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

Chapter 428 Those are all my lyrics!

"Another... clash between monsters from the Knights of the Round Table and top powerhouses on the high seas. This time, the opponent is even the former world's greatest swordsman!"

Hawkins's eyes were sharp; he felt he had already guessed his own plans.

"Britannias, is he planning to rise to power by stepping on the strongest figures on the high seas, in order to establish his own unparalleled prestige?!"

"In other words."

"Knight Gawain's goal is to rule the seas and challenge the World Government?!"

"Even the Pirate King Roger couldn't do this!"

Hawkins was deeply moved.

What One Piece, what Pirate King, compared to the spirit required, they are nothing but child's play!

The World Government has ruled for eight hundred years, and countless figures have sat on the throne of the Pirate King, but none have ever achieved this level!
"Drake!"

"You still have the confidence to compete with someone like that?!"

Drake opened his mouth, then fell silent.

The cheers from the audience grew louder and louder!
The battle was brief, and the outcome was completely unexpected.

Under Knight Gawain's command, an unknown soldier with no bounty whatsoever easily defeated the overlord who dominated the Western Sea!
It can almost be said that this is the biggest dark horse in the history of this martial arts tournament!

And now.

The exact same situation was reproduced.

It was another previously unknown swordsman, and yet another one who directly confronted a well-known powerhouse from the New World!
In the audience, everyone's appetite was whetted at this moment!

"Roronoa Zoro?! If I remember correctly, this guy is also a member of the Knights of the Round Table!"

"Will he pull off another miracle like Sanji the Black Leg?!"

"Stepping over the world's strongest swordsman to reach the pinnacle?!"

A stout nobleman, stepping on the bodies of his servants, struggled to his feet and gazed at the empty arena in the distance.

His breathing was heavy, his eyes burning with fervor!
He is one of the most senior fans of the martial arts tournament, with a bloodthirsty instinct and desire flowing through his veins.

But never before have I felt so completely and unreservedly satisfied as I do today!

"Really..."

"Just thinking about that scene makes me shudder!"

The thin nobleman standing beside him, with an air of superiority and a disdainful tone, said:

"What kind of sweet dream are you having?!"

"If the opponent is that man, even a Marine Admiral or a Yonko-level figure would have to be dealt with seriously!"

"Hawkeye Mihawk!"

"Don't forget, his former title was Navy Hunter!"

"One man, one sword, hunting down the Marines in the New World, forcing the World Government to bow down and choose to sue for peace by offering the position of Shichibukai!"

"He and Germa 66 are beings from the same dimension!"

"The former will be swept away by the tide of the new era, while the latter has absolutely no such possibility!"

Upon hearing this, even the obese nobleman's face turned red with embarrassment, unable to find a word to refute it.

The fact is simply because what the thin nobleman said is an indisputable truth!
Hawkeye...

This name alone is enough to make the navy and even the world government wary!

No one even knows just how strong Hawkeye really is!
For them, the key to this battle has never been who will win, but rather how Hawkeye will win!

What can that man from the Knights of the Round Table really do?
Such a thought arose the moment Hawkeye's name appeared, without any discussion or approval from anyone, simply because this man himself represented the pinnacle of swordsmanship!
At least it was once the peak!

Even so, the cheers from the audience continued to rise in waves, one louder than the next!
The battle between Sanji and Judge completely ignited the atmosphere at the scene!

In front of the audience seats.

Hawkeye slowly stood up and walked slowly into the arena.

Katakuri, arms crossed, leaned against the railing, burying the lower half of his face in his scarf, his tone nonchalant yet tinged with amusement:
"It seems you're luckier than we expected, which means you've secured a spot in the next round."

just.

Before Hawkeye could respond, the black sword Night on his back could no longer suppress its instincts and began to stir!

Om-!
The sound of blades echoed through the players' stands.

Katakuri suddenly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them:
"That guy is worth this much attention from you?!"

He could already sense Hawkeye's increasingly intense fighting spirit.

At this moment, Hawkeye, with his sword still sheathed, had already begun to gather his strength. With each step he took forward, his aura rose a notch!
An ordinary swordsman would be unable to draw his sword at this moment!

This is an overwhelming sense of pressure!

