Chapter 27 - Gion Sucessfully Recruited!
"The world's strongest Conqueror's Haki!" Gion repeated Sengoku's words in disbelief.
"Are you sure something like this should even exist?!"
"There's no need to consider whether it should exist or not; it has already appeared! Whether it was this morning at Mary Geoise or now at Marineford, with Gawain's actions, his Haki can no longer be evaluated or questioned by anyone!"
Sengoku clenched his right fist tightly in the air as he answered Gion's question. Instantly, Sengoku's Conqueror's Haki erupted forth, surging toward Gawain until it stopped a few dozen meters in front of him.
Unlike before, when Gawain unleashed his Conqueror's Haki alone, the clash of Haki between Gawain and Sengoku made Gawain's Haki even more vibrant.
Dark red lightning quickly gathered, and as Gawain's Conqueror's Haki clashed with Sengoku's, its power surged to an immeasurable level.
The sky above, resembling a window, continued to tear apart as Gawain and Sengoku's Haki collided, transforming the circular window into an oval, and then into a complete chasm.
The sea beneath Gawain's feet grew increasingly tumultuous, with waves crashing violently against the shores of Marine Headquarters. In just a few seconds, the latest wave had risen to an astonishing height of twenty to thirty meters!
Faced with the increasingly turbulent Haki, Gion took a deep look at Sengoku. The Navy Admiral, who had just barely managed to contend with Gawain, now struggled to maintain even the most basic Conqueror's Haki.
Crash!
Sengoku's Conqueror's Haki completely retreated, while Gawain seized the opportunity to deliver yet another wave of Haki to Marineford!
As he stepped back two paces, Sengoku took a deep breath. "Gawain's Conqueror's Haki is off the charts! Just comparing our Conqueror's Haki, I am simply no match for him!"
"That's right!" Chaton sighed beside Sengoku. "If we didn't consider this a clash of Conqueror's Haki, I could easily make Gawain feel enough pain with just one charge. But, heh, we can't lay a finger on a Celestial Dragon!"
As he spoke, Chaton excitedly swallowed, his desire to fight rekindled by Gawain's overwhelming Haki, which had even reignited the fighting spirit in someone as seasoned as him. However, upon reflecting on Gawain's identity, he felt not just the urge to fight but almost the desire to kneel on the spot.
After all, he was a Celestial Dragon, a world noble who could cause the complete destruction of an island or even a nation from a slight injury!
But now, the Celestial Dragons and the Navy were at odds…
What a disaster!
To be honest, even if Gawain's Conqueror's Haki was incredibly powerful, it wouldn't pose any real threat to Sengoku and the others. Conqueror's Haki, while rare, was merely one of many forms of power.
Despite Gawain's solid foundation, his Haki was not as refined as that of the Navy. The Vice Admirals had mastered the Navy's Six Powers and dual Haki, while Sengoku, Gion, and others excelled in their respective Devil Fruit abilities and swordsmanship. Their pure physicality and strength far surpassed Gawain's singular Conqueror's Haki.
But the key point was that, regardless of their abilities, the Navy could not take action against a Celestial Dragon!
And relying solely on Sengoku's Haki, they were completely unable to contend with Gawain!
Thus, Gawain's Conqueror's Haki continued unabated for over two minutes before showing any signs of weakening!
At this point, as Gawain floated above the tumultuous waves, Gion finally made up her mind.
She cast a deep glance at Sengoku and then tightened her grip on her weapon, the Supreme Great Knife, Kinpira, stepping forward resolutely.
"Gawain!"
Gion furrowed her brow and shouted. "I am willing to accept your invitation; please do not continue releasing your Conqueror's Haki!"
With Gion's declaration, Sengoku sighed heavily beside her, glancing helplessly at the sky.
In the end, he couldn't protect one of the strongest successors of the Navy from the Celestial Dragons!
Meanwhile, on the shattered surface of the sea, as Gawain heard Gion's voice, his Conqueror's Haki swiftly dissipated.
