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

Chapter 453 The Sand Crocodile's Astonishment, Rayleigh's Bewilderment

The group looked at each other, but no one answered Crocodile's question.

“That man always kept to himself and didn’t leave anything like that behind.”

Katakuri shook his head when he saw that Crocodile was still not giving up, because in that situation, Hawkeye would not have survived either.

He couldn't help but speak up to advise:
"Calm down first."

"Even if the Crusades are destroyed, and Britannias is buried by the King, we still have the Kingdom of All Nations."

"Even after Kaido's death, they stormed into Wano Country, taking advantage of its natural defenses..."

Blu-bloom—!
A Den Den Mushi (a type of electric telephone insect) rang, breaking the silence in the room.

Crocodile's body stiffened slightly, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes, which had been almost filled with despair.

Concern leads to chaos.

For a moment, both he and Katakuri forgot about the phone call!
Crocodile slowly took out a Den Den Mushi from his pocket. After connecting the call, a cold, sharp voice came from the other end:

"it's me."

"Mihawk."

"You're not dead?!"

Katakuri was utterly shocked.

The power of the Heavenly King was already proven two years ago.

A single strike could wipe a country off the map and even indirectly cause sea levels to rise worldwide.

It can easily cover an area with a diameter of hundreds of kilometers, and its momentum is both rapid and fierce.

Logically speaking, even monsters of the King level in Britannias should not be able to escape the King's attack range in such a short time.

Once hit, even a monster as powerful as Gawain, who is almost invincible, cannot escape death.

but now……

"How can it be?!"

Nothing is impossible.

On the other end of the phone, Hawkeye's voice was indifferent, but his words completely overturned Katakuri's judgment:
"He is an ability user."

"Among the Knights of the Round Table under Knight Gawain, there is one who possesses a special Devil Fruit ability."

"It can teleport people to thousands of miles away in an instant."

Katakuri understood:

"That man had such a trump card hidden all along?! That makes sense, he had experienced the power of ancient weapons before, so it was impossible for him to be completely unprepared."

"Where's Gawain?!"

Crocodile's only concern is Gawain.

Even if Crocodile was unwilling to admit it, he knew one thing.

If there is anyone on this vast ocean who is closest to the throne, it is only Gawain, and only Gawain!

Others may be able to dominate a region, even challenge the Four Emperors or the Marine Headquarters, but in front of Gawain, they can only grovel on the ground!

But for the same reason.

Crocodile could not accept that man going to hell in such a humiliating way.

"He... got away too, didn't he?"

One thing that Crocodile himself was unaware of was...

Since that battle two years ago, Gao Wen has become an obsession in his heart.

Only by standing up again in front of that man can you prove that you have cut ties with the past and regain your determination to reach the top!

just.

Crocodile received a negative answer:

"Do not."

"Unlike us, Gawain didn't flee in the face of defeat. He stayed in Camelot and confronted the Heavenly King's onslaught head-on!"

"Is he crazy?!"

At this moment, both Crocodile and Katakuri felt that Gawain was too confident, to the point of near madness.

That's an ancient weapon!
An existence that transcends common sense and is completely superior to humanity!
"He won."

As Hawkeye's voice landed, the deck fell silent instantly.

For a moment, neither of them could understand the meaning of Hawkeye's words. They remained silent for more than ten seconds before Crocodile finally spoke in a trembling voice:
"What did you say?!"

"Gawain won."

Hawkeye's tone was filled with barely suppressed excitement:
"Using a human body, he withstood the Heavenly King's onslaught and escaped unscathed!"

"twice!"

"This is impossible!"

Katakuri vehemently denied all of this being illogical.

The Heavenly King's power is enough to vaporize everything within hundreds of kilometers. If Gawain can withstand such an attack, then what could possibly kill him...?

This can't be described as powerful; it's an absolute myth!

Hawkeye had no intention of explaining and continued speaking to himself:
"Whether it is or not, you'll know once you go to Britannias and see for yourself."

"correct."

"With the fall of the Crusaders, our alliance has become meaningless."

"I plan to stay in Britannias and climb the highest mountain of kendo!"

"And for you, this is also the best choice. The world is now in a bipolar state. In the future, the only way for any power on this ocean to survive is to choose sides and fight for one of these two sides."

