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

Chapter 436 Straw Hat Advances, S-Dragon Takes the Battle!
Fortunately.

Judging from the current results, I should be the winner...

Despite awakening the legendary Nika, Straw Hat still lacks experience and skill in combat.

If given enough time to familiarize himself with his abilities, I am no match for him.

Ah Jin was panting heavily, and an uncontrollable look of joy appeared on his face.

He held the so-called Nika and the so-called Sun God in contempt.

If there is anyone in this world who is the chosen savior, that person must be, and can only be, Gawain!

It can only be Gawain!
Having followed Gawain all the way and witnessed his actions, Akin's admiration for Gawain had reached the point of near fanaticism.

Before I fall, no one can stand before that man, and no one can take his place!
call--!
As he exhaled a breath of stale air, Ah Jin felt completely drained, and his vision blurred.

That last move had almost drained him of all his strength and domineering aura, leaving him powerless to fight any longer.

Paramecia-type abilities are diverse, and after awakening, they can even control the environment, but they still cannot make up for the gap with Zoan-types in melee combat.

until now.

The audience members in the surrounding stands only then belatedly gasped in surprise.

"I don't want it anymore, I don't want any more thrilling battles, Mom, Mom!!!"

A man, his trousers soaked and his face pale, got up and ran wildly into the distance. But after a few steps, he realized that his legs were too weak to support him due to fear.

He immediately fell to the ground, trampled by countless figures, and died in an instant.

Countless people stared at the large missing piece at the edge of the arena before belatedly realizing what was going on.

Even if you're sitting in the audience, and even if the entire arena is made of special materials, you still can't guarantee your safety once these monsters go all out.

How many unlucky souls were affected by Akin's attack just now?!
No one dared to think about it; all they wanted was to leave this place, this battlefield where a moment's carelessness could mean certain death, as quickly as possible.

This place is no different from hell!
"Come on!"

"If you stay here, you could die in an instant!"

……

Amidst the panic of the crowd.

Akin stood still, gazing at the distant ruins, and the familiar sound of drums rang in his ears once more!

boom!
boom!
boom!
The drumbeats grew faster and faster!

At this moment, not only Akin, but everyone in the players' seats was somewhat numb.

"No way?!"

"After taking that attack head-on, that monster is... is still alive?!"

Moria looked terrified.

Even when he faced Kaido of the Beasts in Wano Country, he was never as shocked as he is now.

To be fair.

While Kaido was strong twenty years ago, he was definitely weaker than Gin is now. That attack was enough to kill Kaido back then.

"What kind of vitality is this?!"

Just as shocked as Moria was Chinjao, the leader who had emerged from the West Blue, whose face was filled with rage:

"Garp's grandson?!"

"Damn it!"

"Another damned monster!"

"Originally, this old man intended to settle his score with Garp's juniors, but damn it!!!"

The green pepper was extremely angry, its hair and beard standing on end, which, combined with its huge and fat body, made it look just like an angry Buddha.

"but."

"Even if Garp himself survived such an attack, he would definitely be seriously injured. This is my chance!"

With these thoughts in mind, Green Pepper felt much better.

If we can qualify normally, we'll have a chance to be matched with Garp's grandson and settle our long-standing grudge.

just.

Reality will never change according to the individual will of young peppers.

In the arena.

Akin's shot just now almost completely blasted one side of the arena apart, leaving a gaping hole that was crimson and flowing with lava.

Gu——!
A ripple spread across the ground, and the straw hat slowly emerged from the ground.

“That was a close call~”

"I was almost killed!"

Straw Hat had a smile on his face, but his gaze was no longer as calm and collected as before, as if he had Akin completely under his control. Instead, it was filled with extreme caution.

For a brief moment, he really thought he was going to die!
Even after awakening this unknown power, even though he believes he is now capable of anything, even if the fate of the Sabaody Archipelago were to repeat itself, the Straw Hats do not believe they will lose.

But facing this man, one wrong move and you could be defeated.

Do not!
It's death!

This is the most powerful opponent I have ever faced!
"Good for you!"

A Jin's mouth twisted into a cruel, grotesque grin. Then he stumbled, his eyes rolled back, and he immediately lost consciousness.

