as ordinary!

However, the powerful figures around them who sensed something was wrong had already subconsciously moved away from Gawain's vicinity!
Puff! Puff! Puff—!
Hancock raised her hand and released the Prisoner's Sword, instantly petrifying all the marines and pirates around her.

She turned to look at Gao Wen, her eyes filled with undisguised curiosity.

"The aura around that man was very peaceful, making one feel as if they were not on a battlefield, but on vacation somewhere."

"It makes people feel relaxed and at ease."

"But this is a battlefield! The largest war since the start of the Age of Exploration, its scale is even larger than the Battle of Water Seven two years ago!"

"It is abnormal for such a peaceful atmosphere to exist in such a battlefield!"

"He suppressed everything around him with his own aura!"

The powerful figures on the battlefield also realized this, and countless eyes watched the two facing off, with a hint of expectation in them.

After all, it's a battle between monsters born in the new era and the strongest beings in the world from the old era!

For a while.

Even many of the marines and pirates who were still fighting on the battlefield stopped what they were doing and looked at the two people facing off in the distance.

"Is the opponent that Lionheart?!"

Marco kicked Onigumo away, sending him crashing heavily onto the ice, where he remained motionless for a long time.

He then turned to look at Gawain in the distance, a slight smile playing on his lips.

If he would have been worried about Whitebeard if he faced an opponent like Gawain just half a month ago, now he is only filled with confidence.

"My father!"

"Invincible!"

The 16th Division Captain, Izou, with guns in both hands, forced back the attacking Vice Admiral and stood back-to-back with Marco.

He deftly reloaded his weapon and then charged into the distant battlefield in the next instant, never once paying attention to the battlefield where Whitebeard was.

This applies to all Whitebeard's members who are aware of his changes.

They lived through the era of Whitebeard and knew just how powerful that man was in his youth!
"Of course!"

Marco's lips curled up, and he took flight, engaging in a fierce battle with Kizaru who was attacking from afar!
call--!
A fierce wind howled across the battlefield.

Gawain's gaze fell on the white beard, a look of keen interest appearing in his eyes:

"Have you regained your peak power through some means?! You've piqued my interest quite a bit now."

"But if I were to fight here... huh?!"

Halfway through his sentence, Gawain narrowed his eyes slightly, slowly sheathed the sword in the stone, and looked at the white-bearded man in the distance, saying:
"It seems you have other troubles."

Whitebeard turned to look at the execution platform in the distance.

Akainu, who had been sitting on the throne and stabilizing the Navy like a ballast, couldn't help but stand up and stare intently at Whitebeard in the distance!

"White beard!"

"Your opponent is me!"

boom--!
Crimson lava erupted from Akainu's body, flowing like a volcano, threatening to melt everything around him!
Glaciers are melting, seawater is evaporating, and pure white steam rises, spreading across the entire battlefield in an instant under the sweeping wind!
Although everyone's view was completely blocked, some people still sensed the crimson figure leaping up from the throne.

"It's Akainu!"

"The three admirals, the highest combat force of the Navy Headquarters!"

"There are even rumors that the monster might be the strongest of the three admirals, and the strongest marine in this era when Fleet Admiral Sengoku has retired and Garp is gradually no longer involved in the internal affairs of the Navy!"

"Perhaps... after Fleet Admiral Sengoku retires, he will be the next Fleet Admiral!"

……

With a cry of alarm, Akainu, propelled by the endless magma, leaped high into the air and crashed like a meteor toward the distant Moby Dick!
Slam it down on the world's strongest man standing on the deck!
In turbulent times and changing navies, legends of the past either perished at sea like Shiki the Golden Lion, or, like Whitebeard before us, gradually aged and lost their peak.

The same applies to the Warring States period, when he was a marshal.

In fact, the Five Elders had already considered having Sengoku step down after Zephyr split the Navy.

However, the navy was already undergoing tremendous changes at that time, so changing the marshal was not a good idea.

But after Ace's execution by fire-breathing fist was over, Sengoku's abdication was no longer a secret within the Navy.

Aside from Kizaru's lack of interest in becoming Fleet Admiral, the Five Elders, including Garp, were even more worried. The only truly suitable and ambitious candidates for the Fleet Admiral position were Akainu and Aokiji!
With the T-bone incident in Water Seven as a precedent, although the two, Chi and Qing, are no longer as irreconcilable as before, they are still fiercely competitive for the position of marshal.

If he could defeat the former world's strongest force head-on on the battlefield of Marineford, it would undoubtedly greatly boost his chances of becoming a marshal.

On the execution platform.

Sengoku watched this scene, his eyes narrowing slightly: "That Sakazuki guy is surprisingly energetic."

"In comparison..."

He glanced at Kizaru, who was locked in combat with Marco, and then at Aokiji, who was fighting Diamond Jozu, but ultimately said nothing.

They witnessed Kizaru's torment during the events on Future Island, and the changes caused by Zephyr put Aokiji's heart on the line.

Of the three admirals who were once the face of the Navy, only Akainu is truly reliable now.

"Sakazuki's strength is beyond doubt."

"Even if we can't defeat Whitebeard, we can stall him for a short time without any problem."

"The only winner in this war will be the navy!"

boom! boom! boom!
Giant fists of lava rained down, tearing the glacier apart!

Endless red light illuminated the battlefield, like countless suns simultaneously radiating light and heat across the sky!
The white-bearded man narrowed his eyes slightly:
"Lava brat? After all these years, you're still as irritable as ever."

