Again and Again!

"Decided?!"

Gion frowned and strode out from the crowd on her long legs.

The valiant female vice admiral wore a light pink top and shorts that barely reached the tops of her thighs.

Aside from the officer's coat with pink cuffs draped over her shoulders, the most striking thing about her was actually her left leg.

The lines of that leg were indeed beautiful, but that was not what drew attention to it.

The reason Gawain had noticed her leg at a glance was the soccer-ball-sized spider tattoo on the outside of her left thigh, near her hip.

It was said to be the size of a soccer ball, but the spider's body was barely the width of a finger. The tattoo occupied such a large area because of the spider's eight long, slender legs surrounding its body.

For some reason, looking at the spider's legs made Gawain think of Gion's own legs.

For no apparent reason, one might find that pair of legs as slender and dangerous as a spider.

Aside from her beautiful legs, Gion had three other notable features.

The first was her thick, long black hair.

The second was the long sword hanging at her waist. Though its blade remained sheathed, the platinum-and-gold hilt alone looked exquisitely crafted and anything but ordinary.

As for the last...

Gion frowned as she spoke to Gawain.

"Saint Gawain, I would very much like to become your guard. That would certainly be far easier than my current work.

But I have special duties within the Marine Headquarters Staff Office.

I am deeply sorry, but I must decline your invitation!"

As Gion spoke, her lips moved continuously, making the pale pink beauty mark at the corner of her mouth seem all the more eye-catching.

Yes, that final feature was naturally her beauty mark.

After Gion finished speaking, Gawain did not answer. He merely looked at her as he had before, silently and expressionlessly.

After a long silence, the vice admirals gradually began to frown. Finally, Sengoku spoke.

"Saint Gawain!"

Sengoku cast aside the deference he had shown before Gawain and spoke boldly.

"While the Marines do not mind ensuring your safety, please stop making jokes!

Unless it is the World Government's quadrennial summit of affiliated nations, none of the four people you named can possibly serve as guards!

Their strength dictates that they undertake missions far more dangerous and difficult than those faced by ordinary vice admirals.

Even if you bring this matter before the Five Elders, my answer will remain the same.

I hope you will select from among the other vice admirals. Their strength is more than enough to ensure your safety throughout the Grand Line and the Four Blues.

Even if you choose a vice admiral stationed at another G-numbered branch, the Marines can make the necessary personnel adjustments!"

With that, Sengoku folded his arms and looked sternly at Gawain.

Beside Sengoku, a vice admiral who was about as sleazy as Kizaru, though far inferior to him in both height and appearance, stepped forward.

Facing Gawain, the sleazy vice admiral chuckled, bent at the waist, and bowed.

"Saint Gawain, please understand Marshal Sengoku's difficulties. It's not easy for him either.

Gion is truly important to the Staff Office.

How about this, Saint Gawain? If you do not mind, what do you think of me, Tokikake?

I may not look like much, but I am an admiral candidate known as Chaton!

Let me take Gion's place as your personal guard. How does that sound?"

Listening to Chaton, Gawain shook his head impassively and said one word.

"No!"

It was not that Chaton lacked strength. As an admiral candidate, his combat power was already close to, if not at, admiral level.

Some might say Chaton was not strong enough, since five years later, when the Marines were short two admirals, he still failed to be formally promoted.

But Gawain, having worked in political administration, had his own understanding of politics.

People only saw that they had not become admirals five years later, forgetting the factions they belonged to.

The Marines had three major factions: the hawks, the doves, and the moderates.

Whether it was Chaton Tokikake, Momousagi Gion, or even Kuzan, one of the current three admirals of the Marines...

They were all firmly in Garp's faction, as well as representatives of the Marine doves!

And five years later, in the contest for Fleet Admiral, the dove representative Aokiji lost to the hawk representative Akainu!

The leader of the hawks formally took power, and Akainu of the hawks was unlike a moderate Fleet Admiral such as Sengoku!

Would Akainu, who was bent on making the Marines bigger and stronger, tolerate dove admirals?

He could still accept moderates, but dove admirals were the ones he could least tolerate. His extreme orders were precisely the sort that dove admirals would never obey!

That was why Aokiji chose to leave after his defeat, while Chaton and Gion remained admiral candidates. Akainu would rather recruit the ambitious Tiger and Bull from across the world than use the conservative Tokikake and Gion, one pig and one rabbit!

