But Kuro's obviously stiff and unnatural movements didn't escape Grayza's sharp eyes. A faint smile crept onto her lips.
Oh, feelings are still stubborn, but you obviously like it very much~
She watched Kuro pretending to act nonchalant in front of her, barely containing her laughter. It took considerable effort to steady her expression before she spoke.
"Then, Mr. Kuro, now that everything here is settled, I'll be on my way."
"Mm..."
She couldn't hold it in any longer and chuckled.
"If you really like the illustrated book, I have more of them~"
"Who would like something like that?!"
Kuro flushed crimson.
"I was studying for future battles!"
The moment he finished speaking, Jasmine burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Hahaha—!"
Grayza quickly slapped a hand over Jasmine's mouth, but when she turned around to offer an explanation, Kuro had already vanished.
Seeing this, both master and servant couldn't suppress their grins. Laughter rang out freely across the port.
That Night.
The sky sparkled with stars, and the moon cast a pure, silvery glow.
Far from Raven Harbor, across the open sea, a massive red dragon let out a thunderous roar as it soared through the night.
Within moments, it descended over the harbor, then landed smoothly on a mountain behind the port.
Thanks to Grayza's prior instructions and warnings, the guards didn't panic or attack this time. But as the dragon passed overhead, some couldn't help collapsing to the ground in terror, curling up in corners.
After all, fear was the most primal form of respect for a creature that belonged in myth.
Boom!
With a deafening crash, Gawain folded his wings and slowly landed.
His towering draconic form began to shrink, and within seconds, he reverted back into his human body.
Looking at the enormous footprints beside him, Gawain's heart still throbbed with excitement.
"I've basically mastered the three fundamental Zoan forms: human, hybrid, and full beast," he muttered. "The Red Dragon... is even stronger than I imagined."
"A mythical beast's powerful body, combined with control over the leyline energy... it's like a monster that combines durability, explosive force, damage resistance, and massive AOE."
"But..."
His expression shifted.
Gawain lowered his gaze to the longsword in his hand, staring at it for a few seconds before continuing:
"The Red Dragon's abilities don't mesh with my current fighting style—Death Walk and swordsmanship, which rely on speed and precision to kill in a flash. It's practically a whole different system."
"To fully tap into the power of a Zoan-type fruit, you must integrate it with your own combat style. Kaido is the best example of this."
"The perfect blend of supreme Haki, the natural monstrous physique of an Oni, and the overwhelming enhancements of the Azure Dragon fruit made him the unrivaled king of one-on-one combat in his era."
"Even Luffy, with his triple-resurrection plot armor, needed help from the Nine Red Scabbards, Yamato's rebellion, and countless near-death battles just to barely take him down."
"If it came to a real, full-power duel... the outcome would be truly uncertain."
"If I use Kaido as a model..."
Gawain closed his eyes, contemplating deeply. Half an hour passed before he opened them again.
A small object—perhaps a potion or a pill—appeared in his mind.
The Rumble Ball.
Chopper, the user of the Human-Human Fruit, had created it to manipulate the transformation wavelengths of Zoan fruits, temporarily pushing his limits.
Ordinarily, Gawain had no interest in using drugs during battle.
But the existence of the Rumble Ball proved one thing clearly:
Zoan transformations can be controlled.
If he could grasp the principles behind it, then with his mastery over bodily coordination, Gawain was confident he could soon take full control over his transformations.
Once that happened, he'd be able to selectively transform parts of his body.
He could retain his agility while drawing out the Red Dragon's powers to their fullest.
He could, for example, cover his skin in scales to boost defense, enhance only his muscles for explosive strength, or grow wings for aerial combat.
This way, while wielding the Red Dragon's physical prowess, Gawain's fighting style would remain nimble and adaptive. By combining that with swordsmanship and tailored tactics, he could elevate his combat strength to astonishing heights.
The perfect fusion of physique, swordsmanship, Devil Fruit powers, and Haki—such a combination could even allow him to overpower Kaido in a head-on battle.
As long as the battlefield wasn't in a desert or out at sea where leyline energy was scarce, the Red Dragon's absurd stamina would dominate even among Zoans.
It excelled in warfare of attrition.
Thinking this through, a smile tugged at Gawain's lips.
"Perfect."
"I need a skilled ship doctor... and in that department, Chopper may not be the strongest—but he's definitely the most cost-effective."
"A bounty of only a few hundred Berries... yet he can hold his own in a battle worth hundreds of millions. Plus, his main profession is being a doctor."
In the past, Gawain might've scoffed:
"A bounty of a few hundred? What a joke."
But now that the pirate ship was complete and they had a destination in mind as they entered the Grand Line...
He paused, then realized with a start:
If he recruited Chopper, nearly half the original Straw Hat crew would already be under his wing.
But Gawain felt no guilt about it.
The reindeer was kind, simple, had remarkable medical skills—and in desperate times, could even serve as emergency rations.
Well joking aside, All in all, Gawain was quite interested.
"Luffy~"
"If you want to blame someone, blame fate for letting you be born too late."
"I wonder... what kind of crew you'll manage to gather once you set sail this time. No—given his protagonist's armor, it'll definitely be no worse than the original ones."
Tsk.
Gawain clicked his tongue, shook his head, and turned toward the port.
In the distance, the harbor glowed with lights. Crowds bustled shoulder to shoulder, lively and hopeful.
Despite several buildings still under reconstruction, the people's faces radiated optimism.
Even after two pirate raids, Raven Harbor remained one of the most prosperous regions in the East Blue.
And as long as Knight Gawain's flag flew above Raven Harbor, and the Gawain Pirates patrolled the nearby waters—no pirate in the East Blue dared stir trouble.
Especially after word spread that Gawain had slain Labute and Lachet, notorious figures from the Grand Line.
As for whether harbor pirates counted as real pirates... well, if they stashed their flags, who could say otherwise?
Besides, which port lord or noble in this era didn't run a side hustle?
After all, they'd already reached the destination most pirates only dreamt of. If pirates could seize mountains and crown themselves kings, why couldn't kings go to sea?
For a time, Gawain remained in Raven Harbor with Kuro and the others. Even Zoro and Sanji, who had stayed behind on Para Island, made the trip.
Though Para Island was the base camp, it couldn't match the prosperity of Raven Harbor.
Seeing this, Grayza generously granted Gawain a plot of land behind the port—and even offered treasury funds to help build a residence for the Gawain Pirates.
Unfortunately, her good intentions were soon dashed by one depressing fact.
"Miss... we're broke."