"Extorted?"
Gion paused, thoughtfully shaking her head.
"Probably not. Anyone trying to get the upper hand with me would first have to get past my blade. At this point, there aren't many left who can even make it answer."
With her words, a fierce aura radiated from her.
"Why do you ask, Saint? Did someone try to extort you... Wait, this is your first time outside of Mary Geoise, isn't it?"
"Haha, it is. But don't worry, I'm not about to be taken advantage of right outside the World Government's doorstep. Let's go—we're heading to the nearby 13th Grove. If things go smoothly, we might even have time to visit the amusement park near Grove 30."
Saint Gawain smiled as he began to walk, his coat billowing in the wind. Gion followed closely behind, her own coat fluttering beside his. Just as they were about to leave Mjosgard's estate, a group of eight guards, assigned to protect Gawain, stepped forward.
"Saint!"
One of the guards respectfully spoke.
"Within the Sabaody Archipelago, Groves 1 through 29 are filled with scum—pirates, bounty hunters, slavers, and gang members everywhere! If you insist on going, we should follow standard Celestial Dragon protocol and send the local Marines to clear the path for you."
Gawain chuckled, waving his hand dismissively.
"No need. We'll go together. With Gion and you all, safety is hardly an issue."
"But, Saint..." One guard still sounded hesitant.
Gion stepped forward, gently tapping the hilt of her Konpira blade.
Clang!
The metallic sound rang out, crisp and cold.
"Saint Gawain possesses a rare and overwhelming Conqueror's Haki. Common pirates won't even stay conscious in his presence. As for me, even if Whitebeard himself were to show up, I'm confident I could hold him off for a good while."
Gion's voice was steady, her expression unwavering.
"I appreciate your concern for Saint Gawain's safety. However, someone with Conqueror's Haki must be cautious, not timid! Surely, with me by his side, Saint Gawain can move freely through the Sabaody Archipelago without fear—despite how close we are to Mary Geoise."
With that, she stepped back behind Gawain, her head held high, a proud glint in her eye.
"Saint, we're ready to depart."
"Hmm, well said, Gion. Quite impressive."
Gawain smiled at her praise and began to walk, leaving the estate with Gion following closely.
The eight guards, visibly frustrated, let out collective sighs before hurriedly catching up.
As they walked, Gawain shook his head.
"The guards are competent, but they've been too deeply influenced by Mary Geoise."
"For your safety, though, they aren't wrong, Saint."
Gion responded calmly, casting a glance toward the sky.
The bright morning sunlight streamed across the Sabaody Archipelago, illuminating countless bubbles floating in the air. The iridescent orbs filled the sky with shimmering rainbows, creating an atmosphere that felt magical.
Taking a deep breath, Gion admired the colorful scene.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Gawain asked.
"Yes, it's truly beautiful." Gion responded softly, lost in thought.
For someone who had spent so long focusing only on pirates and battles, when was the last time she had taken the time to admire such scenery?
But just as the two were enjoying the moment, an unpleasant voice shattered the peace.
"How dare you not kneel before a Celestial Dragon!"
The instant those words echoed down the street, all movement stopped.
The pedestrians froze, looking around anxiously. Their gazes soon locked onto Gawain and Gion, as the two stood out with their elegant clothing.
Upon closer inspection, someone noticed the emblem on Gawain's coat—a symbol, subtle yet unmistakable.
Thud!
The first person behind Gawain dropped to their knees, quickly followed by everyone around them. One by one, every passerby knelt. They lowered their heads in silence, sweat gathering on their brows and dripping to the ground.
Like a wave, the act of kneeling spread outward from Gawain's location, traveling down the street.
Witnessing this display, Gawain's mood soured. Whatever joy he had felt while admiring the scenery was gone.
Beside him, Gion sighed quietly. There was nothing she could say—the guards had not been wrong. The tradition of kneeling before a Celestial Dragon had persisted for seven centuries.
At the center of the kneeling crowd, Gion's thoughts began to stir. She cautiously glanced at Gawain's profile.
"Has the Saint always lived in an environment like this?"
Gawain ignored her gaze and didn't stop the guards from acting. More importantly, he made no effort to lift the kneeling people to their feet.
