"No way, don't tell me… this is way more interesting than I expected!"
"The actors they cast don't really match the captain, though."
"Is this really the captain's past? They turned it into a movie? This is legendary!"
"The princess is stunning."
"This actress doesn't do her justice. I saw a real photo in the newspaper—she's ten times more beautiful!"
"Hiss~ The captain is so lucky!"
...
Everyone watched the movie while gossiping loudly, occasionally sneaking mischievous glances at Gawain. Seeing him sit there, silent and visibly annoyed, only made them more entertained.
"This is pointless. Why are we even watching this?" Gawain muttered, his forehead twitching as veins bulged.
Zoro, Kuro, and Gin were all still recovering from injuries. Even with the aid of the badges, they needed two to three days of rest.
With no battles, there was no experience gain. Gawain had thought about hosting a banquet to let everyone relax for a bit.
But then Nami had chirped up with, "Let's watch a movie!" Without giving it much thought, Gawain agreed.
It was a big mistake.
Turns out she'd been waiting to spring this trap.
Logically, he could've just left, but those bastards had locked the cabin doors and insisted on him staying. What was he supposed to do, dive into the ocean?
He glanced at the lifebuoy—long since stashed away—and gave up on the idea.
All he could do now was endure the torment.
The embarrassment crawled all over him like ants. Goosebumps. Regret. Pure, unbearable regret.
As the crew laughed and the movie dragged on, Gawain felt like every second lasted a year.
When the film finally ended and the others began to disperse, the deck slowly quieted down.
Gawain exhaled deeply in relief.
But then Nami approached, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"Captain," she asked teasingly, "what kind of history do you and Princess Guinevere have?"
"Was it really like in the movie?"
Gawain paused. He figured that if he didn't say something now, the nonsense born from this terrible movie would only get worse over time.
After briefly gathering his thoughts, he spoke:
"I can't remember what she looked like anymore… just the last thing she ever said to me."
"She said…"
"Live. No matter what happens, survive. Because where there's life, there's still hope."
"She also said…"
"I'm the king's favorite daughter. Even he wouldn't dare hurt me."
Nami froze, her hand tightening around the edge of her sleeve.
"And then?"
Gawain's voice dropped slightly.
"I believed her."
"She fled with her guards, but three months later, I heard she'd been executed."
"A year ago, I led my men to the Goa Kingdom, looking for revenge. But by the time we arrived, the king who signed the execution order had already died of illness. His son, Stelly, had taken the throne."
"That's… the gist of it."
He noticed Nami was unusually quiet.
"...What's wrong?"
Nami's eyes were red. She bit her lip and trembled slightly.
"Captain, I—I'm sorry. I didn't know your past was like that..."
Sniffle...
Suddenly, Nami burst into tears. Large, glistening drops streamed down her cheeks. She looked so overwhelmed that Gawain panicked.
The soul of his past life had long since faded. To him, the princess was more of a memory than a person. If anything, he felt only gratitude.
After all, if she hadn't saved his former self, he wouldn't be here now.
But Nami clearly thought otherwise.
"The princess was so pitiful~"
Gawain scratched his head awkwardly, not sure how to respond. Instinctively, he said:
"It's all in the past now."
"Mhm," Nami nodded firmly, wiping her tears.
"From now on, you have me, Vice-Captain Kuro, Gin, and that new mosshead."
"We'll be here for you."
Gawain was taken aback. He gently patted her head, and suddenly, a memory surfaced in his mind.
"Ah..."
"How could I die before finding my treasure?"
He recalled Gaimon's question from the other day. Looking at Nami now, he felt like he finally understood his answer.
Gawain's journey continued peacefully.
Once Zoro, Kuro, and Gin had recovered, they threw themselves back into training with renewed energy.
This time, they kept things slightly more restrained—just enough that they could still move the next day.
Zoro, newly recruited, felt an unusual surge of stamina. Before, he could only train for twelve hours before collapsing. Now, even with nearly double the workload, he could still go just as long.
After a moment of puzzlement, he shrugged and chalked it up to his amazing talent.
Obviously, being beaten by Gawain must've awakened his potential.
At that moment, inside the training room—
Zoro flexed his arms and smirked. He could feel the change in his body.
"At this rate, I might reach captain level in less than three years!"
Kuro gave him a sidelong glance.
"You've got a long way to go."
"That guy wasn't even serious when he fought you. He didn't use his Death Walk technique or Observation Haki."
"Death Walk? Observation Haki?"
Zoro blinked at the unfamiliar terms. But he wasn't discouraged at all.
"He is the strongest swordsman in the East Blue. Of course he's powerful!"
"Only someone like him is worth following!"
"Hmph!" Kuro snorted.
"Arrogant brat."
"Old man, aren't you just scared I'll surpass you?" Zoro shot back.
Though they bickered constantly, their bond had grown stronger with time. They shared a deep mutual respect—even if they'd never admit it out loud.
On the side, Gin quietly continued his training.
He had spent days practicing alongside Kuro and Zoro, and he could clearly feel that his progress was falling behind—especially compared to Zoro, whose growth was frightening.
At this rate, Zoro might surpass him within months.
That looming threat pushed Gin harder. He didn't want to be left behind like Jango, the cat brothers, or others who couldn't keep up with Gawain's pace or the demands of the Grand Line.
His time here, brief as it was, had meant more than all those years under Krieg's command.
Captain Gawain is different. I want to be his right hand!
Fueled by determination, Gin gritted his teeth and pushed himself even harder.
The three trained relentlessly, chasing each other's progress.
But of course, Gawain remained on another level entirely.
By the time their ship reached Para Island, his swordsmanship had leveled up to LV-7, and his physique had advanced to LV-8.
Even his Death Walk had improved, reaching LV-4. Just one more level, and he'd awaken a specialized ability—just like swordsmanship or physique.
As someone who specialized in speed, death walk's upcoming breakthrough would surely grant him speed-enhancing traits.
Gawain could hardly wait.