After joining the Cross Guild, Katakuri had fought Hawkeye more than once, but he had never seen Hawkeye show such a posture before!
Redfield, standing to the side, also looked at Hawkeye with a surprised expression, filled with a mix of indescribable emotions!

"A man like this, a knife like this..."

"If you weren't living in this era, you would be the number one in the world!"

The crowd remained silent, expressing their deepest agreement!
……

at the same time.

At Naval Headquarters, countless eyes watched everything unfold in the Colosseum through the projected images!
laugh--!
Seated in the Fleet Admiral's seat, Akainu stubbed out his cigar, his expression hardening as he watched Hawkeye walk step by step into the arena on the projection screen.
"That arrogant Hawkeye actually participated in such a boring competition?!"

"Have you become interested in One Piece?!"

"No!"

To Akainu's left, Aokiji, with his feet propped up on the table and a lazy expression, spoke:

"That guy might just be looking for a powerful opponent!"

"After all, we've all fought that monster, and its strength is beyond doubt. Even if you wanted to keep it here, it would be almost impossible."

"Besides, two years have passed, and it's still unknown how much stronger that monster has become."

"The only good thing now is that the previous resolution to abolish the Seven Warlords of the Sea was suppressed by those five, so we don't have to confront this monster head-on for the time being."

"Senior Kuzan, I cannot agree with your philosophy!"

Opposite to Aokiji.

With a full head of green hair, Green Bull, whose real name is Aramaki, couldn't help but retort:
"Justice is absolute and should be carried out to the end, even at the cost of one's life!"

Aokiji raised his eyelids and glanced at him.

The Green Bull in front of us can almost be described as the most dazzling new star in the Navy today.

In the Marineford War a few months ago, the navy suffered countless casualties, resulting in a severe shortage of manpower.

The first thing Akainu did after taking office was to recruit soldiers from all over the world.

The green bull in front of them was a monster recruit who had emerged during this recruitment drive.

His combat strength is comparable to that of a veteran naval admiral. What's more troublesome is that he is a complete supporter of the World Government!
The justice it upholds...

It's less about justice and more about the law of the jungle!
Survival of the fittest, and the Celestial Dragons of the World Government are the embodiment of nature!
Everything else is merely something that can be sacrificed!

If Akainu hadn't been influenced by the T-Bone and started to think about the essence of justice from another perspective, then Green Bull would be an even more extreme and fanatical Akainu!
Even more critically, Green Bull has now practically become the World Government's mouthpiece within the Navy.

Aokiji wanted to do certain things, but because of his existence, he was unable to do them.

"Tsk~"

Aokiji pouted:

"Young people these days, really..."

“ko~wa~i~ne~~”

The familiar tone made Akainu's lips twitch, and he quickly interrupted Green Bull, who was about to continue arguing:
"Quiet."

"At this world's number one martial arts tournament, a small fraction of the Knights of the Round Table from Britannias will be present."

"It is also an opportunity for us to understand just how much high-end combat power Britannias has accumulated."

Upon hearing this, Green Bull shook his head and said, "According to our intelligence from two months ago, although there are many figures in the Knights of the Round Table in Britannias who can threaten the Admirals, Roronoa Zoro is not among them."

"How far can we go in two months?!"

The sound fell to the ground.

Silence returned to the conference room as several pairs of eyes, each with its own purpose, intently watched the projected image.

Look at that eagle-eyed man, carrying a black sword on his back, standing calmly in the arena, his eyes looking down with disdain!

……

On the player bench.

Sanji, returning victorious, sensed the lingering presence of Mihawk and slowly walked to Zoro's side, smiling:
"I've already advanced, what about you?!"

"Two years have passed, and that monster won't be waiting for you in the same place."

"Can we win?!"

"Of course, I won't lose again, and I certainly won't lose to you!"

Zoro gave a nonchalant reply, took off his coat, revealing his well-defined muscles.

An invisible aura dissipated!

Without even drawing his sword, he sent a sharp, icy aura across the neck of those around him!

Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
Zoro turned and walked towards the Colosseum.

Amidst the crisp sound of footsteps.

The contestants gazed at Zoro's retreating figure, feeling his powerful aura, and suddenly became interested.