It wasn't him making them kneel—it was the custom of this world, upheld for centuries. Commanding them to rise wouldn't help; it would only unsettle them further.
The desire to explore faded from Gawain's mind, and his pace quickened. Before long, he arrived at the 13th Grove. Crossing the bridges between the groves, he waved his hand, signaling the guards to gather.
"Find me a bar—one called Shakky's Extortion Bar. Go!"
"Yes, sir!"
The guards saluted and hurried off.
...
Not long before, inside Shakky's Extortion Bar on the 13th Grove, an old man with white hair and a beard pushed the door open. He wore outdated beachwear and carried a dirty cloak draped over his shoulders. In his left hand, he leaned on a cane, and his right held a large sack—contents unknown.
The woman behind the bar, with sharp features and short hair, frowned upon seeing him but still opened two bottles of rum. One bottle she brought to her lips, the other she tossed to the old man.
"You're late. You were supposed to return last night."
"Haha, got held up by something."
The old man dropped the sack on the ground, freeing a hand to catch the rum. He took a seat at the nearest spot and drank deeply before setting the bottle down with a satisfied sigh.
"Don't blame me, Shakky. It's been a long time since I've seen the sky tremble like that—I had to see it with my own eyes."
"Hmph. Just sightseeing, huh? I thought your old heart might have gotten restless again, Rayleigh."
"No way! I'm just a poor sailor without a captain. How could I possibly board another ship?"
Rayleigh chuckled, taking another swig of rum. He held the bottle up and continued, "Oh, by the way, I made out pretty well yesterday—about 80 million berries. The buyer at the auction sure had deep pockets!"
"You know that's not what I'm interested in."
"Yeah, yeah. I bet you're curious about what happened at Mary Geoise and Marineford, aren't you?"
Rayleigh leaned back casually. "After making some money, I swung by the coating factory and heard that Mjosgard was heading to Fish-Man Island with Gawain. Gawain's a Celestial Dragon, leaving Mary Geoise for the first time. His personality's still a mystery, but I got a glimpse of him when I tailed Mjosgard to the 73rd Grove."
He took another swig before continuing with a grin. "I didn't investigate further because Gawain's bodyguard was someone special. Guess who?"
"Who?" Shakky asked, raising a brow.
"Gion. When she was just a kid, she hunted me and Roger across the seas for years on Zephyr's ship. Later, she spent years chasing Doflamingo under Tsuru's command. She's a beast—already a candidate for admiral—and not even forty yet!"
Shakky chuckled. "That woman's not as old as you make her sound. She's still in her prime."
Lighting a cigarette, she added, "According to the latest intel, Gion just returned to Marineford two days ago, and her warship was undergoing maintenance. But now she's escorting Gawain? That means Gawain must have made appearances in both Mary Geoise and Marineford today. So, that disturbance in the sky—it was probably Gawain's doing, wasn't it?"
Taking a drag from her cigarette, Shakky exhaled a smoke ring. "A Celestial Dragon… how interesting. The last time I heard new blood was joining their ranks, I wasn't even on land yet. That must've been, what… forty years ago?"
Rayleigh smirked. "Don't start talking about your age now, Shakky. Aren't you still the same young girl at heart?"
Shakky rolled her eyes, blowing another smoke ring at him. "I was talking about the Gorosei, not my age. The last change in the Five Elders was right before Captain Rocks declared war on the Celestial Dragons, wasn't it?"
She leaned on the bar, reminiscing. "Rocks rushed things. If he had waited just ten more years, the sea might have turned out very differently."
Rayleigh waved his hand dismissively. "Ah, let's not dwell on regrets. What's done is done. Sometimes I think if Roger had lived just a bit longer, the world might have changed too. But that's all just wishful thinking. Hahaha!"
"Shut up, old man. I'll settle my score with you one day."
"I'll be waiting! When I'm dead, feel free to kick over my tombstone, girl."
"Tch. I won't be bringing rum to your grave, that's for sure."
Rayleigh laughed. "That's cold! Just what I'd expect from you, Shak—wait!"
His expression darkened suddenly, and he grabbed his cane, quickly moving toward the door.
Shakky froze for a moment before breaking into a bitter smile. "We've got important guests, huh, old man?"
Rayleigh sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah… What a hassle. I was hoping they'd ignore me for a few more years."