Upon hearing Gawain's words, Sakazuki and Kuzan both tensed up.
Yes, the two of them were indeed a bit anxious. As soon as they heard Gawain's summons, they rushed over to vent their pent-up frustrations on Gawain.
As a result, the two of them even forgot that they didn't know why Gawain had woken up!
Why did the adult who had been sitting on the Golden Throne for about a year suddenly wake up?
It couldn't have been woken up specifically for the two of them, could it?
However, the current conflict between the two of them will almost determine the main direction of Dark Bird and the Navy for the next five to ten years.
So what could be more important than the future of the Dark Bird and the Navy?
In an instant, the two people, lost in thought, simultaneously realized something.
The next moment, the two of them couldn't help but exchange a glance.
A year later, this was almost the first time they had truly looked into each other's eyes.
In just a moment, they found a rare sense of understanding between them...
This feeling disgusted them, so they quickly turned their heads away and refused to look at each other again.
After a moment's thought, they couldn't help but glare at each other!
If there's anything more important than the future of Dark Bird and the Navy!
That matter will likely remain only a part of Gawain's future!
So...
Even though they didn't want to be in sync, they couldn't help but look back at the same time. When the Red Line came into view, they both gasped.
The only thing adults could possibly ask for is that position!
I just don't know whether what you want now is simply the position of one of the Five Elders, or if you'd like to go even further and strive for a position above the Five Elders?!
Thinking of this, their minds instantly became heavy.
We've finally made it this far!
The Five Elders, the World Government, who were originally the highest authority under the Dark Bird and the Navy, have actually become obstacles in their eyes!
Yes, Gawain actually has the ability to monitor the entire world on his own.
In that case, only by assuming the highest authority can that ability be utilized to the fullest extent and to gain complete control over the future!
But if Mary Geoise still looms over everyone, then they themselves...
No matter how sincere our intentions are, we're unlikely to be of much use!
With that thought in mind, Sakazuki and Kuzan suppressed their nausea and exchanged another glance.
In that one glance, Kuzan saw Sakazuki's retreat, and Sakazuki also saw Kuzan's restraint.
Compared to determining the main direction of the future, seizing supreme power in the world is of paramount importance!
Therefore, the two of them must temporarily put aside their differences and first grant the person in charge of the Navy and the Dark Bird Alliance the highest power in the world, so that everyone's actions will be legitimate from now on!
At this point, Sakazuki and Kuzan temporarily put aside their differences and sat down in silence.
At the same time, the pink figure approaching in the distance was getting closer and closer to the Dark Bird Ship.
Not long after.
Whoosh!
Thump!
Hancock buried her face in Gawain's chest and wouldn't lift her head for a long time, inhaling his scent to Gawain heart's content.
Gently stroking Hancock's back, Gawain spoke softly to Hancock.
"You've really come a long way so quickly. Kuma's skills have improved; you even managed to bounce your entire ship over here."
But I thought I'd see you the moment I woke up, instead you abandoned me and took Gion and everyone else to go on vacation to Reverse Mountain.
"What, you don't like being by my side anymore?"
"How could that be, my lord? I miss you terribly."
But... but...
"But lately, the Dark Bird Ship has become a mess, making it impossible for me to even bask in the sun in peace!"
Hancock agreed, but gave him a disgruntled smirk.
For a neutral person like her who's too lazy to take sides, being caught between the radicals and the stable ones must be a very unpleasant experience!
Yi Xiao and his group were too radical; they actually had the idea of joining forces with Sakazuki and others to invade the New World.
Meanwhile, the stability faction, led by Rayleigh and others, even avoided the Dark Bird Ship and settled comfortably near the Reverse Mountain.
Compared to the Dark Bird Ship, which is now the stronghold of the radical faction, the Reverse Mountain, controlled by the stable faction, is much more comfortable. Even Mihawk, the leader of the neutral faction, has come to Reverse Mountain to practice swordsmanship with the stable faction.
This situation was observed by the radicals, who were increasingly anxious about it.
If we allow neutral parties to get closer to stability parties like this, then the number of people who want peace will probably increase!
This also illustrates the current situation; clearly, since the last war, there are more and more people who yearn for peace.
