"Now, even if I just stand there, swords slash, and even artillery fire may not be able to cause any damage to me."
"And this kind of strength is not just on the surface, but my whole body is strong from the inside out, including flesh, organs, and bones."
"Inside and outside are one, without any defects."
"Is this the so-called... Diamond Body?!"
"This ability fuses Armament Haki with the body itself... It's almost like Zephyr's Armament Transformation!"
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became; Diamond Body granted him an innate form of Armament Transformation.
Although its raw defensive power might not surpass Zephyr's full-body Armament Haki, it also didn't impose the same severe strain on the body.
Unlike Zephyr's technique, which required conscious activation, the Diamond Body was in a permanent, passive state.
From this perspective, it was possible that if Zephyr took his Armament Transformation a step further, it would reach the same level as Diamond Body.
"If my base defense is already this strong, what happens when I enter Demon Form?!"
Without hesitation, Gawain activated his Demon Form. His body swelled, transforming into a demonic figure that appeared to be clad in a layer of flexible armor.
But this time, something was different.
His usual crimson dragon scales had darkened, shifting into a deep red hue.
"What is this...?"
Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the surface of his scales was now overlaid with intricate black vine-like patterns.
From head to toe, every single scale bore these mysterious markings.
"Is this the effect of the Diamond Body? A new layer of Armament Haki-based defense on top of my Battle Armor?"
Understanding dawned on him. He subconsciously used Guanze Masamune to cut his scales and gradually increased his strength.
Armament Haki and Extreme Force were used one by one, but they could not cause any damage to his scales.
It was not until Gawain tried to attach the Conqueror's Haki to the blade that he barely left a trace on the scale.
The hardness is so high that it is simply outrageous!
"Next time, maybe I can withstand Shiki's slash and slap him in the face."
"With the Battle Armor and the Diamond Body, my defense is probably comparable to Big Mon's iron balloon, which was claimed to never been broken."
"Add to that the configuration of the Mythical Zoan fruit; I should have a place among the four emperors, right?"
Having said that, Gawain understood that his raw power had undoubtedly reached the level of the four emperors, but his accumulation of power was much worse.
Besides, he still understood the principle of shooting the first bird to stick out, so he thought about it for a while and put this question aside.
What he is really curious about now is his own defense, whether it will be broken in the face of the attacks of Kizaru and Aokiji.
What a pity; when Gawain returned to Alubarna the next day, he saw teams of marines evacuating here in an orderly manner.
Obviously, with the complete stabilization of the situation in Alabasta, the Marines no longer have a reason to stay here.
It was Aokiji who was guarding outside the palace and met with Gawain before leaving.
"I'll leave Nico Robin to you."
Gawain nodded subconsciously but said: "She is the princess of Alabasta now, so if you want to say this, you should say it to Cobra."
"Ah."
"You really don't know how to be honest, huh."
Aokiji raised his hand and scratched his head, his tone returning to its usual laziness.
However, his attitude toward Gawain was no longer as simple as that of a marine facing a pirate; it was far more complicated.
They couldn't be called friends, but Gawain's interpretation of the world really made Aokiji start to face the problem he had been avoiding.
That is, when the will of the Marines is no longer justice, where should he go.
Now, he hasn't found the answer, but after Gawain's guidance, he has a hunch that day will not be too far away. "By the way, this is what Zephyr-sensei left for you."
Aokiji raised his hand and threw a bottle of wine to Gawain.
Gawain subconsciously raised his hand to take the bottle, glanced at the label on the bottle, and said: "Sherry?"
"Ah."
Aokiji leaned against the wall beside him.
"This is a fine product that the old man has stored in his cellar. He said it was brewed the year his child was born. It's been more than 30 years now."
"Even we, his students, never got to drink it."
With that, Aokiji turned around, waved lazily at Gawain, and strolled away.
Gawain watched him leave.
The rising morning sun cast a warm yet blinding glow, illuminating Aokiji's figure. His admiral's cape fluttered behind him in the wind.
The word "Justice" emblazoned on the back of his cape, usually so bright, now seemed dimmer at this moment.
Bang!
Gawain uncorked the bottle and took a small sip. A strange and spicy taste hit his tongue, making his expression turn strange for a moment:
"This wine... has gone bad?!"
"Well..."
"Since it's a high-end gift from a former admiral, maybe it's just not my taste. I'll let Robin try it."
... ... ...
"Yes, this wine has really gone bad."
Inside the royal palace, in one of the bedrooms, Robin put down a wine glass, her brows slightly furrowed as she delivered her verdict.
"It's undrinkable. Just throw it away."
Gawain stroked the bottle carefully. A smile appeared on his lips, and he shook his head: "Forget it."
"This is a gift from a former admiral to a pirate, the pirate he once hated the most."
"Even if the taste of the wine has deteriorated, the symbolic meaning will not change."
"Really?"
Robin leaned on the table with one hand, supported her chin with the other, and looked at Gawain with burning eyes: "The captain is unexpectedly nostalgic, so when you said you didn't like any girl last time, you were still thinking about Princess Guinevere?"
"Huh?!"
Gawain's eyelids jumped, and he reacted instantly: "What did Nami say to you on the Den Den Mushi?!"
"She said everything she should and shouldn't say."
"Ahhhhhh!"
Gawain's face twisted like a bitter melon, looking as if he had swallowed something unbearable.
"This damn joke just won't die, huh?!"
Looking at Robin's gossipy eyes, he felt his scalp tingling.
"Captain, don't you want to talk about it..."
"Goodbye!"
Gawain flashed and disappeared from Robin's sight, and before leaving, he took the newspaper that had just arrived on Robin's desk today.
Hearing the laughter behind him, Gawain's face froze, and his steps became faster.
A few minutes later.
Gawain fled to a deserted corner, and then he breathed a sigh of relief.
Thinking of Nami's behavior of wantonly spreading his black material, he gnashed his teeth in anger for a while.
At this point, it was like mud falling into his pants; even if it wasn't what it looked like, it was what it looked like.
He had originally planned to ignore it, but thanks to Nami's big mouth, even Robin, who had just joined, already knew about it.
"I spoke too soon last time."
"This time, when we get back, I'm absolutely confiscating every single Den Den Mushi she has for recording."
"I'm not going to leave even one behind!"
After a few complaints, Gawain shook his head helplessly and focused on the newspaper in his hand. But held his breath the next moment: "This is..."
"Crocodile, the former warlord of the sea, is imprisoned, and Edward Weevil becomes the new warlord."
"Due to my influence, Weevil became a warlord three or four years ahead of schedule?"
"Then what about Zephyr...?"