Chapter 11 - What Do You Mean A "Simple Wash"?

Gawain shook his head, pushing aside the unrealistic thoughts swirling in his mind. Emperor? Ruling the world? Toppling Imu? No matter how hard he worked, these were goals for years, even decades, down the line. For now, he had more immediate concerns.

For now, he needed to familiarize himself with the world of One Piece and get everything around him in order. Yes, his current identity as a Celestial Dragon granted him immense power—second to none but a few. As a Celestial Dragon, even kings of other nations could be treated as his slaves, and commoners were expected to kneel at his mere presence.

He recalled the incident with Princess Shirahoshi from Fishman Island during the World Conference. Despite Fishman Island's prominence at the meeting, Celestial Dragon Charlos had still tried to enslave her after seeing her through a telescope. The situation had almost led to a disaster. King Neptune, Shirahoshi's father, had been on the verge of retaliating. Had he done so, Fishman Island might have faced immediate annihilation by a Buster Call. Only Saint Mjosgard's intervention, knocking out Charlos, had saved Shirahoshi and averted that catastrophe.

This event demonstrated the sheer extent of a Celestial Dragon's power. The world government would have allowed Fishman Island's destruction over such a minor conflict. Gawain's political awareness wasn't low, and he understood the machinations behind Charlos's actions. Charlos was probably helping the Five Elders in their plan to weaken the allied nations. If Neptune had retaliated, it would've given the world government the perfect excuse to destroy Fishman Island, reducing the number of allied nations in the process.

But if Celestial Dragons had the power to eliminate any allied king, why hadn't they done so already? The answer was simple: if they started killing kings left and right, it would only be a matter of time before the other nations revolted. Taking down one or two kings might not trigger much resistance, but if ten or twenty were killed in quick succession, the remaining kingdoms would surely band together. The world government didn't have the resources to suppress widespread rebellions all over the world.

Thus, the strategy was one of slow suppression—like boiling a frog in warm water. Bit by bit, they would weaken the nations without provoking open rebellion. The Revolutionary Army's actions, led by Dragon, played into this plan as well. Though the Revolutionaries were often seen as enemies of the world government, they primarily targeted the allied nations, weakening them in the process.

No wonder the Five Elders were lenient with Garp. As long as Garp stayed in the Navy, his son's Revolutionary Army would keep causing trouble for the allied nations, furthering the Elders' agenda.

Just as Gawain was lost in thought, Boji returned, followed by over a hundred maids. Each one was carrying a different outfit, all meant for Celestial Dragons.

After kneeling respectfully, Boji spoke with eager anticipation, "My lord, we've brought all the outfits typically worn by Celestial Dragons. Which one would you prefer?"

Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she glanced at Gawain's figure, clearly imagining how stunning he'd look dressed in the attire of the world's nobles.

Gawain snapped out of his thoughts and surveyed the garments before him. His initial reaction was disappointment. Aside from the vast number of bubble helmets, all the clothes looked exactly the same, differing only in the patterns that adorned them.

The garments were oversized, with exaggeratedly wide waistlines, designed to conceal the bloated bodies of most Celestial Dragons.

Gawain frowned, shaking his head slightly. "Bring me a different selection."

Boji nodded immediately, though a flicker of confusion crossed her face. "Yes, my lord. It seems you're not fond of the usual patterns. Unfortunately, the castle only has these designs available at the moment. If you could describe what you're looking for, I'll have them made immediately."

"Click!"

A gust of wind swept through the room as a man dressed in a white suit appeared before Gawain. The man was roughly three meters tall, and even though he knelt on one knee, he was still almost as tall as Gawain.

The man respectfully extended two Den Den Mushi towards Gawain. "Saint Gawain, I am Ambrose, a member of CP0. Please forgive me for entering your castle and room without notice. These are Den Den Mushi that the Five Elders ordered me to deliver to you as swiftly as possible. They wish to speak with you immediately upon your awakening."

He continued, "One of these is a standard communication Den Den Mushi, and the other, which is pure white, is an anti-eavesdropping Den Den Mushi. Simply place the white one on top of the communication one, and your conversation will be secure from any interception."

As Ambrose finished speaking, he, with his short black hair and sunglasses, carefully handed over the two Den Den Mushi. Gawain accepted them, amused by the soft, springy feel of the creatures in his hand, which lacked the usual sliminess of snails.

While casually playing with the Den Den Mushi, Gawain smiled and nodded. "Since this is a direct order from the Five Elders, I will forgive you. But be warned, I'm easily startled. If you appear before me unannounced again, I might think you're here to take my life rather than deliver a message. What do you think about that?"

"Y-yes, I understand!" Ambrose bowed his head, regretting his approach. Hearing Gawain's name earlier had stirred no memory of him, so Ambrose had decided to test the waters and gauge Gawain's personality. Now he realized that this may have been a mistake. Gawain was far more dangerous than other Celestial Dragons, who were either prone to shouting or simply indifferent. Gawain's calm demeanor was far more unsettling.

Seeing Ambrose lower his head in submission, Gawain nodded, offering a brief warning. "See that it doesn't happen again."

"Understood!" Ambrose replied firmly, standing up to leave.

Just as Ambrose was about to exit, Gawain's eyes lit up with an idea. Pointing at the retreating figure, he called out, "Boji."

"Yes, my lord?"

"Send away those traditional outfits. I prefer the white suit this CP0 agent is wearing. Have one made for me."

"Right away, my lord. I'll have it prepared for you at once," Boji replied, bowing deeply. She then instructed the maids carrying the traditional clothing to leave the room. After seeing them off, she called for a new group of maids to enter, this time bringing basins of warm water and various bathing supplies.

Gawain, now out of bed, was met by Boji's gentle voice. "My lord, would you prefer a shower, a bath in the hot spring, or a simple wash assisted by us?"

Gawain's face remained neutral. What was a little assisted wash, brushing his teeth, or washing his face? Before his time here, during his travels in various countries as part of a foreign delegation, he had witnessed the lifestyles of many small-time kings. Compared to the indulgence of minor monarchs and the ultra-rich in his previous world, the treatment Celestial Dragons received wasn't all that different.

Without missing a beat, Gawain replied, "A simple wash will do. I still need to make a call to the Five Elders."

"Yes, my lord!" Boji's eyes sparkled, her excitement almost overwhelming Gawain, leaving him with a sudden sense of unease. Something wasn't quite right.

"Wait a minute, when you say a simple wash, you mean… huh?!"