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

Chapter 464 Fire

Half a day later.

Crocodile and his crew landed on the Sky Island, and it was here that they first saw the colossal object suspended high in the sky, resembling a warship or an invincible war fortress.

"What...is this?! A ship flying in the sky?! How did they do that?!"

"Hey Hey hey!"

"Isn't its size even more frightening? How long is this thing? A kilometer? No, it's definitely more than that!"

"I feel like one shot from this thing could blow the Marine Headquarters to the sky!"

……

While everyone was still in shock, no one noticed Crocodile's blank stare.
"This is... Hades!"

Even though it was the first time he had seen it, he still knew its name.

Yes, Hades.

Crocodile's knowledge of Hades was limited to a few brief glimpses in the translations of the Poneglyphs.

The most vicious warship in history, capable of destroying a country with a single shot, an unparalleled steel behemoth...

When these exaggerated terms appeared in the records of that ancient kingdom, their significance needs no further explanation.

Crocodile had no doubt about the power of Hades; what shocked him was that Gawain had quietly acquired a trump card powerful enough to overthrow the World Government.

The reason why pirates on the high seas choose to respond to the World Government's call is partly because they want to obtain precious escape slots from the World Government.

The other half is the fear of ancient weapons.

The attack left a massive crater hundreds of miles in diameter in Britannias, annihilated Kaido of the Beasts, and indirectly caused sea levels to rise worldwide, accelerating the sinking of the world.

This is already a weapon capable of destroying the world in a substantial sense. Originally, only the World Government possessed it, but now Gawain also has it, in addition to the legendary powerhouses that Britannias itself has stockpiled...

If Crocodile was only 50% confident that Gawain could replace the World Government and become the new ruler, that confidence has now increased to 90%.

More importantly, Hades' appearance here is undoubtedly a great irony to his nearly twenty years of hiding in Alabasta.

"When did you get it?!"

"It was just manufactured in the last few months."

Gao Wen's tone was indifferent:

"However, this warship, which was built based on the blueprints of Hades and combined with many technologies, has surpassed the original Hades. Its current name is Avalon."

"Avalon..."

Crocodile murmured, a self-deprecating smile creeping onto his lips. He realized once again that he had underestimated Gawain.

This man, who was able to fight his way through the Grand Line in just three years and rise from an unknown nobody in the East China Sea to the world-renowned Lionheart, possessed more than just the power that rivaled that of gods and demons.

This scheming is what makes him truly terrifying.

Crocodile suddenly realized.

From the moment he became one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea in the East Blue, everything that happened to Gawain afterward was perhaps part of his plan.

After failing to obtain information about Pluto in Alabasta, they turned their attention to Water 7 to seize the blueprints for Pluto. When things became unavoidable, they deliberately released fake blueprints to clear themselves of suspicion while obtaining the blueprints for Pluto, thus escaping unscathed in front of the Navy.

After that, they marched into the New World, conquered Britannias, and at that time...

Crocodile gasped for breath:
"Your goal from the very beginning has been Hades?!"

Gawain glanced at him and said indifferently:
"If you think so, then so be it, although this thing doesn't mean much to me anymore."

Crocodile's lips twitched.

What do you mean by "I think it is"? What do you mean by "it's not that important to you anymore"?
This is Hades, a weapon powerful enough to shake the world. It's something I've sought for twenty years without success. Don't make it sound so trivial!
just.

It was at this moment that Crocodile remembered that Gawain, who was standing in front of him, had recently withstood the bombardment of an ancient weapon, yet remained completely unharmed...

Even ancient weapons can't handle this monster?!
Gawain completely ignored Crocodile's expression and spoke calmly:
"but."

"Now that it's been built, let's show the world just how magnificent Hades' cannons will be!"

Crocodile looked up at the steel behemoth before him, his eyes filled with shock, a hint of anticipation, but mostly a clear-headedness.

If I had made a mistake and chosen to join the World Government, I might have ended up facing Hades's cannon fire or the pursuit of this monster.

No.

