"Once he gets through this, the road ahead will be much smoother."
Hearing the notification in his mind, Gawain couldn't help but sigh softly. He turned to Kuro beside him with a teasing smile.
"Now then... shouldn't you be worried that Gin might surpass you?"
"Him?"
Kuro smirked and shook his head.
"Give him ten years—he still won't catch up."
"Is that so?"
Gawain sat back in his chair without further comment. Finding no joy in the banter, Kuro turned and left.
The room fell silent.
Gawain remained seated, his eyes drifting to a fresh newspaper on the table, the scent of ink still lingering in the air.
The front page blared with a bold headline recounting a recent world-shaking event:
"Former Warlord of the Sea Hanafuda Defeated and Killed During the Attack on Loguetown — Replaced by the Tyrant, Bartholomew Kuma (Bounty: 296 Million Berries)"
Below the title were two side-by-side photographs.
The first showed Hanafuda, confirmed dead.
The second was of Kuma, the Tyrant—his eyes obscured by sunglasses, a "BIBLE" clutched in one hand. His towering frame made Hanafuda look small by comparison.
Gawain studied the photo of Kuma, his expression unreadable.
Originally, he had thought that after Hanafuda's death, his own growing power, reputation, and past accomplishments would earn him the now-vacant Warlord seat. But instead, history seemed to have snapped back to its original course.
Comparing their growth trajectories, Gawain smirked with a trace of irony.
"World Government..."
"If you don't hurry and bring me in, give it another year or two, and you'll have to call me one of the Four Emperors."
With that, he set down the newspaper.
Grabbing Seikō Masamune from the table, Gawain disappeared from the room and reappeared in a quiet spot near the harbor.
Drawing the blade, he began practicing his Armament Haki.
A few breaths passed.
Clang!
The sword flashed with blackened Haki, slicing through the air. Seagulls overhead fell, the blade's energy fading into the distance.
Marine Headquarters.
Sengoku frowned as he read through a dossier.
"The candidate we submitted for the Warlord position was rejected. The one they personally recommended was Bartholomew Kuma."
Tsuru set down her teacup, then nodded thoughtfully.
"It makes sense. In terms of both strength and notoriety, Kuma outshines Knight Gawain. The World Government's choice is reasonable."
"Also, according to intel, Kuma is likely a descendant of the Baccanoya tribe—naturally blessed with a physique far superior to ordinary humans."
"Borsalino once mentioned that Vegapunk is researching human cloning and has even made significant progress. I wouldn't be surprised if Kuma is part of that project."
"If Vegapunk succeeds, the Seven Warlords could become completely replaceable."
"Five or six more years, at most."
"Mm."
Sengoku nodded. His eyes drifted to a bounty poster on the desk—its subject far too young for the price on his head.
"Then we can't afford to leave Knight Gawain alone."
"His current growth reminds me of Kaido in his early years."
"Young, gifted with a dragon's power—and thankfully, not as bloodthirsty."
"But this sea can't handle two dragons vying for supremacy."
As he spoke, a cold glint appeared in Sengoku's eyes.
He had spent decades building the current balance of power between the Navy, the Four Emperors, and the Seven Warlords.
No one—especially not an upstart pirate like Gawain—would be allowed to disrupt that balance.
"If left unchecked, he'll only become harder to control. Better to lock him away in Impel Down while we still can."
Tsuru shared his sentiment.
Having hunted Doflamingo for years, she knew all too well: if allowed to fester, these so-called "exceptional pirates" eventually grow into monsters.
She said calmly,
"Let Zephyr handle it. He's already in Loguetown recuperating. The only issue is that his crusher is damaged. It needs not only rebuilding but improvements—so it'll take time."
"Luckily, time is on our side."
"And even if something happens with Zephyr, Garp said he plans to return to the East Blue for personal reasons."
"Personal reasons…?"
Sengoku raised an eyebrow. Then it clicked, and his lips twitched slightly.
"Don't tell me… he's going after his grandson."
"The one they call 'Fire Fist Ace'?"
"Yes. A natural Devil Fruit user—and based on the reports, he may have awakened Conqueror's Haki..."
"...Tch."
Sengoku's face twisted in exasperation.
"You can't just leave a kid like that with him!"
"If that boy were under my command and trained properly, his future would be limitless. He could even succeed someone like Sakazuki and become the next Admiral!"
