At the same time—
In the Lord's Mansion.
Grayza sat at her desk, frowning as she scanned the latest financial report.
"Even with the aid funds from Mr. Gawain," she muttered, "there are still too many areas around the port that require funding."
Her gaze moved down the list.
"Especially the arena—it alone will hold tens of thousands of people, and it's already consuming over 60% of Raven Port's budget. And that's not even counting the port expansion, the construction of a new commercial street, and the redevelopment of the old slums…"
She leaned back with a sigh, massaging her temples.
"And the sponsorships from other kingdoms won't arrive for another month or more. Meanwhile, my capital chain is about to snap."
She slammed a hand down on the desk in frustration.
"Money! Money! Everything takes money!"
For a moment, Grayza missed the days when her only concern was the daily operation of a simple port. Those problems had seemed so small in comparison.
But—
"No matter how difficult it is, it must be done," she said firmly to herself.
"If we fail now, not only will I suffer, but the people in the port will go hungry. And worse, it could jeopardize Captain Gawain's entire plan."
Resolute, she took a deep breath and began transferring every available fund—including her personal savings—into the port's accounts.
Yet even with all that, the money would only last a few days.
Her headache returned with full force.
And just then—
Bang!
The office door burst open.
Grayza turned, startled, to see Jasmine rushing in, her face flushed with excitement.
"Miss! Mr. Gawain is back!"
"Really? Then he must've brought back the prizes for the tournament, right?"
Grayza's lips curved into a rare smile. Even with the funding crisis still looming, just knowing Gawain had returned steadied her heart.
With Gawain in Raven Port, no pirate would dare make a move. Even the East Blue Navy would have to think twice before provoking him.
But Jasmine shook her head.
"That's not all. He brought back a boat!"
"A boat?" Grayza blinked.
"A boat loaded with treasure!"
"How much treasure?!"
Grayza's eyes lit up.
"Countless!" Jasmine exclaimed.
Before she could say another word, Grayza grabbed her hand and sprinted toward the port.
And sure enough—
A small boat overflowing with gold, jewels, and antiques waited at the dock.
A large crowd had gathered around, gazing at the haul with wide eyes and barely contained greed. The sheer brilliance of the treasure—the way the gold and gems shimmered in the sun—made it hard to look away.
Even Grayza stood stunned. Unlike Jasmine, she could instantly estimate the value of what lay before her.
"Even at a rough glance, these are worth over a billion berries!"
"One billion?!" Jasmine echoed, dazed. "How much is that?!"
"More than four Mr. Gawains," Grayza replied dryly.
She turned her eyes toward Gawain, puzzled. "Mr. Gawain… weren't you attending an auction? How do you have more money than when you left?"
Gawain shrugged lazily. "I ran into some generous folks. They took off their belts and insisted on sponsoring the tournament. I couldn't stop them."
Grayza immediately understood the implication—and twitched.
"…They're truly generous people."
Still, she had absolute trust in Gawain's character. She didn't believe for a second that he would do anything dishonorable.
And with this treasure, their financial crisis was over. The martial arts tournament, the shipyard, even the port's reconstruction—all could proceed without worry.
"With this much funding, the project can finally accelerate," Grayza said, her mind already racing ahead. "We might even be able to promote the tournament across all four seas… maybe even into the Grand Line!"
She quickly began drafting a more ambitious vision, overturning her previous plans.
Meanwhile, Gawain handed the treasure over to her to exchange into usable funds for the martial arts conference.
After a few final instructions, he quietly left, carrying with him a wooden box—inside, the Bone-Bone Fruit.
He had more important matters to attend to.
Back at the port, the influx of wealth had already begun to transform the atmosphere. Workers bustled through the streets, morale high, smiles returning to faces that had been worn with fatigue.
Grayza looked over the revived port and felt a rare sense of ease.
Since joining Gawain's pirate crew, one thing had become increasingly clear to her: as long as this man was around, nothing was impossible.
From the day he single-handedly defeated Krieg's fleet, to the moment he took down Grand Line pirates—one impossible feat after another had crumbled before him like dry leaves in the wind.
"When will I be strong enough to do the same?" Grayza whispered, glancing at the stack of financial reports once more.
The answer was already in her heart:
Only by gaining unmatched strength can one truly believe they can overcome anything.
That's what I saw in Captain Gawain…
That unshakable calm.
Her fingers tightened around the hilt of the long sword at her waist.
She hadn't trained properly since the last crisis.
That ends now.
"Only strength is the foundation," she said aloud. "It's time to resume the training I set aside."
A determined gleam shone in her eyes.
"I want to see how far I can go in the martial arts tournament… Could I win the championship, too?"
The fire in her heart surged anew.
