Chapter 352: Ranking Battle 40: The Knights of the Round Table!

The value of this evaluation needs no further elaboration.

In just over a year, the experience Gao Wen has harvested can only be described as an astronomical figure.

Armament Haki, Observation Haki, and the Six Styles have all reached their theoretical limits; awakening new traits has pushed his already absurd combat power to an even more ridiculous level.

His swordsmanship and physique have also grown significantly, though neither has yet reached the point of qualitative transformation.

At least among the powerhouses Gao Wen knows of, no one would be his match, including kings like Luo Jie and Whitebeard who dominated an entire era.

But this is already Gao Wen's current limit, or rather, the limit of humanity; the string of "max" indicators behind the skills on his system panel serves as proof.

To advance even one step further, he must transcend his own limits.

However.

Three years ago in the East Blue, Gao Wen could still rely on the pressure brought by Hawk-Eyes to break through himself and reach a higher realm.

But now, even looking across the entire world.

Whitebeard, once known as the strongest man in the world, is now frail with age, his combat power far below its peak; yet even at his peak, he would be unable to exert significant pressure on the Gao Wen of today.

Although Garp is famed for his combat power not declining with age, the strength he displayed in the battle at Hachinosu from the original timeline shows he is no longer what he once was.

Figures like Kaido, Shanks, and the three Admirals show no significant gap compared to the powerhouses mentioned above.

A pillar of light that pierced heaven and earth a year ago, erasing all of Avalon from the map, flashed before Gao Wen's eyes, and the apprehension in his gaze remained impossible to hide.

Though his power has now undergone a qualitative transformation, blocking a direct bombardment from Uranus remains an impossibility.

Only an Ancient Weapon can counter an Ancient Weapon!

Those terrifying devices capable of destroying nations with a single strike and raising sea levels possess destructive power that, purely in terms of magnitude, surpasses any nuclear weapon Gao Wen knew in his previous life.

To trigger geographical structural changes on a global scale—such power is not only impossible to execute, but unimaginable even to contemplate.

Yet to achieve his goals, confronting Uranus and confronting Imu are two major hurdles that cannot be bypassed.

Gao Wen closed his eyes in deep thought:

"The construction of Pluton has never proceeded smoothly."

"As a shipwright, Franky is undoubtedly among the world's finest, but as a scientist, he still lags behind figures like Caesar, Queen, and Germa, let alone Vegapunk."

"To truly construct Pluton, we need these top-tier researchers, while also leveraging the power of Devil Fruits."

"Roubo Luqi has been searching for Vegapunk's whereabouts, but so far there are no clues; as for Germa, Queen, Caesar, and the others..."

Recalling the deeds these individuals had committed, Gao Wen immediately rejected the idea of recruiting them under his banner.

Germa's mere creation of artificial humans could still be discussed within the bounds of ethics and morality, but the actions of the other two were truly inhuman.

"Forget it."

"The primary target remains Vegapunk; for now, I shall wait for news from Roubo Luqi's side."

Yet in this past year, even with the help of Lord Tai Zuo and Du Feld, we found no trace of the Devour-Devil Fruit; must we then settle for a trip to Impel Down?!

A resolute face floated before Gao Wen's eyes, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly upward:

"A man who chases Luo Jie's shadow, aiming to defeat the strongest fighters in the entire world? I wonder just how much you will be able to entertain me."

"The timing for entering Impel Down must be awaited, but that day will not be too far off."

"My arrival has changed many things, but not everything."

Gao Wen lowered his gaze to Straw Hat's wanted poster.

A few months ago, Roubo Luqi sent back news, through which Gao Wen learned that the Whitebeard Pirates had undergone massive changes.

The commander of the 4th Division had been replaced, and Portgas D. Ace, commander of the 2nd Division, had not been seen for a long time.

Connecting these two events, it was not difficult to deduce that Blackbeard, just as in the original timeline, had killed his close friend Thatch, seized the Dark-Dark Fruit, and defected from the Whitebeard Pirates to establish his own faction.

Blackbeard and Straw Hat were two sides of the same coin.

The former represented the bloody, cruel, and ambitious aspect of pirates, while the latter embodied bravery, exploration, and compassion.

