[{"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-418":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},2340402,4574,"Chapter 418: Aokiji Returns, the Admiral Contest!","if-you-don-t-try-hard-how-can-i-become-pirate-ki-chapter-418",418,"\u003Cp>\"Ara ara~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aokiji scratched his head, his tone as languid as ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s put the Marines and justice aside for now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I haven’t even brought up how brutally you treat your comrades—my leg nearly didn’t make it back then, you bastard!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other end of the call.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akainu’s breath hitched; he looked down at the grotesque scar on his arm and retorted:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You have no grounds to criticize me on that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When are you coming back?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Give me a straight answer!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Akainu lose patience, Aokiji lifted his gaze toward the harbor drawing nearer and stretched lazily:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We’ll talk about that later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’d really like to see the countries Zephyr never got to visit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Britannias?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you become a pirate, I won’t hold back on you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At this point, what meaning do the Marines, pirates, or the World Government even have?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aokiji shook his head, his sarcasm unmasked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Or do you not even know what the World Government—or rather, the Celestial Dragons—are really like?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Akainu could reply, Aokiji hung up and rode his bicycle calmly across the sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Wen’s existence changed many things, but many others remained untouched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Admiral Sengoku resigned in disgrace, he recommended Aokiji as his successor; the Five Elders favored the more aggressive Akainu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both knew each other’s flaws.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aokiji’s inner turmoil and wavering stance toward himself and the Marines made him unfit to be a proper admiral.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akainu was too extreme, too radical—though far better than in the original timeline, he remained the quintessential Marine hawk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both refused to yield on the admiral position, ultimately clashing in Punk Hazard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battle lasted ten days and ten nights, ending with Aokiji exhausted and defeated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But unlike the original timeline, though their ideologies still clashed, T-Bone’s existence had softened their personal relationship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aokiji did not lose a leg; Akainu’s scars were less grotesque.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akainu became admiral by default; Aokiji took a temporary leave of absence under the pretense of recovering, riding his bicycle to travel the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the ruins of Ohara, to the former base of the Neo Marines, to Crow Harbor in the East Blue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was there that Aokiji saw Zephyr’s tombstone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid endless golden fields, Zephyr’s tombstone stood quietly, watching over the distant sea and the laughter in the fields.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was also in those fields that Aokiji met Ayn, and Zephyr’s former students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aokiji did not reveal himself—only watched them from afar, seeing in them a hope he had never known before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Wen’s words from Alabasta still echoed in his ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially after witnessing the World Government’s darkness over the past two years, Aokiji found it unbearable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The era created pirates; the World Government created this twisted age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that moment, Aokiji suddenly understood why Zephyr had gone so far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pirates…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pirates…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How many truly volunteered to become pirates out of ambition?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The era created pirates. To end pirates, first end this era!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zephyr’s existence has proven that revolution from within the Marines cannot change the World Government.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"After all, the Marines exist only because of the World Government’s backing—and the Celestial Dragons’ sanction.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So… is justice itself born from this?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ambiguous justice, absolute justice, burning justice, lazy justice…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All wrong!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In the Marines, there is only the Celestial Dragons’ justice!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Justice is not in Marineford!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From that moment, Aokiji felt a sudden urge to visit Britannias.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sea breeze from the harbor blew away Aokiji’s biting chill, granting him a rare, long-absent warmth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His bicycle rolled into the port of Britannias.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aokiji finally set foot on this land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the harbor stood a figure with a cigar clenched between his teeth, waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Saxi Bilitana~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Smoker~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aokiji was surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He expected to meet someone familiar—but never imagined it would be Smoker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smoker’s grudge against Gao Wen dated back to the East Blue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After two crushing defeats at Gao Wen’s hands, Smoker’s pride likely still burned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Aokiji’s view, this man would never bow to pirates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smoker still bit his cigar, his expression as resolute as ever—but his Marine uniform was gone, replaced by a knight’s light armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smoker nodded and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s been a long time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But as a Marine Admiral, your presence here is something I can’t ignore.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smoker showed no warmth of reunion—only quiet wariness:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even if my closest friend intends to strike this nation, he must pass through me first!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aokiji’s lip twitched:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh my~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your shift in allegiance is swift—have you already forgotten the justice you once carried?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smoker pointed to the sword-and-shield flag in the harbor, his voice firm:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is the justice I carry now!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aokiji fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the faces of Britannias’ passersby, he saw the same thing as the laborers in Crow Harbor’s wheat fields.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hope. Stability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aokiji suddenly understood why both Zephyr and Smoker had placed their hope in Gao Wen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed to his own clothes:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m on leave—without this uniform, I’m no longer an enforcer of justice.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I see…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smoker’s expression eased; he shut off his steam motorcycle, led Aokiji to a tavern, ordered two large mugs of beer and several strawberry pies, and sat down to chat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mostly, Aokiji spoke of Marine affairs after Smoker’s departure, recounting his battle with Akainu—so much so that even Smoker held his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than anything, he felt relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You couldn’t even beat that guy?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smoker couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, then comforted:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fighting for ten days and nights means your gap isn't huge—perhaps on another battlefield, at another time, the outcome would be different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are you talking about?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aokiji shook his head, his usual lazy expression fading into something rare and serious:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though I hate to admit it, if not for that man sparing us several times, the battle…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Would have ended long ago.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After losing his close friend Akainu, Sakazuki changed greatly; his personality was no longer as reckless as before, and he began to reflect on whether his actions were right or wrong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He once went through a period of confusion, but after his devastating defeat at Whitebeard’s hands in the Marineford War, Sakazuki rose again.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1036,"2026-06-20T23:03:54.258Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","1687754a2686f430142ded1d6ea7d729deffbb2cbe53affc5333b380b0f39e14","if-you-don-t-try-hard-how-can-i-become-pirate-ki-chapter-419","if-you-don-t-try-hard-how-can-i-become-pirate-ki-chapter-417",469,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fif-you-don-t-try-hard-how-can-i-become-pirate-ki-cover.jpg"]