He Wasn't That Shallow!

"Oh? Did I say that much? You must have misheard."

Facing Gion's question, Gawain chuckled and waved his hand.

"Don't overthink it. Since you've agreed to board my ship, just stay by my side from now on, Vice Admiral Gion."

As his words fell, Gawain looked around at the dilapidated dockyard, the turbulent sea that was gradually settling, the stones and wood chips that had been blasted away by Haki and crushed to dust by the clash of Conqueror's Haki, and the dumbfounded vice admirals over seventy meters away.

Gawain walked toward the vice admirals. As he took a step forward, Gion naturally rested her left hand on Kompira's hilt, slipped her right hand into her pocket, and followed slightly behind to his left.

A soft cough came from within the distant group of vice admirals.

"Ahem!"

The instant the sound rang out, the vice admirals froze briefly before hurriedly making way for its owner.

Unlike the burly, broad-built vice admirals, the person who emerged from among them was a short, thin old woman, her face covered in wrinkles but her eyes exceptionally profound.

Though the old woman was merely a vice admiral, even Borsalino, an admiral, politely nodded to her as she passed by him.

The old woman ignored Kizaru and walked straight past him to Sengoku's side.

"Sengoku."

The old woman spoke slowly.

"We have witnessed Saint Gawain's potential firsthand. Since that is the case, he is also a good choice for Gion, isn't he?"

"You're right, Tsuru."

Sengoku answered sternly without moving.

"With Saint Gawain's talent for Conqueror's Haki, he is destined to challenge the position of the Five Elders in the future.

If he succeeds, then with Gion by his side, perhaps the Marines of our generation can enjoy an era of development even more relaxed than the one under Teacher Kong!

Besides, she is still one of our vice admirals."

With that, Sengoku stepped forward and walked toward Gawain.

Seeing the Fleet Admiral move, Tsuru, Kizaru, and the other vice admirals all followed, their entire group advancing toward Gawain in unison.

The two sides drew closer. Before long, Sengoku stopped roughly four meters in front of Gawain and gave him a wry smile.

"Saint Gawain, your visit has truly cost us dearly.

Gion is not merely one of our Marine vice admirals. She also bears the title Momousagi and is a candidate admiral capable of taking up the position should an admiral's seat become vacant!"

"If Gion did not possess such strength, how could I dare entrust my safety to her?"

Gawain replied with a smile, then turned to look at Gion. Meeting her beautiful, calm face, he continued.

"Besides, what I need is not merely a guard. Though I have awakened Conqueror's Haki, I have no idea how to use that power properly.

Aside from Conqueror's Haki, I also need an outstanding and powerful combat instructor to point me in the right direction on my path to becoming stronger."

"It would be my honor!"

A spark suddenly appeared in Gion's eyes. The identity of combat instructor genuinely made her somewhat excited.

Being a teacher was a profession where the identity of one's student made a tremendous difference.

Teaching someone with no ambition.

And teaching a Celestial Dragon—one who possessed the strongest Conqueror's Haki and was a powerful contender for the Five Elders, the highest seat of power in the World Government!

How could those two kinds of teaching possibly be the same?

Gion pursed her lips and continued with utmost seriousness.

"Saint Gawain, although I do not possess Conqueror's Haki, I am exceptionally proficient in the Marine Rokushiki and its derivative techniques, as well as the two forms of Haki: Armament Haki and Observation Haki.

If you truly have the resolve to grow stronger, then I believe my guidance will never disappoint that resolve!"

"Very good!"

Gawain nodded, acknowledging Gion's words. Then he turned back to Sengoku.

"That concludes my business here. As for the trouble I caused the Marines during this time, I..."

"Hehe, Saint Gawain, you caused us no trouble at all."

Sengoku interrupted Gawain.

"On the contrary, the Marines' poorly maintained dockyard caused Saint Gawain to accidentally fall into the sea. It is we Marines who caused you trouble.

I only hope you will not hold us accountable for it."

"What is there to hold accountable? The reason the Marine dockyards have fallen into such disrepair is precisely because of the World Government and us World Nobles.

After Gion and I return to the Sabaody Archipelago and then travel with Mjosgard to Fish-Man Island,

I will set aside some funds for the Marines, specifically to reinforce your dockyards and offer a little compensation to the poor Marines who collapsed from heatstroke due to exhaustion!"

With that, Gawain, his shoes full of water, walked straight toward an area of the dockyard that he had not destroyed.

As he walked, he spoke to Gion without looking back.