Turning to Jasmine, she gave quick instructions:
"Jasmine, once the treasures are processed, pay off all our overdue expenses and the workers' wages first."
"The rest—deposit it into the treasury. I'll allocate it later."
"Yes, Miss," Jasmine replied with a nod.
She watched as Grayza, sword now in hand, walked away—her figure thin but her steps steady.
There was something different in her now.
Something stronger.
"Miss…" Jasmine murmured softly, watching her go.
Time passed, and night gradually fell over Raven Harbor.
On a quiet hillside behind the port, two graceful figures were locked in an intense sparring match, their wooden swords clashing fiercely.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
The sound of wooden blades striking echoed through the air. Each swing stirred up the fallen leaves on the ground, sending them fluttering into the air—only to be sliced apart by faster, more precise strikes.
The duelists were none other than Nami and Grayza.
Though both were part of the Gawain Pirates, their strength still lagged behind that of the elite cadres. Being the only two women in the crew with combat aspirations, they had naturally become each other's most suitable training partners.
They used to train together regularly, but with Grayza busy managing the affairs of Raven Harbor lately, their joint sessions had temporarily paused—until now.
Snap!
With a swift maneuver, Grayza knocked the wooden sword from Nami's hand and pressed the tip of her blade lightly against her opponent's throat.
"I win this time, Nami," Grayza said with a faint, confident smile.
Nami's eyes sparkled with defiance. She refused to back down.
"I can't let Gawain down!"
She snatched up her sword from the ground and charged again.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
Wooden swords clashed once more like raindrops hitting stone. Though no sparks flew, the force behind each strike was enough to startle nearby birds and send animals scattering.
After weeks of intense training, both Grayza and Nami had sharpened their swordsmanship to impressive heights—far beyond the reach of ordinary pirates. If Grayza were to use her abilities seriously, she might even rival Jango.
But both of them understood something crucial: this still wasn't enough. Not enough to stand beside Gawain. Not enough to keep up.
So they pushed themselves harder.
"Hey, Nami," Grayza called between breaths. "I want to see how far we can go in the martial arts tournament."
Nami hesitated briefly, then lowered her sword.
"Then let's find out."
"Alright!"
With fire in their eyes, they rushed at each other once more, their blades singing in the night. The duel lasted until deep into the night, when they finally dragged their exhausted bodies back toward Raven Harbor.
At the same time.
Gawain sat alone in his room, waiting for the system to finalize the day's gains.
Soon enough, the familiar chime echoed in his mind.
[Physical Experience +741!]
[Swordsmanship Experience +583!]
(...omitted)
[Zoan Devil Fruit Experience +60]
(...)
As another wave of experience settled into his body, a familiar status panel materialized before his eyes:
[Host: Gawain]
Age: 24
Title: Captain of the Gawain Pirates
Skills:
Swordsmanship - LV 11: 4558/20000 (Super Speed, Extreme Blade)
Physical - LV 11: 9611/20000 (Balance, Harmony)
Human-Beast Form: LV 14
Beast Form: LV 15
Death Walk - LV 6: 351/4000 (Flash Step)
Observation Haki - LV 4: 1271/5000
Armament Haki - LV 1: 538/1000
Navigation - LV 5: 815/MAX
Red Dragon Fruit - LV 2: 25/5000
Sniper - LV 3: 1106/1600
Badges:
Captain's Fury – Subordinates' Physical Recovery Speed +20%
Rising Fame – View Potential Abilities
Bounty Over 100 Million – Favor of the Sea (Used)
Rating: Gold
A powerful warrior. Even on the world stage, your strength is recognized.
Yet, there remains a daunting gap between you and the true monsters at the summit.
"In just half a month... over 10,000 points in swordsmanship and physical experience," Gawain mused.
"So this is what it means to reach gold-tier combat power."
He couldn't help but smile as his eyes landed on the golden rating. Since leaving Raven Harbor, nearly every stat had surged.
His swordsmanship, physical prowess, Death Walk, and Red Dragon Fruit mastery had all risen a level.
Sniping had improved by two.
Observation Haki had reached level four.
And if he kept it up, it wouldn't be long before Observation Haki advanced again—unlocking new exclusive traits, just like his swordsmanship and physique already had.
That was what he looked forward to most.
In the world of pirates, advanced Observation Haki was exceedingly rare. But when awakened, it offered tremendous value—like Katakuri's future-sight, an ability that could turn the tide of any battle.
Even if later nerfed by Shanks' mastery, the sheer utility of Katakuri's skill remained unmatched.
"For me right now, having it would be like wings on a tiger."
He glanced at the numbers again.
"Right now, I'm gaining about 80 Observation Haki experience points a day.
The amount fluctuates depending on Kuro and Gin's condition, but the average is stable."
He folded his arms, calculating.
"At this rate... I should reach level five in around forty days."