Watching the two of them admire each other, Saint Gawain and Shakky exchanged glances. Shakky leaned on the bar, chuckling helplessly.
"These guys who love to fight are still the same as ever; they always want to show off, no matter the time."
After saying that, Shakky picked a dried fruit from Gawain's plate and popped it into her mouth. As she chewed, she took the cigarette butt from her lips and extinguished it on the bar.
Gawain glanced at Shakky, intending to say something, but after a moment of distraction, he quietly turned away.
Avoiding Shakky's chest, which was slightly exposed due to her leaning, Gawain shifted his gaze to Rayleigh and said, "Don't listen to Shakky, Mr. Rayleigh. If you didn't have your refined Conqueror's Haki, you wouldn't be facing me now but rather the Navy's forces."
As his words fell, Gawain patted Gion's arm and softly asked, "While the older generations may be losing stamina, their skills are only getting more extraordinary. How does Rayleigh's Conqueror's Haki feel? Although it flashed by, it contains a wealth of experience, doesn't it?"
As he spoke, Gawain raised his bottle toward Rayleigh, who thoughtfully clinked it with Gawain's.
Meanwhile, Shakky, seeing the two men enjoying their drinks, smiled lazily at Gion. "Men are indeed men; they really love their alcohol. Let them drink. As for us, we have dried fruits and cake. Don't you want to try the cotton candy?"
"I know what I'm doing!"
Gion responded coldly before carefully taking a small bite of the cotton candy.
With that first bite, the sweetness overwhelmed her, and she couldn't help but show a slight smile.
At that moment, Shakky rested her chin on her right hand and smiled at Gion. "It's delicious, isn't it? It costs one hundred thousand Berries!"
"One hundred thousand?"
Gion was taken aback, thinking of the cotton candy as some monstrous, overpriced delicacy. She had never eaten anything that expensive in her life!
"Hahaha!"
"You've definitely been ripped off!"
Rayleigh and Gawain burst into laughter simultaneously, and as they did, they finished off the rum bottle completely.
After sending the empty bottle to the bar, Rayleigh said to Shakky, "Prepare more drinks for me and Saint Gawain. It looks like we have quite a few serious matters to discuss today."
Gawain then leaned the cotton candy, which Gion had pushed away, closer to her. "Eat up; Shakky was just joking. Her shop only charges the Navy and morally corrupt pirates."
"I can't agree with you there, Saint Gawain."
Shakky rebutted as she brought new drinks over to Gawain. "You two should be on my charge list too, right?"
"No way! I'm not a Navy man, nor am I a pirate. Gion used to be in the Navy, but now she's my subordinate, so let's call it free, Shakky."
Gawain teased, lifting his bottle and clinking it with Rayleigh's. "Rayleigh, I've settled the drink bill; now it's time to discuss serious matters. What do you think?"
"Go ahead, Saint Gawain. It's been a while since I've met such an interesting Celestial Dragon. I just hope it's not too much trouble; I can't handle it at my age."
Rayleigh took a small sip of his drink, looking at Gawain with deep meaning, waiting for his response.
Gawain lightly tapped his fingers on the table. "What if I said I wanted you on my ship, Rayleigh?"
"Hahahaha!"
Rayleigh burst into hearty laughter, slapping his thigh as he laughed. "Saint Gawain, you really cracked me up! We should be discussing serious matters, but that proposal is anything but serious! I'm already so old, tsk tsk, seventy-three, you know. Look at my beard and hair; if it weren't for my white beard still being lively, I'd definitely qualify as having gray hair or a white beard myself! Hahaha. And as for my current situation, I'm a retired sailor without a captain.
Maybe you don't know, but I've sworn an oath, Gawain. Someone like me has no right to board even a single ship!"
As he finished speaking, Rayleigh laughed, finishing an entire bottle of rum. "I've been staying in Sabaody for all these years. Gion, the Navy should know how quiet I've been. Aside from the places I could swim to, I haven't gone anywhere. The only time I stepped on a deck was during my coating work; I haven't boarded any ship since. If you want me to teach you how to use Conqueror's Haki, that's fine. You don't seem like a bad guy. The skills of Conqueror's Haki should be passed down and shouldn't be taken to the grave. But getting on a ship…"
Rayleigh lowered his head, the light reflecting off his glasses as he fiddled with the bottle, expressing deep emotions.
