As the days passed, the Reverie gradually drew to a close.
Until this day, after the meeting was adjourned by the representative of the Flower Country, who was also the host of the meeting...
This Reverie is now drawing to a close.
The kings present rose and prepared to leave.
Just as everyone stood up, the door to their conference room was suddenly and rudely pushed open from the outside.
Immediately afterwards, a group of soldiers in black military uniforms, who looked very imposing, marched into the conference room with perfectly synchronized steps.
After the soldiers entered, they immediately spread out in all directions, forming a complete circle around the large circular conference room.
The soldiers stood no more than two meters apart, and after they came to a stop, they casually rested their rifles on the ground beside their legs.
Thump!
The movement of nearly seventy men leaning on their spears produced only one sound, and the perfectly synchronized sound sent a shiver down the spines of the kings who had just risen!
At this moment, none of the kings spoke, for some of them might be insane, while others might be cruel and tyrannical.
But they all have one thing in common: they're not stupid!
They knew perfectly well that this was Mary Geoise, and no one had the right to cause trouble here!
Because the trouble caused by those who stir up trouble here is often permitted by this city!
The kings looked at each other, and many of them understood each other's intentions.
The Celestial Dragon are here!
Even if they aren't Celestial Dragon, those who came must at least be high-ranking officials from the World Government!
So, about two-thirds of the Ochoku towards the doorway.
Among the remaining kings who did not kneel were Cobra, Neptune, Dalton, and Judge.
They couldn't help but exchange a glance.
After a single glance, they all understood what was going on, and then they followed the remaining third of the slower-reacting king and knelt down towards the door.
As Gawain approached amidst the welcoming crowd of kings, his footsteps drew ever closer. But as those steady steps drew nearer, a slightly endearing voice broke the heavy, tense atmosphere between the kings.
The sound traveled through the corridor into the room, and all the kings heard it...
"Wow, the last time I came to this area to see Mr. Dalton, I didn't even get a chance to walk around this house."
Uncle, this house is so spacious!
Upon hearing this, all the kings couldn't help but look in Dalton's direction.
Under the gaze of a large group of kings, Dalton's Adam's apple bobbed dramatically.
At the same time, another voice came from outside the door. It sounded very young, but its tone was relatively deep, making it seem particularly powerful.
"Quiet."
After that sound rang out, not only did the lovely voice stop, but even the kings in the room quickly turned around, making sure all they could see were their knees and the floor.
As the kings waited in a tense and Bian atmosphere, Gawain walked through the soldiers lined up on both sides of the corridor and stepped into the conference room.
Looking at the kneeling kings before him, Gawain remained silent for a moment, his silence making the atmosphere in the room even more thick and heavy.
For some reason, the pressure on all the kings suddenly increased dramatically, and one king with a bad mentality even fainted on the spot with his eyes rolled back.
The moment the king fainted, Gawain frowned.
The combination of the German soldiers' discipline and the Celestial Dragon's supreme authority can indeed put immense pressure on those who come into contact with them.
However, if they faint, it will be difficult to discuss what happens next.
With a swift movement of his right hand, Gawain sent Thunder hurtling down the floor towards the unconscious man.
A moment later, the poor man who had fainted suddenly knelt up again!
Seeing this, Gawain nodded in satisfaction.
"Gentlemen, raise your heads."
He said this, and the kings quickly obeyed, looking up at the man before them.
In the eyes of the kings, Chopper on Gawain's shoulder immediately became the object of their wide-eyed stares.
Although many kings are aware of Gawain's identity, the bubble hood over Chopper's hat is undoubtedly the true mark of Celestial Dragon!
Seeing that everyone had spotted Chopper, Gawain smiled with satisfaction.
"I'm sure you all know my identity now, very good."
"Now, please all stand up and return to your seats."
Gawain smiled and gave the order, and the kings immediately sprang into action in silence. A moment later, the kings swiftly returned to their seats.
After the kings were seated, Gawain gently patted the bubbles on Chopper's head.
"Alright, Chopper, you've finished what I asked you to do."
Having you around is so convenient. I, who dislike being surrounded by bubbles, no longer need to explain myself.
As soon as he finished speaking, Gawain moved his shoulder, Chopper immediately jumped off.
"Oh, so that's all the uncle wanted to see me about. I thought I had another patient who needed my treatment today."
"Since everything's alright, I'll head back now. I still have over thirty surgeries to perform today~~~."
