Life can be really messed up.
Just yesterday morning, Gawain had passed a job interview, expecting to start work in a few months with a lifetime of job security.
Sure, the job was plain and uneventful, but in an era where you're practically retired by thirty-five, who could say no to a stable gig?
As for the low pay making it hard to find a partner…
Hah, in this day and age, even dogs don't bother with that nonsense.
Besides, in the marriage market, being a civil servant puts you in the top tier, right?
Who could've guessed that after one night's sleep, Gawain would wake up on this deserted island, dressed in tight black leather armor, with fresh wounds seeping blood through bandages.
It hurt.
A cacophony of voices suddenly filled Gawain's ears…
"Even though we've temporarily escaped that bastard Axe-Hand Morgan, he'll find us here in two or three months at most."
"Our ship was damaged in the last fight. Without repairs, it's barely seaworthy. What do we do then…?"
"Captain, what's the plan?"
…
Dozens of pirates surrounded Gawain, their voices overlapping, filling the air with chaos, but anyone could hear the fear in their tones.
Gawain's head spun as he instinctively barked, "Quiet!"
After a moment of thought, he pieced together the jumbled memories in his mind.
He was the captain of this pirate crew, the infamous "Knight" Gawain, with an 8 million Berry bounty.
A few days ago, they'd clashed with Axe-Hand Morgan at sea, lost the fight, and fled with the remnants of the crew to this island.
Not only had he inherited the name of a certain legendary figure, but also a heroic appearance from some "Chaldea," though definitely not a Fairy Knight—lacking, unfortunately, that figure's invincibility under the midday sun.
In that moment, Gawain felt life was even more messed up.
Transmigrating was bad enough, but landing in the One Piece world with a bounty on his head and a relentless Marine in pursuit?
If things kept going like this, best case, he'd end up in Impel Down, rotting in a cell. Worst case, he'd be fish food at the bottom of the sea.
Neither option looked appealing.
As for Axe-Hand Morgan, Gawain had some recollection.
Honestly, in the One Piece world, Morgan was just a fallen Marine who could barely throw his weight around in the East Blue. On the Grand Line, anyone could mop the floor with him.
But here's the problem.
Gawain couldn't beat him.
His predecessor had fought Morgan recently and was completely outmatched, not even putting up a fight. The knight's sword in his hand was notched from that oversized axe.
This proved that, while Morgan might be weak by Grand Line standards, he was still the guy who could draw blood from old man Garp with one swing—not someone to underestimate.
This gave Gawain a clear sense of his current strength:
Weakling.
Compared to the monstrous, superhuman figures in his memories, he didn't even come close.
Gawain's brow furrowed slightly.
He was a practical man, focusing only on the problem at hand.
And right now, the most pressing issue was surviving Morgan's pursuit.
After some thought, Gawain still had no ideas. His gaze drifted to the pirates before him.
Most of their faces showed panic and confusion.
After half a month of fleeing, the crew was in disarray, with whispers of mutiny starting to spread.
Gawain had previously kept them in line with force, but now…
He glanced at the blood seeping from his wounds.
From the crowd, another gaze lingered on those same wounds. A man smirked cruelly, stepping forward with a voice as shrill as scraping glass:
"I say we just disband."
"Following the captain these past few months, we've barely made a profit, and he won't even let us raid civilians. Forget living well—we can't even eat properly!"
"Are we just gonna stay here and wait to die?"
"Or maybe… it's time for a new captain."
His words stirred the crowd again, and the pirates around Gawain instinctively backed away.
Gawain got a clear look at the speaker.
A bald, muscular giant over three meters tall, with a voice as shrill as a woman's.
The man was Lancer, Gawain's nominal second-in-command, though he'd been eyeing the captain's seat for a while.
He'd always grumbled about Gawain's refusal to harm civilians, gathering a loyal following within the crew, subtly challenging Gawain's authority.
Now, he was clearly looking to exploit Gawain's injuries to seize power.
A crew of less than a hundred, and still so much drama. All Gawain could think was: small temple, big storms; shallow pond, too many turtles.
Any other pirate captain would've cut down a subordinate who dared challenge them.
Even that loudmouth Nami gave Usopp a beating in Water 7 for defying the captain's authority, didn't she?
But his predecessor insisted on clinging to some knightly code, muttering about mercy and compassion—utter nonsense.
If you're so righteous, why be a pirate?
Wait, you slept with the queen of the Goa Kingdom?
And her name was Guinevere?
Hold on, mate, did you grab the wrong script? Isn't that the kind of shady stunt that purple-haired jerk would pull?!
You had your fun and left, but I'm the one stuck cleaning up the mess!
Gawain's gaze hardened, his expression turning cold.
A mutiny among pirates, sparked by dissatisfaction with their captain, usually ended with one side dead.
Gawain didn't want to die, so someone else had to.
Though he'd transmigrated, the memories and combat instincts of his predecessor remained, inevitably influencing his thoughts.
As for killing…
His predecessor might've clung to knightly honor, but as a pirate, whose hands weren't stained with blood?
A knight's mercy was for allies. On the battlefield, they often played the executioner.
What his predecessor lacked in resolve, Gawain had. What Gawain lacked in strength, his predecessor provided!
Can't handle the monsters of the sea? Fine, but I can handle you!
Gawain locked eyes with Lancer, his voice icy:
"What's that?"
"You want to take me on?"
Clang!
His knight's sword slid from its sheath, its cold gleam reflecting the firelight.
Gawain's aura shifted, sharp and deadly, the air thick with killing intent.
The sudden change stunned the surrounding pirates. In all their years following Gawain, when had they ever seen him radiate such murderous intent?
Lancer gritted his teeth, a flicker of fear in his eyes, but it was too late to back down.
Even with Gawain injured, Lancer wasn't confident he could win in a straight fight.
But he knew Gawain's character—soft on subordinates, indecisive. An easy mark.
Lancer tightened his grip on his flintlock pistol, feigning a pained expression:
"Captain, are you really going to let the crew die out before you—!"
Before he could finish, Gawain lunged forward, closing the distance in a single step. His sword flashed in a silver arc.
By the time the crew reacted, a head was rolling on the ground. Lancer's flintlock, barely drawn, was sliced in two.
Thud!
The broken barrel spilled unignited gunpowder like dust.
Lancer's headless body, still posed to draw, twitched a few times before collapsing, blood pooling beneath.
Swish!
Gawain flicked the blood from his sword, his cold gaze sweeping the crowd, his voice steady:
"Anyone else?"
The crowd fell silent, the scene chilling them to the bone.
No one expected Gawain to act so decisively, leaving Lancer no room to negotiate.
His old self would never have drawn a sword against his own crew unless pushed to the brink. That's why Lancer and others dared challenge him despite being weaker.
But now, everything had changed.
This captain felt utterly reliable. A pirate should be like this.
Strong, ruthless, merciless—someone who could survive the seas!
Seeing no response, Gawain returned to his seat.
A few pale-faced pirates stepped forward, dragging Lancer's body away, leaving a trail of crimson.
The air was deathly quiet.
From Lancer's challenge to Gawain's lethal response, it took mere seconds, but the impact was staggering.
The captain, once bound by knightly honor, had finally bared his fiercest fangs.
Hope reignited in the crew's eyes as they looked at Gawain.
If before they'd turned to him out of instinct, now they saw him as their savior.
Gawain paid no mind to their reactions. A mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his head:
"Captain System activated!"
"Congratulations on unlocking the Badge - Captain's Wrath!"
"Crew stamina recovery speed +20%!"
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