"Gion, prepare to set sail. We will continue using Doberman's ship to return to the Sabaody Archipelago shortly.

If there is anything you need to prepare, or anyone you need to say goodbye to..."

At that, Gawain lightly waved his hand.

"Then there is no need to rush. Take all the time you need to settle everything properly. I will wait for you at the dock."

"Yes, sir!"

Gion nodded in acknowledgment, then looked at Gawain's retreating figure with mixed emotions. He gradually walked away and finally stopped on an intact section of the dock.

His pants were soaked through, and every step he took made a sloshing sound.

Yet he did not look the least bit bedraggled. Instead, he resembled a straight, sharp sword hidden within its sheath, making people unable to resist anticipating the edge it concealed!

Noticing the shifting thoughts in Gion's eyes, Tsuru walked out from Sengoku's side and patted Gion on the shoulder.

"Gion, if you do not like this arrangement, Garp and I will propose to the Five Elders that they revoke Saint Gawain's decision regarding you."

Tsuru glanced at Sengoku.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku will certainly co-sign with us, won't he? Or do you think Gion is worth less than the Beli Saint Gawain is about to send us?"

"There is absolutely no need, Sister Tsuru!"

Before Sengoku could answer, Gion firmly shook her head.

"Saint Gawain's appearance was somewhat sudden. Especially for me, he disrupted all of my career plans.

But this is not a disaster. It is even far more interesting than my current life, isn't it?

The possessor of the strongest Conqueror's Haki—such a person would be destined to stir up this sea and shape a future era even if he were not a Celestial Dragon.

And I..."

Gion's left hand tightened slightly around Kompira's hilt.

"Could be considered standing at the crest of that wave, couldn't I?"

With that, Gion laughed boldly. As she laughed, she extended her fist toward Chaton, who had approached her.

Thud!

After their right fists lightly bumped, Chaton put on his lecherous expression and said with a grin.

"Looks like I'll have a hard time finding another chance to confess to you, Gion. The number of times my confessions have failed will probably remain at eighty-six."

"Stop joking around, Tokikake. Now that I'm going to Saint Gawain's side, you no longer need to worry about competing with me for a future admiral's position."

"But that Saint Gawain doesn't seem like a good person. He even rejected my recommendation of myself. I'd bet a hundred million Beli that what he really fancied was your appearance!"

"Haha!"

Chaton's teasing made Gion laugh loudly. Still laughing, she pointed toward Gawain's figure in the distance.

"He isn't that shallow!"

"How do you know he isn't? Although he is a little more handsome than other Celestial Dragons, and he does not wear their clothes or helmet.

At the end of the day, he is still a Celestial Dragon, one of those World Nobles who marries dozens of wives at the slightest whim!

It's simply... simply enough to make one jealous with envy!"

"Then take a good look at Saint Gawain's back!"

Gion earnestly refuted Tokikake.

"The moment he achieves his objective in one place, he refuses to linger even briefly. He does not even want to change out of his soaked clothes, instead deciding to head directly for his next destination!

Do you think a man this decisive and steadfast would be the sort of shallow person, obsessed with the opposite sex, that you describe!"

With that, Gion bowed to Grandma Tsuru.

"Sister Tsuru, since Lord Gawain is so decisive, how can I delay his steps!

Please say goodbye to Vice Admiral Garp and Admiral Aokiji for me."

"Don't worry, little Gion. They will only be happy for you. Well, Aokiji will, at least.

You and I both know Garp. He will only curse and complain about wanting to beat Gawain up."

"Haha, perhaps one day, Lord Gawain, whom I have taught, will be able to pin Mr. Garp to the ground and beat him up.

Anyway, I'm leaving now!"

"Mm, goodbye. May your ship always sail with favorable winds, Gion."

"And may your ship always sail with favorable winds too, Sister Tsuru!"

Gion said one last time. Then she strode toward Gawain, stopped behind him, patted her sword hilt, and said,

"This sword is all I own, and those people are my only family and friends. Saint Gawain, I am ready to set sail. We can leave right...!"

"No, you aren't ready!"

Gawain decisively interrupted Gion, leaving her stunned on the spot.

Meeting Gion's confused gaze, Gawain said softly,

"If you were truly ready, why are you still calling me Saint Gawain?"

With that, Gion's eyes suddenly lit up. The words of the man she would follow were truly full of power!

Thus, Gion nodded heavily and said with barely concealed excitement.

"I understand, my lord!"