Chapter 19 - Tenryūmon

"We should hurry and take the mermaids back to the Ryugu Palace, then find a place to train my Conqueror's Haki as soon as possible…"

Gawain muttered to himself, glancing around.

Sure enough, fifteen people were still standing, refusing to fall. Among them, eight were his guards, members of the army provided by the Five Elders, demonstrating their excellent overall quality. Gawain estimated that those who had not collapsed could easily earn a bounty of at least two to three hundred million Berries if they became pirates.

As he calculated, Gawain waved to those still standing. "Those of you who can still remain on your feet."

With a stern expression, he continued, "No matter whose subordinates you were before, now stand in front of me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his subordinates immediately knelt on one knee before him. The remaining seven members of the blocking team exchanged glances and, after a moment's hesitation, stepped out of the ranks to stand before Gawain.

Seeing Gawain's cold and imposing demeanor, and glancing at their fallen companions around them, the remaining individuals marveled at Gawain's Conqueror's Haki. Like Gawain's subordinates, they dropped to their knees one after another.

Watching them choose to obey, Gawain nodded, then shook his head. Before they could comprehend the meaning behind his head shake, he quietly instructed, "Take Mjosgard and these mermaids; we need to hurry to the harbor!"

"Understood!" fifteen voices replied in unison.

They each chose their targets based on their sizes; those who were three or four meters tall carried multiple individuals, while the shorter ones carried fewer. After assigning one person to carry Mjosgard, they surprisingly still had one person left who approached Gawain.

"Lord Gawain, all the slaves have fallen unconscious under your Conqueror's Haki, so please allow me to carry your holy body!"

"Carrying me is meaningless; you all can use Shave or Moonwalk, right? If so, just pull me along and let's quickly head to the East Gate of Mary Geoise!"

Gawain decisively ordered. His words caused the guard in front of him to hesitate for a moment, but shortly after, they grabbed Gawain and used Moonwalk.

Gawain and the mermaids soared into the sky, and in less than five minutes, they caught sight of the East Gate of Mary Geoise.

As Gawain gazed at the enormous gate, he also spotted the maid Pochi, who looked dazed in front of the gate.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The group of guards landed one after another, and the moment they touched the ground, Gawain asked the eagerly waiting Pochi, "Pochi?"

"I'm here, my lord!"

Pochi nodded happily. As she approached Gawain with the other maids, she presented something she was holding.

"Upon learning that you decided to travel with Mjosgard, I hurriedly made some things for you and waited for you at the East Gate of Mary Geoise! You see, although you are a noble Celestial Dragon, if you don't wear traditional attire and the bubble helmet, some foolish lower beings may not recognize your holiness. To avoid that, I modified a few naval officer-style cloaks for you. I hope you will be satisfied with my craftsmanship!"

As she finished speaking, Pochi looked at Gawain expectantly. Before Gawain could respond, several excited voices came from behind him.

"Oh, is Lord Gawain going to wear new clothes?"

"It's a white cloak, just like the admirals!"

"This one is even prettier; it looks more imposing than the Marshal's cloak."

"Lord Gawain, hurry up and put it on! We want to see how handsome you look!"

Indeed, the voices came from the mermaids, who had awakened from their stupor after a few minutes of flying with the guards.

Hearing the mermaids' frivolous and cheerful remarks, Pochi's pale forehead immediately darkened with rage!

She glared at the mermaids fiercely. "Where did these slaves come from, daring to be so disrespectful to you? I must…"

"Ahem!"

Gawain cleared his throat twice and gently patted Pochi's shoulder, which was exposed outside her maid outfit. "Alright, Pochi, I'm looking forward to your craftsmanship. Help me put it on."

"Eh? Me… I'm going to put it on for you?!! What an honor!"

Pochi instantly forgot the mermaids' rudeness, joyfully unfurling the cloak and tiptoeing to drape it over Gawain's back.

As Pochi adjusted Gawain's collar, he took a moment to admire his appearance. Inside, he wore a crisp white suit, complemented by an official's white cloak adorned with intricate golden and black patterns at the cuffs. The high collar of the cloak was fastened with a black Celestial Dragon insignia, the same emblem seen on the Void Throne—a symbol featuring five spheres connected by a perfect cross.

Gawain glanced back, and as expected, the back of his cloak displayed an even larger Celestial Dragon insignia. He couldn't help but smile; he indeed resembled a naval officer now, with the only difference being that he didn't bear the weight of justice.

Overall, Gawain was very pleased with this outfit. Given his identity and the tasks ahead, he felt that extravagant or unconventional attire would not be appropriate. The most formal and fashionable naval officer cloak was undoubtedly the best choice for him.

Nodding in satisfaction, Gawain's smile grew wider, and he casually ruffled Pochi's soft long hair. Behind him, the mermaids placed their hands over their mouths, whispering a series of compliments about his charisma.

Meanwhile, Pochi, while enjoying Gawain's affection, bit her lip and decided that, considering the mermaids had good taste, she would overlook their rudeness this time.

Unfortunately, Pochi didn't have much time to enjoy this moment; soon, the guards responsible for the gate approached.

Mjosgard stepped forward to meet the guards, instructing them, "Open the gate; I have matters to attend to with Chief Gawain!"

"Understood!"

The guards had no objections, and the grand gate of Mary Geoise swung open.

As Gawain looked at the steep staircase of over two hundred seventy steps leading up to the gate, he released Pochi and said, "I'm home now. While I'm away, please take care of the Gawain family."

"Understood, my lord!"

Pochi nodded, her face slightly flushed, before leading the maids towards the mermaids.

After watching Pochi leave, Gawain turned back to the guards who had accompanied them. "Since you all came with me to the gate, I want you to follow me outside of Mary Geoise for the time being and protect me and Mjosgard."

He paused for a moment before emphasizing, "Especially you seven! As subordinates of Elaruwen and Truyigada, even if your decision to help me came after following my orders as a fellow Celestial Dragon while they were unconscious, returning to them won't be easy for you. They won't care about rules or reasons, will they?"

Without waiting for their response, Gawain turned and strode confidently toward the exit.

Immediately, the fifteen guards followed suit without hesitation.

Meanwhile, as Pochi approached the mermaids with her head held high, she addressed them, "Although I'm not sure where you came from, since the lord has decided to bring you along, I won't need to send additional maids with him. You must fulfill your duties and take good care of his meals and daily needs! Also, I've prepared some extra outfits for the lord. Due to the rush, you'll need to help him with more clothing later!"

"Hmm?"

"U-understood!"

"We… will take care of it?"

The group of mermaids looked confused as they took the clothing handed to them by the maids. Trix, the red-tailed mermaid, was about to say something but realized Gawain had already set off.

Putting aside their confusion, the mermaids quickly followed behind Gawain. Just a few steps later, when they finally stepped out of the gates of Mary Geoise, tears streamed down their faces.

Breathing in the sea-scented air, even from high up, and seeing the vast blue expanse in the distance for the first time, the mermaids realized they didn't actually enjoy the sun in the sky as much as they loved the ocean that embraced and nurtured them.

Though emotional, carefree, and somewhat oblivious, they truly missed their home.