Chapter 21 - Yarukiman Red Tree

As they spoke, the bubble pod drew closer to the islands of Sabaody. The sea breeze grew warmer around them, and Gawain could see the towering Yarukiman Red Trees in the distance. The largest of these trees stood many times taller than the average red tree, and Gawain was currently admiring its expansive crown.

Amidst the branches of this colossal tree, countless bubbles floated, resembling those produced by bubble-blowing toys but far larger. The bigger bubbles refracted rainbows, making them far more beautiful than the smaller ones.

Mjosgard shook his head, dismissing Gawain's plans to head to the Navy Headquarters from his mind. He put on an excited smile and resumed his role as a guide. "Since it's your first time outside Mary Geoise, you've probably never seen a real Yarukiman Red Tree before, right? Haha, let me introduce it to you! Yarukiman Red Trees are found all over the world, but none are as gigantic as those on Sabaody. Because these trees have grown for so long, their roots intertwine, forming areas that people can walk on. In other words, each massive red tree is connected to a huge root island. Currently, there are 79 gigantic red trees in the Sabaody archipelago, and this number will only increase over time, though for now, we only have these 79 islands. The islands numbered 50 to 79 are the places we often visit, and don't worry about the remaining islands; I've been to them, and I can tell you about them. It's a pity that if you're heading to the Navy Headquarters, I wanted to show you around every single island!"

"There will always be time to explore Sabaody, just not now. Let's take care of the fish people first," Gawain replied with a smile, and Mjosgard nodded in satisfaction.

At that moment, the bubble pod gradually slowed down. As it came to a stop, Mjosgard pointed at the Yarukiman Red Tree in front of them. "This is Red Tree No. 65, the one located in the middle of the nine trees bordering the Red Land. To the left and right are the Navy's stations, which are pretty boring. I'll head right first; that leads to the dock and the coating workshop. Do you want to check out the coating area with me?"

"Going straight to the coating area?" Gawain replied with a raised eyebrow. "Senior, you should first take the fish people to find a place to settle, don't you think?"

"You're right!" Mjosgard quickly nodded. "I'll have them handed over to the Marines, who will take the fish people to my residence at Red Tree No. 76."

Just as he spoke, the bubble pod came to a complete stop. Gawain stepped toward the pod's exit and nodded at the soldiers kneeling outside. The soldiers, upon seeing Gawain, looked momentarily stunned before turning to their commanding officer, the recent commander stationed at Sabaody, with confusion in their eyes. They genuinely didn't understand why the notice from Mary Geoise had stated that two Celestial Dragons were arriving, yet only one stood before them.

Nearby, the officer's aide leaned in to whisper to him, "Rear Admiral Doberman, have you seen that CP0? Why is he standing in front of Saint Mjosgard?"

"Don't call me 'Rear Admiral'; just call me Doberman!" Doberman emphasized, then quietly replied, "As for that person in front, although he's not wearing a bubble helmet, don't you see the World Government emblem on his collar? You're clearly not focused. No wonder it's taken you so long to even begin mastering Observation Haki while your Armament Haki has progressed so much!"

"Sir, you're the one who practically beat my Armament Haki into me!" the aide retorted.

As they spoke, Doberman made his way toward Gawain and Mjosgard, and the aide begrudgingly followed him.

Passing through the kneeling soldiers, the tall Doberman stood before Gawain and Mjosgard, bowing slightly. "Welcome, Saint Gawain and Saint Mjosgard, to the sea! I am Marine Rear Admiral Doberman, currently appointed as the special envoy for Sabaody, ready to welcome you at any time!"

While Doberman spoke, Gawain quietly assessed his appearance. Without mentioning his looks, Doberman's uniform was distinct from that of a typical Marine rear admiral; it was a deep purple color.

Clearly, Doberman's personality didn't adhere strictly to the rules.

At that moment, Doberman had stood up, and in response to the welcoming Navy officers, Mjosgard gently waved his hand. "Thank you for your hard work, Rear Admiral Doberman!"

"Hmm?" Dobermanwas taken aback, What the hell? Since when do Celestial Dragons say such things?

For a moment, he instinctively began to move his arms, feeling that this group of Celestial Dragons seemed a bit off. When had Celestial Dragons become so polite? Could they be impostors posing as pirates?

Unbeknownst to Mjosgard, who was lost in nostalgia, he continued to reminisce. "Ah, I miss this sea breeze filled with soap fragrance in Sabaody. The last time I was here was five years ago, and I think I was welcomed by Vice Admiral Akainu. Doberman, how has Akainu been lately? I still owe him an apology. Last time I visited Sabaody, I was displeased with him smoking a cigar in front of me, so I gave your Fleet Admiral Sengoku quite an earful! Looking back now, I was so wrong about that!"

"This…?!" Doberman was stunned. He finally recalled what happened to his old friend Akainu five years ago. Because of Mjosgard's dissatisfaction, Akainu had been sent to the New World on a dangerous mission for over three years!

Was this really a Celestial Dragon in front of him? And was he genuinely greeting them and apologizing to Akainu?

Doberman, who was already serious and stern, found himself at a loss for words. It felt like he was dreaming.

Gawain, noticing Doberman's thoughts, gently clapped his hands. "Alright, Mjosgard, let's settle the fish people first before we continue chatting!"

"Right, right! I was so excited that I forgot about the main business! My bad!" Mjosgard quickly nodded and gestured towards the group of fish people, who were visibly unsettled by the presence of the Navy. "Let's skip the small talk for now, Rear Admiral Doberman. I hope you can take these fish people to my residence at Red Tree No. 76!"

"We're… chatting…?! You're calling me… Rear Admiral? And not 'Lord'…?!" Doberman stammered, his eyes nearly popping out. Was the sun rising in the west today? The politeness was getting out of hand! Could this really be a Celestial Dragon? But it seemed that it indeed was!

Watching Doberman stumble over his words in shock, Gawain lightly coughed. "Ahem, Rear Admiral Doberman, please manage your expression. Take the fish people to a safe place to reside. If anything happens to even one of them, I guarantee you'll miss your admiral uniform."

"Yes, sir!" Doberman finally regained his composure. Although Gawain's words lacked the harshness of other Celestial Dragons, they still carried a familiar weight!

With a wave of his hand, Doberman's aide rushed over to the fish people, respectfully extending his right hand to guide the nervous fish folk to follow him.

Just as the fish people were about to leave with the Marines, Tress, the one with the red fish tail, couldn't help but turn around and call out to Gawain. "Lord Gawain, once your ship is coated, you will definitely bring us back to Fishman Island, right?"

"Don't worry, I've been looking forward to Fishman Island for a long time," Gawain nodded, giving a positive response.

Upon hearing Gawain's assurance, Tress nodded vigorously and followed the group with a relieved heart.

Watching the fish people leave, Mjosgard smiled and wiped away the few tears of joy that had escaped his eyes. His gaze towards the fish people resembled that of a proud father sending his child off to kindergarten for the first time.

After drying his tears, Mjosgard nudged Gawain with his elbow. "Tsk tsk, as expected of you. Even though I've protected them for five years, they only ever mention your name. They didn't even ask me how I was doing!"