The atmosphere became calm, and the Vice Admirals no longer felt any pressure or tension.
Seeing Gawain retract his Conqueror's Haki, Gion exhaled deeply, taking two steps forward as she approached him directly.
"Gawain, I admit that at first, I was unwilling to dedicate my time to upholding justice for you!
"But it turns out, I really underestimated you!" Gion's voice echoed as she stepped out from the shattered dock, slowly walking on air until she stood less than two meters from Gawain.
One hand resting on the hilt of her
As she said this, Gion extended her right hand, palm hovering just before Gawain's chest.
Seeing her delicate hand so close, Gawain reached out and firmly grasped her wrist.
At the same time, Gion continued, "To possess such an astonishing Conqueror's Haki, I can't help but wonder what grand ideals you hold. I'm truly curious. Whether it was the Rock's Pirates that Vice Admiral Garp faced or Red-Haired Shanks, who just became the Fourth Emperor a year ago, none of them have ever shown such terrifying and unimaginable resolve! Compared to them, your Conqueror's Haki surpasses all, and I'm already looking forward to the future you will inevitably bring to the sea as you continue to grow stronger!"
With that, Gion nodded heavily at Gawain.
As Gawain retracted his Conqueror's Haki, he could no longer rely on it to stay afloat on the sea. He suddenly found himself plunging into the water with a splash, but fortunately, he held onto Gion's hand, preventing himself from sinking entirely.
Gion pulled Gawain up from the water and, using her Moonwalk, led him back to the remnants of the dock.
As they landed, Gion released Gawain's hand and turned her head to the side, expressionless.
Gawain looked around, shaking his wet legs lightly. Feeling the water slosh in his shoes, he chuckled and shrugged contentedly, saying quietly to Gion, "I must look pretty pathetic without using Conqueror's Haki. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't just be wet from the knees down, haha."
"Why would you think that?"
Hearing Gawain's words, Gion lazily placed her hand back on the hilt of her Kinpira and replied, "The last person to unleash their Conqueror's Haki at Marine Headquarters was the Golden Lion. Although he was imprisoned in Impel Down, the fact that he once intimidated hundreds of thousands of Marines with his Haki is etched in every Navy member's heart.
And now, compared to the Golden Lion, your Conqueror's Haki has not only been unleashed at Marineford, but even Admiral Sengoku can't force you back with a clash of Haki! Although your body…"
Gion's right hand grasped Gawain's arm, gently squeezing to feel his muscles. After taking a deep breath, she continued, "Yes, your body is just like an ordinary person's. In fact, your physique is even weaker than that of an ordinary person. Yet, even so, you've become the world's number one in terms of Conqueror's Haki. Clearly, being number one in Conqueror's Haki is still not enough for you. You, who make us choose to take a step back, actually think you could be associated with the word 'pathetic'?"
Before Gawain could respond, Gion moved naturally behind him and stood still.
Watching Gion completely accept her fate as his protector, Gawain changed from his earlier arrogance to a genuine smile.
"Am I not pathetic?" Gawain chuckled softly. "Perhaps I never mentioned it, but before coming to Marineford, I had already decided that you would be by my side. You're not a choice I made after multiple suggestions; you were my only choice from the very beginning."
Gawain continued with profound meaning, "Celestial Dragons, ha. In this sea, it's indeed hard to find a more noble identity than that of a Celestial Dragon. But even so, there are many things that Celestial Dragons cannot do. Or rather, it is precisely because I am a Celestial Dragon that I find it difficult to accomplish many of the things I want to do.
For instance, right now, the one receiving your loyalty is not just me as a Celestial Dragon. If I didn't possess Conqueror's Haki, would you choose to obey and follow me like this, Gion?"
"Wait!" Gion suddenly froze, unable to hide her shock as she asked Gawain, "Gawain, didn't you say that I only need to perform the duties of a bodyguard during your travels on this sea? What do you mean by loyalty, and what do you mean by following…? Are you serious?!"