"Here it comes!"
Gawain's eyes lit up with excitement.
There was no denying it—the power of the Death Walk technique was extraordinary. Especially when paired with his nerve reaction speed, which could keep pace with its super-high velocity.
As long as he could fully master this ability, Gawain's combat potential would undergo a qualitative leap.
His score was already pushing the limits of the Black Iron rank. With one more breakthrough, he could enter the Bronze level—a tier considered elite in the first half of the Grand Line. In the East Blue, it would make him nearly untouchable.
However...
At the moment, the skill was still at Level 0. That meant it had only just awakened—he had yet to master it, and it couldn't be used effectively in real combat.
But Gawain wasn't in a hurry.
After all, Kuro had already reached the level of a top-tier talent. Now that he'd found his goal, his motivation had only intensified.
Gawain did long for a peaceful and easy life, but in order to achieve that, he wasn't just ruthless to others—he was ruthless to himself too.
Just seeing the bruises on Kuro's body after daily training both shocked and reassured him.
That's how leeks should train—no distractions, no complications. Not like those flashy "cutters" who always had too much on their minds.
Gawain smiled knowingly, then stood and headed toward the warship's training room.
Late at night.
A chill wind blew through the open windows from time to time.
Aside from the pirates on night watch and navigation duty, everyone had turned in for the night.
Only the training room echoed with sharp, repeated thuds—proof that Kuro was still hard at work.
Reaching the Bronze level meant more than just greater potential. It meant a body that could endure far more hardship than an ordinary human.
Due to the current uncontrollability of Death Walk, the training room had effectively become Kuro's personal torture chamber.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
In the high-speed state of Death Walk, Kuro repeatedly slammed into the padded walls. Even with the extra protection, bruises still bloomed across his body.
But he didn't stop. On the contrary, he pushed himself harder, squeezing out every ounce of his physical potential.
His speed increased, but so did the difficulty of control. His limited nerve response was quickly becoming the bottleneck in his training.
At the same time, a question gnawed at his mind:
How can the Captain see through the speed of Death Walk so easily?
Lost in thought, Kuro's pace began to slow. He bent forward, hands braced on his knees, breath coming in gasps, his sweat-drenched clothes clinging to him like a second skin.
"Captain?!"
It was only then he realized the door to the training room was open.
Gawain stood in the doorway, arms crossed, watching with his usual cool indifference.
Without hesitation, Kuro voiced the question burning in his heart.
"How did you do it?"
"You can even keep up with the speed of Death Walk!"
If the uncontrollability issue could be solved, Kuro's combat strength would skyrocket—possibly enough to stand against Gawain himself.
At that point, who would be the deputy? After they entered the Grand Line, maybe he could even earn the title of one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!
Though ambition surged inside him, Kuro's face remained calm and respectful, masking his thoughts behind a façade of humble inquiry.
Gawain saw right through it.
But he didn't care in the slightest.
For every step you take, I take ten. If you still manage to beat me in that situation, then honestly—you deserve to be the captain.
Hell, if Kuro really managed to overthrow him, Gawain might hang his own photo on the training room wall as a motivational target.
Gawain gave a small smile and said plainly:
"It's innate. But if you want to improve the controllability of Death Walk, there are a few ways."
"Like enhancing your body to boost your neural reaction time—or using a special Devil Fruit that grants instant improvements."
Kuro shook his head, disappointment flickering in his eyes.
"I've thought of those. Physical enhancement procedures are risky—and I've never heard of any that can modify nerves. Devil Fruits are rare enough as it is, and the kind that boost nerve speed? Practically nonexistent."
"So… there's no way to complete this technique?"
"Not necessarily."
Seeing that the moment was right, Gawain decided to stop teasing him.
"There's a power hidden in everyone," he said. "It's called Haki."
"There's Armament Haki—it strengthens your body or weapons, increasing both offense and defense. Then there's the rarest kind, capable of overwhelming an opponent's spirit..."
"And then there's the sixth sense—Observation Haki. It lets you sense enemies behind you, even outside your field of vision. It can even let you predict your opponent's movements before they act."
"And that—is the perfect counter to the uncontrollability of Death Walk."
"Haki...?"
Kuro's eyes lit up.
"Captain, so you've mastered it?"
"Nope. I just have fast nerves," Gawain said, spreading his hands with a helpless shrug.
Kuro's mouth twitched. For a moment, he seriously considered beating the smug look off the man's face and taking over as captain then and there.
Gawain continued as if nothing had happened.
"In the Grand Line—especially in the second half, the New World—Haki is practically a requirement. If you can't use it, you won't survive."
"You should try to awaken your Observation Haki."
"Close off your five senses. Try to rely on your intuition alone. See if you can sense the world around you."
"Intuition..." Kuro echoed, deep in thought.
After a moment of silence, he retrieved a strip of cloth and tied it around his eyes. Then, he tried to feel his surroundings purely through instinct.
Swoosh!
He launched into Death Walk. Within seconds, he lost control and slammed hard into the wall. The impact nearly tore the padding loose.
What followed was a rapid succession of bone-jarring crashes.
Thud! Bang! Slam!
"Hiss~!"
Gawain winced. Just watching it was painful.
Without a word, he turned and walked away.
Later that night.
The noise from the training room gradually faded.
Kuro, now unbandaged and barely able to stand, let out a scream of pure frustration:
"Are you kidding me?!"
"Sixth sense outside the five senses?! What kind of nonsense is that?!"
Meanwhile, Gawain, already tucked into bed, rolled over and began to snore contentedly.
The next day.
Kuro didn't show up to practice.
Gawain thought about asking why, but when he saw the thick bandages wrapped around the man—and those eyes filled with murderous rage—he could only smile awkwardly and offer some polite advice.
"You know, this kind of thing… takes time."
"Get lost!" Kuro snapped, cheeks flushed with fury. If he hadn't been too injured to fight, he might have tried to make good on his threat.
Still, he didn't give up.
Frustration aside, he trusted Gawain's words.
First, they were heading to the Grand Line soon. If it had all been a lie, it wouldn't last long.
Second, with Gawain's strength and confidence, there was no reason for him to lie in the first place.
So, on the third day, Kuro returned to his Observation Haki training.
And once again, he ended up in the infirmary.
Both arms fractured, extensive bruising to his soft tissues—he wouldn't be stepping into a training room again for at least half a month.
Gawain checked his system panel and noticed that Death Walk had barely reached Level 1.
He burst out laughing and couldn't stop praising Kuro.