"Morgan is dead. Those who surrender will be spared!"
Gawain raised Morgan's severed head high, his sword still slick with blood.
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried with chilling weight—enough to bring the firefight to a sudden halt.
The marines, once fanatical in their charge, now stood frozen. Their eyes locked on Morgan's headless body, their morale collapsing like a house of cards.
The fiery ambition kindled by Morgan's rhetoric only moments ago vanished in an instant. Reality had struck hard—and it looked nothing like the glory they'd imagined.
"Major Morgan… is dead?"
One marine's face turned pale. Were it not for the blade wound on his arm, he might've believed it was all a nightmare.
"This has to be a joke…"
"We're marines! How can we bow to pirates?!"
Swish!
Before the defiant marine could finish, his head was sliced clean off by Gawain's blade. Blood sprayed across his comrades, staining their uniforms.
"Warm, salty... tastes like iron…"
A nearby marine mumbled in horror, staring at the blood on his lips.
"This… isn't a dream…"
Moments ago, he had been brimming with confidence, eager to claim Gawain's head for promotion and glory. Now, he trembled, unable to lift his weapon.
After all, if even Morgan couldn't stand against Gawain—what chance did any of them have?
Clang!
Weapons dropped to the ground in unison. The remaining marines gave up resistance, falling to their knees and lowering their heads.
The battle was over.
It wasn't until Gawain ordered his crew to tie up the marines that the pirates themselves seemed to snap out of their stunned silence. They turned their gazes from Morgan's corpse to Gawain—his white coat unblemished by a single drop of blood.
In their eyes, something had ignited—a blazing fire of awe and newfound belief.
"Captain… he really defeated Morgan?"
"Defeated?" someone muttered.
"That was an instant kill."
A pirate wearing a wide-brimmed hat stepped forward, eyes locked on Morgan's lifeless body. He reached up and touched his own neck, as if verifying it was still there.
"The captain's going to be famous across the East Blue after this."
"Even monsters in the Grand Line might not stand a chance against him!"
"Ah… I get the feeling the East Blue isn't big enough for him anymore."
"No. It's not that the East Blue can't hold him—it's that it no longer deserves him."
"That incident with Lancer… it changed him completely."
"His mindset, his strength, his resolve—it's like he became a different person entirely."
They all looked at Gawain's back, silent and unmoving on the battlefield, with reverence and a confidence they had never known before.
With Morgan's fall, the situation on the island was swiftly brought under control.
The marines who had landed were tied up and gathered. The remaining warships anchored offshore were seized with ease, and every marine aboard was taken captive.
By the time the dust settled, a crimson sun had risen over the sea.
Gawain stood on the deck of one of the captured warships, his cloak fluttering in the breeze. Before him knelt the captured marines.
"Captain, what should we do with them?"
The hooded helmsman stepped forward and asked respectfully.
Since Lancer's death, he had served as Gawain's temporary deputy—and his performance had proven more than capable.
Gawain looked over the prisoners, silent for a long moment. Then he spoke:
"Leave them on the island."
"Captain… these men took the lives of many of our brothers. You're just going to let them go?"
The helmsman couldn't stop himself from questioning the order.
"Are you trying to teach me how to lead?" Gawain asked coldly.
"N-No, Captain!"
The helmsman immediately fell to his knees, eyes wide with fear.
He realized then—this was no longer the kind-hearted knight they once followed. This was Gawain, the pirate.
The same Gawain who had dismantled their enemies without effort… the man whose true strength had only recently come to light.
Over the past month, Gawain had devoted most of his time to training them—never fighting seriously. In hindsight, it was clear:
He had been hiding his power all along.
He wasn't weak. He was merciful. And they, along with the navy, had destroyed that mercy—giving birth to this monster.
The helmsman's thoughts spiraled. The deeper he pondered it, the harder it became to suppress the fear rising in his chest.
"Good. Remember that," Gawain said indifferently, casting a cold glance at him before shifting his eyes back to the prisoners.
Killing in battle and executing captives were not the same. One could be rationalized—even forgiven. The other left no room for diplomacy or retreat.
Gawain wasn't ready to completely sever ties with the Navy—at least, not yet.
In the world of pirates, only the extreme outliers—like Hawkeye—operated solo.
Every great pirate eventually carved out territory and ruled over it.
Crocodile seized Alabasta. Doflamingo reigned in Dressrosa. The Four Emperors of the New World—Kaido, Whitebeard, Big Mom—each commanded territory like true kings.
Even Red-Haired Shanks had gathered his own fleet.
And there was one reason they all followed this path:
Stability.
Relying solely on plundering to survive—living from one meal to the next—might be acceptable in the early days of building a pirate crew.
But if you're still doing that in the later stages, you're either genuinely incompetent, or you're a crew like the Straw Hats—more adventurers than pirates.
Even so, the Straw Hats have managed to gather a massive following.
From Fishman Island to Wano Country, any territory flying their flag has effectively become part of their sphere of influence—intentional or not.
For Gawain, who leads through a centralized captain system, the more stable his pirate group becomes, the faster his "leeks"—his followers—can grow. And in turn, so will he.
To establish a lasting force and create a virtuous cycle of power and growth, one must also avoid the constant harassment of the ever-present Navy.
To do that, you have two options:
Either become so powerful that even Navy Headquarters must hesitate before acting—
Or become a Shichibukai, a Warlord of the Sea, who operates with the World Government's official license to plunder.
Understanding this, Gawain set his first goal:
Rebel first, then recruit.
As for how to become a Shichibukai, both Ace and Blackbeard have already paved the way with two clear examples.
One path: rely on overwhelming strength to take down a current Warlord and earn enough attention to be protected by powerful backers.
The other: wait for a Warlord position to become vacant, and then recommend yourself as a candidate.
Each method has pros and cons, but both require one essential condition:
You must be strong enough.
Gawain, who hadn't even left the East Blue yet, clearly lacked the qualifications for that now. But it didn't stop him from putting "Join the Shichibukai" on his long-term agenda.
That said, his current priority was simple:
Get stronger. Fast.
After leaving the captured marines behind on the island and confirming the warship was in good condition, Gawain followed the directions on his sea chart and led his crew toward a nearby town to resupply.
Notably, Gawain didn't take down the Navy flag from the warship.
In fact, for entering ordinary towns or securing supplies, the naval insignia was far more useful than a pirate flag.
A Few Days Later
East Blue Navy Branch Headquarters.
The conference room was thick with smoke, and tension hung heavily in the air.
Navy officers from various East Blue branch bases had gathered, their expressions grave as they stared at two bounty posters laid out on the table.
One depicted a young man with a wide-brimmed orange hat, freckles across his cheeks, and a carefree, sunny smile.
The other showed a tall figure clad in black leather armor, his features sharp and handsome, posture upright and noble—like a knight torn straight from the pages of a storybook.
Major Brannew from Navy Headquarters stood at the front of the room. His voice was stern, cutting through the silence.
"Gentlemen."
"The situation in the East Blue is more serious than we anticipated."
"The natural-ability user Fire Fist Ace created chaos at Branch 151, causing extensive casualties."
"And Knight Gawain—he went even further. He executed Commander Morgan. According to eyewitness reports… Gawain only drew his sword once."
A chill ran through the room.
"The bounties for both men need to be revised—immediately."