Chapter 12 - You Won't Become Them

Before Gawain could finish speaking, his robe suddenly slipped to the ground. His body stiffened, and his senses sharpened immediately—Boji, you're really too good at disrobing, aren't you? Was the sash on his robe just for decoration? And when they put him to bed earlier, did no one think to dress him in undergarments?

There was no time to complain. The maids quickly grabbed towels, dipped them in warm water and sea beast milk, and began wiping Gawain's body with precision and care. Their movements were skilled, and they were thorough, though their faces flushed and their bodies trembled slightly. But, as professional maids, they maintained their composure, not allowing any inappropriate reactions to show on their faces.

This professionalism gradually made Gawain feel less awkward about the situation. Boji, standing beside him, stared at his body with a blush, her eyes full of admiration. As she blatantly stole glances, her lips quivered as she asked softly, "M-my lord, what did you just say? I mean... I heard you, but, um... when you call the esteemed Five Elders, we'll all have to leave the room, right?"

It seemed the "well-endowed" Boji was starting to lose her composure!

"Of course," Gawain smiled and nodded. Some things could never be overheard by these girls—not only for his own safety but for theirs as well.

As soon as Gawain finished speaking, the maids froze for a moment, and then three or four more girls rushed over to help with the task of cleaning. It's true what they say: many hands make light work.

At the same time, another maid dashed out to retrieve the suit. By the time the suit was brought back into the room, the cleaning had just finished, and Gawain, now dressed with the maids' help, reached for the phone transponder snail.

Just then, Boji, having regained her composure, held up the Celestial Dragon bubble helmet. "My lord, your suit is different from traditional Celestial Dragon attire, so the helmet might not stay on properly. I'll go modify the size for you right away."

"No need," Gawain shook his head.

Boji thought for a moment before softly asking, "My lord, we are in Mary Geoise, your own castle, so of course, you don't need to wear the helmet here. But if you go elsewhere, with your noble status, you mustn't breathe the same filthy air as the commoners. Please, allow me a brief moment to prepare everything you may need for your outings or... even for staying here." She stammered, clearly flustered.

Her words were cut short when Gawain, with his free hand, gently pressed her exposed, slender shoulder.

"Boji," he said with a smile, "I wanted to tell you that from now on, you don't need to prepare a helmet for me."

Boji's tongue seemed tied in knots. She thought her "lucky day" had arrived when he touched her shoulder! But it was just an order...

"O-of course!" Boji quickly nodded and bowed, showing her willingness to obey.

After seeing Gawain give the phone transponder snail a tap, Boji led the other maids out of the room, leaving him alone.

Click.

The door closed, and Boji exhaled deeply. Her face, initially just lightly flushed, now turned a deep crimson. It had taken everything she had to maintain her composure in such a situation.

Now that she was alone, Boji's usual maid-leader aura faded. She grabbed the arm of the nearest maid for support and, trembling with excitement, whispered, "D-did you see that? His body... the lord's body!"

Her heart was racing, her hands shaking, and she could barely walk straight without the other maids' help.

One of the maids helping her, though not as overwhelmed, was just as excited. "The lord's body, it's the most perfect I've ever seen! Every part of it!"

"W-what?!" Boji gasped. "You've seen more than one man's body before?"

"Heh, not by choice," the maid replied with a smirk. "After all, I'm not like you, Lady Boji. You're from a noble background and can lead a simple life. Before I came to Mary Geoise, I was just a barmaid. When those drunkards—especially the pirates—get rowdy, they do all kinds of disgusting things. I've seen enough filth to last a lifetime."

She shook her head in disdain before remembering Gawain's physique. Her breath quickened as she continued, "I thought being captured and brought to Mary Geoise would be the start of a nightmare. But as long as we're not assigned to serve one of those Celestial Dragons, life here is actually better than it was before. And I got so lucky—I was assigned to Lord Gawain!"

"Yes, we're so lucky," Boji nodded in agreement, her face glowing with happiness.

