"Uh…"
Gawain froze, unsure how to respond.
What Kuro said was true—but not entirely. Yes, he had acted to give Kuro hope. But it was also true that he hadn't yet mastered Armament Haki at the time.
After a moment's hesitation, Gawain opened his mouth to explain—but Kuro cut him off abruptly.
"You don't need to say anything!"
"I get it!"
Kuro's eyes had turned visibly red.
"You hid your shortcomings just so you wouldn't kill my motivation to move forward, didn't you?"
"Gin was right—you're too gentle. You're always thinking about your companions."
"Just like in Raven Harbor… during the battle with Fishman and even when you risked your life fighting Hawkeye..."
"We're villains—we're not worth that kind of care! When will you stop being so naïve?!"
As he spoke, Kuro grabbed Gawain by the collar. Gawain's confused expression only seemed to confirm everything Kuro had guessed.
His mind wandered—back to the moment they first met.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized: with a character like Gawain's, it was impossible he sought fame or power for selfish reasons. So why would someone like him aim to become a Shichibukai?
"Don't tell me… even becoming a Shichibukai, living a stable life—that was all just a story you made up to give me the will to live?"
"You've been training in secret to fulfill your original promise, haven't you? Acting carefree during the day…"
"So we wouldn't worry about you?!"
"You…"
"Argh!"
Kuro let out a heavy sigh and lowered his trembling arms.
"You think I'd be grateful for all this?"
"Keep dreaming! I'm a pirate—heartless to the core!"
His words, though far from the truth, followed a twisted kind of logic that almost made sense.
Gawain was left speechless, unsure how to respond.
"I…"
"Don't explain!"
Kuro shook his head with the air of someone who believed he'd figured it all out.
"You've already done so much. If I don't help you become the Pirate King, I don't deserve to live as a man!"
Their argument had drawn the attention of everyone aboard.
The dozen or so pirates on the ship gathered on the deck, eyes wide, faces full of emotion—some even bursting into tears.
"The captain's been bearing so much all this time?"
"Yeah… even Raven Harbor—he did that for us."
"What a kind and righteous man…"
"Waaaah!"
For a moment, the deck was filled with nothing but the sound of weeping pirates.
Off to the side, Nami stood silently, dabbing at her tears with a tissue.
If anyone truly understood Kuro's feelings at that moment, it was her.
After all, she had been personally saved by Gawain.
Everything Kuro said—every word—lined up perfectly with the image of Gawain she held in her heart.
"Captain Gawain… so powerful… and so gentle… just… just…"
"Waaah!"
Moments later, Gawain found himself swarmed by the crying crew. He could handle them wiping away tears on his clothes, but when a few started wiping their noses on him…
"Okay, this is getting a bit out of hand."
Gawain's mouth twitched as he looked around at the group crowding him, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
His secret had been exposed—but somehow, things had turned out fine. Though the mood was a bit… off.
Suddenly—
A massive wave crashed into a small sailboat in the distance, nearly dragging it into the sea. The pirates surrounding Gawain were scattered in all directions.
Two unlucky ones were tossed straight into the water, scrambling to climb back aboard.
The commotion snapped everyone back to focus. They returned to their posts, rededicating themselves to sailing.
Only Kuro remained beside Gawain, speaking in a deep, resolute voice:
"I won't stop trying to surpass you. But I'll also make sure you become the Pirate King."
"That's my promise."
He held out his fist.
Gawain sighed, shaking his head with a smile before bumping fists with him.
The sailboat cut through the waves.
With Nami navigating in real-time and Gawain smashing every obstacle in their way, the ship moved faster than anyone expected.
In just four days, they reached Reverse Mountain, at the edge of the Red Line.
After checking with locals on nearby islands and confirming that no pirate ships had passed through, Gawain had everyone take position in the surrounding waters.
They were waiting—for the target to appear.
Meanwhile…
Labute and Lachet had passed through Loguetown on their pirate ship. After a brief stop to resupply food and fresh water, they quickly set sail again.
Lachet stared at the shrinking silhouette of the town, frustration flashing in his eyes.
"That damn Logia user isn't here?"
"Damn it!"
"I was planning to pay him back from last time."
"With my new defenses, even if he's got seastone weapons, he's not my match."
Labute shook his head.
"He's still a marine. If we really kill him, we'll have to explain it to Lord Hanafuda."
"Besides…"
Labute glanced at the still-healing wound on Lachet's side, then said quietly:
"I watched him fight. That guy's stronger than he looks. If we face him one-on-one… we might not win."
"You think I'd lose to him?!"
Lachet's voice rose—but he turned away, betraying a hint of doubt.
As the two argued, a pirate slinked out of the cabin, eyes lecherous and face eager.
"Captain… that woman we picked up at the port… the boys were wondering if they could…"
"Hehehe…"
A few other pirates gathered around, clearly emboldened. They'd been eyeing Grayza for days but hadn't dared make a move—until now.
"Don't even think about it."
Labute's voice was cold as ice.
"That woman is beautiful, pure, and she's a capable one."
"If we sell her at the slave market, she'll go for dozens—maybe hundreds of times more than the usual prey."
"With that money, you can buy all the women you want."
The men protested:
"But Captain…"
"Find a fish about your size and deal with it yourselves. If I catch anyone touching her…"
"I'll feed him to the sea."
Labute's tone left no room for argument.
The pirates sulked away, grumbling, but fear of Labute kept them in line.
The prison cell at the bottom of the ship was dark and suffocating. Every window that might have let in light was sealed shut.
Bang!
The ship rocked violently. Objects in the dark cabin clattered and collided, sending out a harsh metallic echo.
Grayza, curled up in the corner of the cell, hugged her knees tighter. Her eyes widened as she tried to make out what was moving—
But all she saw… was darkness.