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

Chapter 454 Undercurrents are brewing, a storm is brewing!
Luffy gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with nothing but endless frustration.

Even with eight people working together, they still suffered a crushing defeat.

Such a record is even more devastating than Aokiji's defeat to then-Admiral Aokiji in the Sabaody Archipelago, where he was part of the Worst Generation.

After all, when he mastered all three types of Haki and awakened the Nika Fruit, Straw Hat once thought he could do anything.

Even against Aokiji, he would never lose.

But when faced with that man, she couldn't even put up a fight and was instantly defeated.

In fact, if it weren't for the intervention of the Knights of the Round Table, Bevel would not have survived...

"One day, I will defeat him!"

"Are you kidding me?!"

Kidd's lips twitched.

In that battle, although he stood on the Round Table Arena, his combat strength was significantly lower than the other seven, not to mention the difference between him and that monster.

Even now, Kidd is still somewhat dazed, wondering whether it was real or a nightmare!
The man known as the Lionheart was almost beyond the realm of humanity.

Kidd now doesn't even want to hear Gawain's name anymore.

"That guy is invincible. Next time you go to Britannias to die, don't drag me down with you. I want to live a few more years."

"I don't care! How can I become the Pirate King without defeating that monster?!"

When Luffy gets stubborn, he crosses his arms, closes his eyes, and appears completely unyielding.

Kidd's eyelids twitched as he stood to the side.

"I shouldn't have made that bet with you in the first place!"

"A loss is a loss. If you can't even keep your promise, you can't even be a man, let alone the Pirate King!"

"You bastard!"

"Call the captain!"

……

The two immediately started playfully fighting.

Xia Qi sat to the side, a smile on his face. He couldn't help but turn to look at Lei Li, and for a moment he was in a daze.

“Rayleigh…”

"I knew it! That monster wouldn't die so easily!"

Rayleigh sat there, threw his head back and laughed, all the weariness in his body vanishing.

Whether it's the future Roger envisioned or the monsters bred by this era, they all still exist, so there is still hope for this world.

He was more interested in seeing where Gawain would lead the world, but in any case, it certainly wouldn't be worse than the current world government.

just.

Rayleigh was even more curious about how they had managed to survive the Heavenly King's attack!

"How did you do it?!"

"Does that man named Beville possess some kind of special ability?!"

The two who were playfully fighting both looked at Rayleigh at the same time, and stopped what they were doing. Kidd released the straw hat from Rayleigh's mouth and explained:
"what."

"In fact, Gawain had long anticipated that the World Government would take the opportunity to interfere with the finals of the World Martial Arts Tournament, and therefore made preparations in advance."

"The user of the Door-Door Fruit set up teleportation portals throughout the city."

"We were able to escape only by using a teleportation portal."

"but……"

Rayleigh was taken aback, then heard Kidd continue:
"I will never forget that scene!"

"That monster is so insane that it's trying to withstand the onslaught of ancient weapons with its bare body!"

Rayleigh's pupils contracted sharply.

He followed Roger to all corners of the world, glimpsing ancient legends and uncovering the secrets of the past.

We also saw those monsters that have been buried in history!

The Three Ancient Weapons!

Pluto, Neptune, Uranus.

Hades is the most ferocious warship in history, capable of destroying a country with a single shot.

The Sea King is a power passed down through generations of the Fish-Men. Once awakened, it can control the colossal Sea Kings lurking in the deep sea.

Both of these have the power to easily overturn the world.

But even the most mysterious Heavenly King has very few records about him, no matter how many historical books you search.

All that is known is that thing, in the endless void, eternally overlooks the earth, and at certain moments, unleashes unstoppable divine punishment!

Poseidon has not yet awakened, and Hades is buried in Wano Country. The one who is in the hands of the World Government must be Uranus!

but……

Gao Wen withstood an ancient weapon with his bare body?!

Even without seeing it with his own eyes, Rayleigh could imagine the danger involved.

That is a weapon that cannot be countered by human power!
Rayleigh's heart leaped into his throat, and he couldn't help but ask:

“Gawain, he…”

"He succeeded."

Kidd was still shaken; recalling the scene, his pupils trembled uncontrollably.
"Even in the wildest imaginations of humankind, no one has ever presupposed such a possibility!"

