A few days later, at Pala Island.
It was almost dusk, the setting sun was shining obliquely, and the red glow made the whole harbor sparkle.
The busy people came and went, and all of them had smiles on their faces that were not like those of pirates because this period of time was the most comfortable time they had ever had since they went to sea.
Some people even cultivated fields on the land of Pala Island and planted wheat, vegetables, and fruits.
Relaxed, pure, and comfortable.
There is no need to run around for survival, compete with colleagues for food on the edge of a sword, or face the fearful eyes of civilians.
"This kind of life can only be lived by following Captain Gawain."
A pirate was leaning against the fence of the harbor with a cigarette in his mouth while chatting casually with his companions beside him.
"Who says it's not?"
"I have had five previous captains. Those who could be called my friends either died in battle or at the hands of my captains. Only Captain Gawain was different. He cared about the lives of people like us."
After speaking, the pirate suddenly raised his head and looked at the sea level in the distance.
Then, a familiar pirate flag slowly emerged, and then a small sailboat gradually merged into the harbor.
"Captain Gawain is back!"
As the sound landed, the pirates who were still in the harbor flocked in to greet their most respected captain.
… … …
On deck, Zoro looked up at the harbor, and his eyes were instantly attracted by the smiles on everyone's faces.
He can naturally distinguish what is true and what is false.
Different from those smiles that were deliberately faked to please the captain, the smiles on the faces of the pirates in the harbor at this moment were genuine.
And there was only one person on the boat who could make them show such expressions.
"Yeah."
Zoro looked back at Gawain, his mouth slightly curled: "It seems I'm on a pretty good ship."
Nami glanced at him, and a smile unconsciously appeared on the corner of her mouth, revealing an expression of tolerance: "Isn't it natural for the captain to have such prestige?"
"You still have a lot to learn, newbie with green algae hair."
Hearing Nami's deliberate emphasis on the word newbie, Zoro's forehead veins throbbed. "You just joined the group a few days earlier than me, so are you still considered a senior crew?"
"A few days early still makes me a senior crew than you!"
Nami made a face at him.
Zoro's face froze, and he felt more and more that women were creatures that would only affect his practice of swordsmanship.
"You really make me angry!"
Just as Nami was about to continue speaking, she felt a warm hand on her head, rubbing it hard.
The same is true for Zoro on the other side.
It stopped the two from arguing, and Gawain said calmly after looking at them: "Alright."
"Now, let's go home!"
The ship dropped the anchor in the harbor, and after it stopped steadily, the gangway was lowered.
Gawain, surrounded by a group of pirates, slowly walked to the back of the harbor.
Today, the Nyaban Brothers are still patrolling near Raven Harbor, fighting off pirates roaming the nearby waters.
Only Jango remains guarding the harbor.
After Gawain briefly understood the situation, he no longer paid attention to it and directly ordered people to light a fire in the center of the harbor.
As a banquet was held, Nami and Zoro, who were originally a little unfamiliar with everyone, gradually became familiar with them.
… … …
The next day, Gawain sat at his desk, thinking about his next move.
To enter the Grand Line, the first priority is building a ship.
With the money obtained from Arlong, they can build a pirate ship capable of sailing in the New World.
After all, even the total cost of the Thousand Sunny, which has a variety of functions, is only 200 million, excluding the private goods and keel that Franky brought in.
If he builds a ship at ten times the price, would it still sink?
Gawain sneered in his heart.
The only thing he's worried about is the technical level of the shipwright, and he can only ask Gaza for help with that.
She is a noble from the East Blue and manages a harbor. Even if the shipbuilders under her are not as good as Franky's, they should be of a certain level.
Another thing is to recruit Sanji, the Gold-level seed from East Blue, before entering the Grand Line.
However, he was still an apprentice at the Baratie at the time, and his whereabouts were unknown.
He heard that Baratie had arrived at Raven Harbor a few days ago, but it seemed that Sanji had some conflicts with Gaza, and Baratie left the next day.
"I can only let the Nyaban Brothers pay attention to this matter first."
"Once they find it, we can just track it, but it will take some time to locate it."
"I can also take this opportunity to gain some experience from Zoro and the others and see if I can raise my rating to silver before entering the Grand Line."
"Bronze-level combat power is more than enough in the East Blue, but it's still a little lacking when it comes to the Grand Line."
"As for the Armament Haki..."
When mentioning Armament Haki, Gawain frowned slightly.
During this period of time, as he explored on his own, he gradually figured out some of the tricks, but he always felt that he was missing something that was the most crucial.
"Everyone has a mysterious power in their body, but ordinary people may not be able to awaken it even if they spend their entire lives. But how should I do this step..."
"I have tried everything I could. The only thing I haven't tried is fighting."
"A battle in which we are evenly matched, or even in which my opponent is much stronger than me!"
"But there are no such opponents in the East Blue right now. Do I have to wait until I enter the Grand Line?"
Gawain sighed, and when he turned around and saw the scene outside the window, a smile unconsciously appeared on the corner of his mouth.
In the harbor, three figures holding barbells have already started their training for the day and have even attracted a large number of followers.
Everyone worked out under the scorching sun, sweating and enjoying the pleasure of their bodies becoming gradually stronger.
A slight smile appeared on Gawain's lips.
"This is the qualified cultivation of a leek."
After speaking, Gawain poured himself a cup of coffee, tasting the sour taste mixed with the aroma of milk.
"Huh."
"What a sin!"
Gawain let out a sigh of relief.
He finally understands why the boss likes to let employees work overtime so much.
How can he describe the feeling of watching others working hard for him?!
That's right, the life of a capitalist is so simple and unpretentious!
Kuro, who had already awakened his Observation-Haki, naturally noticed that Gawain was looking at him.
Feeling his body gradually getting hot, Kuro sneered in his heart: "That bastard is so lazy; it won't be long before I become the captain!"
… … …
Time flies, and more than a month has passed.
The Nyaban Brothers were still searching aimlessly for the ocean-going restaurant, Baratie, but they were always one step behind, and they still had to patrol near Raven Harbor.
Gaza had already helped Gawain contact the shipyard, and according to Gawain's budget, they had produced a design drawing, and they could start construction as soon as the Treasure Tree Adam, which would serve as the keel, arrived.
At nightfall, the sea breeze blows into the cabin.
The system prompt sound came to Gawain's ears again.
"Physique experience +246!"
"Swordsmanship experience +411!"
"Pussyfoot Maneuver experience +51"
"Observation-Haki experience +82!"
With another wave of experience coming in, Gawain's long-awaited skill, Pussyfoot Maneuver, finally saw a breakthrough.
Pussyfoot Maneuver: Level 4 (1587/1600) -> Pussyfoot Maneuver: Level 5: (38/2500)
The next moment.
The familiar prompt sound appeared in Gawain's mind again. The level 5 Pussyfoot Maneuver brought Gawain a new branch of ability.
The difference is that this time, there is only one branch.
"It is detected that the host's Pussyfoot Maneuver has been improved to Level 5, unlocking a new feature, Flash Step!"