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

Chapter 382 Beginning and Ending
"You should know better than I what kind of monster he is."

Akainu gave a nonchalant reply, his peripheral vision sweeping over Gawain, who was easily suppressing Whitebeard's attack in the distance, and a slight twitch appeared at the corner of his mouth.

If we were to ask who among those present felt the most intense impact of Whitebeard's punches, Akainu would undoubtedly be number one.

Over the years, he has fought on the high seas and encountered countless powerful opponents.

From minor powerful figures who invade the New World, such as Jinbe, to the Four Emperors who reign supreme over the New World, such as Kaido, Big Mom, and Shanks.

Akainu was confident that even if he couldn't win quickly, he would never lose.

Only the white-bearded one!
Only a white beard!
The power of that punch was like a mountain collapsing and the earth crumbling; even Akainu's physique, honed through countless trials, and his Armament Haki were instantly shattered.

In two encounters and two battles, he was mercilessly crushed by Whitebeard.

This man, known as the world's strongest, at his peak, was at least one body length ahead of other sea monsters.

At least as far as Akainu knows, among the strongmen of the old era after Roger, almost no one can fight Whitebeard unless the two of them join forces.

Yet this very person is now being effortlessly suppressed by Gao Wen, unable to even lift his head.

"It's not that I'm weak, it's that Whitebeard is too strong!"

"It's not that Whitebeard is weak, it's that Gawain... is stronger!"

After saying this, Akainu stopped and flew towards the Whitebeard members in the distance.

He was a pragmatic person by nature, and now that Whitebeard, the most troublesome opponent, was being dealt with by Gawain, Akainu's fighting strength was freed up.

Although he was unwilling, he knew that the overall situation was more important.

The Navy's plan for this battle was to crush the Whitebeard Pirates with overwhelming force and intimidate the seas!
"Meteor volcano!"

Akainu stretched out his hands and shot countless molten rocks into the sky, then turned them around and fell back down, like meteorites falling from the sky, crashing into the fleet led by Whitebeard!
Boom boom boom——!
A rain of fire fell from the sky, blasting through the pirate ship and burning countless pirates to ashes as they howled in agony!
Amidst the horrified gazes of the crowd, Akainu charged into the fray, unstoppable by anyone. Even the Whitebeard Pirates were no match for him!
As a Marine Admiral, and most likely the strongest among them, Akainu displayed his true abilities at this moment.

While everyone was shocked, they also realized even more that it wasn't that Akainu was weak, but rather that Akainu was very strong; it was that Whitebeard, who was near his peak, was simply too inhuman!

And Gawain...

That is a monster from another dimension, and cannot be judged by common sense!

"Yeah, yeah, yeah~"

"They're incredibly motivated!"

Aokiji scratched his scalp, but his movements were not slow at all. He also flew forward and, together with Akainu, charged into the crowd!
Frigid air and gushing lava ravaged the entire battlefield!
Even though Marco fought hard and managed to hold off Kizaru with his immortality, he had reached his limit and was unable to support the others.

Moreover, Marco could also sense that Kizaru might not have used his full strength.

Faced with the combined might of the two generals, the white team leaders were forced into a series of defeats, suffering numerous casualties.

Despite their resentment, and even those who risked their lives to block the attacks of Chi and Qing, it was all in vain, like moths to a flame.

In just a few minutes, the distance between them and the execution platform was widened considerably!

"Damn it!"

Diamond Jozu leaped to block Aokiji's Tyrannosaurus Rex, but in the next instant, he was burned by Akainu's lava. If Vista hadn't come to his rescue in time, he probably wouldn't have survived!
"The gap in combat power is still too large!"

"Even though Dad, with that man's help, regained his peak strength, but..."

Bista looked up at the area below the execution platform.

Besides Gawain, who was blocking Whitebeard, Empress Hancock, Mihawk, Doflamingo, Katakuri, and others were also eyeing the situation covetously.

to be frank.

Even without Chi and Qing joining forces to intercept them, their limit was already reached before they could even unleash their true forms.

Not to mention the two legends standing on the execution platform right now, legends who are on par with Whitebeard!
He suddenly understood why Whitebeard had been vaguely thinking about entrusting his affairs after his death even before this battle began.

The true overlord of this sea has never been the Four Emperors of the New World, but the Navy, which is an enemy of pirates all over the world.

The three admirals and two legends are all supreme beings comparable to the Four Emperors, not to mention the Seven Warlords of the Sea under their command who cooperate with the World Government.