"He withstood two legendary ancient weapons with his bare body, and not only survived, but his aura also became stronger than ever before..."

"No!"

Kidd suddenly realized something he had overlooked:

"Knight Gawain must have undergone an extraordinary transformation during this process!"

"perhaps……"

"The mythical realm those Knights of the Round Table were talking about?!"

"myth?!"

Rayleigh paused for a moment.

He had some recollection of it.

It was mentioned inadvertently when Gawain and his group were training in the Sabaody Archipelago.

Gawain categorized the strongest individuals on the high seas into six tiers and twenty-four stages based on their strength!
Even for figures as powerful as Whitebeard and Roger at their peak, they only reached the Legendary rank within this system, still a significant gap from Mythic status.

Has Gawain... already stepped into this realm that is called God?!

Right.

The idea of ​​surviving attacks from ancient weapons unscathed is nothing short of a myth.

At that moment, Rayleigh's heart started racing.

If Gawain has mastered a way to counter the Ancient Weapons, it means that the World Government will find it much harder to pose a threat to him.

A new era...

So close!

Xia Qi, standing to the side, was also unable to calm down for a long time.

She had never seen an ancient weapon, but even just from Rayleigh's expression at that moment, she could glimpse the danger within and sense the inhuman strength of the knight Gawain.

"Xia Qi?!"

Rayleigh's voice came through the phone. Years of interaction made Xia Qi instantly realize the subtle emotion in his tone. She turned her head and heard Rayleigh continue:

"Don't you want to see it?! What exactly does that man's kingdom look like? That is the future of this world!"

Xia Qi was taken aback:
"Aren't you going to wait? Roger entrusted you with this matter."

Rayleigh glanced at the straw hat, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said:
"Already done."

"The person Roger was waiting for has arrived."

"It's time to see what kind of future the man I've been waiting for will create."

Xia Qi leaned against the bar, resting her chin on her hand, and smiled:

"I wonder how the rent for Britannias' storefront was calculated?" Rayleigh waved his hand dismissively, his posture extremely magnanimous.
"I'll pay, I'll pay!"

"You should pay back the money you owed for drinks from a few days ago first."

Rayleigh's expression froze. He reached up and touched his forehead, then quickly slumped onto the bar, feigning drunkenness.
"Xia Qi, what did you say?! I can't hear you!"

"Stop it!"

"After all these years, don't you understand me, you old bastard?!"

……

a few days later.

After gathering his companions and joining forces with Kid's old crew, the Straw Hats embarked on their journey to the New World once again.

Rayleigh and Shaki stood side by side at the port, watching the Straw Hat's ship sink into the sea. They then prepared to turn back and deal with the situation here before heading to Britannias.

The Den Den Mushi in my arms suddenly rang urgently.

Blu-bloom—!
For no apparent reason, Rayleigh felt a sense of unease.

really.

After the call connected, Jaba's hoarse, angry voice came through the receiver.

“Rayleigh…”

"Elbaf is gone. Everything was burned to the ground."

"Lipriy is missing, Koron... Koron..."

Jabba's voice trembled as he tried his best to control his anger, but faced with the disappearance of his wife and children, he still could not suppress the urge to devour their flesh and blood.

hiss--!
Jabba took a deep breath, slashed his own thigh with an axe, and the excruciating pain calmed him down, his tone returning to normal:
"I searched the scene."

"The traces left by the person who did this are exactly the same as those left by the David clan when they were manipulated in God Valley. The person who did this is from Mary Geoise!"

"It's that king who stands on the throne in the void!"

"Rayleigh...help me!"

Rayleigh's throat bobbed, and he uttered only one word:

"it is good!"

……

at the same time.

New world.

Somewhere in the sea.

The sea was turbulent, with waves crashing and the Redfords, its body covered in wounds, drifting on the surface.

Redhead sat on the deck, his face deathly pale.

All around him lay his severely injured comrades, many of whom had already stopped breathing.

Loxda lay in a pool of blood, his green coat stained crimson. He had died instantly after shielding Red-haired Shanks from Shamrock's deadly blow.

The same was true of the corpses laid out on the ship.

If it weren't for their desperate protection, Shanks himself might have perished at sea.

A few days ago, the Knights of God reappeared, and Shamrock launched a direct attack on Shanks and his gang. This time, not only Shamrock was involved, but also his father, whom he had only met a few times.

