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

Chapter 403 The Crusaders
Maz Saint asked, puzzled:

"What do you mean?"

Sacred Vocuri sat firmly in his seat, leaning on his cane, his eyes gleaming with a sinister light.
"Rob Lucci was a seed cultivated by CP9 from a young age. Under normal circumstances, he has absolutely no reason to betray the World Government."

"But this time, as we followed what Lord Im asked, we discovered many interesting things."

"The third-party force that Rob Lucci deliberately erased was most likely one of Knight Gawain's men."

"Rob Lucci once infiltrated under Knight Gawain's command. As for the reason, I'm sure everyone here knows. In other words, perhaps his stance had already wavered at that time."

"They might be spies planted by Knight Wen after returning to our ranks."

"After all, wasn't this kind of thing dealt with just once a few years ago?!"

The sound fell to the ground.

The gazes of those present turned somewhat cold.

New recruits trained by the CP organization can basically be regarded as CP0's reserves.

CP0's other title is "Shield of the Celestial Dragons".

If CP0 is infiltrated, the potential threat to Mary Geoise could be even greater than that of the Neo Navy should the enemy decide to do something to it!
After all, a visible knife is easy to defend against, but an invisible bullet is truly deadly!

Nasujiro asked, puzzled:

"Isn't that like letting a tiger return to the mountains?!"

"I probably understand."

Maz Saint stood to the side, glanced at Vocuri Saint, and said calmly:
"The world only sees the overwhelming power of the knight Gawain, but they don't know that every step this man has taken to get to where he is now has been part of his calculations."

"In other words, he must have had a meticulous deputy by his side to be able to do this."

"Rob Lucci's combat strength is decent, but he's not irreplaceable!"

"But as a testing pawn, it is perfectly qualified."

"But what's more important for us right now is Knight Gawain's attitude!"

"In comparison."

"Even if it throws the world into temporary chaos, it's insignificant."

"After all, that guy..."

"But in the eight hundred years since the World Government was established, he is the strongest in the world besides Joy Boy!"

……

……

……

at the same time.

Somewhere in the new world.

A wrecked pirate ship is moored in a bay.

Smoothie led his men to explore the area and, after confirming that the Beasts Pirates' pursuers had gone far away, he felt relieved.

After hiding the boat, they returned to a temporary camp near the bay.

Katakuri, his body wrapped in bandages and his breath weak, sat crouched among the crowd, staring expressionlessly at the bonfire in the center.

Crack-!
The crackling sound of burning wood and the flickering flames made everyone's faces appear red, but they couldn't dispel the confusion in their eyes.

Whole Cake Island is now occupied by the Beasts Pirates, and their leader, Katakuri, is seriously injured.

No one knew where the wrecked ship should go, so they all turned their attention to Katakuri.

Today it is today.

Even though Big Mom reclaimed Whole Cake Island and became the master of that land again, the leader recognized by everyone is still Katakuri.

Without him.

No one likes a leader who is capricious, undisciplined, prone to outbursts, and even cannibalistic.

Compared to the decades-long rule of the old lady, Katakuri's short two-year reign brought them a completely different feeling.

The feeling of being truly treated as family and protected.

Even Perospero, who was initially somewhat resentful of Katakuri, now wholeheartedly acknowledges his qualifications as the leader of Whole Cake Island!
a long time.

Daifuku looked up at Katakuri, his eyes filled with sorrow:

"Owen was captured alive, Conter was killed in action, and Opera succumbed to his wounds during his escape..."

With each name that was mentioned, Katakuri's fist clenched tighter, only to loosen weakly again.

"This is my dereliction of duty."

Perospero stood up and patted Katakuri on the shoulder:

"This is not your fault, Katakuri. After all, no one could have predicted that Mom would team up with Kaido again. You have done a great job in protecting so many younger brothers and sisters."

"But where are we headed next? As the captain, you should take the helm."

Katakuri turned around, looked at his only brother, and was momentarily stunned.

Only encouragement and recognition were seen in the latter's eyes; the trace of threat and resentment that had once been there had completely disappeared.

At this moment, he even recalled his childhood, when his aunt was basically a hands-off manager, and it was mostly the older brothers who took care of his younger siblings.

