The wound wasn't deep—nowhere near enough to affect Hawkeye's combat ability.
But the shock it delivered was beyond words, especially when he noticed the bright streak of blood staining the edge of Seikō Masamune.
In the downpour, Hawkeye raised his hand and pressed against the wound on his shoulder. Crimson trickled through his fingers and was washed away by the rain.
"Was I careless?"
"But…"
"How long has it been since I've felt this pain—this familiar sting?"
"Yes… ever since that man lost his right hand, no one's managed to draw blood from me with a sword."
"This is…"
"…exhilarating!"
"I'm alive?"
When Gawain came to, it was already the afternoon of the following day.
He turned his head and spotted Zoro sleeping soundly nearby, wrapped in thick bandages. Watching the steady rise and fall of Zoro's chest, Gawain let out a long, relieved breath.
The storm had come suddenly the night before, and left just as quickly.
Apart from a lingering scent of seawater in the air, it was as if it had never happened.
Sunlight poured through the edges of the curtains, too bright for them to block completely.
Gawain sat up with some effort, reached out, and drew the curtains aside. Warm light spilled across his body, slowly driving away the lingering chill.
His thoughts gradually quieted—except for the lingering shadow of the battle with Hawkeye.
The overwhelming force that had effortlessly dismantled all of his attacks… the sword that could split the sea itself—those memories gave Gawain a visceral understanding of what it truly meant to stand at the peak of power in this world.
Each of these top-tier fighters was like a walking nuclear weapon. No wonder the World Government tread so carefully around the Four Emperors.
"I'm still too weak."
Even if no one had explained what happened, Gawain could guess the reason he survived—he likely shared the same protagonist's plot armor as Zoro.
"I don't ever want to feel this helpless again—entrusting my life to someone else's mercy."
"Still… awakening Armament Haki was a pleasant surprise."
"And thanks to Hawkeye's advice, I finally understand the path to awakening Conqueror's Haki in the future."
With that, Gawain summoned his system interface:
[Host – Gawain]
[Age – 24]
[Identity – Captain of the Gawain Pirates]
[Skills:]
Swordsmanship – LV 9: 201/7000 (Speed)
Physical – LV 9: 1734/7000 (Balance)
Death Walk – LV 5: 17/5000 (Flash Step)
Observation Haki – LV 3: 401/3200
Armament Haki – LV 1: 0/1000
Navigation – LV 3: 351/800
[Badges:]
Captain's Fury – Subordinates' Physical Recovery +20%
Rising Fame – View Potential Rating
[Rating – Silver: Enlighten your mind, temper your will—you have taken the first step on the road to becoming the strongest!]
In the past few days, his skills had only seen slight increases. Not much progress, but every point gained felt solid.
What truly caught Gawain's attention was the new message in the rating column:
"Realizing your true self…"
He understood exactly what that meant.
According to the system, a person's potential reflected their growth ceiling, calculated based on current abilities and physical talent.
Ordinarily, a person's potential marked the limit of their growth. Once that ceiling was reached, progress would plateau—training harder wouldn't help, and at best, they could only maintain their level.
Just like the crew under Gawain's command, whose growth had long since stagnated due to exhausted potential.
However, realizing one's true self—a concept proven by Kuro—was one way to shatter that ceiling. That was one of Gawain's motivations for challenging Hawkeye.
He hadn't just wanted to protect his crew—he had hoped that under Hawkeye's pressure, he might break through his limits.
And now, it seemed his gamble had paid off.
Gawain immediately used the badge's ability to appraise himself:
[Name – Gawain]
[Potential – Gold]
[Rating – Silver: Realize the true self...]
As he stared at the brilliant golden text in the Potential column, a smile tugged at the corners of Gawain's lips. Even the sting of defeat from Hawkeye began to fade.
He had been worried that his growth would stall as he approached the system's calculated limits—just like those under his command who were capped at Black Iron.
But now, with this breakthrough, that anxiety was gone.
Even if he never advanced beyond Gold potential, he could still steadily climb in power and reach the level required to seize the title of Shichibukai—just as he had planned.
Better yet, with Hawkeye's guidance, Gawain had a clear direction for mastering Haki. With enough effort, he could absolutely reach the realm of legends.
Once that happened, the sea would truly become his playground!
A sky without limits. A sea without borders.
And with strength, came options—endless choices for the future.
While Gawain was lost in thought…
Squeak—
The door creaked open.
Sanji stepped in, snuffed out his cigarette, and calmly walked over with a tray. He placed a bowl of tomato beef soup and some bread in front of Gawain.
The savory aroma drifted up, and Gawain's appetite surged.
For someone with a body far beyond that of ordinary people, eating was the fastest road to recovery.
Especially when the cook was someone like Sanji—a first-rate chef.
But just as Gawain reached for the bread, Sanji's voice stopped him.
"You have the strength to face monsters like him… and the will to risk your life for your crew."
"Then tell me—why did you abandon the princess and run away alone?"
His tone was low, edged with restrained confusion.
The image of the man before him clashed with everything Sanji had built up in his mind.
Here stood a warrior unafraid of death, powerful beyond belief.
Yes, he had lost to Hawkeye—but who wouldn't? In the East Blue, Gawain's strength was unmatched. Everyone who had seen that battle knew the truth.
Gawain blinked in surprise, then looked at Sanji.
The face in front of him slowly overlapped with a younger one in his memory.
"…I remember now. We met years ago."
"There was a woman who ate your food back then... had diarrhea for half a month, lost a ton of weight."
Sanji's face turned red. He gritted his teeth.
"That's not the point—I'm the one asking questions here!"
Gawain dipped a slice of bread into the soup, took a bite, and replied coolly,
"If it were you… wouldn't you know better than anyone?"
"Beautiful women are trouble."
"Especially one as beautiful as Princess Guinevere."
He gave Sanji a meaningful look.
"Didn't she fool you, too?"