"The World Government may not tolerate you, but Britannias will."

beep--!
As soon as the words were spoken, Hawkeye didn't waste any more time and immediately hung up the phone.

The standby tone of a Den Den Mushi (a type of electric scooter) rang out on the deck.

The crowd was still reeling from the news of Gawain's hard-fought resistance against ancient weapons, their hearts churning with emotion that lingered for a long time.

"Unexpectedly..."

"You've actually surpassed even that inhuman being?!"

Crocodile let out a sound of admiration, a smile unconsciously creeping onto his lips:
"My intuition was right!"

"How could a monster who only believes in his own strength and wants to reach the top with the sword in his own hand be so easily defeated by the World Government?!"

"Really..."

Katakuri opened his mouth, his mind racing with countless thoughts, wanting to utter a thousand words, but in the end, they all coalesced into a simple sentence:

"If gods once existed on this sea, they would probably be around this level, right?!"

"Humph!"

Crocodile looked up and gazed at the distant sea.

Turbulent waves, a storm is brewing.

The air was silent, lightning crackled in the clouds, and the wind howled over the sea.

He slowly stood up, letting the sea breeze whip his shawl and coat around him, making them flutter in the air!
The stray hairs on her forehead danced wildly in the wind, but they couldn't hide her ambitious eyes, which were now filled with renewed fighting spirit.

"If that monster didn't fall, how could we have fallen here?!"

Crocodile felt a surge of excitement and turned to look at Katakuri. He was about to blurt out the bold statement, "Let's go and take Wano Country!" when he was interrupted by the Baroque Works member beside him.

"Boss, wherever you go next, we will follow you!"

MR-5 keenly sensed Crocodile's burning ambition, casually tossed his cigarette butt into the sea, and stood quietly to the side, awaiting Crocodile's next orders.

From Baroque Works to the present, they have faced life and death several times and have long regarded Crocodile as their leader to whom they entrust their lives.

"That's it!"

“That’s what I wanted to say too!”

Wearing a little red hat, Mariano stood up straight, her small body following Crocodile with a serious expression, her hands tightly gripping her paintbrush, striking a focused pose.

"Ha~"

Crocodile couldn't resist reaching out and placing his hand on Marianou's hat, gently rubbing it before changing his words:
"No!"

"Let's go to Britannias!" "The future order of this world has already been determined. The dominant power for the next few hundred years will inevitably emerge from between the World Government and Britannias."

"I bet that man will reach the top, what about you?!"

Everyone nodded emphatically, their eyes gleaming with hope.

Katakuri, holding his trident in both hands, leaned against the mast, a slight smile playing on his lips beneath his scarf.

You've even given up your own ambitions for your comrades?! Compared to Doflamingo, you're definitely more to my liking!
Think of this.

Katakuri waved his hand and said:
"I believe you."

"But I have to go back and take care of my younger siblings first. Once things are settled on their end, I'll go and meet that man who stands at the top of the world!"

"Ah~"

The sea breeze howled, the sails billowed, and the speed suddenly increased dramatically, propelling the ship forward at breakneck speed!
forward!

forward!

Crocodile sensed that the changing times were far stronger than ever before.

A most turbulent era is about to begin!

……

Chambord Islands.

Rip-off bar.

Rayleigh sat in the corner, looking dejected, drinking the fiery liquor from his jug.

Glug—!
After downing a sip of liquor, Rayleigh shook the bottle and casually tossed it away.

He then swayed to the bar, and as Rayleigh reached for a drink, Xia Qi stopped him.

“Rayleigh…”

Xia Qi called out softly, looking at Lei Li's haggard face, and for a moment she didn't know how to comfort him.

After the World Martial Arts Tournament ended, not only did Gawain and his crew disappear without a trace, but the Straw Hats also failed to send any news back.

The situation was even more desperate than they had initially anticipated.

After losing these two, it is almost impossible for this era to move forward and completely get rid of the Celestial Dragons who live on the heads of everyone in the world and suck blood.

“Rayleigh…”

"I'm fine, I just..."

Rayleigh shook his head and reached for the wine on Xia Qi's table, but Xia Qi saw through his intentions first and pushed the wine away.

He missed his target, but wasn't discouraged. He simply plopped down at the bar, the smell of alcohol gradually dissipating from his face, replaced by a more serious expression in his eyes.