Straw Hat's Rubber-Rubber Fruit had already been proven to be the white Nika; as for the black Nika, given the confirmation that Imu's abilities were related to demons, there was a very high probability it was Blackbeard's Dark-Dark Fruit.

"I just wonder how much pressure these two will be able to exert on me."

Thinking thus, Gao Wen's plans for what came next gradually became clear; he lowered his gaze to Straw Hat's wanted poster, absolute confidence shining in his eyes:

"You, who inherited the power of Nika, will you ultimately be able to reach the height I stand at now? Will you become the driving force for my next breakthrough? Will you touch the mythic realm beyond humanity?!"

"Or, now that I have pierced through the original sea route, will you not even be able to reach the stage of Devil Fruit awakening?!"

"Never mind; time will prove all of this. I need only sit here and wait quietly."

Whoosh—!

A sea breeze blew in from the vast inland sea outside Camelot.

Over the course of a year, seawater rushing in from the ocean had already filled the massive crater left by Uranus.

This inland sea had also acquired a new name.

Avalon.

Nowadays, many ships sailed across Lake Avalon, conducting various trades and transporting goods from the outside world to every corner of Britannias; in a certain sense, this could be considered a blessing in disguise.

Rustle—!

The flag above the Round Table Arena flapped loudly in the wind; it was the flag of the Gao Wen Pirates, though it now differed slightly from their former Jolly Luo Jie.

It still featured a round shield as its base with crossed swords, but the skull had been replaced by a lion, which was also the origin of Gao Wen's current title, Lionheart King.

The Round Table Arena also served as the final battleground for the Martial Arts Tournament, though it was not yet open to the public and was currently being used as the venue for the internal ranking battles of the Gao Wen Pirates.

This was the fourth internal ranking battle for Gao Wen's crew, and also the most special one.

Nowadays, within Britannias, Gao Wen's group was not referred to as pirates but as an order of knights.

The Round Table Knights.

The battles currently taking place in the Round Table Arena were contests for seats within the Order of the Round Table Knights.

The First Seat naturally belonged to Gao Wen, the captain whose combat power stood in a league entirely his own; what everyone was eagerly vying for were the seats beneath him.

This time, Gao Wen added a new rule: the Round Table Knights would dispatch only combat strength, requiring every individual sent to possess at least Gold-level power.

As for special talents like Nami and Franky, other rules applied.

Boom—!

Another thunderous roar erupted within the Round Table Arena; the earth trembled, and dust clouds billowed out.

Two figures fought from day into night, yet showed no sign of exhaustion.

Although they did not display the terrifying power capable of altering terrain as before, the spectacle made the watching crowd feel even more terrified.

But more than that, it stirred the bloodlust of the audience, who felt the formidable power of Zoro and Sanji.

"Intense! So intense!"

"These two are absolute monsters!"

"We just don't know whose ranking will end up higher this time!"

Countless people stretched their necks, awaiting the final result of this battle.

They never expected that this wait would last a full three days.

The two wagered everything to decide victory here, yet the more they fought, the more they understood each other.

After three days and three nights of fierce combat, both their stamina and spirit had reached their limits.

When every move was countered by the opponent, and every strategy seen through, all that remained to compete was pure willpower!

"Three-Sword Style Secret Technique: Musou!"

Zoro chanted in a low voice, spinning the two swords in his hands to whip up a howling gale.

This was his most formidable move, a distillation of everything he had comprehended after witnessing Gao Wen's swordsmanship at Rapeseed Flower Port.

Originally, he had intended to save this move for Gao Wen.

Even knowing he was no match for Gao Wen, he still wanted that man to witness his transformation!

Swish—!

Zoro surged forward violently, kicking up a dragon-like cloud of dust!

Wind pressure slammed against their faces.

The invisible aura made Sanji's expression solemn, yet within his eyes lay absolute confidence in himself!

Boom—!

A pale blue fire lotus bloomed within the arena, radiating extreme heat in all directions.

Spectators near the edge felt a burning pain on their faces, their hair nearly igniting on the spot!

"Demon Wind Leg: Dragon Bone Sniper Crush!"