"Flash Step?"
"Only one branch ability?"
"Do different skills unlock different advancement paths?"
Gawain frowned slightly, contemplating the implications. He had a vague idea: perhaps not all skills branched equally, and their evolutions depended on the nature of the ability.
His eyes then fell on the newly unlocked branch. Judging from the name alone, Flash Step seemed to be an instant burst-movement skill, likely similar to Shave from the Navy's techniques.
"Let's see just how strong this is."
He stood up, vaulted from the window, and landed lightly in the open space at the center of the port.
The moment his feet touched the ground, Seikō Masamune was already drawn. The silver blade shimmered coldly in the moonlight.
He stepped forward.
In an instant, his body vanished—and reappeared dozens of meters away.
Bang!
He skidded to an abrupt stop, shattering the stone slabs beneath his feet. Cracks spread outward in a spiderweb pattern from where he stood.
But Gawain barely noticed.
At that moment, he was facing the same issue Kuro had once experienced—
his reflexes couldn't keep up with his speed!
"Damn…"
"The burst speed must've at least doubled compared to my regular Dash… It even outpaced my neural response time!"
"This skill… is insane."
He looked at the destruction beneath his feet, then glanced back to where he had been standing seconds ago.
If it weren't for the stinging recoil in his legs, he might have doubted it even happened.
Suppressing his excitement, Gawain activated Observation Haki, heightening his senses.
And then—he vanished again.
All that remained were the sounds of explosive steps and the thunderous cracking of shattered ground echoing through the silent night.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
...
When he finally stopped, the training grounds where Kuro and the others normally practiced had been reduced to rubble. Not a single stone slab remained intact.
Gawain stood there, unmoving—
only because his legs were trembling uncontrollably.
His muscles had been pushed beyond their limits, leaving him feeling as though they no longer belonged to him.
But in his eyes? Only exhilaration.
"The burst speed from Flash Step… is way more intense than I expected."
"It's easily three times faster than my standard Dash!"
"Just as I thought—it's a short-range, high-speed burst technique designed for close-quarters combat. But the cost is a considerable strain on the body."
"With the sharpness of Seikō Masamune and my swordsmanship, if the strength gap between us isn't too big—and the enemy lacks Observation Haki or other defensive measures—then this move guarantees a kill on the first strike."
"This skill is a game changer for me!"
"My improvements in swordsmanship, physical strength, and Haki alone weren't enough to break into Silver… but now—"
"Now, I definitely qualify."
With that, he summoned the system interface.
A familiar screen unfolded before him:
[Host: Gawain]
[Age: 24]
[Identity: Captain of the Gawain Pirates]
[Skills:]
Swordsmanship – LV 9: 148 / 7000 (Speed)
Physical – LV 9: 1613 / 7000 (Balanced)
Death Walk – LV 5: 11 / 5000 (Flash Step)
Observation Haki – LV 3: 376 / 3200
Navigation – LV 3: 301 / 800
[Badges:]
Captain's Fury – Increases subordinates' physical recovery speed by 20%
Rising Fame – Allows appraisal of potential ability
[Rating: Silver]
Even on the Grand Line, you are a formidable presence. Should the Navy choose to pursue you, they must deploy an officer of Major General rank or higher.
Gawain's lips curled into a grin as he stared at the unassuming word: Silver.
Death Walk—his unique movement skill—had become the final key that broke the barrier between Bronze and Silver. He was now officially ranked among the strong.
According to the Cross Guild's classification, Gawain's current combat strength placed him in the same league as pirates with bounties ranging from 100 million to 1 billion berries!
On the first half of the Grand Line—"Paradise," as sailors liked to call it—few foes could threaten Gawain now. As long as he didn't blunder into one of the truly monstrous names on the sea, he would stand nearly unrivaled.
For the first time, the title of Warlord of the Sea felt within reach!
That said, even the weakest of the Seven Warlords rated at the very top of Silver, and most were firmly Gold. Someone like Hawkeye Mihawk lived in a tier of his own, seated among the legends.
"But here, in the East Blue," Gawain mused, "I can walk wherever I please."
A faint crease formed on his brow.
"Yet I'm already pressing against my own potential ceiling…"
He recalled how several of his men had plateaued once they'd hit their natural limits; no amount of effort had pushed them further.
He refused to accept the same fate.
Time to break that upper boundary. Body modifications are out—for now. That leaves a Devil Fruit… or something else entirely.
His mind drifted to the duel between Kuro and Gin back in Raven Harbor—how self-realization had tugged their limits upward. But no fighter in the East Blue could push him that hard.
"So—Grand Line or bust, huh?" he murmured.
A faint clack echoed in the distance. Gawain looked up just in time to see a windowsill close, the leaves of Nami's little orange tree rustling in the breeze.
He scratched his nose, glanced guiltily at the shattered flagstones around him—then hurried off before anyone noticed the mess.
The Next Morning
Kuro, Gin, and Zoro arrived at the port for their usual workout.
What greeted them was a field of pulverized stone. The training square's center had been reduced to rubble—no solid footing anywhere.
"What in the world happened here?" Gin muttered.
"I pushed myself to the limit last night," he admitted. "Collapsed right into bed. Didn't hear a thing."
Zoro folded his arms.
"Same. But if anyone could cause this, it's only the captain."
"Practicing in secret while we slept?" He clicked his tongue. "Pretty sly."
"No." Kuro adjusted his glasses with a cool glint in his eyes.
"He's trying to slow us down—destroy the training ground so we can't work out. Childish, really. Anything to delay the day we surpass him."
"Gawain, you've sunk low," he declared solemnly. "Sabotage won't save your throne."
Zoro opened his mouth to object, but Gin placed a firm hand on his shoulder and whispered:
"Don't bother. Once Kuro decides something, he won't budge."
With their stone yard ruined, the trio simply moved to a stretch of flat beach. After a quick warm-up, they threw themselves into an even fiercer regimen. The ruin only stoked their competitive fire.
Gin had recently mastered Observation Haki and broken into Bronze. Zoro, meanwhile, had bulldozed through the cat brothers and Jango to become the crew's definitive fourth pillar. In a single month, his strength had nearly doubled.
Rolling against each other was the only way to keep pace.
Elsewhere That Morning
The Cat Brothers had just wrapped their Raven Harbor patrol and were savoring rare morning tea in a cake shop.
Buchi stuffed an entire slice into his mouth—only for his Den-Den Mushi to screech.
He gulped the cake down half-chewed, face reddening, then answered.
"Boss Buchi!" came the urgent voice.
"We've located the Baratie—the floating restaurant—but there's someone terrifying aboard."
"Who?" Buchi asked.
"Not sure… but his eyes—they're like an eagle's!"