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

Chapter 445 I am enough on my own!
"One against eight!"

Redfield's breath hitched slightly.

Although I had anticipated this possibility, my heart still skipped a beat when I actually heard the exact news from Barrett.

"He's going to challenge all eight finalists of the World Martial Arts Tournament by himself?!"

"What utter arrogance!"

"challenge?!"

Barrett didn't even turn his head, silently gazing ahead.

Gawain had not yet entered the arena, but Barrett's aura had already begun to gather.

An invisible aura of dominance rose around him, and a frenzied energy spread outwards, creating a tangible sense of oppression that caused the ground beneath his feet to crack!
Even Redfield, standing next to Barrett, was extremely wary when he felt this aura!

The Barrett at this moment reminded him of the feeling he had when he first met Roger and Whitebeard at their peak decades ago.

It's like facing some kind of inhuman being!
And what drove Barrett to this level was merely for an opponent who hadn't even shown up yet?!
"you……"

"Redfield!"

Barrett, unusually, called out Redfield's name, his eyes gleaming with an almost frenzied fighting spirit:
"Make no mistake!"

"We are the challengers."

"The man sitting on the throne is beyond human capability!"

Barrett shouted these words, his voice reaching everyone's ears, accompanied by the surrounding visual Den Den Mushi (snail phone), spreading throughout the world.

Those who had already had a vague suspicion felt their hearts skip a beat at that moment.

Just then, from the contestants' passage in the distance, came the sound of crisp yet slow footsteps!

Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
Each step seemed to tread upon the hearts of the crowd.

This also means that there is a ninth participant in the semifinals of the World Martial Arts Tournament.

This is no longer the semi-finals, but the finals, where the world's strongest will be decided.

That man's name appeared in everyone's mind at the same time!
"Knight... Gawain!"

S-Dragon stood to the side, knife in hand, a ferocious and arrogant smile playing on his lips:
"I can already smell the scent of the perfect prey!"

Hawkeye's expression was solemn as he gripped the Black Blade Night in one hand, yet he could hardly suppress the increasingly excited voice emanating from it.

He then realized that it wasn't just the knife in his hand that was exciting, but also himself!
My blood is about to boil!

"That's right, we are the challengers!"

"Let me see how far we are from the world!"

brush--!
While everyone was still in shock, Hawkeye had already taken the lead and slashed at the player passage in the distance!

The emerald green blade gleamed brilliantly.

It carries with it an absolute will to annihilate everything and ascend to the highest level, aiming to challenge the strongest in the world today!

Two years!

Hawkeye has been preparing for this moment for two whole years!

The bitter fruits of defeat gnawed at his heart and soul at all times, and that pain of defeat became the driving force for him to reach the top!
"This guy didn't even use his full strength when he fought Zoro!"

Sanji's expression changed slightly, but his gaze remained fixed on the contestant tunnel in the distance.

Even before the turn of the century, Gawain stopped fighting Sanji and his crew. After two years of training, he rarely even made a move.

But those battles...

Do not!
That could no longer be called a battle.

Even a monster as strong as Barrett couldn't last a single move against Gawain.

It was less of a battle and more of a one-sided crushing defeat!

The outside world is curious about Gawain's combat strength, and so are the people inside Britannias!
"Captain... what are you going to do?!"

brush--!
The emerald green blade energy swept across the wall with ease, but at a certain moment, it seemed to be paused, unable to advance even an inch further, and immediately exploded!
The blade energy crisscrossed, tearing open the arena's passageway and leaving behind gruesome battle scars on the surrounding earth.

A fierce wind howled, and dark clouds began to gather!
"Hawkeye, you're really impatient!"

Gao Wen's indifferent voice came from the passageway.

Suddenly, an extremely heavy and domineering aura appeared in the air, began to condense, began to rise, and began to press down on everyone like a mountain.

This domineering aura is so strong that it almost distorts the air and reality itself.

Even video Den Den Mushi (snail phones) hundreds or even thousands of meters apart are interfered with, and the transmitted images become blurry.

"Damn it!"

"Of all times, this has to happen now. Did I see that right?!"

"Knight Gawain has appeared at the Round Table Arena finals. What is he up to?!"

"One against eight?!"