The moment the two made their move, it was a fatal blow.

Even someone as strong as Shanks is no match for the two of them working together. Fortunately, Beckman stepped in and they managed to stay undefeated.

Defeating the opponent is not guaranteed, but escaping is not a problem.

But what happened next was far beyond Shanks' expectations.

As a thick black aura surged from Garin's body, a huge and eerie shadow also emerged from him!
As soon as that figure appeared, the members of the Knights of God went berserk, growing sharp horns and fangs, looking like demons from legend.

The situation took a sharp turn for the worse at that moment.

If everyone had fought to the death to protect him, the redhead would have perished at sea.

By the time they broke through the encirclement, nearly half of their companions had already stopped breathing.

"Where do we go next?!"

Yasopp gripped the two flintlock pistols tightly in his hands, even though the bullets in the chambers were empty, because only in this way could he feel a sense of security.

That battle was too intense and fierce. Even the Red-Haired Pirates, who were known as the most evenly matched among the Four Emperors, were crushed by the enemy. They had never experienced such a crushing defeat since their debut.

Even now, Yasopp's fingers are still trembling slightly!
Beckman forced himself to stand up, retrieved the nautical chart from the cabin, and fell into deep thought. After a long while, he finally spoke:

"Although Knight Gawain is unparalleled in combat power and almost unstoppable, and his forces are full of strong men, Britannias has suffered two attacks from the Heavenly King and is now in dire need of protection."

"Kaido of the Beasts has always been at odds with us, and he has most likely already perished under the fire of the Heavenly King."

"Whole Cake Island was just attacked by Big Mom and Kaido, and its whereabouts are unknown."

"The Whitebeard Pirates are practically defunct, and the Cross Society has been essentially put on pause lately; their situation is probably not good either..."

"The power structure of the Four Emperors has collapsed, and almost all threatening forces in the New World have been wiped out by the World Government."

"This is really..."

"A desperate situation!"

Beckman turned to look at the redhead, hoping that this man would once again find that one last hope in the face of despair, just as he had done before!
The same was true for those who survived on the deck.

Countless adventures, countless battles, countless times witnessing Shanks unleash his potential in desperate situations, leading them to victory—they had long been accustomed to doing so.

But this time, they saw frustration and... on the redhead's face.

An emotion that is hard to describe.

They then realized that the one who suffered the most in this battle was Shanks, since the ones who wanted to kill him were none other than his own brother and father!
The redhead's dejection only lasted a moment before it vanished.

Red-haired struggled to his feet, for by now he carried not only his own life on his shoulders, but also the future of the survivors on this ship.

After a moment of contemplation, the red-haired man spoke:

"This time, the World Government is determined to suppress the ocean, and it is proof that it will take action against us even at a cost."

"In the future, we are destined to fight against the World Government. Relying solely on our own strength is far too weak. A single member of the Knights of God almost wiped us out."

Everyone's gaze darkened.

Without needing to say anything more, the red-haired man had this premonition.

But now that their premonition has been confirmed, even these battle-hardened veterans can't help but feel a chill in their hearts.

The redhead spoke in a heavy tone:

"We must find allies!"

"In this situation, they can at least offer us assistance, or at least not kick us when we're down..."

"Let's join forces with the Whitebeard Pirates!"

"Marco is exceptionally capable, and Fire Fist Ace has already made a name for himself and established a foothold in the New World!"

Beckman paused, the cigarette between his fingers burning, and said:
"Not even considering Britannias?!"

Redhead shook his head:

"I admit that the man's strength may be the strongest in the history of this sea, but if he survives the bombardment of ancient weapons, he will be in grave danger."

"After the Crusades were destroyed, Britannias became the World Government's biggest target. Going there now would be a losing proposition."

"Besides..."

"If you submit to someone else, you will never be able to seize the throne of the Pirate King, let alone obtain One Piece."

"Speaking of Luffy, he..."

The red-haired man's voice gradually faded, and everyone else wore expressions of grief.

In a sense, they were all Luffy's guides, showing him the care and concern of elders.

They will also feel proud of Luffy's achievements along the way.

But now...

They also witnessed the end of the straw hat era.

Everyone was filled with mixed emotions, especially the red-haired man in the straw hat who had entrusted everything to them.

(End of this chapter)