After all, before this, they were just pirates or idle people in society.
Having never experienced a large-scale war, after witnessing the deaths of hundreds of millions of people, they naturally leaned towards peace...
Even the death of a rabbit evokes sorrow in a fox; it's normal for people who have witnessed too many of their kind die to have a stress response.
Moreover, this is the world of Pirate King, and there's no shortage of people like Koby here.
In the original world, many people who have watched Pirate King disliked Koby, even calling him a hypocrite.
Who told Koby to actually utter that cowardly phrase, "Let's stop fighting!" during the war?
But in reality, while Koby is indeed cowardly, he is also exceptionally bold in certain ways.
After all, there were many people who shared Koby's ideas at the time, and Koby was just the first to say those words!
Even without Red-Haired Shanks' rescue, Koby would definitely have died at Sakazuki's hands.
While people called Koby a hypocrite, that kind but undeniably cowardly child was actually prepared to die to shout out the voices people yearned for...
In short, Gawain could see the current situation: the radical alliance formed by Sakazuki, Issho, Bullet, Aramaki, and others was in full swing.
But in reality, they were the minority in this incident.
Aside from neutral figures like Garp, Mihawk, Gion, Hancock...
On the contrary, the pacifists, represented by Kuzan, Sengoku, Tsuru, and Kuma, are the majority.
This is the current situation between the Dark Bird and the Navy. However, after seeing it clearly, Gawain has temporarily given up on resolving their differences.
The emergence of different factions among subordinates is actually a good thing. There are no factions outside the party, only those with a penchant for personal gain; and there are no factions within the party, only a variety of strange things.
Resolving the disputes between factions among subordinates is actually quite simple.
That means setting a more important goal for your subordinates that can only be achieved through their joint efforts.
Gawain has a strong ability to control his subordinates. Although such a tough approach cannot resolve all conflicts, Gawain has absolute say in future goals.
So, after a brief moment of consideration, Gawain felt that it was time for him to take on Mary Geoise!
Imu, the Five Elders, the God's Knights, the other two branches of the armed forces besides the Navy, and CP0.
These former elders and imagined enemies have finally reached the day they must face!
Such a goal is enough to get subordinates to put aside their differences and work together!
As for what happens after this matter has calmed down, how should I resolve the conflicts among my subordinates?
Ha, one wave after another. After dealing with Mary Geoise, there are still many allied nations around the world that need to be dealt with gradually!
By then, Gawain will be fully capable of reorganizing the domestic military and political structure, and with the momentum of a new nation and a new atmosphere, he will be able to dismantle the existing structure and work of his subordinates in one fell swoop.
Of course, those are choices that can only be made after success has been achieved.
And if they fail...
Hehe, if you don't succeed, there's no need to think about those trivial things anymore. At that point, even surviving will probably be a luxury. Who will care about the conflict between Sakazuki and Kuzan?
In short, after formulating his future plans, Gawain put aside some of his thoughts and adopted a more relaxed attitude towards everyone.
He allowed Hancock to link arms with him and greeted his subordinates who arrived later with a broad smile.
Starting from Reverse Mountain, the Little Dark Bird, propelled by Kuma and others, came to a stop near the Big Dark Bird Ship, carrying a strong smell of cola.
As for the people on the Little Dark Bird...
A year had passed, and Ace had missed Gawain terribly. He gave Gawain a warm hug, then picked up his two younger brothers and greeted Gawain.
However, during this process, Gawain clearly noticed that apart from Ace, who was still full of energy, Sabo and Luffy were not very enthusiastic.
It's not surprising that Luffy isn't very good at it; Gawain has almost turned the Grand Line into an impenetrable wall, practically severing the roots of pirates.
Luffy, who aspires to become the Pirate King, witnesses the rapid collapse of pirate culture, so Luffy disappointment is understandable.
But Sabo...
Sabo should have been happy, since he had already brought basic peace and stability to every place the Sea Train reached.
But why does this kid look so preoccupied?
For a moment, Gawain couldn't help but think of Sabo's identity.
Damn it, now that the pirates can no longer cause them trouble, has the Revolutionary Army started to have some ideas about their rule?