The person in charge of taking care of Katakuri was Perospero, who was two years older than him.

look around.

They were pairs of hopeful eyes, just like when I was a child, waiting for my older brother to find food.

Katakuri closed his eyes, feeling a fire burning in his heart, just like the bonfire burning in the crowd!
"I see."

When Katakul opened his eyes, the dejection and despair in his eyes had completely disappeared, and he was gripping the broken trident tightly in his hand.

He took the nautical chart from the hand of the man standing next to him, opened it, and placed it in front of him.

Locations and their corresponding forces flashed through Katakuri's mind, and finally he placed his finger on an island deep in the New World.

"Let's go here."

"Honeycomb Island!"

"After Wang Zhi left, this place became ownerless—!"

boom!
A roaring sound came from the distant sea.

Katakuri looked up and saw Armand, who was in charge of the homepage, flying backwards, crashing into several mountain peaks before being buried by rubble.

Armand, as Big Mom's third daughter, wields the famous sword 'White Fish' and is proficient in swordsmanship. Her combat strength is among the top of all the executives in Whole Cake Island.

The person who can kill someone instantly without them having any power to resist must be a force to be reckoned with!

"who is it?"

"Kaido's pursuers?!"

"One of the Flying Six is ​​King the Wildfire?!"

Everyone immediately stood up, looking as if they were facing a formidable enemy.

Katakuri stared blankly into the distance.

Two figures emerged from the shadows, one in front and one behind.

"Ha~ha~ha~ha~"

"Sashi buri da na~"

"Katakuri~"

Crocodile walked slowly, as if he were in an empty place.

MR-1 Dazbonis followed closely behind, his expression calm, as if cast in steel.

After escaping Impel Down, Crocodile immediately began gathering his former subordinates. Aside from those who had died, most of the original Baroque Works members had returned. Dazbonis was one of the first to respond to Crocodile's call, or rather, he had been waiting for Crocodile's return for the past two years!
"After being defeated by Kaido in the New World, you, this unruly fellow, have also become a stray dog?!"

boom--!
Katakuri raised his hand, grasping the trident that was over six meters long. He slightly raised his eyes, his expression unfriendly.

"Are you prepared to die if you lay a hand on my family?!"

Accompanied by sound.

A powerful surge of Conqueror's Haki swept towards Crocodile, creating a gust of wind around him!
With each of these deadly battles, Katakuri's mastery of Observation Haki became more refined, and his use of Conqueror's Haki also became increasingly proficient.

His actions at this moment already displayed the aura of a maritime emperor!

just.

Crocodile is no pushover either.

Two years of imprisonment in Impel Down did not diminish his will; on the contrary, his domineering spirit, based on his conviction, grew even stronger in the dark and hopeless Impel Down.

It even touched upon the realm that he had once longed for but could not obtain, the realm that symbolized kingship!

Immediately, an equally powerful burst of Conqueror's Haki erupted from Crocodile's body, colliding with the Conqueror's Haki released by Katakuri!
Zizzi——!
Crimson lightning snakes danced wildly in the air.

As the two Conqueror's Haki dissipated, Crocodile's hook collided with Katakuri's trident from a distance!
boom--!
The ground beneath their feet suddenly collapsed, and a violent force poured out in all directions.

At this moment, the weak don't even have the right to stand firm!

But the two men at the center of the confrontation stopped fighting at the same time.

Katakuri realized that the person in front of him had little fighting spirit, and that his current physical condition was no longer able to support him in fighting against a strong opponent of the same level.

That attack was merely a warning.

"State your purpose!"

Crocodile flicked his golden hook, a smirk playing on his lips, his voice hoarse:

"I thought that move I just made would be enough to suppress you, but you are even better than I thought."

"Among the current Seven Warlords of the Sea, besides Knight Gawain, the only one who can overpower you is Hawkeye."

"I approve of you!"

Crocodile looked around and saw only faces still filled with panic and wariness. He reached out his hand to Katakuri:
"I need your strength."

"I have no intention of joining anyone's ranks; otherwise, Beast would be a better choice than you."

