Gawain smiled faintly and stepped forward, unfazed by the warning.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out from the dense forest ahead.
Before the black bullet could reach him, it was sliced cleanly in half by a flash of silver steel, the two halves whistling past his coat harmlessly.
"Take one more step, and the next one goes straight to your head!"
The voice came again from within the shadows of the trees—sharp, nervous, desperate.
But Gawain had already sensed the fear behind the threat. He could even guess the identity of the person hiding within the forest.
He continued forward without hesitation.
Soon, a curious sight came into view—a box, topped with a messy green afro.
"What is that?" Nami asked, puzzled.
She pointed toward a flintlock rifle lying nearby. "Look! There's the gun—it's still smoking!"
As her words fell, the box visibly trembled.
Gawain noticed a foot awkwardly poking out from beneath it.
He approached, grabbed the green afro, and lifted it like a handle.
An older man's face suddenly popped out. Except for his arms and legs awkwardly jutting out, his entire body was stuffed inside the cramped box.
"Quit pretending. You were the one who fired the shot."
Gawain recognized the oddball immediately: the so-called "Box Monster" Gaimon, a memorable character from the original story.
Unfortunate in some ways—after all, the treasure he spent a lifetime guarding turned out to be just empty boxes. But also lucky, for he had found something truly worth protecting here.
"Let me go, pirate!" Gaimon shouted, struggling. But his short arms couldn't even reach his head, making the scene comically pitiful.
"What... is this?" Nami had pushed through the group, her eyes wide as she stared at the man in the box. "How can someone live like that?!"
The others, equally curious, began to gather around.
Even Kuro, usually aloof, couldn't resist poking Gaimon's face with a stick, prompting Gin to mutter, "A little rude, don't you think~?"
Suddenly—
A thunderous roar echoed from the jungle.
Dozens of strange beasts burst from the undergrowth, snarling as they charged toward Gawain.
Even under the suffocating pressure of Gawain's killing intent, the beasts didn't back down.
Gaimon's pupils shrank. He curled tightly inside his box, unable to turn around. In a panicked voice, he shouted:
"Stop! Leave them alone!"
"I used to be able to take on a group like that all by myself!"
"And you—"
"If you hurt my friends, I won't forgive you!"
Gaimon waved his tiny hands in the air, a gesture that held absolutely no threat. Gawain's mouth twitched slightly.
"Why do you make me sound like a villain?"
He sighed and scratched his head helplessly, then gently set Gaimon down.
The moment Gaimon's feet touched the ground, he dashed forward on his stubby legs, placing himself in front of the approaching beasts, shielding them with his small body. He turned back and glared at Gawain.
"Don't even think about hurting them!"
Gawain raised his hands innocently.
"As you can see, we're pirates. A storm's coming, and we just need a place to take shelter."
"If it's not too much trouble…"
Gaimon's eyes lit up. "I'll help you—but on one condition! You have to help me retrieve something first."
Gawain nodded. He already knew what Gaimon was after.
"Only you. You must come alone!"
"Fine."
He turned to his crew and waved.
"You guys wait here."
No one objected—except Nami, who looked concerned.
But the rest? They didn't even consider the possibility of danger. If someone couldn't handle Gawain, then—aside from Kuro—none of them had a chance either.
Despite his short legs, Gaimon moved quickly.
Within a few minutes, the two had reached the deeper part of the island, heading toward a mountain.
Gawain followed behind and asked, "Aren't you worried I might attack you?"
Gaimon stopped walking.
"I can tell," he said calmly. "You're far stronger than any pirate I've ever seen. If you were really evil, I'd be dead already from that first shot."
"You don't bully the weak. That's not what pirates usually do."
With that, he continued walking deeper into the forest.
Gawain paused, then shook his head with a faint smile.
"Did I just get handed a 'good guy' card?"
"…Not that I mind."
He caught up.
Eventually, they reached the mountain.
A massive boulder loomed high on the cliffside, nearly twenty meters tall. From there, several boxes rested atop it.
Gaimon stared up at them.
"That's it! Those boxes are the treasure I've guarded for years! Please, get them down. Even if they turn out to be worthless, I just want to see what's inside with my own eyes!"
Gawain, already aware of the truth, didn't say much. He grabbed Gaimon by the collar and tossed him gently upward.
"You should see it for yourself."
Gaimon had no time to respond. With a few excited grunts and the sound of boxes being opened, the cliffside went quiet.
A long silence followed.
Then—
A deep, weary sigh drifted down.
"…So they knew all along the boxes were empty?"
Gaimon's voice was barely audible.
At that moment, Gawain called up from below:
"Well? Did you find what you were looking for?"
Gaimon froze.
He looked around.
From his perch atop the mountain, he could see the entire island. Strange beasts—his companions for years—wandered freely below, some even looking up at him with concern.
How could they not be a treasure?
He wiped away tears that had silently gathered at the corners of his eyes.
"…Yeah," he murmured.
"It really is the greatest treasure—worth protecting for a lifetime."
Gawain smiled and caught Gaimon as he leapt back down.
Gaimon looked at him seriously.
"Hey."
"I've found my treasure… What about you?"
"Out there on the seas—is there something you'd risk your life for? Something you'd wait twenty years to obtain?"
"Because if not… no matter how strong you are, someone stronger will come along and take everything from you."
Gawain was stunned.
His mind went blank.
He had never thought about it.
Ever since arriving in this world, he had relied on his sword and the support of his companions to conquer everything in the East Blue.
It had all gone too smoothly.
Morgan, Krieg, Arlong—none of them could match his swordsmanship.
His original goal had been simple: to make a name for himself on the Grand Line and earn a seat as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
But that was only a means to an end—not the goal itself.
"…Something worth dying for," Gawain murmured.