"Captain System?"
Gawain's eyes lit up as a translucent blue panel unfolded before him.
The surrounding pirates didn't react, clearly unable to see it—only Gawain could.
Captain System
Host: Gawain
Age: 24
Identity: Captain of the Gawain Pirates
Bounty: 8,000,000 Berries
Title: Knight
Skills:
Swordsmanship - LV 4: 431/800 Physique - LV 3: 357/400 Navigation - LV 1: 39/50
Badges:
Captain's Wrath: Crew stamina recovery speed +20%
Rating: Black Iron - Weakling, no further explanation needed.
Gawain's mouth twitched at the glaring "weakling" label, but he quickly focused on the system itself.
Soon, he understood its functions.
For every bit of progress his crew made in training, Gawain would gain ten times the benefit.
The system also ranked strength in six tiers, from lowest to highest: Black Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Legend, and Myth.
The higher the tier, the greater the power. For example, peak Whitebeard or Roger were in the Legend tier. The Four Emperors and Admirals started at Gold, with some reaching Legend. The Seven Warlords typically ranged between Silver and Gold.
As for Myth, that existed only in theory.
Gawain, at Black Iron, was firmly at the bottom of the One Piece world—a proper weakling. Compared to the other pirates on the island, he was just a slightly bigger fish in a small pond.
The badge mentioned earlier, "Captain's Wrath," was displayed on the panel, boosting his crew's stamina recovery by 20%.
"So, as long as my crew trains hard, I get ten times their gains?"
"And with the system's badges, I can make these… I mean, my crew train faster, so I can reap even more?"
"What kind of pirate capitalism is this?!"
Gawain glanced at the surrounding pirates.
A quick count showed over ninety, including a few shipwrights still working on the ship.
He turned to one of the pirates nearby. "If we hide here with full effort, how long can we hold out?"
"Optimistically, about a month."
"A month…"
Gawain did some quick math.
Thirty days, a hundred men, ten times the efficiency…
If he led this crew to train for a month, he'd gain the equivalent of an ordinary person's eighty years of training?
And after surviving this crisis, if he recruited more talented individuals, their training would make him grow ten times faster?
The gains could even stack!
Based on his memories, it was roughly the Sea Calendar 1517, the year Ace set sail.
"Ace's potential is far beyond ordinary, especially with his Conqueror's Haki awakening later and Roger's bloodline boosting him."
"Then there's the Straw Hats' two main fighters—Zoro, still a pirate hunter, and Sanji, an apprentice at the Baratie."
"Those three, as long as they don't die young, are at least Gold-tier, maybe even Legend-tier by the system's standards!"
"If I could recruit them, how fast would I grow?"
Gawain shook his head. "Focus on the present. Small goal first: take down Axe-Hand Morgan!"
He looked at the pirates, their eyes filled with awe, and an idea formed.
…
The next morning.
Despite the upheaval in the crew last night, Gawain's newfound decisiveness had instilled unprecedented confidence. The pirates' spirits were high, no longer lost or panicked, their actions orderly.
Gawain stood before them, pleased with his crew.
After a long pause, he spoke gravely, "Ahem!"
"Brothers, after the shipwrights' overnight inspection, I regret to announce we can't set sail again. That leaves us two paths."
"First, we hope another ship passes by before the Marines find us. But that chance is slim to none."
"Second, we wait for the Marines to arrive and seize their warship. But Axe-Hand Morgan's men are the East Blue's elite—we just suffered a crushing defeat at their hands."
His words sent a wave of panic through the crew, dousing the hope Gawain had sparked.
To them, Morgan was practically invincible.
Even their captain, strong as he was, had been wounded by him, still wrapped in bandages.
"I…"
"I don't want to die, Captain! Save me!"
Sobs echoed through the crowd.
Most pirates in this era were just ordinary people who couldn't survive in their hometowns.
With a blade in hand, they feared no civilian, but facing monsters like Morgan was a pipe dream.
Seeing their reaction, Gawain's lips curled slightly. Perfect.
It wasn't exactly manipulation, but he'd seen enough motivational tactics in his past life—create anxiety, then offer a solution.
The trick was simple but effective. With a crowd, there were always a few who'd buy in.
And these pirates, uneducated and untouched by the information age, weren't much different from easy marks.
"But!" Gawain raised his voice.
"Are we just going to sit here and wait to die?"
"Think back to the oaths you swore when you set sail! Forget finding the One Piece—where's the treasure? Where's the wealth?!"
"We haven't found anything yet, so how can we surrender to the Marines?!"
"With a month left, will you take a gamble and be heroes, or go quietly to your deaths?"
The crowd erupted, faces flushed, voices roaring, swept up in Gawain's fervor.
"Let's fight them!"
"Damn it, starve the timid, gorge the bold!"
"Captain, tell us what to do!"
…
The pirates grew more frenzied.
Gawain sighed inwardly—so easy to sway—and continued, "Those willing to take this gamble with me, raise your hands!"
Whoosh!
Nearly a hundred hands shot up, every pirate staring at Gawain with burning resolve.
"Good! That's the spirit!"
Gawain smiled. "For the next month, set aside all distractions and train with me. I'll teach you everything I know!"
"Remember!"
"You're not training for me—you're training for yourselves. In this era, without strength, you cannot survive!"
"Money can be taken by a sword, but no one can steal your power!"
"Argh!"
The crowd roared, utterly convinced by Gawain's words.
"Exactly! Strength is everything!"
"I was naive once, thinking the Marines would bring justice and reclaim my property."
"But when I saw the noble who stole it laughing with the Marines, I knew this world was beyond saving."
"Only strength matters!"
A pirate with a mohawk shouted passionately, "Right!"
"Without strength, you cannot survive!"
"And right now, the only one who can give us hope is Captain Gawain!"
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