Chopper smiled and said goodbye to Gawain, then skipped away with a series of splattering steps.
After Chopper disappeared, Gawain, under the tense gazes of all the kings, approached the round table where they were.
Two unfortunate kings happened to be sitting right next to Gawain approached the table by squeezing between them.
This action truly frightened the two kings, who quickly tried to rise and offer Gawain his chair.
But as soon as they stood up, Gawain gently pressed down on their shoulders.
As he pressed the two kings to sit down, Gawain nodded to the other kings.
"Your Majesties have already endured a fourteen-day Reverie, and you must be quite tired of this table before you."
Even the most unrestrained verbal sparring cannot keep everyone excited indefinitely.
So..."
Gawain glanced around, and whenever his gaze fell upon someone, that king would dramatically lower his head, avoiding eye contact with Gawain.
Seeing the kings' unanimous attitude, Gawain shook his head dejectedly.
He had never witnessed or personally experienced such a diplomatic scene in his previous life.
This scene made him realize that diplomacy within the world of pirates was incredibly easy to carry out.
Of course, this doesn't prove his ability; after all, everything he has is attributed to his background.
No matter how foolish Oda portrays the Five Elders and the World Government.
We must also acknowledge that the Five Elders' rule over this world is indeed deeply ingrained.
The Celestial Dragon's authority and nobility have indeed reached a pinnacle that is almost unattainable by any real-world regime!
This world is truly controlled by the idiots created by Oda.
It's possible that the ruled are even more stupid than the Celestial Dragon...
Setting aside his thoughts, Gawain clapped his hands lightly and continued what he had just said.
"Therefore, I will keep my polite words to a minimum and try not to take up too much of everyone's time."
I'm Gawain, it's nice to meet you all, and you don't need to take the time to greet me.
"Now, all rulers of nations that do not exist in the Grand Line, please stand up!"
The moment the words left his mouth, nearly forty people stood up!
Gawain scrutinized them one by one, and only when Gawain saw Vinsmoke Judge did he nod slightly.
"Very good, you are indeed people I admire."
"Now, those of you who engage in large-scale export trade of raw materials such as metal ores, please sit back down in your chairs!"
After saying this, four of the kings who stood up looked nervously to their left and right.
Then they nervously sat down.
Gawain glanced at the seated people; there were exactly seventeen, which was more than enough.
So, Gawain waved goodbye to Judge one last time.
"Judge, sit down. As for all the other monarchs who are still standing, please leave the meeting room!"
Don't worry, there will be no danger on your way out. I've also prepared small gifts for each of you.
Whether it's the limited-edition Impel Down slaves, a specialty of Mary Geoise, or the limited-edition model of my Dark Bird Ship before its refit.
In short, you'll like those!
As soon as he finished speaking, Gawain waved his hand behind him, and the kings who had stood up immediately walked out nervously.
Regardless of whether any of them were from major powers, none of them dared to utter a single word in front of Gawain.
As these people left, the king, who remained in the conference room, became even more nervous.
Gawain didn't seem to notice the kings' tension. After all the other kings had left, he casually found a chair and sat down.
After sitting down, Gawain waved to the remaining kings.
"Please sit across from me, closer together, so I can see you clearly."
"Yes, sir!"
Neptune and the others immediately nodded in agreement. Then, these kings who were familiar with Gawain spontaneously led the other kings to form a slightly compact formation and sit opposite Gawain.
After everyone was seated, Gawain tapped his index finger lightly on the table. He didn't say anything, but let the tension and repression spread throughout the room.
Admittedly, even without doing so, Gawain could use his Celestial Dragon status to force the subsequent kings to agree to his conditions.
But since he had the opportunity to do it more efficiently and thoroughly, Gawain couldn't possibly give up the advantages he had at hand.
Gawain's rhythmic tapping continued for a full six minutes.
During this time, the way he looked at everyone gradually changed.
To Neptune and his associates, that change was merely a bit more comical than before.
But when that mocking look appeared in the eyes of others, they felt as if they were being transformed into a sumptuous feast, placed in front of Gawain, at his Gawain to chop and select with a knife and fork!
As the kings trembled more and more violently, Gawain had naturally found the common tipping point among them.
He finally spoke.
"Hehe, sorry, I seemed to have gotten lost in thought again just now."
You should understand my habits, after all, you are all people who bear many responsibilities, and you should be good at thinking.
