"Hehe."
Beside them, Gion couldn't help but laugh. Once everyone turned to her, she lit a cigarette and teased, "You've made your agreement, but it seems you haven't considered little Hancock's thoughts, have you?"
As her words fell, Gion exhaled a puff of smoke and leisurely shook her head. "What a pity for little Hancock; her hometown is about to be ruined by you two."
"Haha, that's not up to me! The one waiting for me on that island is the highest authority of the World Government—the Celestial Dragon, no less~."
Rayleigh pouted, pretending to be scared. "Tsk tsk, that's a Celestial Dragon's order. If I don't obey, I'll be captured and made a slave. So, I can only reluctantly go to Amazon Lily, painfully watching those young girls."
After saying this, Rayleigh took a sip of his drink, swirling it on his tongue before asking Gawain, "By the way, Saint Gawain, your choice isn't just a whim, is it? Are you… interested in the Warlords or in women?"
At this, Rayleigh raised a hand to smooth his white hair, chuckling. "What am I saying? Someone who treats women as everything couldn't possibly awaken Conqueror's Haki. Are you trying to collect all the women in the world? That's impossible!"
With that, Rayleigh picked up the bottle and took a big gulp of his drink. "Ha~."
Exhaling the alcohol-laden breath, Rayleigh rested his elbow on the bar and propped his head up with his hand. "So, with Conqueror's Haki burning in your chest and ambitions brewing in your mind, the first force you're targeting is the Warlords? Then regarding your trip to Ryugu Kingdom, your purpose isn't just to return those young mermaids, as Mjosgard believes, right? That young Jinbei has always protected his country, but with you going there, I'm afraid I'll see Jinbei on Amazon Lily?"
Rayleigh smiled meaningfully.
Beside him, Gawain pondered for a moment before nodding decisively. "You're right."
As soon as these words fell, Rayleigh chuckled knowingly, while Gion took a deep drag from her cigarette, appearing thoughtful. As for Gion, she bit into a cotton candy, frowning.
The next colleague would be that honorable man—albeit a pirate—who held a good reputation even in the Navy, the stout Fish-Man, the Sea Knight Jinbei?
Thinking this, Gion rubbed the hilt of her sword with her left hand. She had fought Jinbei more than once; on land, he was simply not her opponent. But if it were in Ryugu Kingdom, a kingdom ten thousand meters under the sea…
Gion gritted her teeth, realizing that if a battle broke out underwater, she might not be up to the task! For a moment, the way she bit into the cotton candy became slightly more forceful. She needed to improve further. If only she had the strength of old man Garp, not to mention defeating a Fish-Man at ten thousand meters under the sea!
Old man Garp's strength was such that he could even defeat old man Sakazuki in a battle among lava!
Setting aside Gion's small sense of defeat, Gawain took a sip of his drink and continued smiling as he spoke.
"Rayleigh, you pirates always love to talk about freedom, dreams, and ambitions. But for me, those things are all less important than realizing my own value in life. I'm sure you can guess that even though I'm a Celestial Dragon, I don't like life in Mary Geoise, nor do I think much of my boring compatriots. So, should I abandon my identity as a Celestial Dragon to join the Navy or take over some kingdom to become a king? Don't mention pirates to me; a thief is still a thief, and I'm not that depraved. Hehe. In any case, I won't do that. Giving up one's identity might be cool and free, but Donquixote Doflamingo has long proven how foolish that is. Yet, I really don't like this world as it is; there are too many things I dislike. The seas are turbulent, and everyone seems like madmen chasing after and admiring the identity of thieves? Your captain, Roger, hehe. A pirate king who brought chaos to the seas. His actions completely destabilized the environment for civilians, who are the foundation of all social structures. He is not the Pirate King; he should be called the poisoner of the realm.[1]"
Gawain swallowed a sip of wine, quietly waiting for everyone's reactions. After a moment, Rayleigh patted Gawain's arm. "While I don't agree with your view of my captain, this is a tavern. You and I are patrons here, and I'm willing to hear your thoughts. What do you want to do?"
"Of course, to rule the world."
Gawain replied with utmost ease. "This isn't some dream or ambition of mine. My identity as a Celestial Dragon has already placed me at the highest point in the world. Although the highest position in the World Government is held by the Gorosei, they are also Celestial Dragons. So for me, if what I want isn't that great, it will eventually come to me—that's all. Therefore, my only remaining pleasure is to realize my own value in life; my life shouldn't be spent amidst countless things that leave me dissatisfied. I don't like them, and I don't have to destroy them. I should master them!"
