Zoro's expression froze.
He wanted to argue—but then recalled how he had taken the map from the Island of Rare Beasts the last time.
He could only swallow his frustration.
Gawain glanced at him and said,
"You and Sanji stay here on Para Island."
Then he turned to Kuro and Nami.
"You two come with me. Nami, you'll chart our course."
"Yes, Captain."
They answered in unison.
Soon, the pirates at the port were accounted for.
Gawain boarded the fastest ship with Nami and Kuro, along with a dozen other pirates. They set sail, following the route Nami plotted.
Behind them, Para Island gradually disappeared beyond the horizon.
Far ahead, the sea howled with wind. The sky above was dark and heavy, thick with storm clouds that flickered with occasional lightning.
Nami held a sea chart in one hand and a pen in the other, her brow furrowing deeper the more she calculated. After a few tense minutes, she finally spoke:
"Captain, according to the current readings, Raven Harbor and a large section of nearby waters are caught in a storm."
"With this ship's structure, I doubt it can withstand those conditions for long."
"We might—"
Before she could finish, Gawain slowly unsheathed Seikō Masamune. The lightning flashed, glinting coldly off the polished blade.
In the distance, a wave over ten meters high surged toward them.
In the next instant, it was split cleanly down the middle by a silver-white arc of sword energy.
Splash!
The sea sprayed the deck like heavy rain.
Gawain stood firm, his voice calm and resolute.
"You just chart the fastest course. As long as I'm here, this ship won't sink."
His words were laced with unwavering confidence.
It struck him just then—at some point, he had gained the strength to challenge the sea itself head-on.
No matter how violent the waves…
He would simply cut them down.
Kuro quietly adjusted his glasses, eyeing the longsword in Gawain's hand with a thoughtful gaze.
Not long ago, a storm like this would have left both of them floundering. But now, Gawain acted like it was nothing.
How much stronger has he become?
Is he surpassing me… faster than I expected?
So I was right. He's been secretly pushing himself further than all of us. Even more than I have.
That laid-back attitude of his—it's just a smokescreen to make us let our guard down!
Damn it!
At that moment, in Kuro's mind, Gawain's reputation for "insidious cunning" reached an all-new height.
Nami gave Kuro a puzzled glance, then turned her eyes toward Gawain. A faint smile curled on her lips.
"In that case, leave the navigation to me!" she said.
"Even if they set off earlier than we did, there's only one route from the East Blue into the Grand Line—over the Red Line."
"And the only way over is through Reverse Mountain. We just have to get there before they do."
The ship rocked violently, rising and falling with the waves.
Nami sat cross-legged on the deck, carefully sketching a new route onto the nautical chart.
"Got it."
She stood up, pointing forward.
"Helmsman, hard to port! Thirty degrees!"
"Aye!"
The ship veered left, heading straight into the heart of the storm. Towering waves closed in—only to be sliced apart by flying arcs of silver light.
At the bow, Gawain stood tall, forging a path through the tempest.
Meanwhile—
A Navy warship surged into the storm after departing Loguetown.
On deck, thick white smoke curled in the wind. Smoker stood with his twin cigars clenched between his teeth, eyes fixed on the churning sea ahead.
Beside him, Tashigi stood at attention, delivering the latest intel.
"It's been confirmed."
"The pirates who escaped from Loguetown were subordinates of Hanafuda, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Labute and Lachet both have bounties over 50 million. They're confirmed Zoan-type Devil Fruit users."
"They launched an unprovoked attack on Raven Harbor yesterday afternoon, and they've since set course for the Grand Line."
"Colonel Smoker, since this involves a Warlord of the Sea, even with orders from Mr. Zephyr, if we actually capture them, I'm afraid the World Government might not approve."
Smoker exhaled heavily, white smoke billowing around him.
"Approval?" he said coldly.
"They should be the ones giving the world an explanation."
"Raven Harbor's wounds haven't even begun to heal."
"Hey, Tashigi. You haven't forgotten those looks in the civilians' eyes, have you?"
"Last time was bad enough. This time, I won't let them go."
He slung his jitte over his back.
"We'll stop these bastards in the East Blue!"
"Yes, sir!"
The massive warship plowed through the storm, unfazed by the wind and waves. Its speed far outpaced any pirate ship.
But time passed… and the storm only worsened.
The once-blue sea turned a deep, threatening black. The waves roared as if trying to consume everything in their path.
Eventually, Smoker lost track of time. All he knew was that shift after shift of sailors rotated off the deck.
Finally—
The storm began to fade.
The sea ahead calmed, and the post-storm sky cleared, an unsettling shade of blue.
Far on the horizon, a pirate flag flapped defiantly—a skull above a round shield.
It was impossible to miss.
Smoker raised his telescope.
There, standing on the deck, was a figure he recognized instantly.
"Knight Gawain!"
In that instant, Smoker dropped his pursuit of Labute and Lachet. He had found a more dangerous target.
"This guy... he's far more of a threat than Hanafuda's entire crew."
"Change course!"
Gawain had noticed the warship as well.
But his focus remained on catching Labute and Lachet. He had no desire to tangle with the Navy just yet.
"Increase speed. Leave them behind."
Yet the very next moment—
A red flare lit up above the warship.
A cannonball screamed past Gawain's ship and plunged into the water nearby.
Boom!
A column of water erupted into the sky.
Gawain's expression darkened.
"So you want a fight..."
He raised his sword. With a flick of his wrist, he sent arcs of energy flying—cleaving the next volley of cannonballs midair.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions rocked the sky. Smoke billowed across the sea, shrouding the pirate ship in black haze.
Through it, Smoker saw a figure break through the fire—longsword in hand, charging straight at the warship.
"Gawain!"
Smoker's cape whipped in the wind.
He remembered his bitter defeat, the disgrace, the helpless looks in the eyes of the civilians in Raven Harbor.
No more!
"For this moment... I've prepared everything."
"To stop you right here in the East Blue—I've received the strength to defeat you from Zephyr-sensei himself!"
As he spoke, thick white smoke erupted from his body, engulfing the entire deck.
The smoke twisted and churned—condensing into massive fists.
But what truly drew Gawain's attention...
Was the ominous gleam of Armament Haki coating those fists of smoke.