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

Chapter 426 Round of 16!

Thousands of meters in the air.

Nami stood on the floating island, looking down at Britannias below.

At this altitude, the boundary of the inland sea, which is hundreds of kilometers in diameter, can already be faintly seen.

Camelot, reborn from the ruins, is still quite different from the former royal city of Britannias.

The crisscrossing roads, the neatly planned buildings, and the tiny people walking along them, as insignificant as dust, all exude the vitality of the rising sun.

This storm was not an accident, but rather the result of Nami using her Cloud-Cloud Fruit to manipulate the clouds in the Britannias Inland Sea.

The fruit's compatibility with Nami is far greater than Gawain initially anticipated.

According to Gawain's original expectations, it might take Nami another six months or so to get to where she is now.

She accomplished this in just half a month.

Besides that, there are Fujitora's many fruits.

The former affects a wide range of weather patterns, bringing down a storm and obscuring visibility.

The latter took direct action, lifting the shipyard and dozens of kilometers of land into the air.

The combined abilities of the two resulted in an effect beyond imagination.

"It must be spectacular!"

Fujitora sat cross-legged beside Nami, straining to open his eyes, which had long since lost their sight, to look down, but all he could perceive was a blurry halo.

"Wow, that's spectacular."

Vegapunk walked slowly over and stood beside the two, also gazing down at the earth.

He turned to look at Fujitora and Nami beside him.

Vegapunk's gaze sharpened slightly:
"If I remember correctly, the Float-Float Fruit left behind by the Golden Lion after his death is also in the hands of Knight Gawain."

"Gravity, levitation, clouds..."

"A kingdom standing high in the sky?!"

"The combination of these three factors is not unfounded; it is already possible to achieve this. That man must be preparing for the impending apocalypse!"

"He already knew what would happen in the future."

"Such power might allow a race to survive in the apocalypse, but when the scope is expanded to the entire ocean, it still seems insignificant."

"and……"

"Whether it's the martial arts tournament or creating Hades, he seems to be in a bit of a rush..."

"What exactly did he see in Laugh Tale?!"

The more I think about it.

The heavier Vegapunk's heart became.

He already had a vague suspicion, but still dared not delve into it.

That kind of future is too hopeless and terrifying.

All humans except fish-men, no, all creatures that depend on land for survival, will face inevitable destruction!

Fujitora glanced back at Vegapunk almost imperceptibly. His pale eyes, though unreadable, revealed an unimaginable complexity:

"In any case, Gawain has his own way of doing things."

"The only thing we can do is to believe in him, stand with him, and move towards the future."

"Whether it means destruction or rebirth."

"what."

Vegapunk responded faintly, his tone tinged with a hint of confusion:

"How could you trust him to this extent when he's your enemy?!"

"enemy?!"

Fujitora shook his head:

"He and I have never been enemies."

“We’ve been friends from the beginning, and now we’re partners.”

"Besides, shouldn't you also know why more and more people are following Gawain, eventually forming a force capable of confronting the World Government?!"

Vegapunk didn't reply, but simply looked down.

The storm had long since subsided, and the lights of Camelot twinkled like stars in the deep night.

a long time.

Vegapunk murmured:
"makes sense."

“Gawain does indeed possess a possibility that has never appeared in this world before.”

The wind suddenly became noisy.

The air currents surging at an altitude of 10,000 meters are far more intense and colder than those on the ground.

But at that moment, Vegapunk felt a flame burning from the bottom of his heart!
At that moment, he also made a certain decision:

"Now... we should do what we have to do. It's time to show the World Government the true power of the Ancient Weapons!"

The three of them got up and walked towards the shipyard behind them.

As the lights were on.

Loud, high-pitched, and incredibly excited shouts came from the shipyard.

"Super!!!!"

"Hurrah—!!!!"

……

at the same time.

A base of the CP0 organization under the World Government.

As intelligence about Britannias gradually leaked out, the expression on the person in charge became increasingly interesting.

"No?!"

"How could there not be?!"

"How could such a large shipyard just disappear like that?!"

