"And the rest of my skills will improve significantly too," Gawain murmured.
"At that point, even in the New World, my combat power will stand out. Compared to others in the same period, I'll definitely be on par with the Sweet Generals, the Three Disasters, and the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
He paused, frowning slightly.
"But... the growth rate of Armament Haki is painfully slow."
Gawain stared at the status panel. His Armament Haki, which had awakened over a month ago at Level 1, had yet to advance even a single level.
A bitter smile crept onto his face.
Unlike other skills, which could be trained through constant sparring with subordinates, Armament Haki demanded personal effort—constant, grueling practice.
With a daily gain of only a dozen or so experience points, progress felt glacial.
"At this rate," Gawain muttered, "by the time the martial arts tournament begins in two months, I'll barely reach Level 2."
As for unlocking the first ability entry at Level 5? That goal still felt impossibly far away.
Still, Gawain understood.
In the original work, outside of special cases like the Straw Hat crew—who were obviously favored by Oda—and anomalies like Crocodile and Gecko Moria, most powerhouses only hit their peak in their late thirties or early fifties.
Whether it was Pirate King Roger, Whitebeard, Sengoku, or Garp—or even younger elites like Akainu, Aokiji, Hawkeye, and Red-Haired Shanks—they all fit that pattern.
And that's because pushing every ability to the peak takes far longer than most expect.
To solve the sluggish growth of Armament Haki, there were only two options:
Either absorb the "leeks" (crew member) who had already awakened Armament Haki…
Or help Kuro and the others awaken it themselves.
The former was in short supply in the East Blue—and even the first half of the Grand Line wasn't much better.
So realistically, Gawain had to rely on Kuro and the others.
Unfortunately, their physical strength still fell short of the threshold. Whether they could break through in the next two months remained uncertain.
But it wasn't something that could be solved overnight.
After contemplating the matter for a while, Gawain sighed and pushed it to the back of his mind. His eyes fell on another part of the panel—the Red Dragon Fruit.
He had already experienced the terrifying might of its Beast Form.
Not even Hanafuda's all-out attacks could shake the red dragon's body.
Now, with his mastery over the fruit steadily increasing, Gawain had no problem executing the standard three-form transformations. The real challenge was integrating the fruit's power with his swordsmanship.
"In this regard," Gawain thought aloud, "I could try something like the Rumble Ball—managing multiple forms or even partial transformations… or just push the fruit to Level 5 and see what new entries unlock."
Still, even using the fruit alone, his current strength had reached the Gold Rank—enough to stand tall among the Warlords of the Sea.
"At least stronger than Hanafuda, Crocodile, and Moria, whose spirits have been crushed. In the first half of the Grand Line, there's barely anyone left who could pose a threat."
"When the martial arts tournament ends, it'll be time."
"I'll sail into the Grand Line and claim my own territory."
"The East Blue is simply too small."
"The leeks I can harvest here are too few."
"Right now, aside from Ace—who seems unlikely—everyone worth recruiting has already joined my crew. There's no reason to linger."
A few minutes later, the lights in Gawain's room flickered out.
The room was quiet, save for the sea breeze brushing past the walls, its high-pitched whistle echoing like a ghost's cry.
A few days later.
Kuro and Gin returned to Raven Harbor, carrying the ashes of Jand and the others.
Grayza and Jasmine rushed to meet them.
As their eyes fell on the urns set gently on the ground, a heavy silence descended. Rage boiled beneath their expressions, restrained but burning hot.
The bereaved families, who had arrived alongside them, began to weep softly.
Unable to bear the sound of their grief, Gin finally spoke.
"I've avenged them. The king who ordered their execution... has already gone to hell."
As his words fell, the restrained sobbing erupted into wails. The sound washed over Grayza like a tide, sharp and sorrowful.
It lasted more than ten minutes before gradually fading.
Per the rules Grayza had set, those who perished would be buried in the port's cemetery, their names carved into stone and honored as heroes of Raven Harbor for generations to come.
Before long, the families departed with the urns in hand.
Gin watched their retreating figures. A deep ache settled in his chest.
He turned to Kuro.
"If we were stronger… If the Gawain Pirates had a bigger name… maybe none of this would've happened."
"Yeah," Kuro replied quietly, nodding.
Gin bit his lower lip so hard it nearly bled. The taste of iron only deepened his frustration.
He had always been one of the most driven among Gawain's crew—pushing himself to the brink, day after day.
All for the sake of those tiny, almost imperceptible gains.
But now?
Now, he couldn't even feel that anymore.
Clenching his trembling fists, Gin stared at his hands and muttered:
"Is this really my limit…?"
Kuro remained silent.