But then, as if remembering something important, Boji leaned in close to whisper something into the maid's ear.

"Just remember, from now on, you must never speak ill of the holy Celestial Dragon! Otherwise, I won't spare you."

"Okay, I understand. Thank you, Chief Boji!"

With that, the group of maids cheerfully chatted as they made their way to the room in Gawain's castle designated for storing and modifying clothing. After carefully putting away the traditional Celestial Dragon outfits, Boji, holding the bubble helmet, looked troubled.

"What if the lord doesn't wear the helmet outside and just dons a simple white suit? Then I'll be ridiculed by the other Celestial Dragon maids for not doing my job. But I can't ignore the lord's orders. What should I do?"

...

On the other hand, after the maids left the room, Gawain placed the white transponder snail on top of the ordinary one. He held the large snail in his hands, feeling a bit tingly. He wasn't an elderly person or a collector; he had never used a rotary phone, let alone a living one!

Fortunately, the principles behind it weren't too complicated. After fiddling with it for a while, Gawain gained a rough understanding of how it worked. He also noticed a sticky note on the white transponder snail with a series of numbers written on it. He dialed the number.

Bloop bloop…

The snail let out a single call before assuming the stern expression of an elderly military member among the Five Elders, yelling at Gawain, "You only slept for three hours? Good, it seems the Meatball Fruit has been developed to quite a high level by Kuma. If you hadn't passed out so early, we could have talked a bit longer, especially since your unexpected actions gave Mary Geoise a well-deserved break. But now, I must keep it brief; we Five Elders have more important matters to attend to. Gawain, listen carefully!"

"Uh-huh."

Gawain nodded and gave a short reply. The elder on the other end seemed taken aback for a moment, but soon, the knife-wielding elder continued, "We are very pleased that you've awakened the Conqueror's Haki. However, aside from that, you are still weaker than the transponder snail in your hand! You need sufficient training; not only do you need to strengthen your body, but you must also hone your mastery of the Conqueror's Haki. To avoid affecting Mary Geoise too much during your training, we have decided to grant you the right to freely enter and exit Mary Geoise! As for your future, the Five Elders will hold our positions for now; you just need to strengthen yourself as quickly as possible. When you feel you are strong enough, you can challenge us anytime. If you win, the lucky one among us you choose can finally take a break."

From this brief conversation, we have a general understanding of your character. Your intelligence is on par with ours; what you lack is simply experience. So go out and explore the sea, like your fellow Celestial Dragons, and let the islands and kingdoms you visit recognize the nobility of the Celestial Dragons once again. Of course, we hope you don't lose your way during this process, and definitely don't imitate your peers. You should find your own unique perspective on the world. If you feel lost at any time, you can always come to our office to see us. That's all!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the knife-wielding elder immediately tried to hang up. Gawain quickly called out to him.

"Wait."

"Oh? What is it?"

The elder asked casually, and Gawain decisively spoke up.

"Are there any taboos or things I should be aware of regarding my travels at sea?"

"Haha, don't worry. Even if you slaughter dozens of islands or destroy dozens of countries, as long as it doesn't affect our ultimate plan, you can do whatever you want. We were once young like you; the things you want to do, we probably pondered or even tried ourselves when we traveled the sea. However, there is one thing you must keep in mind: you must always recognize your position and standing. You are a Celestial Dragon; you can use pirates, navy soldiers, and even the Revolutionary Army. But you must never become one of them!"

Bloop bloop— The call ended.

Gawain held the transponder snail with a beaming smile on his face, feeling immensely satisfied because he had gained enough freedom for what was to come! He chuckled as he patted the snail's large eyes, teasing, "Little guy, they say I'm even weaker than you, haha."

Hearing Gawain's words, the transponder snail simply closed its eyes, indifferent. As it drifted off to sleep, it thought, My cousin is a super transponder snail that carries an entire fortress across the sea. Can you believe that?