He was almost going mad.

Infiltrating Britannias to find out if Gawain and his gang were secretly building Pluto, and to uncover the specific construction progress, was a mission assigned to him by the Five Elders.

He still remembers the excitement he felt when he received this assignment.

Although it is dangerous, if done well, it is a shortcut to reach the highest levels of power and access to the pinnacle of authority.

Therefore, even knowing the dangers involved and what kind of monster he was going to face, he still resolutely accepted the mission.

But what has happened to him now?!

After a storm, the shipyard, which covered an area of ​​tens of kilometers, disappeared without a trace, leaving only a huge crater that was a kilometer deep.

If he hadn't known that the Five Elders would never use ancient weapons at this time, he would have even thought that it was a mark left by the Heavenly King!

If the mission fails...

He didn't think about the consequences, nor did he dare to think about them!

"Mobilize all our personnel in Britannias and find them!"

"I don't believe he can fly into the sky!"

……

……

……

The next day.

Camelot.

Gawain stood by the window, gazing at the clear blue sky after the storm.

With his eyesight, he could even see the huge crater left behind after the shipyard, along with the surrounding land for dozens of kilometers, was lifted into the air.

Seawater will flood in, and soon the giant pit will form a bay.

laugh--!
The drawer was pulled open. Inside lay the daffodils, quietly.

Even though it had been sitting for several months, the Devil Fruit showed no signs of decay and remained as fresh as when Gawain first saw it.

Witnessing the spectacular sight created by the combined abilities of Fujitora and Nami, Gawain's desire to eat the Float-Float Fruit grew stronger.

After all, with the power of these two, they are capable of creating a floating island tens of kilometers in size, and what Gawain can do will only be more exaggerated.

It wouldn't be impossible to even lift the entire Britannias into the air!
If the plan goes smoothly and they can really use this martial arts tournament to push their combat power to mythical levels, then they might actually be able to preserve the land where everyone can survive.

only……

Putting away the Float Fruit, Gawain's attention returned to the list of those who had advanced in this martial arts tournament.

Aside from Kidd and Hawkins, who are not yet ready to compete, the other players who advanced to the round of 16 have all brought some surprises.

Straw Hat has reached the threshold of legend, and Hawkeye's swordsmanship has taken another step forward, with his attacks already displaying a grander aura than that of a grandmaster.

Kaido, Barrett, and Redfield are undoubtedly top-tier powerhouses!
Any one of these individuals alone could shake the situation at sea, forcing the world government to handle the matter with caution.

But even now, when they're all together, they can't put much pressure on Gao Wen.

"Not enough, far from enough."

"For these seeds to grow, they need more fighting, more battles, and more clashes of beliefs to inspire them."

"Until the very last and only one is born!"

between words.

Gao Wen had already made up his mind:

“If necessary… I will take action myself.”

……

a few days later.

Camelot.

The civilians in the city had already been evacuated by Gawain.

After all, the monsters that are about to fight here are some of the most powerful in the world, capable of destroying a city with ease!

Accidentally damaging the surrounding area is a perfectly normal occurrence.

now.

The arena was bustling with noise.

Countless nobles, royalty, merchants, and even renowned figures from all over the world gathered in the stands, their eyes burning as they watched the Round Table Arena!
"The finals of the World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament are about to begin!"

"The strongest individuals who have broken through the encirclement among the major regions of the Four Seas, Paradise, and New World have already emerged!"

Zango stood in the host's seat, his expression extremely excited.

He had already imagined this moment when he first stood on the host platform of the martial arts tournament at the East China Sea Raven Port!

As the host, I'll bring this celebration to the whole world on this day!
And this expectation has finally become a reality at this moment!

The audience in the stands were just as excited as he was.

"Without further ado!"

"We're here to witness the birth of the world's strongest, a moment of fierce battle and deathmatch!"

"Just thinking about that scene makes me feel the blood in my veins boiling and surging, as if it's about to burst out of my body!"

"Absolutely! Absolutely!"

“Uooaaaaaaa——!”