That last strike was his last desperate attempt.

Just as Akin said, after unleashing that attack, his body and mind were at their limits, and he was unable to fight any longer.

boom--!
Akin fell to the ground.

Although Zango on the stage was somewhat taken aback, his years of hosting experience allowed him to maintain his professionalism at this moment.
"The winner of the fourth match in the quarterfinals of the Martial Arts Tournament..."

"Monkey D. Luffy!"

There was silence.

Most of the audience were busy leaving to save their lives and had no time to pay attention to the battle.

The very few fanatical followers who remained, disregarding life and death, fell into a long silence, simply because the outcome had exceeded everyone's expectations.

Originally holding an absolute advantage, even to the point of being overwhelming, the demon Akin ultimately suffered a defeat.

But what they understand even more clearly is this:

This is not because the demon Akin is too weak.

On the contrary, Akin is very strong, beyond imagination, extremely powerful.

Even looking across the vast ocean, those who could rival him were almost all powerful generals or emperors who dominated their respective regions.

The real reason was the straw hat worn under his white hair...

Too strong!

It's so powerful it's almost beyond reason!

The crowd in the stands fell silent as they watched the figure in the straw hat.

Redfield's eyes sparkled with wonder.

Kaido gripped his spiked club tightly, his face solemn and his gaze complex, seemingly lost in thought. Only a soaring killing intent suddenly emanated from him.

Barrett's face was filled with undisguised fighting spirit:
"again……"

"Enough to please my opponent!"

He thought that with A Jin's fighting strength, he would be a sure thing to enter the top eight or even the top four in the martial arts tournament, but he was defeated in the top sixteen.

Straw Hat has become the biggest dark horse in this martial arts tournament.

After the end.

As the straw hat was deactivated from Gear 5, the side effects immediately kicked in. In an instant, he looked as if he had aged decades, and his skin all over his body became loose.

He still held onto Kidd's hand, refusing to let go, with that silly smile on his face:
"Kidd, we're partners now, right?!"

"Is that right?!"

Kidd's lips twitched, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Sabo smirking beside him. His face flushed red, and he could only bite the bullet and say.
"Yes Yes Yes."

"but."

"If you die now, I can inherit the captain's position, and from then on, One Piece will be mine, and the Pirate King will be mine too!"

Straw Hat was stunned, his eyes blazing with fury: "Bastard, I won't let you get away with this!"

"Meat, give me meat!"

just.

The straw hat's expression froze completely in the next instant:

"Meat...you are..."

"Sashiburidana, Luffy!"

Sabo raised his hand, took off his hat, revealing a face covered in hideous scars:

"It's me, Sabo. I'm still alive."

"Ugh——!"

……

The arena was damaged in the battle between Straw Hat and Gin and needs repair. At the same time, the affairs of the fallen spectators also need to be taken care of.

After obtaining Gao Wen's consent, Zango immediately announced a three-day suspension of the competition, and that spectators would not be allowed to enter the stadium for subsequent matches.

The entire event was broadcast live to destinations around the world.

Faced with life and death, even the most fervent spectators regained their composure.

After all, risking one's life for something like this is not worth it no matter how you look at it.

The next day.

After recovering from his serious injuries, Akin immediately sought out Gawain.

"Captain, that guy's strength is very strange."

"It's about turning everything you touch into rubber that you can control. If you let it grow unchecked, it will be very difficult."

After his battle with the Straw Hats, Akin was extremely wary of Nika.

After all, he was the only one present who had personally experienced the monster's power and knew that Nika was far from reaching the limit of his potential.

"No problem."

Gao Wen shook his head, not caring about it, or rather, he was looking forward to such a change, hoping someone would come up to him.

"You should focus on recovering first."

"The competitions from now on won't be this peaceful anymore."

Gawain patted Akin on the shoulder, his expression unusually serious:

"The World Government has not taken any action so far, which is highly unusual."

"Maybe they're secretly planning something big."

"They might even directly activate the Heavenly King and wipe out Camelot along with everyone around him."

Ajin was taken aback, and subconsciously shook his head:
"That can't be right?!"

