Chapter 441: I Alone Are Sufficient!

"One against eight!"

Ledyard's breath hitched slightly.

Although he had long anticipated this possibility, when the exact news finally came from Barrett's mouth, his heart still gave a violent throb.

"He intends to challenge the top eight of the World Martial Arts Tournament all by himself?!"

"What sheer arrogance!"

"Challenge?!"

Barrett didn't even turn his head, gazing quietly ahead.

At this moment, Gao Wen had not yet entered the arena, yet the aura surrounding Barrett had already begun to condense.

Invisible Haki surged around him, a frenzied presence radiating outward in all directions; the pressure was so tangible it caused the earth beneath his feet to crack open!

Even Ledyard, standing right beside Barrett, felt immense dread upon sensing this presence!

It was only because the Barrett of this moment reminded him of the feeling he had decades ago, when he first saw Roger and Whitebeard at their peaks.

It was like facing some kind of inhuman existence!

And what drove Barrett to this extent was merely an opponent who had not even appeared yet?!

"You..."

"Ledyard!"

Barrett rarely spoke Ledyard's name, his eyes containing nothing but a battle intent brewed to the point of near madness:

"Don't get it wrong!"

"We are the challengers."

"That man sitting on the Wang Zuo is beyond what human strength can oppose!"

Barrett roared this sentence; his voice reached the ears of everyone present and, accompanied by the Den Den Mushi cameras surrounding the area, spread throughout the entire world.

The hearts of the crowd, who had already vaguely suspected as much, all skipped a beat at this moment.

It was because from the contestant tunnel in the distance, the crisp and slow sound of footsteps was now echoing out!

Clack!

Clack!

Clack!

Step by step, it seemed to tread directly upon everyone's hearts.

This also meant there was a ninth competitor for the semifinals of the World Martial Arts Tournament.

This was no longer a semifinal match, but the final; here and now, the world's strongest would be decided.

That man's name appeared simultaneously in the minds of everyone!

"The Knight... Gao Wen!"

S-Ryuu stood to the side holding his blade, the corner of his mouth curling into a ferocious and arrogant grin:

"I can already sense it, the scent of the most perfect prey!"

Hawk Eyes wore a Solemn Face, gripping the black blade Yoru with one hand, yet he found it difficult to suppress the growing excitement within the blade itself.

Immediately afterward, he realized it was not just the blade in his hand that was excited, but himself!

Himself, whose very blood seemed about to burn up!

"Well said, we are indeed the challengers!"

"Then let me see the distance between us and the world!"

Swish—!

While the crowd was still immersed in shock, Hawk Eyes had already made his move, slashing a blade strike toward the distant contestant tunnel!

The emerald blade light was brilliant and dazzling.

It carried an absolute will to cut down everything and ascend to the supreme peak, launching an assault against the current strongest in the world!

Two years!

Hawk Eyes had prepared a full two years for this very moment!

The bitter fruit of failure had been gnawing at the flesh and blood of his heart every moment; that pain of the loser had instead become the driving force for his ascent to the top!

"This guy didn't even go all out when fighting Zoro!"

Sanji's expression changed slightly, yet his gaze remained死死 fixed on the distant contestant tunnel.

Long before entering the new era, Gao Wen had ceased sparring with Sanji and the others, and after two years of cultivation, the number of times he even lifted a hand could be counted on one's fingers.

But those battles...

No!

They could no longer even be called battles.

Even a monster like Barrett could not survive a single move in Gao Wen's hands.

Rather than a battle, it was more like a one-sided crushing!

While the outside world was curious about Gao Wen's combat power, the people within Britannias were equally curious!

"Captain... what are you going to do?!"

Swish—!

The emerald blade energy swept across everything, easily slicing into the wall, yet at a certain moment, it was as if a pause button had been pressed; it could not advance another inch and instantly shattered apart!

The crisscrossing blade energy tore open the arena tunnel directly, and with undiminished momentum, left grotesque slash marks upon the surrounding earth.

Wild winds howled, and dark clouds began to gather!

"Hawk Eyes, you really are impatient!"

Gao Wen's indifferent voice echoed out from within the tunnel.

Immediately, an overwhelmingly heavy aura of dominance surged into the air, beginning to condense, to rise, and to press down upon everyone like a mountain range.

The strength of this dominating aura was so immense that it nearly reached the point of directly distorting the air and warping reality itself.

Even the visual Den Den Mushi located hundreds, or even thousands of meters away, suffered interference, their transmitted images becoming a blur.

"Damn it!"

"Why does it have to malfunction at this exact moment? Did I see that correctly just now?!"

"Knight Gao Wen appears in the finals of the Round Table Arena; what is he trying to do?!"

"Is he going to fight eight opponents alone?!"

"This is no longer arrogance, but madness; the title of the World's Strongest has gone to his head, making him so confident that he believes he can challenge the eight strongest individuals of the current era all by himself!?"

"Are you kidding me?!"

"Damn this projection Den Den Mushi, hurry up and recover already!"

Sabaody Archipelago.

Inside the Bartering Bar, countless pirates had gathered to watch this great battle.

Some, unable to restrain their tempers, directly reached out and forcefully slapped the projection Den Den Mushi, yet it still failed to restore, forcing them to return to their seats, scratching their ears and cheeks in anxiety.

Lei Li sat to one side, head bowed in deep thought.

Seeing this, Xia Qi could not help but speak up and ask:

"If I heard correctly just now, Knight Gao Wen intends to challenge the top eight of the World Martial Arts Tournament alone."

"Although those eight may not all live up to their reputations, Barrett, Redfield, and Kaido are undoubtedly invincible powerhouses on the seas."

"The remaining ones, Hawk Eyes, Black Leg Sanji, and Luffy, all possess combat power no less than your own."

"With such a lineup..."

"What are Knight Gao Wen's chances of victory?!"

Lei Li fell silent for a moment, and only after a long while did he slowly speak:

"I cannot make sense of it."

"I cannot understand what is in that man's heart."

"His power, no matter which era it is placed in, can be called invincible; even when facing Whitebeard, who was close to his peak, he could crush him."

"In a one-on-one, or even a one-on-two, there exists no one in the current era who can defeat him; he would not fear a one-on-three in the slightest, but a one-on-eight..."

"Even if there is some exaggeration among them, this is still something that is nearly impossible."

"Willingly placing himself in such a desperate situation, Knight Gao Wen..."

"What exactly is it that you seek?!"

"If my guess is correct, you should have already seen the true face of the One Piece; why then proceed with such a competition?!"

"Or are you simply pursuing the title of the strongest?!"

After a period of contemplation, Lei Li still had not found an answer.

But he had an inexplicable premonition: if Gao Wen could truly win this battle, the world would usher in drastic changes!

But...

Is it possible?!

The projection image restored, and everything happening within the Round Table Arena appeared before everyone once again.

"Such an aura of dominance..."

Kaido's grip on his spiked club suddenly tightened, his beard and hair moving without wind, his eyes glaring furiously ahead.

He had considered the possibility that Gao Wen might choose to make his move after the ultimate winner of the Martial Arts Tournament was decided, aiming to crush the world's strongest to demonstrate his overwhelming power.

But Kaido had never anticipated such a possibility.