As he finished speaking, Gawain reached out to Gion. "Give me a cigarette, Gion."
"Mhm."
Gion handed Gawain a cigarette and lit it for him.
After taking a puff of smoke, Gawain smiled at everyone. "I don't believe in fate in this world. Since I exist, I am fate. Rayleigh, you're right; I've indeed set my sights on the Warlords, and if I were to build a force from scratch, it wouldn't be impossible, but it would take too long. Conquering the world isn't something to be taken lightly; if we're going to do it, we should seize the moment!
How many forces are there in this world? Pirates, the World Government, and over 170 allied nations—that's it. A triangle, such a stable relationship. But then the Revolutionary Army appeared, followed by the Warlords. The Warlords don't really regard the World Government. At best, they're just rebellious thorns in their side.
You see, they don't listen well, yet they possess considerable strength and influence. If we can truly unite them, we might not take down the New World, but we can definitely gain control of the Grand Line.
Moreover, I hope to use the Warlords to bring a new voice to this world full of pirates. The men and women drifting at sea don't have to choose between being pirates or joining the Navy. They can ride the waves under another banner."
With that, Gawain put down the cigarette and exhaled a puff of smoke into the air. Watching the curling smoke and the silent crowd, he said leisurely, "Of course, it's not as simple as I say. Conquest isn't like playing chess, where using the right pieces guarantees victory. There are political cores, livelihoods, technology, and many other factors I need to consider. But I don't need to think that far ahead; I can take it step by step, doing things in the right way without stopping."
Gawain's left hand lightly traced a circle on the bar. "For now, I just need to meet the existing Warlords. Those I can recruit, I'll recruit; those I can't, I'll take care of them and find someone else who can be recruited. I'll unify them and properly control the Grand Line. Then, through controlling the Grand Line, I'll gather enough talent to develop research, education, infrastructure, and various forms of publicity.
If it weren't for the existence of Conqueror's Haki and all those bizarre Devil Fruits, I would have a much better way. I could fully utilize every civilian in this world, planting a red flag on every mountaintop. I could exchange stability and equality for their admiration and obedience. Isn't that fair?
But unfortunately, transportation is too inconvenient, and Conqueror's Haki has deprived civilians of the chance to charge and resist. Those with Conqueror's Haki can stun tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands with just a bit of force. So, I don't need civilians to fight for me; I just need enough public support!
I want them to know that when their emerging talents are determined to stand out, they don't have to become pirates or join the Navy. I want them to know they can choose me, and that I am their best choice!"
As Gawain finished speaking, his cigarette nearly burned out. He put down the butt and glanced at Rayleigh, who was listening intently, and softly asked, "What do you think?"
"Not much. If you weren't a Celestial Dragon, this idea would be really naive. But you are, so I can hardly see the possibility of your failure. You have so many points to utilize. Regarding Jinbei, just a clause bringing equality to Fish-Men could almost win over him and the entire Ryugu Kingdom. That clause would be difficult for both the Navy and the pirates to handle, but for you, it's practically effortless!
Then there's Hancock. The lives of the people on Amazon Lily are her everlasting weakness; in the face of the Marineford decree, she has no room for choice as a queen!
As for Kuma, Crocodile, Moria, and Doflamingo, they are even easier to deal with than those two. The only tricky one among the Warlords is Mihawk, but you can replace him.
By relying on the Warlords to influence and control the Grand Line, although the numbers might be a bit low at first, gradually adding to them, those young people coming from the four seas won't stand a chance. Talent and funds will flow endlessly to you!
I can almost see the coming era of the Grand Line being known as Gawain!"
As he spoke, Rayleigh anxiously rubbed his beard. "If your goals are just those, I can hardly find a possibility for your failure. So, are those your only goals?"
"Of course not, old man. I have many more ideas. What I've shared with you is just the simplest part, the part least likely to lead to failure if revealed!"
"What's next? You said you only care about the present; what are you in a hurry for? How do you plan to speed things up?"
"Those aren't things I can tell you right now, Rayleigh!"
"If not now, then when?"
"When you step on my ship, I'll talk to you then."
"Absolutely not! I even feel like killing you, because you might really cause those young pirates from the four seas to lose their dreams!"
"The dreams of pirates only bring more pain to those who are not pirates! Besides, what's impossible in this world? One day, you'll stand by my side. We can make a bet—let's bet on this tavern!"
[1] #notmyonepieceheadcanon