A Battle Where Both Men's Beliefs Were At Stake

"You're saying that Gawain is also in Water 7?!"

"Ahh."

Akainu sneered with a mocking smile.

"However, according to the information shared by the CP organization, that guy has had some bad luck. He's been set up, and now he's become the target of everyone."

"And the true Pluton blueprints are still in Water 7."

"Why would a pirate show up here at this time? Is there any other reason?"

"Talk about righteousness, talk about being a knight… In the end, he's just a pirate who wants to dominate the world, destroy order, and bring chaos and destruction!"

"Sakazuki, you'll never understand. There's only one reason why Gawain would be in Water 7!"

Aokiji's gaze grew more determined, even more than ever before.

The light that emanated from his eyes caused Akainu's pupils to contract.

"You..."

"He must be here to save people!"

Aokiji smiled faintly.

"I have this intuition. So, stopping you here makes sense. Every second I can delay, he might save one more person."

"An event like the Ohara Incident should never happen again!"

"To think that your trust in White Knight Gawain has reached this extent?!"

Akainu's voice suddenly rose several notches.

He couldn't imagine that, after only meeting him a few times and exchanging a few words, Gawain had made such an impact on Zephyr, Kizaru, and even Aokiji.

Suddenly, Akainu recalled a knight he once had under his command.

A man named T Bone, who was upright, kind-hearted, compassionate, brave, resilient, and sympathetic. Nearly every noble quality could be found in him.

He had an ugly face that resembled a skull, but he had a heart that burned hotter than anyone else's.

T Bone had once been Akainu's subordinate and one of the few people Akainu could consider a friend. 

Eventually, he couldn't stand Akainu's increasingly radical interpretation of justice, so they parted ways.

At the start of the Pluton incident, T Bone had repeatedly led his forces in an attempt to break into Water 7 and rescue the local civilians. It had been over half a month since he went missing.

At the thought of this, Akainu's eyes reddened.

He understood the pain of the Marines who had cracked under pressure, but this was his justice.

An absolute and thorough justice that would not tolerate any evil!

"No more words; in the end, it's the victor who has the final say!"

Akainu's voice was cold and sharp. The invisible aura around him began to rise, and the molten lava on his right arm surged so that the originally cold air began to heat up at this moment.

But the real heat came from the two men's hearts.

The next moment, ice and lava collided over the sea!

Boom!

The violent force immediately tore apart the glacier beneath their feet, the shockwave pushing away the sea water and causing massive waves. 

Even the Marines's iron-clad fleet was pushed and uncontrollably drifted in all directions.

The Marines officers were stunned by the scene before them and quickly ordered their ships to retreat several kilometers, reducing the effects slightly.

When they turned back to look at the center of the battlefield, the fight between the top Marines forces had erupted completely.

The battle of the highest-level marine forces was now unfolding, freezing the sea or erupting with volcanic bomb-like attacks.

This was a battle where both men's beliefs were at stake.

But at this moment, the hearts of the marines watching were filled with indescribable complexity. 

They no longer knew who they wanted to win.

… … …

Water 7, in the original site of the Galley-La Company.

In the cabin of an unfinished ship, Lucci gradually woke up. But before he could open his eyes, he felt the pain everywhere on his body.

Recalling the battle with Katakuri, he still has lingering fears.

Like Gawain, Katakuri could predict the future with his Observation Haki, has awakened devil fruit that allowed him to freely control the environment, and flawless physical skills.

That could no longer be called a battle; it could only be said to be a one-sided abuse.

He was severely injured in just one encounter, which could only mean that the combat power of both sides was no longer on the same level.

"Still alive?!"

Lucci murmured, then slowly opened his eyes, but his breathing suddenly stopped in the next moment.

He opened his mouth and then spoke with difficulty: "Captain..."

"Is it fun to be a hero?!"

Gawain sat in front of Lucci, looking at the latter with a rare coldness: "Normally, no captain would keep you on the ship if you don't follow the rules on the ship."

"I..."

Lucci lowered his head, but his eyes turned red at this moment.

For him, it didn't matter what Gawain said; what mattered was that Gawain appeared here.

In fact, Gawain had been here all along.

"For the next three years, all your bonuses and salary will be confiscated. If you do it again..."

Gawain grinned and patted Lucci on the shoulder.

"I'll break your legs."

As the sound landed, Gawain slowly stood up and walked out of the room. 

Soon, a man's cry gradually erupted inside the room, starting small and growing louder, drawing curious glances from many people.

A few minutes later, the crying inside the room gradually quieted down, and the others who had heard the news hurriedly arrived.

Chopper immediately pounced into Lucci's arms, tears streaming down his face.

"Sniff… Lucci, you're alive! I almost thought you were dead!"

"It's okay now."

Lucci reached out and patted Chopper's hat, then, mimicking the old days, he roughly rubbed it a few times.

Feeling the familiar sensation, his heart also settled at that moment.

"You're one lucky guy..."

"Though, last time you made me look so miserable, now it's time to pay your debts."

Van Augur, holding Senriku, stood at the door with his brows lowered and a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.

In the surprised gaze of the latter, Van Augur slowly raised his gun and, without hesitation, pulled the trigger…

Bang!

A paintball exploded on Lucci's face, splashing colorful powder all over him, making him look quite comical and causing everyone to burst into laughter.

Only Chopper, looking at the powder on Lucci's face, showed a thoughtful expression: "This is special paint!"

Lucci's heart skipped a beat: "What's so special about it?"

"It can't be washed off."

"What did you say?"

"It can't be washed off..."

Lucci's mouth twitched, but he could only smile bitterly and shake his head.

Compared to when he had directly attacked Van Augur, knocking him unconscious, this wasn't much… What the heck?!

He looked up and saw Kaku and Blueno, who had also surrounded him.

While he felt moved in his heart, he also foresaw his social death, and for a moment, his entire face twisted into a bitter expression.

Outside the room, Gawain and Kuro walked side by side, contemplating the next course of action.

Lucci's situation was basically settled, and his former companions Kaku and Blueno had been rescued.

Now, what lay ahead for Gawain was simply the issue of how to escape.

With the flying ability of devil fruit, Gawain will not be stopped even if he runs away in front of the surrounding pirates.

Therefore, retreating is not a problem; it is how to keep the warlord's identity while retreating.

Nowadays, whether it is the newly emerging Martial Arts Tournament or future actions, they all need this identity to support them.

With the status of Warlord, many things will undoubtedly be much more convenient.

Gawain has a deep understanding of this.

Just getting rid of the pursuit of the Marines and the World Government has given him a lot of room to display his talents.

Although Gawain's combat power is now gradually approaching the peak of the sea.

But now, except for Kuro, who has reached the level of Warlord, everyone else on his ship still needs time to grow.

The initial plan to become a warlord is to buy time for both himself and his crew to develop.

Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, Gawain didn't want to give up the warlord title just yet.