"They should know the dangers of ancient weapons. If they are used again, the world will sink faster, the conflicts at sea will intensify, and the pressure on the world government will only increase."

Even Akin could see this, but that was all he could see.

Over the past few years, by Gao Wen's side, he has also learned to think from Gao Wen, to think about the big picture, to think about variables, and to think about possibilities.

However, compared to the almost supernaturally intelligent Kuro, the calm and steady Fujitora, or Robin, they still have a considerable gap to close.

"I hope so."

Gao Wen nodded, but he had already made up his mind.

To avoid any unforeseen complications, the martial arts tournament needs to be expedited.

Before the World Government can react, cultivate an opponent capable of matching oneself, until the final leap is made, truly ascending to mythical status.

By then, none of this will be a problem.

Time flies and two days have passed.

The martial arts tournament, originally scheduled to begin three days later, started one day earlier.

The arena was empty of spectators, but this did nothing to dampen the fighting spirit of the crowd.

The number of people watching the live stream via projector increased several times over!
This battle has become a world-class event, attracting the attention of almost the entire world.

Buena Festa was so excited he could hardly sleep at night.

This is precisely the celebration he has always sought, a celebration comparable to the Great Pirate Era pioneered by Roger.

He has been working almost non-stop these past few days, focusing all his energy on the martial arts tournament, just to present the best possible results and amaze the whole world!
now.

After a brief draw, the two finalists for the fifth round were revealed:
"The fifth round of the martial arts tournament's quarterfinals features two teams facing off..."

"Sabo vs. 'Lone Red' Redfield!"

soon.

The two sides entered the arena and stood facing each other.

Surprisingly, Sabo conceded defeat almost without hesitation.

"I surrender."

"After all, the opponent is a legend from the previous era who, single-handedly, rivaled Pirate King Roger and Whitebeard."

"I'm not ready to fight against an opponent of this caliber."

The viewers watching via the projected Den Den Mushi immediately booed, but it didn't affect the result; Redfield won without a fight.

Long, who had returned to the revolutionary army's base, nodded slightly.
"Knowing when to advance and when to retreat, knowing when things are hopeless, and prioritizing self-preservation, Sabo has matured a lot."

Turn off the projector.

Dragon turned and stepped out of the tent, gazing at the distant sea.

Dark clouds loomed, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and the sea surged, giving the impression that a storm was about to break.

He raised his hand and waved his power to disperse the clouds in the sky, and the dazzling sunlight shone down again, but it could not dispel the chill that lingered around him.

The dragon looked down at its palm and felt uneasy.
"This vague unease... the Knights of God?!"

"wrong."

"I think I've already shaken them off. They couldn't possibly catch up in such a short time. Maybe it's just my imagination."

"No!"

"Better safe than sorry, we can't keep this outpost!"

……

Britannias.

After Sabo conceded defeat, he met with the Straw Hats one last time before leaving.

With his current strength, he is far from being able to compete for the permanent pointer of Laugh Tale, so giving up is the best option for now.

The revolutionary army had been attacked before, and as the Chief of the General Staff, he could not be absent at this time.

The martial arts tournament did not stop. After the fifth match ended hastily, the two sides of the sixth match soon stepped onto the round table arena!
just.

One particularly striking young figure immediately drew everyone's attention!

"Silver hair, brown skin, and those wings... Could this brat be a member of Jhin's race?!"

Kaido stood in the stands, his gaze fixed on S-Dragon.

His appearance was exactly like that of Jin Ruchu, and even a single glance was enough to make him impossible to ignore.

However, Kaido rejected this speculation in the next instant.

"wrong!
"Jin himself said that the Lunaria race has been wiped out, and he is the only pure-blooded member left."

"Moreover, S-Dragon doesn't sound like a name; it sounds more like some kind of code name..."

"Wait... codename?!"

Kaido's pupils suddenly contracted:

"Humanoid weapons created by the World Government based on the bloodline of the Lunarians?!"

In this world, there is inequality between different races.

If humanity has the lowest moral standard among all races, then the Lunarians, who were once called gods, have the highest.

(End of this chapter)