It was already night when Gin woke again.
Outside the porthole, a full moon had just risen over the sea. Its silvery light shimmered across the waves, casting a ghostly sheen on the water.
Gin slowly sat up, realizing he was now in a cabin. Beneath him was a warm, soft quilt that, miraculously, hadn't become damp despite the ocean's humidity. The bandages he'd worn—sodden from the earlier chaos—had been replaced with fresh ones.
His head swirled with memories as he sat upright, the past few days rushing back to him:
Pearl's warning, Krieg's cold-hearted betrayal, the desperate cries of his dying comrades...
Wounds to the body could heal—but these? These cut deeper, slicing straight to the soul.
Though a stove burned steadily in the corner and the cabin's windows were sealed tight against the sea breeze, Gin instinctively pulled the quilt tighter around himself. A chill still seeped in—one that came from within.
"Loyalty..." he muttered to himself, a bitter, self-mocking smirk creeping onto his lips.
"Heh."
"Betrayal's the only truth among pirates—!"
Squeak—!
The door creaked open.
Gin turned to see Gawain entering, a plate of steaming fried rice in his hands. His tone was casual.
"The cook got injured earlier, so I made something myself. Try it—can't fight on an empty stomach."
He placed the plate on the bedside table and gave Gin a wave.
Gin stared at him, momentarily stunned.
There was something fundamentally different about Gawain. He wielded a stronger presence than Krieg, but his aura was... calm. Grounded.
It was the complete opposite of Krieg's savagery and tyranny.
Gin had never seen a man—let alone a pirate—like this.
His gaze shifted from the food to Gawain.
"…Why did you save me?"
Gawain looked him squarely in the eye, no hesitation in his voice.
"I'm short on men. In terms of both character and strength—you're exactly what I need."
He didn't hide his admiration. In fact, Gawain had scouted Gin the day the freighter set sail. As expected, the battle had revealed not only Kuro's awakening of Observation Haki—but Gin's as well.
Though Gin's potential was still classified at the bronze level, his recent awakening had brought him just a breath away from silver. One step forward—whether unlocking his will or eating a Devil Fruit—and he'd break through. A long-term investment, just like Kuro.
But what truly set Gin apart was something even rarer among pirates:
Loyalty.
That much had been clear at Raven Harbor.
When Krieg abandoned him without a second thought and ordered an artillery strike, Gin—half-dead—had still shielded Krieg, buying him a chance to flee.
And that's why, Gawain thought, he had to be the one to show him something different.
"Hey, Gin," Gawain asked, voice low. "Do you remember the last thing he said to you?"
Gin's expression darkened.
"Of course. He said, 'Don't get on my ship in the next life.'"
Gawain nodded.
"Then you've repaid everything you owed him."
"You're free now, Gin. You have the right to choose your path."
He paused, then added gently, "If you want it, the position of combat captain is yours—at least until this ship docks."
Gawain looked at the man before him—not with pity, not with expectation, but with quiet resolve. He wouldn't manipulate Gin with guilt or gratitude. That would make him no better than Krieg.
Gin stared at the plate of fried rice.
He said nothing.
Seeing this, Gawain sighed inwardly. Then, he turned to leave.
"You should rest."
Squeak—
The door creaked closed behind him.
But as Gawain turned down the corridor, he saw Kuro leaning against the wall, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Judging by Gawain's expression, Kuro could already guess what had happened inside.
"You really got rejected, didn't you?" he said, grin widening. "Guys like him—once they've chosen a captain, they'll follow him to the bitter end. Trust me, I know better than anyone."
Kuro tapped his chest lightly, where his wound still throbbed. The grin faded, replaced by a glint of seriousness in his eyes.
"His nickname isn't wrong."
"Demons aren't just cold-blooded to their enemies—they're ruthless to themselves. If it helps them win, they'll sacrifice their own lives without hesitation."
"How could someone like that be moved by kindness?"
With a sharp push to his glasses, Kuro's tone turned crisp.
"Want me to help convince him? I may be wounded, but I'm not the same man I was. Even if it's you I have to go through—"
"Heh."
Gawain glanced at the fresh bandages wrapped around Kuro's torso.
"You're too injured. It'd be boring. Heal up—and when you're ready, come challenge me for captain."
"But," he added with a smirk, "losers don't get to cry."
"Ah~"
Kuro shrugged.
"You're always like this. Like everything's just a game to you. That smug calm of yours—it's infuriating."
"Hmph."
Gawain's faint smile was his only reply.
The two were about to walk off when—
"Captain, another one!"
Gin's voice rang out from inside the cabin.
Gawain paused, eyes wide for a moment—then a small, genuine smile tugged at his lips.
"…You really think I'm the cook around here."
Kuro's eyes widened.
"…How did you do that?"
"I made him fried rice."
"That's it?" Kuro blinked.
"That's it."
Gawain clapped him on the shoulder.
"To be a real captain, you need more than strength."
Kuro grumbled, "While I was fighting for my life at sea, you were flirting with princesses in Goa."
"Can we not bring that up?"
"Then tell me honestly—what did you say to him? That kind of guy doesn't bend so easily."
Kuro looked unconvinced, especially at the soft smile lingering on Gawain's face. He felt mocked.
"Some things," Gawain said, "can't be measured by gains and losses."
"People are made of flesh and blood—even demon."
Para Island
A modest port sat quietly on the shore.
A few small pirate ships bobbed at anchor, and a line of weathered wooden houses stretched along the waterfront. Their decay made one thing clear—this had been Kuro's hideout for many years.
Dozens of pirates now huddled around a fire in the heart of the port. The flickering flames lit up their faces, highlighting pale skin and anxious expressions.
Jango glared at two local pirates who'd remained behind to guard the base.
"You're telling me—" he growled, "two teenage girls stole all the treasure Vice Captain Kuro spent years collecting?!"
"That's right!" one of the pirates nodded frantically. "I remember exactly what they looked like—about fifteen or sixteen, one with short orange hair, the other with short purple hair."
The other pirate chimed in, oblivious to the tension.
"They were young, sure—but damn, what a figure." He gave a thumbs-up.
Bang!
Jango smacked him hard on the head, sending him sprawling.
"Idiot! The real problem is—how the hell are we going to explain this to the vice captain?!"
"Even Captain Gawain won't spare you for something this stupid!"