"In this new era, there are no ships that can carry me anymore!"
As his words fell, there was a moment of silence. Gawain took a sip of his drink and then gently nodded. "I understand."
Setting down the bottle, Gawain clapped his hands. "Why is it that even though pirates are thieves, so many people are willing to join them? It's all because of you old-timers in the pirate world; your charisma is truly admirable. Tsk tsk, how many young people have you led astray over the years? Since you don't want to, I won't force you. As you said, you're seventy-three years old; how can I impose on an elderly man like you?"
At this point, Gawain changed the subject. "However, you mentioned wanting to teach me the techniques of Conqueror's Haki, right? A deal is a deal! From today on, you'll be my teacher in Conqueror's Haki, Mr. Rayleigh!"
"Haha, I knew that's what you wanted! Aside from Conqueror's Haki, do you really have any other powers you can't obtain? You Celestial Dragons, whether it's Devil Fruits, the two-color Haki, swordsmanship, or physical techniques, if you want them, countless people will help you train. But Conqueror's Haki…"
Rayleigh gave a meaningful glance at Gion. "There are simply too few who possess Conqueror's Haki in the Navy. As for the World Government, it's likely that only the Gorosei, who are busy with their affairs, can manage it. People like Garp and Sengoku wouldn't stick around you. So when I learned that you were the protagonist in yesterday's two incidents of Conqueror's Haki, I began to suspect the current situation. I just didn't expect you to come so quickly!"
As he finished speaking, Rayleigh grabbed a new bottle of liquor and placed it between himself and Gawain, saying softly, "What should I do if I don't teach you? I can't just kill you, right? Not to mention Gion and Shakky's lives. Just look at Sabaody Island; having the Demon Slayer Order come to such a beautiful island would be too boring. This world is so magnificent; Devil Fruits and Haki provide almost every potential for us to develop. Devil Fruits are the power of fantasy, while Haki is the power of will. Look, apart from physical techniques, we can develop both fantasy and will!"
Rayleigh's pupils slightly dilated, and in the next moment, his Conqueror's Haki burst forth with a roar. The invisible aura rapidly condensed, and small yet exceptionally clear black-blue lightning wrapped around the bottle in his hand.
"Therefore, the first thing I want to teach you is… Will is power!"
With a crisp pop, Rayleigh's bottle magically opened, and the black-blue lightning wrapped around the cork, hurling it out the window. The Conqueror's Haki on Rayleigh gradually faded as he took a sip of his drink and muttered softly, "I will teach you all I know about Conqueror's Haki. In exchange, I hope my remaining years can be a little quieter. Sabaody is a great place, and I really want to be buried here. From now on, the Navy should leave me alone!"
"No problem." Gawain nodded leisurely.
"That's good." Rayleigh smiled in satisfaction, then looked around and shook his head. "Sabaody Island isn't suitable for training in Conqueror's Haki; there are too many people here, and the impact would be significant. Choose a location, one close to Sabaody, on an island with fewer people. I'll swim over to the island you pick in my spare time."
"Sure, how about Amazon Lily?" Gawain quickly responded.
"That island is in the Calm Belt, so there are no passing ships nearby. The local residents are few and love to fight. Most of them are skilled in two-color Haki, so their acceptance of Conqueror's Haki should be good."
"Cough cough? Are you serious?"
Rayleigh was taken aback and glanced at Shakky with difficulty. Seeing that she didn't say anything, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Let's be clear, we've never met before. This is all your idea, not my old lecherous thoughts about a daughter country! Did you hear that, Shakky? As for Amazon Lily, it's indeed a good place. It's vast, full of beasts, and there are plenty of Sea Kings. The terrain is also suitable for developing two-color Haki. It's truly a great place for training. Let's settle on that; I'll take a break and set off tonight or tomorrow morning. Even with my speed, it'll still take a few days to get there, so when will you meet me?"
Listening to Rayleigh's question, Gawain thought for a moment before responding. "I'll head to Ryugu Kingdom in two days. After a brief stay, I'll arrange my schedule and make time to head to Amazon Lily for a while."
"Okay, it's settled!"