Chapter 450: Undercurrents Surge, a Mountain Storm Approaches!

Luffy gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with nothing but endless frustration.

Eight of them joining forces still ended in a crushing defeat.

This record was even more dismal than when, during the Worst Generation era together, they lost to Kuzan, then a Navy Admiral, at the Sabaody Archipelago.

After all, at that time, Straw Hat, who had mastered all three types of Haki and awakened the Nika Fruit, once believed he could accomplish anything.

Even against Kuzan, he would never have lost.

But facing that man, they couldn't even resist before being instantly crushed.

In the end, if Bevil of the Round Table Knights hadn't intervened, they wouldn't have even saved their lives...

"Someday, I will defeat him!"

"What kind of joke are you making?!"

Kid's mouth twitched.

In that battle, although he stood on the Round Table Arena, his combat power had a gap of an entire tier compared to the other seven, let alone compared to that monster.

Even to this day, Kid felt somewhat dazed, wondering whether that was reality or just a nightmare!

The man known as the Lionheart King was already nearing the point of transcending the category of humanity.

Nowadays, Kid didn't even want to hear Gao Wen's name again.

"That guy is invincible; if you go looking for death in Britannias next time, don't drag me along—I still want to live a few more years."

"I don't care; to become the Pirate King, how can I not defeat that monster?!"

When Luffy became willful, he crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and assumed an utterly stubborn posture.

Beside him, Kid's eyelids twitched repeatedly:

"I shouldn't have made a bet with you in the first place!"

"A loss is a loss; if you don't even keep your promises, forget about becoming the Pirate King—you're not even a real man!"

"You bastard!"

"Call me Captain!"

The two immediately started brawling.

Xia Qi sat aside, a smile spreading across his face; he couldn't help turning to look at Lei Li, suddenly feeling somewhat dazed.

"Lei Li..."

"I knew it; that monster absolutely wouldn't die so easily!"

Lei Li sat where he was, throwing his head back in loud laughter, sweeping away all the gloom that had enveloped him.

Whether it was the future Luo Jie anticipated or the monsters nurtured by this era, as long as they still existed, there was still hope for this world.

He even more wanted to see where exactly Gao Wen would lead this world, though no matter what, it certainly wouldn't be worse than the current World Government.

However.

What Lei Li was more curious about was exactly what method they used to survive the attack of the Heavenly King!

"How did they do it?!"

"Does that man called Bevil possess some kind of special ability?!"

The two who were brawling simultaneously turned to look at Lei Li, momentarily stopping their actions; Kid released his grip on Luffy's lips and explained:

"Ah."

"Actually, Gao Wen had already predicted that the World Government would take the opportunity to interfere with the finals of the First Martial Arts Tournament, so he made preparations in advance."

"He had a Devil Fruit user with the Door-Door Fruit ability set up teleportation gates everywhere within the city."

"It was by relying on those teleportation gates that we managed to escape."

"But..."

Lei Li was stunned, then heard Kid continue:

"I will never forget that scene!"

"That monster was actually crazy enough to use his bare flesh to withstand the bombardment of an Ancient Weapon!"

Lei Li's pupils contracted sharply.

He had once followed Luo Jie, traveled to every corner of the world, glimpsed ancient legends, and uncovered past history.

He had also seen those monsters already buried within history!

The three Ancient Weapons!

Pluton, Poseidon, and Uranus.

Pluton was the most vicious warship in history, capable of destroying an entire nation with a single shot.

Poseidon was the power inherited generation after generation by the Fish-Man race; once awakened, it could command the super-large Sea Kings lurking in the deep sea.

Both possessed the power to easily overturn the world.

But regarding the most mysterious Uranus, even searching through all historical records, the relevant accounts were pitifully scarce.

All they knew was that thing existed in the endless void, eternally overlooking the earth, and at certain moments, descending unstoppable divine punishment!

Poseidon had not yet awakened, Pluton was buried in Wano Country, so the one necessarily held in the hands of the World Government had to be Uranus!

But...

Gao Wen withstood an Ancient Weapon with his bare flesh?!

Even without witnessing it personally, Lei Li could imagine the extreme peril involved.

That was a weapon beyond what human strength could resist!

Lei Li's heart tightened, and he couldn't help but ask:

"Gao Wen, he..."

"He succeeded."

Kidd's heart still pounded with lingering fear as he recalled the scene, his pupils trembling uncontrollably:

"Even within humanity's most frantic imaginings, no one ever presupposed such a possibility!"

"To withstand a legendary Ancient Weapon with mere flesh and blood, two consecutive blasts at that, and not only survive but emerge with an aura more powerful than ever before..."

"No!"

Kidd suddenly realized something he had previously overlooked:

"Knight Gao Wen must have undergone an incredible transformation during this process!"

"Could it be..."

"The Mythic Realm those Knights of the Round Table speak of?!"

"Mythic?!"

Lei Li froze for a moment.

He had some recollection of it.

Back when Gao Wen and his group stayed on the Sabaody Archipelago to cultivate, they had mentioned it inadvertently.

Gao Wen had classified the powerful figures of the seas into six major ranks and twenty-four sub-ranks based on their strength!

Yet even someone as formidable as Whitebeard or Luo Jie in their prime would only reach High Legend within this system, still separated from the Mythic by an entire major rank.

Has Gao Wen... already stepped into this realm crowned with the name of god?!

That makes sense.

To withstand the bombardment of an Ancient Weapon unscathed is itself no different from a myth.

At this moment, Lei Li's heartbeat accelerated sharply.

If Gao Wen has mastered a method to counter Ancient Weapons, it means the World Government will find it exceedingly difficult to threaten him again.

The New Era...

Is right before our eyes!

Xia Qi, standing nearby, was likewise unable to calm herself for a long time.

She had never seen an Ancient Weapon, but even from the expression on Lei Li's face at this moment, she could glimpse the danger involved, and furthermore sense the inhumanly formidable power of Knight Gao Wen.

"Xia Qi?!"

Lei Li's voice came through; years of companionship allowed Xia Qi to instantly perceive the indescribable excitement in his tone. She turned her head and heard Lei Li continue:

"Don't you want to take a look?! At what the kingdom under that man's command actually looks like? That is the future of this world!"

Xia Qi was stunned:

"Aren't we waiting anymore? For the matter Luo Jie entrusted to you guys."

Lei Li looked at the Straw Hat, a slight smile curling at the corner of his mouth, and said:

"It's already done."

"The person Luo Jie was waiting for has finally arrived."

"It's also time to go see what kind of future the man I've been expecting will actually create."

Leaning against the bar counter with one hand propping up her chin, Xia Qi smiled and said:

"I wonder how they calculate the entrance fee for Britannias~"