"It's just that after this… we'll need to kill everyone here to be safe."
As that thought crossed Kuro's mind, the murderous aura radiating from his body grew increasingly uncontrollable. Even his own subordinates instinctively backed away.
The distance between the warship and the pirate vessel quickly closed to less than a hundred meters. In a near point-blank clash, cannon fire was nullified—not by defense, but by two men wielding swords.
Boom!
The two ships collided with a thunderous crash.
Pirates met pirates.
Steel met steel.
Chaos erupted in an instant.
In the opening moments of the brawl, Gawain's crew displayed an overwhelming advantage. The difference in skill and experience between the two sides was glaring.
In a matter of seconds, over a dozen corpses lay sprawled across Kuro's deck.
If not for the presence of the cat brothers, Kuro's crew might have been completely wiped out in that first skirmish.
"What the hell is with these people?!"
"Are regular pirates this good with a sword?"
"They must be from some sword dojo or something!"
Sham swatted away an oncoming blade with his claws, but another wave of attackers surged forward. Blades and claws clashed again in a frenzied dance.
He and Buchi barely held off Gawain's men—it was all they could do just to stay alive.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, the two captains held back, neither making the first move. When their eyes met, both sensed the absolute confidence in the other.
"When did someone like you show up in the East Blue?" Kuro asked as he slowly slipped off the sheath from his fingers. His silver-white claw blades shimmered coldly in the light.
"There are plenty of people who came from the East Blue," Gawain replied calmly. "Some have claimed the title of King in the New World. Some are hailed by the Navy as heroes who saved the world."
Then he added with a faint smile,
"Wanna become my subordinate?"
Kuro chuckled darkly.
"If you'd asked a few years ago, I might've considered taking you in. But now I'm done playing pirate games. All that's left is to send you to hell."
"That's a shame."
The moment Gawain's voice faded, both men launched forward.
Swoosh!
Twin sonic booms echoed through the air as their figures—one black, one white—vanished from sight and clashed midair.
Sword met claw in a flurry of metallic sparks.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
The sound of blades filled the sky, but the fighters themselves were nearly invisible.
Both were masters of speed.
Kuro, who had perfected the art of the "Death Walk," moved so fast he practically vanished. With his ten-finger claw blades, he held a slight edge in this kind of battle.
But Gawain had awakened early. His reflexes, reaction time, and sword speed far surpassed those of a normal human. Coupled with a body tough as steel, he was a walking powerhouse.
As the duel intensified, both weapons began to show signs of wear. Chips and cracks appeared, but neither man's gaze wavered. If anything, their eyes only burned brighter.
Kuro slashed again and again, but it felt like Gawain's sword was a venomous snake—striking at every tiny opening. The moment Kuro made the smallest misstep—
Swish!
A flash of silver-white light. Blood sprayed.
Kuro stumbled back, a shallow cut tearing across his shoulder. His pupils quivered.
He got me... He actually got me!
I was beaten... at my own speed!
This is... interesting. Very interesting!
Kuro's suppressed battle lust surged to the surface. Pain sharpened his focus—his body moved even faster.
Where once his figure left faint afterimages, now even those disappeared. Only the tearing claw marks on the ship's deck betrayed his presence.
"He's using the Death Walk!"
"The captain activated the Death Walk!"
"We're screwed!"
A member of the Black Cat Pirates cried out, only for a series of razor-sharp gashes to appear across his chest. Bone showed beneath, blood gushed out.
He collapsed backward, coughing blood.
Panic spread. The remaining pirates no longer had the will to fight. Many leapt overboard, desperate to escape their captain's uncontrollable wrath.
This move—Death Walk—was far beyond human control.
"Sham, we need to go!" Buchi shouted. "He's activated that technique! No one can survive it!"
"If we stay, we'll be—!"
Before he could finish, fresh wounds tore across his shoulders. Thankfully, his thick fur dulled the blow, but the fear struck deep.
"Move! Now!"
"That Knight—Gawain—is dead! No one's ever survived this move!"
"Even pirates with bounties over 20 million berries were nearly killed by it!"
Buchi clutched his wound and ducked into the cabin. Sham fended off the attackers and followed.
On the deck, carnage reigned.
Bodies lay strewn about. Some headless. Some limbless.
In mere seconds, only one man remained standing.
Gawain.
Kuro—now the embodiment of death itself—flitted across the deck at inhuman speeds, tearing through friend and foe alike like the legendary Kamaitachi(*Sickle Weasel) of Wano.
"Once I activate this move, even I can barely control where it hits. What it cuts... depends on luck."
Kuro's voice echoed from all directions, omnipresent and mocking.
"Morgan should've been the one to die today. Everything was perfect..."
"If I killed him, I could've shed this pirate title and lived a peaceful life."
"But if I kill you—then everything will still be fine!"
"Blame your bad luck!"
"Really now?" Gawain's voice remained calm.
His eyes darted rapidly, tracking Kuro's erratic movement. Thanks to his transformed body, not only was his speed enhanced, but so was his reaction time.
What was invisible to normal men was crystal clear to him.
"Your ability surpasses my expectations," Gawain said, smiling faintly. "I want you on my team—as my right hand, Kuro."
"You've gotta be kidding me!"
Kuro's furious roar pierced the air. To him, Gawain sounded like an idiot—still recruiting allies at death's door.
"Die you fool!"
Through the storm of motion, Kuro finally locked onto Gawain's figure—the last one standing on deck.
He charged.
His blades opened wide.
He envisioned the kill: Gawain's torso split open, guts spilling across the deck.
But the next instant—
Boom!
A deafening shockwave cracked the sky. Kuro's body stopped mid-charge. It felt like a cannonball had slammed into his chest. Blood filled his throat.
The chaos around him slowed, clarity returning as his body fell out of Death Walk state.
That's when he saw it—the hilt of Gawain's sword pressed squarely against his chest.
Kuro barely registered the pain. His eyes widened in disbelief.
"You… you could see it?!"
Gawain nodded.
"Yes. I could see everything."