Now it's your turn to demonstrate your abilities, and I want to talk to you.
"Please give your orders, Your Gawain!"
Judge, standing nearby, immediately responded to Gawain's question, his words seemingly serving as a reminder to all the kings.
Suddenly, the group of kings seemed to have found a solution. They then frantically pledged their loyalty to Gawain, spouting nonsense such as "We will obey all your instructions."
Seeing the atmosphere gradually becoming more lively, Gawain smiled knowingly and nodded to Judge.
Then, he gently patted the table.
At that moment, the kings, who had just been making a ruckus, stopped abruptly and sat down in unison, their postures like those of children on their first day of kindergarten.
Meeting the kings' discreet gazes, Gawain continued speaking to himself.
"Most of you are monarchs who roam the Grand Line, so you must know more about my story over the past year than I do."
Over the past year, I've taken a short trip around the Grand Line, and this trip has brought me many interesting ideas.
At this point, Gawain reached into his chest pocket and pulled out a simple map of the Grand Line.
This map is not a nautical chart, but a chart labeled with the names of many countries.
Gawain tossed the chart near the kings on the other side, then said with a smile.
"The route I took earlier was the same route that King Cobra was on."
Although I have not set foot in every one of your kingdoms, I think I can roughly guess at the current situation of each of your countries, even if I only have a glimpse of the whole picture.
So, I'm here to talk to you about what I think is the current state of the Grand Line!
Gawain pointed at Cobra, Cobra quickly stood up and bowed to Gawain.
As Cobra bowed, Gawain continued.
"King Cobra's country cannot be considered a truly great power in the world."
Whether in terms of strength, size, or population, its domestic power is far inferior to that of the truly great powers in the Four Blues.
Regardless, Alabasta is one of the top five superpowers in the world, even if most of its influence stems from Cobra's lineage as the creator. Nevertheless, Cobra's nation is still worthy of praise.
Even such a large country has faced severe droughts in recent years, to the point that millions of people in Cobra have starved to death!
As soon as he finished speaking, Gawain slammed his hand on the table, startling the kings!
Before the kings could react, Gawain continued.
"Cobra, consider this: even the largest nation, which is at least nominally among the top five, is powerless to resist the maritime disasters of our time!"
In particular, due to the surge in the number of pirates in recent years, not only the major trade routes Four Blues, but also the transport routes and trade routes within the Grand Line have been severely affected!
You are all probably familiar with Cobra. He can be considered a wise ruler, but due to the instability of the major shipping routes on the Grand Line and the increasingly difficult trade channels between countries, he has been unable to achieve his goals.
Alabasta, having lost stable supply and relief routes, lost millions of lives in just ten years!
It's conceivable that even Alabasta cannot obtain a stable supply of resources through the current sea routes of the Grand Line. Do you think the other nations will have increasingly prosperous trade channels in the coming years that will allow you to earn more?
Impossible!
Given the increasing aggression of pirates and the growing danger of the sea routes, please give me an answer.
You've earned far more over the years than you ever did before!
After speaking, Gawain placed his hands on the table and looked solemnly at the assembled kings.
Meeting Gawain's gaze, the kings were initially taken aback, but then immediately found their anchor.
The Kingdom of Gawain has already begun to call for action.
"Your Celestial Dragon, you are absolutely right. I've been earning less and less these past few years. Not only can I not collect any taxes from the foolish commoners, but there are also far fewer merchant ships traveling within the country!"
To earn money to pay the Heavenly Tribute, I've recently been relying on forming a bounty hunter team to trade pirates who pass through our country as commodities to maintain my income!
"So, Your Highness, could we perhaps reduce the Heavenly Tribute this year?"
"Yes, Your Highness, please lower the Heavenly Tribute; these days are truly unbearable!"
"Your Highness is truly a benevolent deity, showing concern for the miserable lives of us lowly kings. Please, Your Highness, grant us some leniency in paying the Heavenly Tribute!"
In an instant, the kings, one after another, all with mournful faces, began firing cannons at the Heavenly Tribute.
Seeing this, Gawain smiled with satisfaction.
He certainly didn't come here to grant everyone the Heavenly Tribute.
He was pleased that, although these kings were cautious, almost none of them were fools.
Gawain wasn't good at persuading a fool, but since everyone else wasn't a fool...
Then Gawain can persuade them!
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Those who are interested can take a look; at least to me, it looks good and has the feel of a high-quality product.