"Captain System?"
Gawain's eyes lit up in realization as a translucent light-blue panel slowly unfolded in front of him.
No one around him reacted—they clearly couldn't see it. The panel existed solely within his perception.
[Captain System]
[Host: Gawain]
[Age: 24]
[Identity: Captain of the Gawain Pirates]
[Bounty: 8 million Berries]
[Title: Knight]
[Skills]
Swordsmanship – LV 4: 431 / 800
Physical – LV 3: 357 / 400
Navigation – LV 1: 39 / 50
[Badge]
Captain's Fury: Subordinates' physical recovery speed +20%
[Rating]
Black Iron – Trash. Do we need to say more?
Gawain's eye twitched at the blunt insult glaring back at him. Still, he quickly shifted focus to the system's details.
Soon after, he understood how it worked.
For every point of progress his subordinates made in training, he would receive ten times the benefit.
The system classified overall strength using six tiers:
Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Legend, and Myth.
The higher the tier, the greater the combat power.
At the top stood the likes of Whitebeard and Roger—firmly within the Legendary tier.
The Four Emperors and Admirals typically began at Gold, with some ascending to Legend.
Shichibukai generally hovered between Silver and Gold.
As for the Myth tier—it was purely theoretical.
And Gawain?
He was currently ranked Iron—the absolute bottom of the pirate world. A weakling among weaklings. Though compared to the small-time thugs on this island, he was perhaps just slightly less pathetic.
The badge the system had just granted—Captain's Fury—now displayed on the panel, confirmed a +20% boost to the crew's physical recovery speed.
"So... if my crew trains hard, I get ten times their progress?"
"And thanks to this badge, I can even accelerate their training like a cyber-capitalist overlord?"
"What kind of sci-fi exploitation system is this?"
Gawain glanced around at the pirates nearby.
He did a quick count.
Including the shipwrights still working to repair the ship, they had just over ninety people left.
He turned to one of the crewmen and asked calmly:
"If we hole up here and conserve our strength, how long can we last?"
"Optimistically? Around a month," came the reply.
"A month..."
Gawain quickly ran the numbers.
Thirty days. One hundred people. Tenfold return rate.
In just one month, if they all trained nonstop, he could accumulate the equivalent of eighty-plus years of progress for a single person!
Even if they were eventually forced out, he could emerge from this crisis far stronger. If he recruited even one or two geniuses along the way, the returns would multiply even faster.
And this tenfold bonus?
It stacked!
Based on his memory, it was now 1517 of the Sea Circle Calendar—the year Ace set sail.
"Ace's potential far exceeds ordinary people," Gawain mused. "He'll awaken Conqueror's Haki, and he carries Roger's bloodline."
"And what about the future core of the Straw Hat crew? Zoro and Sanji—one's still a pirate hunter, and the other is just an apprentice at Baratie."
"As long as they survive and grow, the system would rate them at least Gold, possibly even Legendary."
"If I can recruit them…"
"My growth rate would skyrocket!"
"...Forget it."
"First things first—let's deal with reality."
"Set a small, achievable goal—like killing Morgan in one hit."
Gawain looked at the pirates around him—now staring at him with a mix of fear and reverence—and a plan began to form in his mind.
Early the next morning.
Though the events of the previous night had rocked the pirate group, Gawain's sudden transformation—his decisive attitude and commanding presence—had instilled a newfound confidence in everyone.
Their spirits were high. Gone were the blank stares and panic-stricken faces from before. Even their movements had become more disciplined, more focused.
Gawain stood before them, arms crossed, a faint smirk tugging at his lips as he surveyed his band of "leeks" with satisfaction.
After a long silence, he finally cleared his throat and spoke, his tone solemn:
"Ahem."
"Brothers, after a thorough inspection by our shipwrights overnight, I have some unfortunate news. The ship is beyond immediate repair—we won't be able to set sail anytime soon. That leaves us with only two options for survival."
He held up two fingers.
"First, we hope that a passing ship discovers us before the Navy does—but that chance is slim."
"Second, we stay put and wait for the Navy to arrive, then seize one of their warships. But remember, the Marines under Morgan aren't your average sailors. We've already suffered a humiliating defeat at their hands."
The moment those words left his mouth, a wave of unease rippled through the crowd.
The hope Gawain had just rekindled seemed to flicker.
To these pirates, Morgan was a living nightmare.
After all, even Gawain—whom they once believed to be invincible—had been wounded by him. Bandages still wrapped his torso.
"I... I don't want to die. Captain, please... save us," someone whimpered from the crowd.
Murmurs of despair turned into sobs.
In truth, most of these so-called pirates were just ordinary people, forced into this life after failing to survive in their hometowns.
Give them a knife or a pistol, and they could threaten unarmed villagers. But against real monsters of the sea? That was nothing but a dream best left unspoken.
Gawain watched their reactions. The corners of his mouth curled upward with subtle amusement.
The fish got hooked!
He thought to himself, This is just like selling an online course back in my previous life—create anxiety, then sell the solution~
The tactic was simple, but always effective. After all, among a large enough crowd, there were always a few suckers ready to believe.
And to Gawain, these men—uneducated, inexperienced, and untouched by the information age—were no different from those suckers.
"But!"
He suddenly raised his voice, sharp and commanding.
"Are we just going to sit here and wait to die?"
"Think about why you left home and took to the sea. Not even talking about finding the One Piece—but tell me, where's the money? Huh? Where's your treasure?!"
"We haven't gotten anything yet—and you want to surrender to the Navy?!"
"We've got over two months. So, tell me—will you gamble to become legends, or give up and die cowards?!"
"FIGHT!"
A thunderous uproar broke out in the crowd.
Under Gawain's incitement, the pirates' fear was quickly replaced by adrenaline. Their cheeks flushed, their throats hoarse.
"FIGHT THEM!"
"Damn it! Cowards starve, but the brave feast!"
"Captain! Just tell us what to do!"
The roar of voices grew louder, more frenzied.
Gawain let out a quiet sigh, half-exasperated, half-amused.
So easy to manipulate~
He raised his hand for silence.
"All those who are ready to take that gamble—raise your hands!"
Swish!
Nearly a hundred hands shot into the air in unison. Every face was serious. Their eyes burned with renewed purpose as they stared at Gawain.
"Good. That's the energy I want."
He gave them a rare smile and declared:
"For the next month or so, cast aside all distractions. Train under me. I will teach you everything I've learned."
"Remember this—"
"You are not training for me. You are training for yourselves."
"Because in this world, you cannot survive if you are not strong!"
"You can have wealth stolen at swordpoint—but power? No one can take that from you!"
"OOOHHHH!"
A chorus of cheers erupted from the crowd. Gawain's words had struck deep.
"That's right. Power is everything!"
"At first, I was dumb enough to think the Navy would help me get back what the nobles stole from me…"
"Then I saw those same nobles, laughing and drinking with the Marines—and I realized this world's already gone to hell!"
"Only power can protect you!"
A pirate with a bright red mohawk stepped forward, eyes blazing.
"That's right! You can't survive if you're weak!"
"And the only one who can lead us now… is Captain Gawain!"