Chapter 29 - One Of Us!

When Gion returned to Saint Gawain's side, the vice admirals standing behind Sengoku couldn't help but start discussing.

"So... Gion just followed a Celestial Dragon like that?"

"What else could she do? Who could oppose his decision? Especially since we can't fight him. We can't resist his Conqueror's Haki—if he insisted, all he'd have to do is show up in Marineford every day and unleash it a few times, and we'd be powerless."

"Conqueror's Haki really is unfair. But worse than that, his status is even more overwhelming. It's a shame for Vice Admiral Gion!"

"A shame? Are you joking? That's a Celestial Dragon! I'll never make it to admiral, but if I follow a Celestial Dragon, I've got a good shot at becoming CP0. The administrative rank difference is no joke!"

"Hmph. Typical of Kizaru's people—always so indecisive. Isn't following a Celestial Dragon the greatest fall from grace for a Marine? Hunting down pirates is supposed to be our lifelong pursuit!"

"Enough with the philosophy. Let's get to the real question—what exactly is Saint Gawain waiting for?"

"Yeah, he's been standing there with Gion for over a minute now. What's the hold-up?"

"It looks like they're waiting for Doberman's ship."

"Yeah, it seems so... Wait, what? Oh, crap!"

Realization hit Doberman like a wave, and the other vice admirals turned to look at him as if he were an idiot. If it were anyone else but Gawain, keeping a Celestial Dragon waiting for several minutes would've been a career-ending mistake. If Doberman did that to another Celestial Dragon, he'd be out playing cat-and-mouse with the monsters of the New World—just like the unfortunate Akainu five years ago.

Breaking into a cold sweat, Doberman pulled out a Den Den Mushi to call Tiago and order the ship to set sail immediately. "Talk about a close call. Almost messed that up!" he muttered under his breath.

A few minutes later, Doberman's warship slowly docked in front of Gawain. Without saying a word, Gawain headed directly for the boarding ladder. Once on the deck, he made no move toward the captain's quarters but instead stood at the bow, smiling faintly as he watched the officers on the dock bid them farewell.

With a blast of the horn, the warship slowly moved away from Marineford and began its journey toward the Sabaody Archipelago.

Standing silently at the bow with Gawain, Gion eventually spoke in a low voice. "Sir, what will we do once we arrive at Sabaody?"

Gawain, still gazing at the sea, replied without moving. "You're quick to adapt. Very good. As for our next move... Mjosgard's ship coating will take at least three days. After that, we'll head to the Ryugu Kingdom to meet someone interesting—someone we absolutely cannot miss."

"Someone we absolutely cannot miss?" Gion echoed softly. "Just like my role in your plans, sir?"

"I'm glad you understand your importance to me. You were my first choice, Gion. As for the person we're going to meet—aside from their priority being different—you and they are both indispensable to me."

"And what will we do during these three days while we wait for the coating?"

Gawain's smile deepened. "We'll explore Sabaody together."

"As you wish, sir. But I thought you were eager to return to Sabaody because of urgent matters. So you just wanted to explore the island?"

Gion gave Gawain a meaningful look, confident in her judgment. She'd stake her Konpira on it—Gawain was not a shallow man. His "exploration" surely had a deeper meaning.

Gawain, however, stretched his arms lazily, letting the sea breeze brush against his hands. He spoke with an air of carefree delight. "What else would I do? This is my first time leaving Mariejois—and my first time setting foot on the open sea."

He glanced at her with a mischievous grin. "And you, Gion—you've hardly had any time to enjoy yourself either, have you? I bet you didn't get many chances to go shopping, do the things young women like to do."

"You mean... like shopping?" Gion chuckled, catching on to his playful tone.

"Exactly!" Gawain nodded. "When you were in the Navy, you probably never got the chance to walk around freely. So why not indulge a little?"

Gion gave a subtle smile, a rare flicker of amusement dancing on her lips. So this was his first time leaving Marie Geois? Was Gawain planning to observe civilian life and study the islands up close? That had to be it. There was no way the strongest wielder of Conqueror's Haki would be so shallow as to just wander around aimlessly for fun.

No—Gawain's "exploration" was undoubtedly part of a larger plan. After all, a man like him wouldn't waste time shopping... just to impress her. Right?

