Gawain wasn't surprised by the mere 8 points of swordsmanship experience.
His crew had few skilled swordsmen besides himself, and the ordinary pirates' potential was nearly tapped out, offering minimal experience.
He narrowed his eyes. "After recruiting Nami, Zoro's next."
"But Zoro's will is far stronger than most. Violence alone won't bring him aboard."
"One step at a time. Focus on what's in front of me and boost my strength."
With that, Gawain extinguished his room's lamp.
…
For the next month, the Gawain Pirates rested.
Recent battles had left many drained. Despite Raven Port's supplies, some didn't survive infections or complications.
The crew mourned but was accustomed to such losses.
A pirate's life wasn't the romantic tale of the manga—death, combat, and endless voyages were the norm.
Still, the survivors were mostly stable, needing only time to recover.
A small mercy.
Having seen so much death, Gawain grew accustomed to this life.
At night, his room glowed brightly, sea breeze lifting his hair through the window.
Influenced by Kuro and Gin's relentless training, most of the crew adopted rigorous routines.
Kuro eyed Gawain's captaincy, while Gin burned to overcome his loss to Kuro.
Both pushed themselves to the limit, their strength growing as they healed. Gawain reaped the benefits, harvesting experience daily.
Seated at his desk, he carefully polished Wado Ichimonji.
Though he hadn't touched Armament Haki, he and the blade had grown closer.
Holding it now felt like an extension of himself.
A familiar system prompt sounded:
"Physique EXP +133!"
"Swordsmanship EXP +6!"
"Spoon EXP +32!"
"Observation Haki EXP +54!"
Compared to half a month ago, all but swordsmanship had surged.
The influx of experience pushed his stagnant physique and Observation Haki to transform.
Physique: LV-6 2987/3000 → LV-7 120/5000
Observation Haki: LV-1 998/1000 → LV-2 52/2000
…
The upgrades brought physical changes.
A familiar heat surged from his heart, coursing through his veins, nourishing every cell, pushing his already formidable body to new heights.
His skin reddened visibly, steaming as impurities were expelled through his pores.
Despite the dramatic shift, Gawain felt no discomfort—only lightness and harmony.
After a few breaths, the changes subsided, the room's heat dissipating with the breeze.
"Phew!" Gawain exhaled hot air, shedding his leather armor to reveal a leaner, honed torso.
His physique hadn't bulked up; it was slimmer, closer to when he first awoke.
But he felt its core attributes—strength, endurance, agility—had soared.
Bound by the "Balanced" trait, they developed evenly, optimizing every ounce of power.
Overjoyed, Gawain couldn't hold back. "LV-7 physique boosts strength, endurance, and agility by nearly 40% over LV-6, almost double LV-5!"
"If I faced Smoker now…" He clenched his fist, eyes gleaming with confidence. "He wouldn't get the chance to toss his Seastone jutte."
"And Observation Haki hit LV-2."
"Let's test it."
Activating Observation Haki, a sensation beyond the five senses flooded his mind.
The flow of air, waves on the sea, insect chirps, snoring pirates below—everything registered clearly.
Its perception boost grew more extraordinary with each level.
Gawain even wondered if LV-5 might unlock foresight or other advanced abilities.
In a flash, he drew Wado Ichimonji, launching a silver slash that crossed hundreds of meters, bisecting a shark leaping from the port.
Splatter!
Blood dyed the sea red.
A night-watch pirate rubbed his eyes, half-convinced it was a hallucination until he saw the shark's corpse.
He nearly sounded the alarm but stopped, spotting the slash's origin. "I'm an idiot. Who else but the captain could do that?"
"But to get this strong so fast?"
He glanced at the distant loft, its window now closed, as if it were a trivial act.
"What a monster…"
…
In his room, Gawain sheathed Wado Ichimonji, marveling at his sharpened senses. "Detecting a shark's intent from hundreds of meters? No wonder Kuro's so cocky after awakening Observation Haki."
"It does patch Spoon's flaws. Kuro could push its speed higher with it."
"But I can do it better."
Smirking, he opened his system panel, a pale blue screen appearing:
[Host: Gawain]
[Age: 24]
[Identity: Captain of the Gawain Pirates]
[Skills:
Swordsmanship LV-5: 1439/1600 (Godspeed)
Physique LV-7: 120/5000 (Balanced)
Spoon LV-3: 75/800
Observation Haki LV-2: 52/2000
Navigation LV-1: 13/100
]
[Badges:
Captain's Wrath: Crew stamina recovery +20%
Rising Fame: View potential abilities
]
[Rating: Bronze – Notable in the Four Seas and Paradise, but keep a low profile in the New World.]
In a month, not only had physique and Observation Haki skyrocketed, but Spoon, learned from Kuro, jumped two levels to LV-3.
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If you want to read more than 20 chapters early feel free to visit pa tre on . com /Archus