"us……"

Vista turned to look at Diamond Joz beside him, and saw only a resolute determination in the latter's eyes:
"We have no room to retreat. If we let Ace die here, Daddy's banner will fall!"

Diamond Jozu's gaze was firm. He took a step forward and stood in front of the person, facing the two generals, Red and Blue, who were pressing in from afar.

Although Ace was nominally the captain of the second division, he should have been the third-ranking figure under Whitebeard.

The reason for this is that Kozuki Oden, who was originally the number two in the Whitebeard Pirates, never returned, and the position of captain of the second division remained vacant. Ace happened to be there and thus managed to outmaneuver Diamond Jozu.

In terms of combat strength, Jozu is undoubtedly the stronger one!
He was also one of the crew members who followed Whitebeard the longest, and his combat strength was not far from that of Marco, both of whom briefly possessed combat strength comparable to that of an Emperor.

At this moment, he became extremely fierce, and his eyes turned bloodshot!
"If you're so capable, then try taking it!"

boom!
Diamond Jozu bent down, plunged his hands into the ice, and with unimaginable terrifying strength, lifted a huge iceberg nearly 100 meters in diameter and threw it with all his might toward Akainu who was attacking from afar!

But it couldn't even stop the two of them, and was instantly vaporized by Akainu's lava fist!
Pure white steam filled the entire battlefield!

In the head-on confrontation, the navy's superior strength and combat power gradually became apparent.

Even though most of the Seven Warlords of the Sea remained on the sidelines, Gawain's intervention to block Whitebeard completely turned the tide of the battle!
"Jozy!"

Ace, kneeling on the execution platform, stared wide-eyed at the scene, his teeth clenched.

For the first time, he began to regret his impulsive decision to join the Whitebeard Pirates and chase after Blackbeard. If he had stayed with the Whitebeard Pirates, none of this would have happened...

"I……"

Garp sat silently to one side, not saying a word, but his lowered eyes still spoke of the turmoil in his heart.

Seeing this, Zhan Guo reached into his robes, took out a pocket watch, checked the time, and his expression suddenly became solemn:

"It's almost time."

"Cap."

The sound fell to the ground.

Garp's breathing stopped, and his body trembled uncontrollably. He knew perfectly well what Sengoku's words meant.

But what he knew even more clearly was that there was nothing he could do right now.

On the contrary, Ace's expression relaxed, and he inexplicably felt a sense of relief.

If I die here, then there will be no reason for anyone to continue fighting.

Sengoku glanced at Ace, taking in his expression, but couldn't help shaking his head.

Innocent!

Garp not only failed to raise his own grandson well, but he also failed to raise Roger's children well. If they had been under my command, even knowing that Roger's blood flowed through their veins, things wouldn't have developed to this point...

The image of Rosinandi appeared in Sengoku's mind, and he stopped thinking about it.

It was only at this moment that he realized that he and Garp were actually no different.

A person has only one heart and limited energy. If one decides to dedicate oneself to justice, the space left for family will naturally be even less.

Warring States opened his mouth, but what came out was:

"Is there anything else you'd like to say?!"

"..."

Garp opened his eyes, opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Seeing this, Zhan Guo sighed inwardly and said nothing more, waving his hand.

Two middle-aged executioners stepped forward, one on each side, and placed the blades against Ace's neck.

It was only at this moment that Garp managed to regain his composure, but when he looked up and saw the faces of the two executioners, his breath caught in his throat again.

These two men were none other than the executioners who had been in charge of Roger's execution back then!

"Is it really necessary to go to this extent?!"

Karp's voice was hoarse.

Sengoku nodded. It concerned his sense of justice and the situation at sea; there was no room for compromise. But even so, seeing his old friend's bloodshot eyes, he felt a pang of reluctance and said:

"These are the orders from those five, saying... this can be considered a proper ending." Garp's expression froze, then he seemed to lose all strength and slumped down:

"Good, that's a good start and a finish."

"I'm a little tired."

"After this battle, it's about time to step down."

Zhan Guo opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing; he was too ashamed to try and persuade him to stay.

Furthermore, after this battle, he was supposed to resign because of the Zephyr incident.

The fading of the remnants of the old era, handing the world over to a new era, is not necessarily a bad thing.

"Together we will."

Karp did not respond.