Around them, the crowd at the port began to disperse.
After delivering the affairs of the Goa Kingdom and hundreds of millions in tribute money to Grayza, Kuro and Gin turned and made their way toward the place where Gawain was training.
Half an hour later—
In Raven Harbor.
Gawain sat leisurely in his chair, listening as Kuro recounted the events in the Goa Kingdom. A flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes.
"Hmm… should I say I'm not surprised?"
"He was able to anticipate our moves in Raven Harbor and even used his adopted son's body to strike a deal with us?"
Gawain's tone was casual, yet tinged with amusement.
"But to prop up a fool like Stelly, quell an impending civil war, and consolidate power so quickly…"
"Outlook III is truly a ruthless strategist."
He spoke with genuine admiration, though the glint in his eyes carried a trace of sarcasm.
"It's just a pity. He forgot one simple truth—violence is the essence of power, especially in a world where a single strong individual can wipe out a kingdom."
"Still, his existence helps shield us from some of the World Government's scrutiny. So for now, he serves a purpose."
Turning his attention to Gin, Gawain continued, "By the way, I picked up a Devil Fruit at the auction in Loguetown."
With that, he pulled an octagonal box from beneath the desk.
A click—
The box bloomed open like a mechanical flower, revealing a bizarre fruit shaped from what looked like interlocking bones.
"Paramecia-type: Bone-Bone Fruit."
"Once consumed, it grants full control over the bones in your body—extend them outwards to form weapons or armor."
"At higher mastery levels, you could even manipulate the bones of others."
"But more importantly, even if someone's natural potential has reached its ceiling, a Devil Fruit like this can push them beyond it."
"I originally planned to offer it as the grand prize at the martial arts tournament. But strengthening our crew takes precedence."
"You decide who gets it."
His voice fell silent.
Kuro glanced at Gin and spoke first.
"I'm not particularly drawn to Devil Fruit powers."
"Is this... really a Devil Fruit?"
Gin reached out and touched the fruit. Its skin was firm—like polished bone.
He had once fantasized about this moment. Gaining instant power, transcending limits... the dream of countless warriors.
But now, with the real thing in front of him, Gin hesitated.
"Is this... really the only path forward for me?"
Knowing the limits of your own talent—what could be crueler? A quiet voice in his heart whispered:
Why suffer so much, put your life on the line, torture yourself daily... only to see no progress?
That whisper clawed at Gin's pride.
If he ate this fruit now, wouldn't it mean admitting he was average?
Admitting his potential had dried up. Admitting defeat. Admitting... weakness.
"I..."
"I'm not ready to accept that."
His voice was hoarse, strained with suppressed emotion.
"Captain!"
It startled even Kuro.
But Gawain's eyes shone with appreciation.
"That's right."
"To stake your life against the strong—to seek even a flicker of victory in what seems a death match..."
"That itself is the essence of will and conviction."
Gin's eyes widened.
"Like when Kuro, already gravely injured, still insisted on challenging me… Like you, Captain, knowing you'd lose, still dared to face off against Hawkeye."
"Exactly."
Gawain nodded.
"The will to become invincible isn't cultivated—it's forged in battle."
"When you find a reason worth dying for, those limits—those invisible shackles of talent and fate—will break."
Gin said nothing. He simply rested his hand on the Bone-Bone Fruit… then slowly closed the box.
Click.
The box returned to its original form.
But something within Gin had changed.
"Captain, I refuse to surrender to fate!"
"If that fruit's destiny is to be a tournament prize, then I'll take a gamble—win it fair and square."
"Who knows? Maybe I'm its true chosen bearer after all."
"My luck's always been good, hasn't it?"
As his voice echoed in the room, Kuro smirked.
That's right.
Only with that kind of will could a man walk alongside him and Gawain.
But then—
"You think you can beat me?"
"How will I know if I don't try?"
Gin grinned. For the first time in a long while, he smiled with clarity.
"I suddenly realized... I've been afraid this whole time."
"Afraid of my own weakness. Afraid of falling further behind the Captain... afraid of becoming irrelevant."
"But fear alone won't change anything."
He turned away from the table, no longer sparing the Devil Fruit a glance.
"Still not reconsidering?"
Gawain chuckled.
Gin froze—but didn't answer. Instead, he bolted for the door.
He was afraid that if he hesitated even a second longer, he might regret it.
"Hahahahaha~"
Kuro let out a laugh.
"Now that's a cool thing to say."
Then, quietly:
"He's a cool guy too."
Gawain said nothing, but the corner of his mouth curled upward—unable to hide the joy in his eyes.
Crew Member: Gin — Inner Shackles Released!
Potential Grade: Bronze → Silver!