Gion chuckled to herself. "He's far too focused to be that shallow. This has to be something bigger," she thought.

With confidence, Gion gently caressed the hilt of Konpira, feeling as though she had rediscovered her passion for life and regained hope for the future. In the Navy, she had reached the peak of her rank with no room left to advance or transfer.

Apart from striving to fill a potential future vacancy for the position of admiral, her only joy came from hunting down pirates who wreaked havoc across the seas.

But now...

"Could I finally be living for a grand ambition that must be realized?" she thought.

The only question was—what was his ambition? And would she be able to accept it? Gion shook her head slightly. There was no need to ask him now. Sooner or later, he would reveal his true goal. All she had to do was wait.

With that in mind, Gion's gentle stroking of the sword hilt shifted into a firm grip. She glanced at Gawain's side profile, and an irresistible smile crept across her lips. After all, she was already by his side, and she had plenty of time to observe him, just as she was doing now.

Gawain stood at the bow, gazing out at the sea, his aura exuding an undeniable uniqueness.

As Gawain watched the ocean, Gion's eyes stayed on him, and the moments slipped by until the warship finally docked at Island 61 of the Sabaody Archipelago.

When Gawain disembarked, Doberman took a deep breath, then raised his right hand and gave Gawain the most serious salute he could muster. Gawain returned it with a smile and proceeded with Gion by his side, following the eight army guards who had come to escort them to Mjosgard's estate.

As Gawain disappeared from view, Doberman let out a sigh of relief. "Thank Saint Gawain... At least I didn't get reassigned to the New World to fight those impossible battles against the Emperors!" he muttered, gratitude washing over him.

His words made Tiago, standing nearby, frown in dissatisfaction. In Tiago's mind, the New World was exactly where the Navy belonged. Doberman was being far too cautious for his taste.

Perhaps some unseen force heard Tiago's thoughts because, in the very next moment, the Den Den Mushi in Doberman's pocket began to ring.

Doberman picked it up, and the voice of Fleet Admiral Sengoku came through.

"Doberman, have you arrived at Sabaody?"

"Yes, Fleet Admiral. Saint Gawain and Vice Admiral Gion have accompanied the Celestial Dragon's guards to Mjosgard's estate."

There was a moment of silence on the other end before Sengoku's tone grew stern.

"Good. Now that Gawain has left, we need to discuss your unauthorized absence. The damage to your ship—don't tell me it happened at the Sabaody docks?"

"I knew it—you can't sit still for a second! Perfect timing. Shanks, one of the Four Emperors, has been giving us trouble in the New World. Get your ship repaired and head over to support our forces there."

With a heavy sigh, Sengoku hung up, and the Den Den Mushi let out a tired, sleepy sound.

Doberman, however, knew there would be no peaceful sleep for him in the coming nights—not like the Den Den Mushi.

Meanwhile, Gawain and the guards arrived near Mjosgard's estate. Before they could even enter the courtyard, Mjosgard himself came out to greet them.

"Gawain! I didn't expect you back so soon. Perfect timing—I'm hosting a banquet for the mermaid girls. Come, join us!"

As he spoke, Mjosgard gave Gawain a light embrace, then glanced playfully at Gion standing by his side.

"So, this beautiful young lady... Is she the reason you were in such a hurry to return from the Navy?"

Hearing this, Gion took a deep breath and gave a formal bow.

"I am Gion, former Vice Admiral and Admiral Candidate, now serving as Chief Guard to Lord Gawain. It's an honor to meet you, Saint Mjosgard."

Mjosgard's eyes widened in surprise. "An admiral candidate, huh? I must admit, I underestimated you. I thought... well, never mind. My mistake!"

He clapped his hands with a grin. "Since you're the Chief Guard, you absolutely must join us for the banquet. And on our journey to Fish-Man Island, we'll be counting on your protection!"

He turned to his servants. "Replace all the food and wine—we're celebrating tonight! I want to drink the night away with Gawain, the new head of the family, and his Chief Guard, Vice Admiral Gion!"

"Er... It's 'Vice Admiral,' Saint Mjosgard..." Gion murmured, suppressing a smile as she pursed her lips.

Not only was Gawain unlike the other Celestial Dragons, but even the ones around him, like Mjosgard, were markedly different.

"How fascinating," Gion thought with amusement.