At the same time, Gawain could see that if Aokiji became Fleet Admiral and Akainu suffered total defeat...

Then Akainu and Kizaru would clearly still remain admirals. The doves could accommodate them, and Akainu was a soldier who absolutely obeyed every order!

If Akainu became Fleet Admiral, Aokiji might not obey all of Akainu's orders. But if Aokiji became Fleet Admiral, Akainu would certainly obey any order!

That was the difference between them.

And once Aokiji became Fleet Admiral, the vacant admiral position would inevitably be filled by either Chaton or Momousagi!

Did Chaton and Momousagi truly lack the strength?

If they did, why were they the only two admiral candidates? Would the other vice admirals not object?

They were candidates because they were genuinely powerful, but neither the Fleet Admiral nor the Five Elders would allow them to become admirals. Thus, the candidate title was added to placate them!

It was like the military in the world Gawain had lived in before crossing over. There were often officers whose ranks did not match their posts. A promotion in rank meant they had the qualifications, but there simply were not enough vacant positions.

There were countless people holding the rank of colonel while serving only as deputy battalion commanders.

Since Chaton's strength was sufficient in Gawain's eyes...

Why did Gawain refuse to accept him as a guard?

Because what Gawain was choosing was not merely a guard.

He was choosing a pillar of his future power!

An old hand like Chaton was far too unlikely to be influenced or have his worldview changed. Gion, however, was a woman with a powerful sense of justice, and her emotional way of thinking would make it easier for Gawain to influence her worldview.

Put simply, between two people of comparable strength, Momousagi was easier to mold than Chaton, and more likely to accept Gawain's ideas.

Therefore, when Gawain decided to come to Marineford, the only target in his plan had been Momousagi Gion.

But from the looks of things, Sengoku seemed to have guessed his intentions. He was so resolute that he would rather send Chaton than let Momousagi go.

So, was Gawain unable to achieve his goal?

No, no, no. Gawain had long prepared a response for such a situation.

After rejecting Chaton, Gawain immediately looked at Sengoku, whose mouth had drawn into a deep frown across from him.

Meeting Sengoku's unwavering gaze, Gawain spoke heavily, one word at a time.

"I can accept being refused.

You are the Marines of the Five Elders, the Marines of the World Government. I am merely one among thousands of Celestial Dragons.

I do not think I am some so-called god, nor do I believe you ought to obey all my orders.

But again and again, time after time, you keep refusing me.

Sengoku, do not forget that Celestial Dragons have tempers too!"

As he said this, Gawain's face turned cold, and the hair swept behind his head began to stir without wind.

Then the coat on Gawain's body began to flap louder and louder.

Bzzzzz!

For a moment, the vice admirals felt their ears ring. Invisible pressure gathered endlessly around them until they could not help but bend slightly at the waist.

Whoosh!

An invisible shockwave rapidly spread outward. The ripple swept across the docks and covered all of Marineford. Countless Marines collapsed to the ground with clatters, unable even to question what was happening before falling unconscious.

Crackle!

Black-red lightning appeared from nowhere in the air, producing a sound as though the very air had been torn apart.

Boom!

The dock beneath Gawain's feet shattered instantly. The vice admirals were struck by the impact, then all unleashed Armament Haki to withstand the assault of Conqueror's Haki.

Crash, crash!

The dock had clearly collapsed, and Gawain should have fallen into the sea. Yet the ocean beneath his feet surged with astonishing waves.

Between those waves and Gawain's feet, Conqueror's Haki pulsed without end. Gawain seemed weightless as he rose and fell with the current amid those vibrations.

Having retreated into the distance, Sengoku stared at Gawain in shock before suddenly looking up at the sky.

Sure enough, amid the clouds above Marineford, a circular opening identical to the one over Mary Geoise had appeared!

Beside Sengoku, Momousagi Gion gripped Kompira tightly, asking in disbelief.

"H-How is this possible?!!"

"Nothing is impossible!"

Sengoku's brow furrowed tightly, his eyelids lowered as he spoke with immense emotion.

"In the past, perhaps no one could be called the owner of the strongest Conqueror's Haki.

But now, all of you, look closely...

This is the strongest Conqueror's Haki in the world!"