Perhaps Gawain wouldn't even need to take action himself; those monsters in the Knights of the Round Table could easily tear the Crusaders apart!

As if reading Crocodile's mind, Gawain turned and walked towards the distant shipyard:
"Let's go."

"Now that you're a member, I'll take you to greet those monsters."

"They are very enthusiastic, I hope you can accept them!"

"enthusiasm?!"

Crocodile was somewhat confused, yet inexplicably felt a chill.

seem……

Britannias isn't a good choice either!

……

……

……

Time flies, and half a month later.

late at night.

Dark clouds filled the sky high above the sea off Britannias, with flashes of lightning appearing intermittently, followed by rumbling thunder!

Crash-!
Lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the sea.

It also revealed the densely packed pirate ships drifting along the border of Britannias.

This time, in order to compete for the limited number of moon landing slots held by the World Government, almost all the major powers chose to send troops.

"The navy has come out in full force; almost all the formidable figures known in the New World have arrived. Even a rough estimate suggests that the number of warships swarming in exceeds 20,000, and the number of participants has reached an unprecedented several million!"

The older woman stood on the deck, ignoring the rain pelting her, gazing at Britannias in the distance, a sinister smile on her face:

"This is the Age of Exploration, no, this is the greatest war in history!"

"It was also the funeral of that monster Britannias!"

Such a force is enough to conquer all forces, including Britannias!
"Mom~Mom~"

Beside the old woman, Jhin stood with his arms crossed, gazing at Britannias in the distance, his pupils seemingly burning with flames, yet he still chose to lie low.

"Knight Gawain, I will grant you a little more time to live."

"I will personally avenge Brother Kaido and take your head."

The older woman couldn't help but speak up:

"No rush, we have plenty of time. This time, the whole world wants him dead, and no one can stop him."

"but……"

A strange light flashed in the middle-aged woman's eyes:
"That kid Katakuri will probably come too, right?!"

She looked around but didn't see the figure she was expecting, so she chose to give up and quietly wait for the moment when the war would begin.

……

……

"What on earth is Britannias up to?!"

"Even at this point, Gawain still hasn't shown up?!"

Navy faction.

Akainu stood on the deck, slowly lowering the binoculars in his hand, his expression solemn.

In recent days, they have repeatedly sent small boats to infiltrate Britannias, attempting to gather intelligence, but none have returned. That quiet country, like a monster that devours everything that comes near, has swallowed it all.

A group of Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals stood behind Akainu, anxiously gazing at Britannias in the distance.

This was a situation they had never encountered before.

At this moment, both the navy and the pirates are waiting for Britannias's statement: war or peace...

No one would assume that Britannias wouldn't dare to make a move.

Anyone who has witnessed that man withstanding the barrage of ancient weaponry knows that even with his own strength, he alone is enough to wipe out all the forces currently occupying this sea area...

Total annihilation!

Even someone as tough as Akainu knows that the only way for the World Government to win this war is to have that guy step in and fight Gawain to the death!

Everything else is just a backdrop.

Now, the Navy, in its delicate position, hopes that both sides will perish together, or... that Gawain will win!
Yes, even if they were on the opposite side of Gao Wen, they still hoped that Gao Wen could win.

Those who knew the reason why Akainu started this battle felt nothing but endless humiliation.

Faced with threats from the world government, they had no choice.

"Brubrub—!"

Akainu's Den Den Mushi rang, his expression stiffened, and he impatiently answered it. Satan's familiar voice came through the phone!
"Sakazuki, don't wait any longer, make your move!"

"Wipe out that country and that monster!"

"Otherwise, we will deploy ancient weapons and wipe out everything there."

"You know what that means!"

"Do not make jokes!"

Akainu was furious:
"This is war, not child's play. Taking action now and facing that monster will only increase casualties."

"The best course of action is to formulate a strategy only after we have obtained accurate intelligence about the interior of Britannias!"

Satan sneered:
"Yeah?!"

"That's perfect, then you'll have a few fewer competitors for a spot on the Ark, won't you?!"

boom--!
Akainu crushed the Den Den Mushi in his hand, and the deck fell silent for a moment.

