"Are those Admiral Krieg's men?"
Kuro nodded.
"No wonder. Disguising themselves as the Navy to infiltrate the port and launch a coordinated attack—that's Krieg's specialty. Want to get involved?"
Gawain shook his head.
"Less trouble is better than more. Krieg's not strong himself, but he commands a massive fleet—thousands of men, dozens of ships. We could take him down, just the two of us, but the collateral damage… too many would die."
"The loss would outweigh the gain."
He turned. "Let's just restock and go."
"Got it," Kuro replied.
Gawain glanced over his shoulder at Gin, still standing silently on deck. They locked eyes for a moment before Gin turned and headed into the cabin.
Quietly, Gawain activated his badge, casting a scan:
[Name – Gin]
[Potential – Bronze]
[Rating – Black Iron]
Note: "Repays kindness. Unwavering loyalty!
Mediocre talent, but every boss loves this kind of subordinate!"
"Repays kindness… absolutely loyal," Gawain murmured. His interest piqued.
"Bronze potential. Not bad—about the same level as Kuro. Definitely a solid XP pack. If the opportunity arises, I'll take him in."
"But first, supplies."
He closed the badge interface.
Leaving most of the crew behind to guard the ship against surprises, Gawain followed Kuro through the port to meet his contact—Habin.
Meanwhile…
Back aboard the ship, Pearl had regained consciousness. As he stared at his shattered shield and at Gin, who said nothing, realization dawned.
"Gin… I'm sorry," Pearl said quietly.
"Doesn't matter now. Rest here. I'll take care of the rest."
Gin patted his shoulder, though his mind was elsewhere—replaying Nezumi's strange reaction. A suspicion was forming.
He took out his Den Den Mushi and dialed.
Soon, a deep voice answered:
"Gin? Is it done?"
"No," Gin replied solemnly. "There are two other groups involved. One of them is Navy—Colonel Nezumi—but he's left. Not a threat. The real problem is the other group."
"They didn't even raise a hand, and Nezumi was already terrified. Either top-tier pirates or monsters from the Grand Line. No ordinary bunch."
"Judging by their aura, their two leaders are stronger than me."
"Captain… should we delay the operation and wait for a better chance?"
"Delay?"
Krieg's scoff came sharp over the line.
"Gin, do you know what it costs to maintain a fleet of 5,000 men each month? How long our food stores will last? How much ammo we lose daily to moisture?"
"Your job is to fight. Got it?"
His voice rose, booming with confidence:
"We don't have the luxury of waiting. This fleet exists so that mine is the only voice that echoes across the sea!"
"Dozens of ships can raze a town with a single volley. What's personal strength compared to that kind of firepower?"
"And besides—our weapons are ready. No one is stronger than me!"
"...Understood."
Gin nodded. He would never disobey Krieg's orders—not even if it meant marching toward certain death.
And, deep down, he agreed.
In this sea, personal strength had limits. Flesh and blood could not withstand cannons and steel.
He hung up.
Gin's gaze sharpened. He began quietly organizing the crew, assigning them to strategic points across the city—troop locations, ammunition caches. Their movements were precise and practiced.
Once everything was in place, all it would take was a single command to seize the port without a single shot fired.
He had executed this kind of plan countless times—each one a testament to Krieg's strategic genius.
"This time won't be any different, no matter the obstacles."
Calming himself, Gin even began tracking Gawain and his companion's every move.
Elsewhere…
Krieg studied the intelligence reports laid out before him, a slight frown on his face. Two weathered bounty posters sat on his desk.
"Captain, based on Lord Gin's report, the other faction in the port matches these two."
"Knight Gawain—bounty: 8 million berries."
"Kuro—bounty: 15 million berries."
The assistant, standing beside him, added hesitantly:
"However, we haven't updated our bounties in a while. The information may be outdated."
Krieg nodded.
"A pirate's bounty doesn't change much over a few years. No big deal."
"This Gawain's only risen to fame in the past two years. And Kuro? Rumors say he's thinking of retiring."
He sneered.
"A pirate thinking of retirement? That's the first step toward death."
"They must've disguised themselves as Navy too. Looks like they want to take Raven Harbor from the inside."
"If they succeed first, it'll be a real problem."
He stood.
"Strike first. Attack now."
The assistant froze.
"But, Captain—Lord Gin and Pearl are still in the port. Isn't that too—"
Krieg's grim smile cut her off.
To him, subordinates were nothing more than tools. So long as the mission succeeded, anyone could be sacrificed. Even Gin, his second-in-command.
"No problem. I trust their strength. If they survive, they're worthy."
"If they don't—then they were never right-hand material."
The assistant swallowed hard, fear in his eyes. He couldn't help but wonder when his own time would come. Maybe far in the future—or maybe the next minute.
Still, the fear only made him more determined to prove his worth. He dared not oppose Krieg's will.
As panic swirled inside him, Krieg calmly turned to a massive suit of golden armor displayed nearby. He ran a hand lovingly across it, his eyes alight with obsession.
"This alloy armor can withstand cannon fire at close range. Not even the strongest swordsman can cut through it."
"And beneath each plate—deadly surprises."
"Armor-piercing shells, high-explosive bombs, poison gas—all of them can kill in an instant. And then there's this."
He hefted a massive spear, exaggerated in design and weighing over a ton. Feeling the raw force radiating from it, his confidence surged.
"The harder I swing, the stronger the explosion…"
"With this armor alone, I'll carve out a place even on the Grand Line. The East Blue is nothing!"
"Who could possibly stop me Admiral Krieg!?"