"I feel somewhat uneasy."

"The matter of Britannias is settled. Kaido of the Beasts, Hawkeye, Redfield, Barrett and other powerful figures have all disappeared without a trace, most of them have already perished in Britannias."

"Furthermore, the Cross Society, which was originally growing in strength and gradually expanding, has recently become a bit too quiet. There are even rumors that the headquarters of the Cross Society has been destroyed by a mysterious force."

"The two major powers that were originally capable of challenging the World Government have both come to an end at such a speed. The Great Pirate Era that Roger risked his life to save has just come to an end before it even reached its climax."

"In the future, to break through this situation..."

"It's going to be difficult."

Rayleigh was unwilling, but there was nothing he could do.

Time is humanity's greatest enemy.

Even though he was invincible in his youth, Whitebeard, who roamed the seas and reigned supreme as the world's strongest man, ultimately succumbed to the passage of time.

Before the Battle of Marineford, Whitebeard, who was seriously ill, was nothing like he was at his peak.

Rayleigh's physical condition is much better than Whitebeard's.

No illness and no disaster.

But there is no doubt that time has taken away the strength of his youth. Now, even if he can exert combat power no less than that of a general for a short time, his physical strength cannot last long.

The white beard grew old.

How could someone from the same era as Whitebeard not grow old?
"I'm not reconciled!"

"Xia Qi!"

"I'm not reconciled!!"

Rayleigh clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and his once composed face was now contorted with rage, his eyes turning a frightening red!

What he lost was not only Gawain, who could have led the future to another possibility, but also the straw hat he had been waiting for for more than 20 years, or rather, the sun god Nika.

The future of this sea may once again plunge it into hell.

This time, not only Roger, but even they no longer possessed the power to revolutionize the world and rebuild everything from scratch.

after all……

Even someone as powerful as Gawain was no match for those ancient weapons. What's the point of leaving behind this group of old people who have long been forgotten by the new era?!

Xia Qi fell silent for a moment, put away the wine glasses on the bar, turned around and took out a bowl of hangover soup that had been prepared in advance from the kitchen, and placed it in front of Rayleigh.

After urging Lei Lie to drink it, he affectionately stroked Lei Lie's chin and said softly:

"The man I valued back then wouldn't show such an expression just because of a failure or getting old."

"Besides, you should have noticed it by now, right?!"

"It's so quiet."

"The world is too quiet!"

"All news about the World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament seems to have been forcibly suppressed. Not only in the open, but even in the underworld, there are only some rumors circulating."

"It's as if someone is deliberately trying to erase the impact of the martial arts tournament!"

Rayleigh frowned slightly and fell into deep thought for a moment.

Xia Qi was able to observe the problem with virtue, so naturally he could too, but he hadn't delved into it before because he was preoccupied with his own frustration and resentment.

Looking back now, there are many strange things going on.

"The World Government is hiding information about Uranus?!"

"wrong!"

"With the world in turmoil, the emergence of ancient weapons at this time serves as a deterrent to the entire world. Moreover, with the world's strongest man as a sacrifice, this deterrent effect can be maximized."

"The news of releasing ancient weapons is entirely beneficial to the world government."

"That's another direction..."

Rayleigh looked up and met Xia Qi's gaze, feeling his heart skip a beat:
"Gawain is not dead!"

Sudden.

An extremely excited laugh came from outside the bar.

"Rayleigh!"

"I am back!"

"Hahahaha~"

As if an electric current had passed through his body, Rayleigh's smell of alcohol instantly vanished.

He suddenly stood up and looked back at the bar entrance.

Straw Hat had already lifted the curtain with a smile, and beside him were Straw Hat's companions, as well as Kid, who was also from the Worst Generation.

but.

Kidd was a step behind Straw Hat, following behind him, subtly indicating that Straw Hat was in charge. This positioning revealed a lot.

But at this moment, Rayleigh was no longer concerned with any of that; his breathing almost stopped.
"Luffy, you're not dead?!"

"what!"

Straw Hat nodded, "Oh, is that so?"
"Thanks to that guy Beville, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to get back here."

"Where's Gawain?!"

Rayleigh pressed on, asking:
"Where is Knight Gawain?!"

The smile on Straw Hat's face vanished, replaced by a rare complex expression:

"That rascal……"

(End of this chapter)