"This...is going to be interesting."

Katakuri murmured, his eyes narrowing slightly as he sensed a threat from Zoro.

Not only Barrett, but Roronoa Zoro's combat strength is also among the top of this era!
"Hehehehe~"

Moria sat to one side, watching Zoro's back with a sinister grin.

At this moment, he is much thinner than he was a few years ago, and he already has some resemblance to the man who fought against Kaido of the Beasts in Wano Country!
Even his handy weapon changed from scissors to the greatsword from back then.

Obviously.

In the years since he lost his title as a Shichibukai, he has had new opportunities, and both his demeanor and his gaze are different from those during the Thriller Bark era.

More ruthless! More sinister! And more dangerous!

This is especially true when one's gaze falls upon Kaido, the one who took everything from them!

"But when facing that Hawkeye, confidence alone is useless!"

"If the knife in your hand isn't sharp enough, you'll end up losing everything and becoming a complete loser!"

"It's like..."

Just like you used to be!

Kaido stood up, his exceptionally tall stature exuding an unparalleled sense of oppression even just by standing there.

Coupled with his ferocious aura, the entire arena fell silent for a moment!

He looked down at Moria.

He saw the resentment, hatred, and determination for revenge in the latter's eyes!
But the fear from back then was nowhere to be seen!
"You're fine."

"But this time... you don't have companions who would risk their lives to help you break through the encirclement!"

Moria's body trembled, and the surrounding shadows surged, only to subside in an instant:
"Now... is not the time. I will return everything in full!"

……

Round table arena.

Zoro climbed the steps and stood to one side, facing off against Mihawk!
Although he did not draw his sword, he already possessed an invisible aura as he fought between the two.

The wind blowing from the Inner Sea of ​​Britannia made the flags flutter all around, but it stopped here!

All eyes turned to Zoro!

Want to take a look.

Just how far can this unknown young man go when facing the former world's strongest?
next moment.

Zheng——!
The blade is drawn.

It wasn't the three long swords Zoro carried at his waist, but rather a short sword that he hung on his chest as if it were just for decoration!

The blade is less than five centimeters long!
Everyone was astonished.

A wicked smile crept onto Zoro's lips:

"Feel sorry!"

"I don't have a shorter knife than this!"

The audience seemed to be put on pause for a moment.

They all stared in disbelief at Zoro's hand, at the short knife that even peeling fruit was a struggle for him!

"Has this guy gone mad?!"

"To provoke the former world's strongest swordsman?!"

"It's over!
"An enraged Hawkeye would kill him in an instant!"

"I lost tens of millions of Berries that I bet on the off-the-ground betting market. That was most of my fortune!"

"Could this guy have suffered a mental breakdown due to unbearable pressure?! Or is he deliberately doing this crazy thing to get attention?!"

……

After a moment of silence, a torrent of insults erupted!

Even those who were originally on Zoro's side, and even those who bet on Zoro to win on the sidelines, started cursing loudly!

It is really……

To provoke the world's strongest opponent like this is no different from dancing on a grave!

Even those who were choosing the chief were momentarily stunned!

"What...what is this guy doing?!"

"Even if you're no match, admitting defeat is better than making a scene!"

Kidd frowned, his eyes filled with disdain.

But when he turned to look at the straw hat, he only saw a pair of sparkling eyes!

"Amazing!"

Kidd's lips twitched.

verified.

This guy is an absolute idiot!

If you hadn't spoken up for me just now, I definitely wouldn't have paid any attention to you!

While everyone else was puzzled, only Katakuri looked at the short sword in Zoro's hand, which evoked a not-so-pleasant memory, and he could hardly suppress a smile!
Hawkeye, you've finally met your match!

He still remembers the first time he fought Hawkeye.

The man's short sword was exactly the same as Zoro's, and Hawkeye's face had an incredibly infuriating expression!
"Hahahaha-!"

Katakuri, seeing Hawkeye's bewildered expression, couldn't help but slap his thigh and burst into laughter!
He only calmed down when everyone looked over, but his face was still flushed red!

Even more frustrated than him was Hawkeye, who was standing on the field.

no……

These are all my words!

(End of this chapter)