"I heard he has a grandson. I have to keep an eye on him so he doesn't get lost again…"
Meanwhile, in Loguetown—
Ain and Binz hurried into Zephyr's ward, an investigation report in hand regarding the civil unrest in the Goa Kingdom.
"Zephyr-sensei," Ain began, "based on the intelligence we've gathered, we've essentially pieced together the events of the coup in the Goa Kingdom. However, the main catalyst…"
She hesitated. Binz, standing beside her, stepped in directly.
"It was the joint assault by Hundred Plans Kuro and Man-Demon of the Gawain Pirates. They attacked the royal palace, killed the former king, Stelly, on the spot, and seem to have reached an agreement with the current monarch, Outlook III."
"Neither party made the incident public. In fact, they appear to have colluded to cover it up."
Zephyr's expression turned cold. He took the report from Binz and began reading silently. The ward fell quiet, the only sounds being the turning of pages and the subtle shift in Zephyr's increasingly stern expression.
After a long pause, Zephyr snapped the report shut, eyes filled with suppressed fury.
"All because a few guards offended their captain, he permitted his subordinates to attack royalty. The entire nation was nearly thrown into chaos…"
Zephyr couldn't help but recall what Smoker had said earlier. He had once held a degree of curiosity and even admiration for Knight Gawain. After all, years on the sea had introduced him to many exceptional pirates—men like Whitebeard and Roger.
But now, after this report, Zephyr's impression of Gawain had darkened considerably.
"In the end… he's just another pirate."
"And pirates—sooner or later—belong in Impel Down."
With those words hanging heavy in the air, Zephyr turned to Ain.
"How long until the new Crusher is delivered?"
"At least two months," she answered. "We need time to analyze the previous data and optimize the design."
"I see…"
Zephyr frowned. He clearly wasn't pleased with the delay, but he understood that even for the Navy's scientists, crafting a weapon tailored to him would take time.
After a moment of contemplation, he looked at Ain and Binz with a small smile.
"Well then, let's use this time wisely. You two—special training begins now."
"You're still far from strong enough to survive the increasingly dangerous battles ahead."
"Yes, sir!" they both responded with flushed faces, saluting enthusiastically.
Zephyr's personal strength might not match that of Sengoku, Garp, the three Admirals, or even certain Admiral candidates anymore. But when it came to training students, none of them could hold a candle to him.
"Also, call Smoker and that little girl over as well."
"Yes, sir!"
East Blue — Raven Harbor
With a flood of new funding, Grayza now moved with even greater confidence. Her aggressive promotion of the martial arts tournament had reached merchant ships in the Grand Line and even touched the four seas beyond.
Naturally, the event had begun attracting powerful individuals from across the world.
"A martial arts tournament in the East Blue—300 million berries for the winner?!"
"That's not all. They're also offering the Bone-Bone Fruit, a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit, and the winner's name will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame!"
"Wait—this is the East Blue we're talking about, right? The weakest of the four seas?!"
"Registration ends this month?! No way—I'm going. Right now!"
Excitement spread like wildfire. Some were drawn by the prize money, others by the Devil Fruit. But the Hall of Fame—that eternal recognition—was what truly stirred the ambitions of the strong.
New World
In the aftermath of his victory at the Central New World Martial Tournament, Ideo read the newspaper with a gleam in his eye. He licked his lips, intrigued.
"Leave your name forever...?"
"So even the weakest sea dares to advertise all the way into the New World…"
"Interesting. Looks like this tournament won't lack strong opponents."
"Even if the East Blue doesn't have anyone worthy of me, the challengers from the other seas should prove satisfying."
Destruction Cannon—Ideo was just the beginning.
Long-legged fighter Blue Gilly, the notorious bounty hunter Jeet, Abdullah, and many other renowned warriors had also set their sights on the East Blue.
Grand Line — Magic Valley Town
Inside a seedy casino, the atmosphere was tense. A voluptuous dealer with a nervous smile dealt cards with trembling hands.
The source of her fear? A gang of thuggish-looking men crowded the table, glaring at a tall, blind middle-aged man in a flamboyant purple feather coat.
"Why are you shaking? Deal the damn cards!" the lead thug barked.
The dealer flinched and hastily obeyed, her hands moving faster under the pressure.