The three of them huddled together, earnestly discussing the tournament details.
Within just half an hour, the general framework of the martial arts tournament had been finalized. Originally planned as an internal competition, it was now set to be held publicly in the East Blue.
Gawain had directly borrowed the format of the bullfighting arena from Dressrosa.
Four major arenas would be set up—one in each direction: southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest. A grand melee would erupt in each, and the final four standing from each arena would advance to the top sixteen. From there, it would become a knockout tournament, with the victor crowned champion!
For this first tournament, all Gawain Pirates members who were willing to participate were encouraged to join. External participants were also welcome to register, establishing a model for future annual events.
This tournament would help define the internal ranking of the Gawain Pirates. Newcomers joining in the future would challenge others starting from the bottom and climb their way up.
The ultimate winner would earn a place in the Hall of Fame, a handsome monetary prize, and other rare treasures.
With both fame and fortune at stake, there was no doubt the tournament would draw plenty of challengers.
"As for the prizes..." Grayza mused. "The auction house in Loguetown often puts up famous swords and Devil Fruits."
"But because it's the site of Pirate King Roger's execution, it attracts troublemakers constantly. Carrying large sums of money there without proper strength is practically asking to be robbed."
"The next auction should be in about two weeks."
After saying that, Grayza blinked at Gawain meaningfully.
Money.
Gawain let out a bitter smile and shook his head.
"There's still some of Arlong's stash left. I'll transfer it to you first. As for going to Loguetown... forget sending Gin—I'll go myself."
"The port operations can't do without you. That smoke bastard, I'm the only one who can handle him."
Grayza nodded fiercely in agreement.
Gawain then turned to relay the updated tournament structure to his crew.
The ranking within the crew would now be determined by this tournament. Anyone dissatisfied with their position could later challenge others in internal ranking matches.
No one objected.
In the meeting room:
After hearing Gawain's announcement, Sanji's eyes gleamed.
"That means we'll be performing on an even bigger stage—facing all the commoners and noble ladies of the East Blue! If I win, they'll witness my dashing charisma firsthand!"
"When the time comes... hehehe~"
Sanji's nostrils flared, and his hands twisted into suggestive shapes. Nami, standing beside him, popped a vein on her forehead.
"Idiot!"
Bang!
She punched Sanji square on the head, sending him to the floor. A large bump formed instantly, steam hissing from it.
Zoro, watching the scene, curled his lips in disdain and ignored Sanji entirely. His attention remained on Gawain's announcement.
"A public martial arts tournament?"
"Not just the East Blue... this could attract monsters from the Grand Line too."
"If I want to face those kinds of opponents, I'm nowhere near strong enough yet."
"I can't afford to slack off for the next three months."
Nami glanced sidelong at Zoro, muttering under her breath:
"You might as well just eat, drink, and do your business in the training room if you're going to live there 24/7."
"Huh?" Zoro turned to her, confused.
She smiled politely. "Nothing."
Elsewhere, the newly empowered Cat Brothers and Gin—who aspired to be Gawain's right-hand man—and even Van Augur, who'd only just joined and had money on his mind, all looked eager to compete.
"It's unfair for a sniper to fight in a confined arena..." Van Augur muttered. "But battles rarely happen under perfect conditions. You have to be ready for anything."
He set down his prized rifle, Senriku, and pulled a pair of revolvers from beneath his coat. After inspecting and adjusting them with care, he nodded, satisfied.
"Moments like these are when you take the stage."
Gin glanced at him, then at the revolvers, sensing a rising threat.
"You're far more dangerous than you look."
"Well~" Van Augur shrugged, meeting Gin's gaze with a faint smirk.
"I can't compare to a monster like you, Battle Captain Gin..."
He paused.
Then, his eyes swept across the Cat Brothers and finally locked with Zoro's. The air seemed to crackle with tension.
Van Augur's lips curled into a thin smile.
"...Except for you three monsters, I don't plan on losing to anyone else."
"Oh?" Zoro responded, unfazed. "What a coincidence—I was thinking the same thing. I'm also curious to see just how strong our Battle Captain is."
"You will." Gin's face remained calm, but inside, he felt a growing pressure.
For now, he could still suppress these ambitious newcomers with his superior strength—but the gap was narrowing.
"It's time I found a way to break through my limits..."
"Whether it's Haki, as Captain explained, or a Devil Fruit power..."
"My comrades are getting stronger. I don't want to be the one left behind."
High above in the meeting room—
Gawain silently observed everyone's reactions, nodding in satisfaction.
It seemed the reorganization of the martial arts tournament hadn't dampened their fighting spirit at all. On the contrary, the tension and rivalry among them had only grown more intense.
Perfect.
That night, Gawain received a flawless report card from his new recruits.
"Physical Combat Experience +781!"
...(several other system messages omitted)
"Sniper Experience +62!"
"Zoan Devil Fruit Experience +50!"
"Navigation Experience +60!"
Back in his room, Gawain listened to the familiar system chime. His expression grew subtly complicated.
The system had reawakened.
A familiar panel unfolded before him:
[Host – Gawain]
[Age – 24]
[Title – Captain of the Gawain Pirates]
[Skills]
Swordsmanship – LV 10: 6413/12000 (Super Speed, Extreme Blade)
Constitution – LV 10: 8361/12000 (Balance, Harmony) (Human-Beast Form: LV 13 / Beast Form: LV 14)
Death Walk – LV 5: 1451/2500 (Flash Step)
Observation Haki – LV 3: 2411/3200
Armament Haki – LV 1: 288/1000
Navigation – LV 5: 165 / MAX
Red Dragon Fruit – LV 1: 60/2000
Sniper – LV 1: 108/400
[Badges]
Captain's Fury – Subordinates' Physical Recovery +20%
Rising Fame – View Potential Abilities
Bounty Over 100 Million – Favor of the Sea (Used)
[Rating – Silver]
Silver Limit!
Understand your true heart. Temper your will. You've taken your first step on the path to greatness.
Though his progress had been irregular, many skills had improved substantially.
He had now hit the silver ceiling. As long as he could refine his skills and abilities further, he was on the brink of entering gold rank.
The Devil Fruit skill gains clearly stemmed from the Cat Brothers. While a daily gain of 60 wasn't much, it far outpaced what Gawain could achieve alone.
But what concerned him most...
Was the progress in Navigation and Sniping—both thanks to Van Augur.
"Navigation LV 5... and I haven't even unlocked a branch talent."
"Well, it makes sense. My body doesn't have natural talent in navigation. Otherwise, I wouldn't have wandered around at LV 1 for years."
"And even with the skill maxed, I'm still accumulating wasted experience."
"Such a shame."