Akainu remained silent for a long time, but in the end, reason prevailed over impulse.

The Five Elders held a knife to his neck. In this situation, he had no choice. He had just raised his hand to give the order to fire when he was stopped by Qing and Huang, who rushed over from the side.

"and many more!"

"I think the best thing for us now is to retreat!"

Aokiji looked up at the sky, his expression extremely solemn:
"The intelligence Drake just sent out has been deciphered."

"Knight Gawain also possesses an ancient weapon, and it appears to be capable of firing!"

……

Mariejoia.

The Five Elders sat in their office, observing the changing battle situation through projected images.

They naturally knew why Akainu hadn't made a move for so long: he wanted to minimize casualties or remain on the sidelines, waiting for other developments.

But in their eyes, all of this was nothing more than a death throes.

"If the ocean sinks, the only chance of survival is the lunar ark."

"As long as this issue cannot be resolved, these rebels on the high seas are nothing more than tools that we can use."

"As many as you want, we have them!"

"The only problem is that monster!"

Satan sat in his office, his demeanor no longer as tense as before, and even carrying a sense of confidence.

Nasujiro Sei, standing to the side, did the same:
"That one is about to return, and has already acquired enough power to conquer everything. Even the knight Gawain is not to be feared!"

"The fall of Britannias is only a matter of time."

"The outcome of this war was already predetermined."

……

Outside the battlefield.

Several pirate ships were anchored near an island.

Katakuri and his gang stayed here, waiting to see how the situation would develop.

Although he still had no idea that Britannia had any hope of turning the tide, he felt a slight unease in his heart because of his trust in Crocodile.

Katakuri did not intervene in the battle.

"Katakuri-nii-san, is what Krugdar said really possible?!"

"Is there really still a chance for Britannias to turn things around?!"

Cracker gripped the knife with both hands, his expression subtly tense.
"If we make the wrong bet this time, and our performance in this war is not proactive enough, and the World Government's top brass is not satisfied, we may miss the opportunity to board the Ark."

"Everyone will die by then!"

between words.

Cracker stared intently at Katakuri.

This is the first time he has questioned his brother's decision since Katakuri defeated Big Mom and took over two years ago.

Smoothie and the others stood to the side without saying a word, but their gazes involuntarily fell on Katakuri, their inclinations self-evident.

Only Perospero remained steadfastly behind Katakuri, defending him:
"Have you forgotten who risked their lives to defeat Mom and protect you? Besides, when has Katakuri ever made a mistake in the last two years?!"

"The more chaotic the situation, the more important it is to maintain order and unite our efforts in order to get things done."

The crowd avoided eye contact, unable to suppress a hint of guilt.

No one mentioned what had just been said again, but everyone knew that the rift had already formed and the seeds of doubt had been sown.

Katakuri could see it clearly, and he knew even better that this was a normal reaction when people are afraid; his younger siblings were just too scared.

He glanced around, then looked directly into everyone's eyes and said, word by word:

"If anything goes wrong, I will give my life to find a way for you to survive."

"only……"

"When I was really close to Britannias, really close to that country, I felt a sense of dread."

"That's a sign of Observation Haki."

"It felt as if taking just one more step forward would mean total annihilation!"

"And as time went by, that unease grew stronger and stronger!"

"There must be something we've overlooked!"

Blu-bloom—!
Katakuri's Den Den Mushi rang, and Crocodile's urgent voice came through after he answered:
"Moses Moses?!"

"Katakuri, can you hear me? Listen to me!"

"If your family wants to live, then after this war, turn to Britannias. This is the only chance."

"Furthermore, escape now, immediately!"

"Far from Britannias, at least a hundred nautical miles, no, two hundred, five hundred nautical miles away!"

Katakuri's expression changed drastically:

"what happened?!"

"Britannias also has an ancient weapon!"

Katakuri's expression changed drastically. He looked up at the sky and saw a scene that would be unforgettable for all living beings!
(End of this chapter)