"This is no longer arrogance, it's madness. The title of the world's strongest has gone to his head, making him so confident that he can challenge the eight strongest people in the world on his own!"

"Are you kidding me?!"

"Damn projection Den Den Mushi, hurry up and get back to normal!"

Chambord Islands.

Inside the extortion bar, countless pirates gathered, watching the great battle unfold.

Some people couldn't contain their temper and started hitting the projected Den Den Mushi with their hands, but they still couldn't fix it. They could only sit back in their seats, scratching their heads in frustration.

Rayleigh sat to one side, head bowed in thought.

Seeing this, Xia Qi couldn't help but ask;
"If I heard correctly, Knight Gawain is going to challenge the top eight of the World Martial Arts Tournament all by himself."

"While those eight may not all live up to their reputations, Barrett, Redfield, and Kaido are undoubtedly unmatched powerhouses on the high seas."

"The remaining Hawkeye, Black Leg Sanji, and Luffy all possess combat strength no less than yours."

"This lineup..."

"What are Gawain's chances of winning?!"

Rayleigh remained silent for a moment, and after a long while, he slowly spoke:
"I don't understand."

"I can't understand what that man is thinking."

"His power would be unparalleled in any era, and he could crush Whitebeard when he was nearing his peak."

"In a one-on-one or even one-on-two situation, there is no one in the world who can defeat him. He is not afraid of three opponents either, but one-on-eight..."

"Even if there is some exaggeration involved, it is almost impossible."

"To put himself in such a desperate situation, Knight Gawain..."

"What exactly do you want?!"

"If I'm not mistaken, you should have already seen the true nature of One Piece. Why hold such a competition?!"

"Or is it simply about pursuing the strongest?!"

After much thought, Rayleigh still couldn't find the answer.

But he had a strange premonition that if Gawain could really win this battle, the world would undergo a dramatic change!
but……

Is that even possible?!

The projected image returned to normal, and everything that had happened in the arena reappeared before everyone's eyes.

"Such domineering power..."

Kaido's grip on his spiked club tightened suddenly, his beard and hair moved without wind, and his eyes glared angrily ahead.

He had considered that Gawain might choose to make his move after the martial arts tournament determined the final winner, in order to defeat the world's strongest and demonstrate his overwhelming power.

But Kaido had never considered such a possibility. Even in his view, such behavior went beyond the scope of simply displaying power.

This is courting death.

But the fighting spirit that Gao Wen displayed at this moment was absolutely genuine.

Is this monster really going to take on all of us?!
"Hey Hey hey……"

Kidd's forehead was covered in cold sweat, his feet were already embedded in the floor because he could not withstand the Conqueror's Haki, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably.

The aura that permeated the air, invisible yet palpable, put him under immense pressure.

His combat strength was already a level weaker than everyone else present, and now he has only barely reached the threshold of the gold level.

And right now, everyone standing on the field, except for him, is at least a legendary level, yet these monsters are facing only one person?!

"What a joke!"

"Seven top-tier powerhouses capable of dominating the New World! Even that monster from the New World could never defeat them!"

As Kidd's voice landed.

Wearing a full set of silver-white armor and with his blond hair flowing, Gawain stood in the very center of the Round Table Arena, holding a sword in one hand!
"I hereby unilaterally declare that the rules of this World Martial Arts Tournament have been changed, and the permanent pointer to defeat my One Piece belongs to you."

Gao Wen surveyed the surroundings, unleashing his full domineering aura, sweeping over the formidable enemy before him like a whirlwind!

"Who agrees?!"

"Who objects?!"

……

this moment.

Not just in the Round Table Arena, but everyone in the world watching this battle had the same thought popping into their heads.

Gawain... has gone mad!
"This madman!"

"How dare they be so arrogant as to claim they can take on eight opponents by themselves?!"

Mariejoia.

The moment Gawain appeared, the Five Elders were already prepared to activate their ancient weapons to blast him to death, but their actions faltered when they learned that Gawain would be facing the quarterfinals alone.

"court death!"

Nasujiro's eyes were cold, as if he could already see the day Gawain died in battle.

Sacred Vochuli glanced at him and said expressionlessly:
"Don't forget, the battlefield is in Britannias. That monster can extract ley line energy almost without limit, making it practically immortal in a sense."

"With the support of the earth's energy, even if we are no match for the combined strength of eight people, we will hold out until those eight people are exhausted."

