Gawain struggled to resist the overwhelming urge to charge forward and attack.
No, seriously, man—being a simp gets you nothing.
Wait... does this bastard flirt with every woman he sees? What is he, some kind of Wolf Warrior?
For a moment, Gawain was at a complete loss for words. After returning to his room, he sank deep into thought.
It wasn't just Sanji.
Lately, ordinary pirates provided less and less experience—not just because their potential had plateaued, but perhaps also because of something more fundamental.
Laziness was human nature. And as the Gawain Pirates' dominance over the East Blue grew stronger and more secure, the number of battles they faced visibly dwindled. The survival pressure that once pushed them forward had greatly lessened.
Naturally, their drive to grow stronger diminished alongside it. Some had even abandoned training altogether. You could tell from the steadily expanding waistlines around the ship.
Gawain could ignore the pirates content to retire peacefully in the East Blue. Even if they trained hard, they wouldn't provide much experience for him to harvest anyway.
But someone like Sanji—who had great potential and would definitely follow him to the Grand Line, perhaps even become a key pillar in his forces—he couldn't be left to rot.
"Guys like Zoro, who have clear goals and strong inner drive, I don't need to worry about," Gawain muttered to himself.
"But as more new crew members come aboard, I'll end up with more Sanji-types… unfocused and complacent."
"I need to find a way to get these slackers to push themselves. After all, how can I level up if they're not grinding?"
"Maybe... 007 work schedule? Last-place elimination? Performance-based pay?"
That's when it hit him.
At some point—without realizing it—he had become the very type of person he used to despise.
And yet…
Damn… it feels kinda great.
Still, Gawain quickly dismissed those ideas.
Not because he had grown a conscience, but because the pirates in this world weren't like the office drones back on Earth—middle-aged, neck-deep in loans, chained to their jobs with no options.
Here, especially among the skilled ones, people had choices. If pushed too hard, they'd simply leave.
"If reverse pressure doesn't work, then I need positive incentives," Gawain reasoned.
"And the best at this? Those scummy pay-to-win mobile games. All I have to do is flip the logic: instead of tricking the boss(rich) into spending money, I'll trick the crew into training…"
With that, an idea began to take shape in his mind.
The Next Day
Gawain sought out Jango and gave him detailed instructions.
"I need you to oversee the creation of some metal tags—like coins with a hole at the top. They should hang around the neck with rope," he explained.
"Number them from 0 to 100. On the back, engrave the pirate crew's flag."
Jango nodded. "That's easy enough. There's a blacksmith shop at the port. If we prepare the molds, it'll be done in a few days."
"But what are they for, Captain?"
"You'll find out soon enough," Gawain replied cryptically. Then added,
"Make the tags numbered 1 to 10 out of gold. The design should clearly distinguish them from the rest."
"Number 0 should be gem-studded, with the captain's emblem carved on the front."
"Also, prepare a few blank ones—same quality as the top ten, but no numbers. We'll use them later as needed."
"No problem," Jango confirmed with a wave. "Only the gold ones might take extra effort. The rest will be quick."
"Good." Gawain patted him on the shoulder and then summoned the rest of the pirates to the conference room.
Thirty Minutes Later
Aside from those on patrol duty, the entire crew had assembled—even Zoro, still nursing injuries.
Kuro looked irritated at having his training interrupted. "What's so urgent you had to call all of us?"
Gin offered a guess, "Are we setting sail for the Grand Line?"
Kuro shook his head. "No. The new ship's still in production. Even if Raven Harbor rushes it, it'll be at least two months."
"Then I'm stumped," Gin replied, wiping sweat from his brow. "But if the Captain's behind it, it must be important."
Before he could finish his thought—
"Quiet!" Gawain's voice boomed, silencing the room instantly.
All eyes turned to the man at the front. He scanned the crowd, confirming that all his key officers—including Sanji—were present.
"I'll keep it short," he began.
"In three months, we'll be heading to the Grand Line—the most dangerous sea in the world. There's no room for the weak there!"
"If you want to survive, you'll have to get stronger. No exceptions!"
Faces grew solemn as the weight of his words sank in.
Everyone here has fought in battles these past few months. They knew that without Gawain and the senior officers like Kuro absorbing the brunt of enemy fire, most of them would've died long ago.
And if the Grand Line was worse than what they'd seen already…
Only Kuro and a few others had a fire of anticipation in their eyes.
Unfazed, Gawain pressed on.
"To determine your standing in the crew, we'll be holding our first combat tournament in three months!"
"Your ranking will define your status moving forward."
"From now on, 30% of the crew's net annual profits will be distributed as dividends among the top 100 fighters."
"The higher your rank, the bigger your share. The top ten will get first pick of loot—including Devil Fruits and famed swords."
"And the top three—within reason—I'll personally grant one request of your choice!"
For a brief moment, silence hung in the air.
Then—
"OOOOOHHHHHH!!!"
Roars of excitement erupted across the room.
Zoro, Kuro, Gin—each of their eyes lit up with competitive fire.
They didn't care about wealth or treasure.
But the idea of proving themselves through combat, of ranking and gaining power, that struck a nerve.
Kuro adjusted his glasses, a cold glint in his eyes despite the smirk tugging at his lips.
"Ranking based on combat strength? Very much his style…"
Gin clenched his fists.
"I won't lose—not to anyone!"
Zoro's hand drifted to the hilt of his sword, his eyes burning.
"The strongest competition in the crew?"
"Heh… now that's interesting."
Amid the buzz, Sanji, standing off to the side, felt his heartbeat skip.
As the meaning of Gawain's words hit him, a tremble of excitement ran through his whole body.
"Top three… and he'll grant any reasonable request?"
"Does this mean I can finally… request we bring a girl's cook on board?!!!"