Waves of cheers followed one after another, and the audience was almost at the height of their excitement.

After all, the competition before us is unprecedented. Those qualified to stand here are either new generation monsters from the era of extreme evil, legends from the previous era, or even powerful figures whose names resound throughout the sea!
Anyone could easily conquer a country.

Now, however, they have gathered here for the sake of One Piece's eternal pointer, presenting the world with the highest level of battle!

just.

Looking ahead from the bustling crowd, the contestants, surprisingly, remained calm.

Kaido sat cross-legged to the side, closing his eyes and pretending to sleep.

Redfield surveyed the crowd in the stands and his competitors with great interest; wherever his gaze fell, the sound instantly vanished.

Their power is almost undisguised!

"The young man who once bore the title of the world's strongest swordsman, beneath his calm expression, concealed an unparalleled fighting spirit!"

"Has that brat from Rocks' ship back then already reached this point?!"

Redfield couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, but at that moment, his ears exploded with:

"old man!"

Kaido opened his eyes, and his aura suddenly exploded, drawing the attention of the surrounding powerful figures.
"If you want to die, I can grant your wish right now!"

"Yeah?!"

Redfield remained calm.
"If you can do that, then you'll... young people are really impatient!"

Zheng——!
He drew his sword and faced Kaido head-on as Kaido hurled his spiked club.

The two had long been unable to suppress their fighting spirit and unanimously chose to attack directly!

when--!
Two overwhelming colors collided in the air, violent air currents scattered, a corner of the arena exploded, and purple lightning flashed in the void!

A panicked voice suddenly came from the audience, but it was immediately drowned out by wild cheers!

"This is it!"

"This is it!"

A man dressed as a nobleman suddenly stood up, his gaze fixed on the two people facing off in the distance.

Despite the blood trickling from the splashing air, his expression was like that of a madman!
"How could a strong person be someone who follows the rules?!"

"Only those who disregard the rules, are utterly self-centered, and despise all rivals deserve the title of the world's strongest!"

Some people, too, showed fear because of the sudden chaos.

"Hey Hey hey……"

"Isn't it said that once a building is reinforced, even a cannon can't leave a mark on it?!"

"How could it be so fragile?!"

He drew his sword and slashed at the railing beside him.

Ding--!
The longsword broke, but it didn't leave a single mark on the railing.

He then realized that it wasn't the walls of the Round Table Arena that were weak, but rather that the power of those monsters was beyond imagination!

Amidst the chaos, a sudden change occurred in the contestants' stands some distance away!
A similarly powerful Conqueror's Haki erupted suddenly, instantly overwhelming Redfield and Kaido!

"who is it?!"

Everyone looked at the bricks.

Then Barrett, who had been silent all along, opened his eyes and calmly looked at the two who had made their move:
"If you want to fight, I'll fight with you."

The voice was extremely calm, yet it revealed an undeniable and powerful confidence!

Defield's gaze fell on Barrett, his eyes narrowing slightly. Unlike Kaido, he was extremely familiar with Barrett.

This man, who continues to grow stronger even in Impel Down, is someone no one can ignore.

But one thing he was clear about was...

Until two months ago, when he was still in Impel Down, even though he was already in a weakened state, he was still confident that he could suppress Barrett.

But now he can no longer see through Barrett in front of him.

Kaido, standing to the side, also had a solemn expression.

Just as the two hesitated about whether to stop, three figures stood up from the corner and stood side by side with Barrett.

One man wielded three knives, exuding a murderous aura that seemed to have emerged from a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood!
One person stood on the flames, looking relaxed and carefree, with a cigarette casually dangling from his lips, exuding a dangerous aura that was in no way inferior to the former!
The last man had a face like a demon, a tall stature, and muscles all over his body that looked like cast iron, revealing extreme ferocity!

"These guys are... the Knights of the Round Table under Knight Gawain!"

Kaido narrowed his eyes slightly.

Even with just a glance, he could sense that these three individuals possessed an aura comparable to that of an emperor!
No less than Lingling!

(End of this chapter)