Probably not. Dragon is a rational person, and Kuma has always been very loyal to him.
Although he had little cooperation with the Revolutionary Army, there were no conflicts between them either.
Under these circumstances, what reason would the Revolutionary Army have to cause trouble for itself?
Besides, even if they had a reason, they wouldn't have the ability to do so.
Having put aside his brief doubts, Gawain patted Sabo on the shoulder, which briefly cheered Sabo up.
Then, Kuma, pulling a short girl along, came up to Gawain.
"My lord, it's been so long! I'm so happy to see you again."
This is my daughter, Bartholomew Kuma Bonney.
It was thanks to the help of adults that my daughter was able to escape the Cipher Pol's tracking and surveillance.
Come, Bonney, quickly thank the master!
As he spoke, Kuma patted his daughter on the back, gesturing for Bonney to take a couple of steps closer.
Looking at the young man in front of her, who was only half the height of her father but whose aura completely overwhelmed him, Bonney narrowed her eyes and said with a chuckle.
"Oh my, Gawain, you 'Koby much more handsome than the Den Den Mushi!"
It was an honor to meet you, and I am very grateful for your help to my worrisome father!
Also, is there enough food on your ship? I'm a famously big eater, you know.
If you can feed me, then I can get some food by wearing your clothes.
Don't let my youth fool you, my Devil Fruit is incredibly powerful! I even turned Rayleigh into a child and played with him!
"Would you like to try being a child again, sir? It's so cute... Oh my!!"
Before Bonney could finish speaking, Kuma punched Bonney.
Shortly after Kuma formed the Revolutionary Army with Ryu and Okama King, Kuma's daughter was targeted by the Cipher Pol.
Therefore, Kuma was completely incapable of taking care of his daughter, making her as troublesome as a real street urchin...
This is a pain that will forever remain in Kuma's heart, and it is also the reason why Kuma completely sided with Gawain.
Without Gawain's help, Bonney would never be able to escape the control of the Cipher Pol, and Gawain himself would become a tool or even a weapon of the World Government because of Bonney...
Thinking of this, Kuma couldn't help but look up at the Red Line.
The World Government, and those Celestial Dragons.
Why is it that such a prodigy as you appears among you?
How can I possibly muster the resolve to fight against you?
But this is for the best. It seems I no longer need to fight against the World Government, since Lord Gawain is almost capable of doing so!
Compared to what Lord Gawain has done, the Revolutionary Army that I and Long have created is truly inferior!
Just as Kuma was lost in thought, Rayleigh and Mihawk walked toward Gawain together.
As they drew closer, the others finally couldn't resist and made way for them.
In the current structure of the Dark Bird Ship, the authority of each squad is parallel.
But everyone knows that although the tasks of each squad are different, the influence of a few individuals can surpass that of power.
Rayleigh, the vice-captain; Mihawk, the strongest after Gawain; Jinbe, one of the first to follow Gawain; and Issho, the earliest to follow Gawain.
Many people don't want to get involved with these people, even though they are all subordinates and are considered Gawain's absolute confidants!
If the Dark Bird Ship were to select someone like the All-Stars and Six Sons, then the All-Stars would undoubtedly be Rayleigh, Mihawk, and Issho.
The leader of the Six Sons will inevitably be Jinbe or Kuma.
Even if newcomers like Aramaki and Bullet are stronger than Jinbe, they are not enough to shake Jinbe's position.
Even though the Dark Bird Ship initially resembled a pirate force, by the time Dark Bird Ship has reached its current stage, its internal relationships have become more like a complete political system.
And isn't every complete political system inherently filled with all sorts of complicated relationships?
As for Gion, the very first monster to follow Gawain...
Ah, those are Gawain's women. They've long been categorized as mistresses by Gawain's subordinates.
Even those beyond Gion, Hancock, and Shirahoshi, including Nami (in charge of finance) and Robin in charge of history and education), were designated by their subordinates as unapproachable... the adults' private domain...
See? Even a large group of idealists become somewhat corrupt once they actually reach the highest levels of power.
All Gawain can do is continue to steer the ship, sailing towards the highest and farthest point.
That's all.