Katakuri shook his head in refusal:

"We've had enough of feeling like our lives aren't in our own hands."

"you misunderstood."

Crocodile shook his head:
"This is a collaboration, not making you my subordinate."

"I've set up a scheme that requires a sufficiently powerful force to oversee it, and you are one of the partners I've chosen."

"You should have been able to sense my strength from that attack just now."

"With you and me joining forces, plus Hawkeye and Hancock, we won't be afraid of even Kaido of the Beasts and Big Mammoth."

"Hawkeye? Hancock?"

Katakuri was slightly taken aback, and couldn't help but feel a little tempted.

The combined strength of these two, along with his own and Crocodile, creates such an overwhelming force that, even on the entire ocean, is second only to the Marine Headquarters and Britannias in terms of sheer power!

Even the others, like Shanks and Beasts, pale in comparison!
But Katakuri remained rational:
"What do you want to do by teaming up with so many dangerous individuals?!"

"The World Government has ruled for eight hundred years, which is long enough. It's time for someone else to take the helm."

call--!
The sea breeze howled, whipping up Crocodile's cape.

The fire crackled and burned, its red glow illuminating his scarred face.

After a long silence.

Katakuri grasped Crocodile's hand:
"I also need to find a place for my family to stay in the new world."

"Count me in."

Crocodile's lips curled into a smile:
"Pleasant to work with."

The atmosphere around them suddenly became relaxed.

Daifuku hurriedly rescued Armand and found that the latter was not seriously injured, but had lost consciousness due to the impact of Conqueror's Haki. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Katakuri glanced at Crocodile, recalling the people Crocodile had mentioned—all members of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—and couldn't help but ask:
"The members you've set your sights on are all Shichibukai, like Doflamingo..."

Crocodile shook his head:
"I don't like him."

A slight smile appeared on Katakuri's lips:
"I don't like him either."

The sound fell to the ground.

The two looked at each other and smiled, and for a moment they felt a greater sense of mutual understanding.

Dazbonis, who was standing nearby, brought several large barrels of ale and a mountain of food from a distance and placed them by the fire, allowing everyone to eat as they pleased.

Katakuri, holding a glass of ale, clinked glasses with Crocodile and then drank it all in one gulp.

Now he no longer needs to hide his true self from his younger siblings.

After downing a glass of ale, Katakuri felt a sense of relaxation and asked:
"The Cross Society has been established, what's next?!"

Crocodile said calmly:

"Let's start with bounties on the navy. Oh, and that man should have a bounty on him too!"

"Who?!"

"Knight Gawain!"

Crocodile looked at the ale in his hand, a sinister grin spreading across his face.
"That guy is really infuriating!"

"but."

"I recently heard that he's started a World Martial Arts Tournament in the New World, and the prize is supposedly a permanent pointer to Laugh Tale!"

Katakuri's expression changed drastically:

"That kind of thing really..."

"Is this why you came to me?!"

Katakuri understood:

"The Cross Guild's lineup is truly impressive, but unfortunately, they are still far from being able to wage war against Knight Gawain. Even if the few of us join forces, we might not be a match for that monster."

"So I'm a thug?!"

"No!"

"You are a pillar of the Crusade's fighting force!"

……

at the same time.

The news that the third World Martial Arts Tournament would officially begin in three months spread throughout the world in just a few days.

But what truly made all the powerful figures who roamed the seas restless was the permanent pointer of Laugh Tale, the champion. From the four seas to Paradise and then to the New World, everyone went crazy because of it!
Compared to this news, no one paid attention to the news that Big Mom had regained control of Whole Cake Island and that Katakuri had become a stray dog.

Kidd, Hawkins, Apoo, and Uroki, who have just formed an alliance, are eager to take the world's highest stage!

Straw Hat, who remained in the Sabaody Archipelago, accelerated his training, and his combat strength increased almost daily.

The foundation laid by Garp's more than ten years of special training, and the hidden abilities within this body, gradually materialized during this process.

Compared to the increasingly chaotic world, Britannias, located in the eye of the storm, remained unusually calm.

What truly shattered it was not the upcoming World Martial Arts Tournament, but a bounty of an alarmingly high amount.

(End of this chapter)