[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-if-you-don-t-try-hard-how-can-i-become-pirate-ki":3,"chapter-if-you-don-t-try-hard-how-can-i-become-pirate-ki-if-you-don-t-try-hard-how-can-i-become-pirate-ki-chapter-20":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","If You Don't Try Hard, How Can I Become Pirate King?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2340004,4574,"Chapter 20: I, Keluo, Method Actor!","if-you-don-t-try-hard-how-can-i-become-pirate-ki-chapter-20",20,"\u003Cp>What a pity—our enemy’s hero is our own mortal foe!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ajin stared blankly, then coldly fixed his gaze on Gasha after scanning the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you know what you’re doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Drawing weapons on the Marines—even if you’re a noble of this kingdom—I have the authority to execute you on the spot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, an invisible killing intent erupted from Ajin, so dense it became visible to the naked eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The harbor guards felt a sudden chill rise from their soles straight to the crown of their heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their hands gripping rifles trembled visibly, as if the weapon pointed at them wasn’t a human, but some beast wearing human skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gasha felt Ajin’s killing intent; goosebumps rose visibly on her arms, and her fingers beneath the sleeves shook uncontrollably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet as mistress of the harbor, she mustered the courage to meet Ajin’s icy gaze head-on:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How coincidental—this man beside me, a Marine lieutenant, just fought a fierce battle at sea against the cunning Kuro.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gasha’s vigilance spiked to its peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially toward the man before her—Ajin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pirates disguising themselves as Marines to infiltrate harbors and launch attacks—this happened frequently in the East Blue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the infamous admiral pirate Krieg had used this very tactic to strike multiple harbors in the East Blue in succession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She subtly signaled to the guard beside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guard instantly understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned and began organizing the harbor patrol guards to evacuate civilians still present and set up defensive lines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a posture of full readiness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ajin’s lip twitched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at the heavily damaged warship docked in the harbor, then at Gao Wen’s righteous expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, ten thousand goats seemed to stampede over his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Can I even make up a random excuse and have it collide with reality? Can this get any more absurd?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Remembering Krieg’s words before departure, Ajin quickly calmed himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had followed Krieg for years—he knew his methods well. Saying they were flawless might be an exaggeration, but Krieg would never leave him hanging on something like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Ajin retracted his killing intent and spoke:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I serve under Captain Bate of Marine Branch Base 18. You may verify this with nearby bases.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to Gao Wen, his gaze icy:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve never seen you before. State your ship’s designation and the branch you belong to.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Otherwise, I’ll execute you on the spot for impersonating a Marine!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ajin drew a staff with iron balls at both ends from his waist and began slowly spinning it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the iron balls spun faster, Kuro’s expression grew darker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The claw blade hidden beneath his coat flashed out, gleaming with a chilling, lethal sheen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bizarre weapon instantly drew every eye—even Ajin’s breath hitched the moment he saw Kuro’s weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey hey hey, this feeling? Not good at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Palu’s forehead was slick with sweat; he instinctively raised his shield in front of himself:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Except for the captain, this is the first time I’ve felt such terrifying killing intent from an enemy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This guy isn’t a Marine!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ajin said nothing, his face grim as he stared at Kuro:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you’re really impostors?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tch. Guess we’re going to have to rely on…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kuro’s words were cut off as Gao Wen grabbed his arm. Kuro turned, confused, to see Gao Wen giving Gasha an apologetic look, then speaking calmly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My apologies, madam. Luoke  cannot tolerate any potential threat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His entire family was killed by pirates when he was young—this shaped his extreme personality.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kuro paused, then understood—Gao Wen had a backup plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He deliberately retracted his killing intent, sheathed his claw blade, and feigned angry embarrassment:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shut up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Wen smiled warmly, as if used to such outbursts, and secretly gave Kuro a thumbs-up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder he’d infiltrated Kaya’s household for three years without a single slip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No script, instant immersion—every pretty boy and seasoned actor would be crushed by this performance. After watching Kuro, they’d all need to go back to acting school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine. It’s not his fault.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gasha, watching Kuro’s act, felt tears welling in her eyes—obviously deeply moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Wen turned to Ajin, frowning slightly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We belong to Marine Branch GL-5, directly under Branch Vice Admiral Weierge .”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Branch GL-5? A Marine vice admiral?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ajin froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d never heard of this branch—it clearly wasn’t in the East Blue. GL was clearly an abbreviation, pointing to only one place…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Grand Line! Marine vice admiral!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment these two keywords linked together, no further explanation was needed—everyone present instantly grasped their weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ajin’s face darkened, uncertain what to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should he press the issue further—or eliminate them here now to secure his next move?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Gao Wen’s next words sent icy sweat cascading down his spine…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve never seen you in the East Blue—but I’ve seen your face on a bounty poster. Reward: twelve million Berries. The Demon Man—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whizz!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ajin lunged, his spinning iron balls leaving afterimages in the air as they struck straight for Gao Wen’s skull…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kuro moved faster, his claw blade catching Ajin’s strike with perfect precision. He looked down at Ajin with contempt:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That guy may be a bastard, but he’s not someone you can just blame. And rushing to kill us? Aren’t you the real pirate?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tch!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ajin’s face turned livid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His identity exposed, infiltrating Crow Harbor for an inside-out attack was now impossible. His only option: direct assault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the terrifying aura radiating from Kuro left Ajin with zero confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man named Luoke  was stronger than Krieg, not weaker—and Gao Wen, standing calmly in the distance, shielding Gasha behind him, was even more inscrutable!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, even a powerhouse like Luoke  was merely his subordinate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ajin was trapped—his cover was about to blow, and he couldn’t win a fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Krieg’s fleet was dozens of nautical miles away. By the time they arrived, his men would already be dead beyond recovery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Palu saw it too. He raised his shield before them and asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do we do?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The harbor guards now converged, dozens of flintlock muskets simultaneously aimed at Ajin and his men…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, another whistle echoed from the distant sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sense of dread stirred in everyone’s hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They turned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another warship cut through the waves, slowly entering the harbor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Confused guards turned to Gasha; after she nodded, they moved to assist the new vessel’s docking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a naval officer with a rat-like face descended the gangway, flanked by soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze swept the scene; seeing both Gao Wen and Ajin held lower ranks than him, he tilted his chin toward Gasha and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just fought a battle at sea. I need food and medicine—otherwise, my ship won’t reach the nearest Marine base.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cooperate fully with our needs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1134,"2026-06-20T23:03:52.332Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","6bab4e85a8a4cf41b33af908a98870f6e8ff591593afd5a5678b719437244dba","if-you-don-t-try-hard-how-can-i-become-pirate-ki-chapter-21","if-you-don-t-try-hard-how-can-i-become-pirate-ki-chapter-19",469,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fif-you-don-t-try-hard-how-can-i-become-pirate-ki-cover.jpg"]