Seeing this, Sengoku didn't dwell on the matter any longer. He picked up the telephone beside him, faced the distant port, and at those telephones that would broadcast the scene from here throughout the world. He solemnly said:

"Start the execution!"

The sound fell to the ground.

The sound was amplified instantly by loudspeakers in the harbor, reaching the ears of everyone present.

The Whitebeard Pirates members' expressions changed drastically, and they all turned their heads, anxiously looking at the execution platform in the distance!

"Oops!"

"Of all times!"

Marco's expression changed drastically. He took Kizaru's Flash and flew towards the execution platform, but was punched away by Garp, whose face was gloomy. He crashed heavily into the surrounding buildings!
Only then did everyone realize that the person sitting on the execution platform was none other than an old soldier from the same era as Whitebeard!

Unlike those who are both enemies and friends, that person is the archenemy of the Pirate King Roger!
"Garp!"

"A naval legend, the true guardian? How exactly will this battle be fought?!"

Countless people watching the projected image couldn't help but sigh as they watched the veteran take action in anger.

"Not only is Whitebeard still powerful, but the legendary heroes of the Navy still possess terrifying combat power to suppress the four seas!"

"This battle... Whitebeard's crew is in trouble!"

"Whether we can even escape is a question!"

"but."

"Will the bloodline of the Pirate King finally end here?!"

New world.

In a town, artillery fire raged, countless buildings were destroyed, and flames were everywhere.

Having just entered the New World via Fishman Island, Kid sat amidst the gunfire, expressionless as he watched the images projected back by the Den Den Mushi.

All eyes were drawn to the figure bound by sea stone shackles, kneeling on the execution platform.

Kidd muttered to himself:
"The son of the Pirate King?!"

"And do you know the exact location of One Piece?!"

Kira, who was wiping his scythe, paused upon hearing the captain's words:
"Pity."

"Even the Whitebeard Pirates are no match for the entire Navy. Ultimately, we will have to find the answer ourselves."

"Weren't you already mentally prepared for this?!"

"The reason we set sail in the first place was to prove that One Piece is not a lie!"

between words.

Kira turned his head and looked at the corpses lying in the flames in the town, his gaze behind the mask cold:
"so……"

"That's why we'll eliminate anyone who dares to question our goals, won't we?!"

"makes sense."

Kidd's lips curled into a sinister smile as he looked at the projected image, his mind still focused on Gawain, who was still easily blocking Whitebeard's attack.

His palms were already damp with cold sweat.

Kira asked:

"Should we still set our sights on Britannias? With our current strength, I'm afraid..."

Kira didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was already very clear.

There is still an insurmountable gap between both Kidd and himself and the strongest beings in this world.

That man's power cannot be deduced by common sense; he is very likely the strongest in the world in hundreds of years, and it will be difficult for anyone to surpass him in the future.

"what."

Kidd responded, looking down at his hands, but the smile on his lips grew increasingly sinister:

"But ah..."

"Every time I hear that guy's name these past few years, it makes me furious!"

"If we can't do it alone, then we'll join forces with a few other companies."

“We’re not the only ones interested in being the world’s strongest; both Baggins and Uroki’s groups see it as their target.”

"With all the alliances and maneuvering, who can say for sure whether we can actually bring down Knight Gawain?!"

"The Lionheart King, the Uncrowned King, the Strongest in the World..."

"If we can overcome this hurdle, the distance between us and One Piece will be infinitely shortened!"

"It's up to you to decide."

Kira nodded and then began wiping his scimitar again.

They've always been like that.

Whether Kidd's decision is right or wrong, he will carry it out without hesitation.

This is a partner.

It also reflects the tacit understanding between the captain and the crew.

……

at the same time.

Chambord Islands.

Hawkins and his crew returned here after escaping the battle at Sabaody Archipelago.

Having taken advantage of the information gap that was hidden from view, they were actually the group of supernovas who encountered the least trouble.

now.

Hawkins sat on the deck, repeatedly casting divinations with the cards in his hand regarding his next move.

"All nations, 8% chance of victory, 13% chance of death, 50% chance of escape, 29% chance of being captured!"

"Wano Country: 1% chance of winning, 3% chance of death, 17% chance of escape, 79% chance of being captured!"

……

The more Hawkins did the divination, the more his brow furrowed.

The battle at Sabaody Archipelago made him realize the gap between himself and the world's strongest people, but he never expected that the gap would be so large!

Such a battle is no different from suicide.

"Where is Britannias?!"

(End of this chapter)