"only……"

"I'm very concerned about what exactly he wants!"

"After going to such lengths to host the world's number one martial arts tournament, is it all just to defeat a bunch of people who were never even their match?!"

Saint Satan shook his head and said:

"What he wants to do is not important; what's important is what we can achieve through this!"

"Nearly half of the strongest monsters in the New World have gathered in Britannias. This is our chance!"

"An opportunity to eliminate the vast majority of threats!"

“A few days ago, I received Lord Im’s approval. That thing is already charging, but it will take some time.”

"All we have to do now is wait."

"Wait for that monster, and face your destined end!"

……

call--!
High above Camelot, howling winds raged, and lightning flashed through the thick clouds, tearing apart the somewhat gloomy sky!

In the Round Table Arena.

Gao Wen held the knife in one hand, showing no fear even when facing the eight strongest men.

Quite the opposite.

Feeling the growing momentum of the eight people, Gao Wen's long-dormant fighting spirit was gradually awakened!
"Let's go together!"

Gao Wen's voice had just landed.

The eight people surrounding him immediately launched their attack.

Everyone had their own agenda, but at this moment, they all unleashed their full power.

Even with an overwhelming numerical advantage, they were not careless in the slightest, because they were facing the strongest man in the world!

knight……

Do not!
Lionheart!
The first to be seen were two imposing figures, one in green and one in red!
Gao Wen looked up.

The only thing that caught the eye were two dragonmen with very different temperaments, but equally incomparable and equally powerful!
One of them, with his bulging muscles and wielding a spiked club, exuded unparalleled dominance and the aura of a king; this was none other than Kaido of the Beasts.

One was physically strong, wielding a long sword, and exuding a primal, instinctive fighting spirit that seemed to overwhelm everything else.

It was Kaido and S-Dragon.

The user of the Azure Dragon Fruit and the user of the artificial version of the Azure Dragon Fruit, who are enemies, have joined forces at this moment and launched their ultimate moves at the same time, aiming to kill Gawain in an instant!

The longer this battle drags on, the lower the chance of winning!
"Thunderous Eight Monsters!"

"Slay the demons!"

The hammer blow and the longsword slash arrived at Gawain almost simultaneously!
Gawain was shocked to realize that Kaido had already risen to the top of the legendary ranks, and was now able to sit at the same table as Roger and White Tiger!
S-Dragon was slightly inferior, but it had the advantage of the bloodline of the Lunar race and the abnormal learning ability of the Seraph. For a time, in the combined attack, it was evenly matched with Kaido!

The combined power of the two of them surpassed that of Whitebeard at his peak!

"Well done!"

A hint of appreciation flickered in Gao Wen's eyes.

Since the end of his legendary career, apart from ancient weapons, he has never encountered any moves that could pose a threat to him.

Although the combined attack of these two was only slightly threatening, it was still an unprecedented event.

This is exactly what Gawain wants!
The stronger the opponent, the more desperate the battle, the more it can unleash one's potential to explore realms that do not belong to humankind!

Zheng——!
The blade hummed, and Kanze Masamune was extremely excited. The already tempered, jet-black blade reflected the light coming from afar.

Then, accompanied by Gao Wen's exclamation of praise, he suddenly slashed forward!

"But that's not enough!"

Ding--!
After the instantaneous collision, the ground beneath Gao Wen's feet suddenly sank nearly ten meters.

The violent force surged outwards, completely altering the terrain of the entire arena in an instant.

Crack! Crack! Crack!
The cracks spread all the way to outside the arena.

Kaido and S-Dragon felt an immense, irresistible force emanating from Gawain's blade, and were immediately sent flying backward.

boom! boom! boom!
The two figures smashed through the walls at the edge of the arena, flew nearly a thousand meters, and crashed into several mountains before finally coming to a stop.

"Whoo~"

Gao Wen swung his sword, dispersing the dust around him. He then looked up at the crowd in the distance, his fighting spirit surging, and a long-absent excited smile appeared on his face.
"This is so true!"

now.

The few people still standing in the arena of the round table couldn't muster a smile at all.

Barrett cracked his neck, glanced at the dazed Redfield beside him, and said:
"So now you understand?!"

"We are the challengers!"

(End of this chapter)