At this moment, Gawain could no longer sit still. He pushed open the window and leapt into the harbor.
Originally, he'd planned to test the effects of awakening the Harmony trait here.
But the memory of the wrecked harbor—left behind after his first awakening of Flash Step—suddenly resurfaced.
His face flushed slightly with embarrassment. Rubbing his nose, Gawain vanished into the night.
A few minutes later.
Gawain appeared on the familiar stone platform behind Para Island—his usual training ground.
Clang!
Seikō Masamune was drawn from its sheath.
He began to swing his sword, letting the cold glint of steel slash through the air as he adjusted to the newfound control brought by the Harmony trait.
One strike after another—smooth, fluid, unbroken.
These were the very sword techniques that had carried him through countless battles, yet now, under this new physical mastery, they revealed subtle flaws Gawain had never noticed before.
There were moments of slight imbalance, inconsistencies in muscle activation, and old hidden strains left by overexertion. Harmony exposed them all.
And Gawain corrected them—one by one.
His movements became increasingly seamless, his body gliding through each swing without any friction or hesitation.
Smooth. Efficient. Powerful.
The longer he trained, the more exhilarated he became. His body showed no signs of fatigue—only a mounting energy.
By dawn, his swordsmanship had undergone a transformation.
If his old self were to face him now in a pure sword duel, Gawain was confident—he'd win within ten moves.
"Watching my swordsmanship gradually evolve and refine like this... it's intoxicating," he murmured to himself.
"No stopping now."
He dove back into training, unaware of a slender figure quietly observing him from a distance.
As the sun began its slow rise over the sea, golden rays poured across the horizon and bathed Gawain in light. Combined with his honed, powerful physique, the image was almost divine.
Nami, standing nearby with a bamboo sword in hand, was momentarily stunned. Watching the sweat glisten on his body, she asked softly:
"Gawain... did you train here all of yesterday?"
Gawain paused mid-swing, turned, and saw her. He brushed past the question, replying evenly:
"Perfect timing. Sword training starts now."
"Yes, Captain!"
That night, the story of Captain Gawain's overnight training spread like wildfire across Para Island.
The so-called "Four Leak Kings" were left in utter dismay.
"That damn Captain is too sly..."
"Tells us to watch our health and not overdo it, but he's out here doing 24-hour shifts?!"
Sanji clenched his teeth, silently adding more hours to his own training regimen.
I have to keep up. These lunatics around me are monsters. If this keeps up, how am I supposed to enter the Hall of Fame?!
Pah!
[RECRUITING BEAUTIFUL CHEFS!]
"Ooohhh!"
Just the fantasy of being surrounded by gorgeous female cooks filled Sanji with a fresh surge of power.
His legs blurred with rapid kicks, leaving afterimages behind.
Nearby, Kuro clicked his tongue.
"Tch... should've known. This is the same guy who destroyed the harbor floor just to stop us from practicing."
"Shameless. Absolutely shameless!"
Zoro gritted his teeth and strapped on extra weights without hesitation. The veins in his arms bulged, but he refused to fall behind.
To carve your name into history... who's willing to be second best?
Time passed quickly, and night came once more.
Most of Para Island had gone to sleep, save for one spot—the practice room—still brightly lit.
Gawain stared at the system prompt in front of him. Experience points ticked upward, and he couldn't help but grin.
"Just a bit more. Once swordsmanship hits LV-10, I'll unlock a new trait…"
His eyes sparkled with anticipation.
As word spread that Gawain had been secretly grinding away in private, the Gawain Pirates entered an entirely new level of involution.
Every day, more exhausted pirates collapsed from overtraining. Not only were they mocked mercilessly, but they also lost access to dividends—Para Island's ultimate motivator.
After a while, Gawain stood in the infirmary, watching the rows of worn-out crew members.
For a moment, he questioned himself.
Have I... gone too far?
But then he overheard a few of them badmouthing his "involution" behind his back, and any sympathy he had left instantly vanished.
"What are you complaining about? I've been doing this grind from nine to five for months now!"
"Don't give me that 'you're the captain' talk. It's hard being me too!"
Muttering under his breath, Gawain waved Jango over.
"Go to Para Island and bring back a fresh batch of medical supplies. We need to keep these guys from keeling over."
And with that, he turned and walked away, still muttering:
"Don't blame me. You all chose this life."
"Yeah... I'm just too soft-hearted."
With the last hint of guilt gone, Gawain threw himself into training his Armament Haki.
As his mastery grew, so did his efficiency. Where he once earned only eight or nine points a day, he now pulled in fifteen to sixteen.
It still didn't compare to the massive experience gains generated by the "Four Kings," but it was progress nonetheless.
And unlike other traits, Armament Haki could only be refined through personal effort.
Even Kuro, the strongest among them, only had bronze-tier combat power and was a speed-focused specialist.
For Armament Haki to awaken, one needed an extremely sturdy physical foundation.
By Gawain's estimation, it would take at least six more months—and a string of brutal fights—for even the most promising crewmates to awaken it.
But that was fine. After all, once they reached the Grand Line, intense battles wouldn't be hard to come by.
A few days later.
Late at night, Gawain had finished another full day of training. After a quick change of clothes, he sat at his desk and waited for the experience summary.
The familiar system panel opened before him:
[Host: Gawain]
[Age: 24]
[Title: Captain of the Gawain Pirates]
[Skills]
Swordsmanship – LV-9: 6940 / 7000 (Superspeed)
Physical – LV-10: 2827 / 12000 (Balance, Harmony)
Death Walk – LV-5: 811 / 5000 (Flash Step)
Observation Haki – LV-3: 1756 / 3200
Armament Haki – LV-1: 155 / 1000
Navigation – LV-4: 800 / 2000
[Badges]
Captain's Fury: +20% Subordinates' Physical Recovery Rate
Rising Fame: View Potential Ability
[Rating: Silver]
"Understand your true heart. Temper your will. You've taken the first step on the road to the strongest."
Swordsmanship was nearing its cap.
All Gawain needed was tonight's training results to break through.
And soon enough, the familiar mechanical chime echoed in his mind:
"Physical Experience +713!"
"Swordsmanship Experience +534!"
"Death Walk Experience +66!"
"Observation Haki Experience +99!"
"Armament Haki Experience +16!"