The almost mocking tone made Akainu's expression grow even colder, and he was already prepared to leave his opponent here completely!

The death of T-Bone made him see some things clearly, and his sense of justice changed. He no longer believed in absolute justice as he once did.

Just like back in Water Seven, he chose to let Gawain and his gang, as well as Fujitora, leave.

The world is sick. The Navy is sick, the World Government is sick, and Mary Geoise is sick. It needs a strong medicine now, and only through painful treatment can it be transformed!
In Akainu's mind, there was no one more suitable as the catalyst than himself!

Therefore, defeating Whitebeard here is a necessary thing for him!

"Pluto!"

The lava fell rapidly and violently through the air!
The world only knows that Akainu is a user of the Magma-Magma Fruit, whose fighting style is wide-ranging and whose attack power is almost the strongest in the world.

But few people know that in battles between powerhouses at the Emperor level, his true strength lies in his explosive speed!

The Hades, which suddenly accelerated and exploded upon close proximity, even managed to tear through Kaido's defenses!
An old, frail man with a serious illness...

It’s even more impossible to hide!

"Didn't that Sengoku guy tell you?!"

"Attacking me from this distance would be fatal!"

Whitebeard's deep voice exploded in Akainu's ears. Whitebeard dodged Akainu's close-range burst attack, which he considered a killing move, by slightly turning his body.

What met Akainu was an extremely fierce punch from Whitebeard!

boom--!
Whitebeard's fist landed on Akainu's waist, shattering the surrounding atmosphere. Transparent cracks spread for hundreds of meters, and the glacier below, tens of meters deep, suddenly collapsed!
Kakakaka—!
The glaciers in most of the port collapsed, and Akainu crashed heavily into the buildings and crowds of Marineford behind him, like a cannonball, completely shattering the building that was inscribed with the word "Justice"!
At that moment, the surrounding seawater also boiled, instantly creating giant waves hundreds of meters high that crashed down on Marineford!
Left with no other choice, Aokiji had to take a hit from Diamond Jozu to escape and then use his strength to stabilize the sea!
Among the ruins.

Akainu struggled to his feet, spitting out a mouthful of blood; his internal organs had been severely injured by Whitebeard's punch.

If Whitebeard hadn't been mindful of the Demoby Dick beneath his feet, that punch would likely have sent him flying out of Marineford!

Something is wrong, very wrong!

This is not the kind of power a frail old man should have!
Is there something wrong with the Navy's intelligence system? Or has Whitebeard been faking illness all these years?!
Countless questions lingered in Akainu's mind, so much so that he didn't react for a moment.

The battlefield was utterly silent!
To instantly knock away a Marine Admiral, who is also very likely the strongest of the three Marine Admirals, is an outrageous feat in any era!
"This is... the strongest in the world?!"

"Hey Hey hey……"

"This is too exaggerated!"

"No matter how you look at it, going to this extent is just too outrageous!"

"Can the Navy really win against such an opponent?!"

……

The same question arose in the minds of both pirates and marines on the battlefield.

The people standing in front of the projection Den Den Mushi stared at the tall old man in the center of the screen, speechless for a long time.

As Zhan Guo took out his pocket watch and looked at it again and again, he didn't even realize that his breathing had become rapid.

after all……

That's a white beard!
A monster who has been burdened with the title of the world's strongest for over twenty years!

Gawain remained standing on the high platform, gazing calmly at the distant battlefield, at the white-bearded man who had unleashed a world-shaking punch that sent the general flying, his eyes filled with unspoken admiration.

"Akainu's combat strength is close to that of a Legendary Upper Rank. Whitebeard was able to suppress him so easily, which is extremely impressive even among Legendary Upper Rank."

"Indeed, it deserves to be called the world's strongest."

"A legendary rise to power?!"

Hawkeye was somewhat puzzled.

Gao Wen briefly explained to Hawkeye the combat power level classification he had set based on the system's frequency division. Hawkeye immediately understood and couldn't help but ask which category he was roughly in.

"Two years ago, he was probably somewhere between the lower and middle ranks of the Legendary class. Now, we need to have fought him to make an assessment."

"After all, your aura has become much stronger, and there are more traces of cultivation on your body."

Hawkeye smiled slightly:
"I've put in a lot of hard work to surpass you, you monster."

"but."

"Two years have passed, and instead of narrowing, the gap has actually widened?!"

"Speaking of which..."

"According to this classification, where have you reached?"

Gawain's lips curled up:

"you guess."

"..."

Hawkeye silently sheathed his black sword, Night, and leaped off the platform to engage Vista, who was attacking again, officially beginning to slack off.

I have absolutely no desire to deal with that jerk with such a twisted sense of humor.

Gawain chuckled awkwardly, but didn't seem uncomfortable at all. He stood calmly on the high platform, looking down at the battlefield below.

In the ruins of Mary Geoise.

Akainu walked out step by step, looking extremely disheveled, but his eyes remained fierce.

No matter how strong Whitebeard is, he must fall here today, even if it costs him his life!

He also had reasons why he could not back down.

In this era, the navy has already suffered too many blows and cannot afford another devastating defeat!

That could lead to the collapse of the entire world order, the era would go out of control, countless people would lose their lives, and more importantly, T-Bone absolutely cannot accept such an outcome!

brush!
Akainu tossed aside his cloak, revealing his muscular upper body, then twisted his neck, causing his body to spew forth molten lava once more, and charged towards Whitebeard.
"Big fire-breathing!"

(End of this chapter)