One Piece: King of the World

After the senior officers of Marine Headquarters approved Sengoku's proposal and decided to collaborate with Claudius, Tsuru quickly mobilized a fleet of retired warships and set sail for the West Blue.

According to the plan, the Marine fleet would rendezvous with Claudius and his CP-X team in the West Blue before traveling together to the summit. From there, they would ascend to Sky Island, meet with Enel, and transport the treasures of the Golden Land back to Mariejois.

With the World Summit fast approaching, the World Government's various branches were operating at full capacity. Mariejois, in particular, was abuzz with activity. Once again, Claudius spearheaded a slave liberation movement, directing CP-X to free Fish-Man slaves from households across the Holy Land. Fisher Tiger personally oversaw these efforts and witnessed Claudius keeping his promise.

In Claudius's palace, he sat in his study holding a document while speaking to one of his subordinates through a phone snail.

"The first phase isn't enough. After this, we'll move into the second and third phases. Before the World Summit begins, all the Fish-Man slaves in Mariejois must be freed. This summit is the first time Fish-Man Island will participate officially. We need to make a good impression, understood?" Claudius said, his tone firm.

"Yes, Your Highness!" came the prompt reply through the Den Den Mushi.

From his position within the World Government, Claudius could see that the advent of the Great Pirate Era had forced even the most rigid institutions to adapt. Slowly but surely, changes were being made to counter the escalating chaos of the times.

For Claudius, the liberation of the Fish-Man slaves was just the beginning. He could already foresee more significant reforms coming in the future.

After ending the call, Claudius leaned back, but Nia immediately approached, handing him a new document.

"Your Highness, Stussy sent over some information regarding the CP agency," Nia said.

Claudius smiled wryly as he accepted the document. "It feels like I've been busier than ever lately."

Opening the file, Claudius scanned through its contents, his lips curling into a smirk. "Oh, this isn't good news for them."

"A colossal failure, it seems," Nia said with a slight chuckle.

According to the report, the CP agency had initiated a large-scale operation in the New World, aiming to crush the Revolutionary Army in a decisive blow. However, the plan had somehow been leaked or derailed, resulting in the Revolutionary Army setting a trap. The CP agency suffered significant losses, both in manpower and elite operatives.

Claudius couldn't help but laugh. "I'd bet anything that it was Dragon who orchestrated this. That guy has a knack for turning the tables."

Of course, there was no concrete evidence to back this up, and Claudius didn't particularly care to verify it.

"It seems the World Government was hoping to deliver a major blow to the Revolutionary Army before the summit, maybe even as a show of strength. Instead, it's backfired spectacularly. What a mess," Claudius said, shaking his head.

Nia chuckled lightly. "Your Highness, perhaps you shouldn't enjoy their misfortune too much."

Claudius raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean? Are you suggesting this mess will somehow involve us? Don't worry. Even if someone tries to pin it on me, I've been kept completely out of the loop on this one."

"That's not what I meant," Nia said, her smile widening. "But isn't CP-X often called in to clean up after the CP agency's failures? If the higher-ups decide the CP agency isn't up to the task, they might hand the Revolutionary Army situation over to you. How would you handle it then?"

Claudius paused, momentarily caught off guard. Then he laughed. "Do they think CP-X is some kind of glorified janitorial service? Relax. Dismantling the Revolutionary Army is a long-term mission for the CP agency. They might stumble now and then, but they've also caused Dragon plenty of headaches. As long as they don't completely lose the trust of the Five Elders, we won't have to step in."

"And if they do lose that trust?" Nia asked curiously.

Claudius's grin turned mischievous. "Haven't you ever heard the saying, 'The thief cries thief'?"

Before Nia could respond, Claudius leaned back in his chair, his tone playful yet calculating. "If it ever comes to that, I might just masquerade as the Revolutionary Army myself. Imagine it—me taking down their organization under the guise of being one of them. Wouldn't that be poetic justice?"

Though Claudius was clearly joking, the glint in his eyes suggested he wasn't entirely dismissing the idea. Still, he doubted such a scenario would arise anytime soon.

After a few more lighthearted exchanges, Claudius shifted the topic. "By the way, where's Ace? What's he up to?"

"He's training in the Six Styles with Koala," Nia replied. "The young master has a remarkable aptitude for it, but surprisingly, Koala's performance isn't far behind."

Claudius burst into laughter. "Is that so?"

He wasn't entirely surprised. Claudius had suspected for some time that Koala was an exceptional talent. The fact that she could master Fish-Man Karate as a human had already proven her potential.

"Speaking of which, I asked you to find out if they were interested in eating Devil Fruits. What did they say?" Claudius asked.

Nia chuckled. "Koala declined. She didn't like the idea of losing the ability to swim. But the young master? He's very interested—on one condition. He wants a Logia-type Devil Fruit, just like yours."

Claudius nodded thoughtfully. "I see… looks like I'll have to keep an eye out for something suitable."

Of course, there were several powerful Logia fruits that Claudius could pursue, but when it came to Ace, one fruit immediately came to mind: the Mera-Mera no Mi.

In Claudius's opinion, Ace was practically born to wield the Mera-Mera Fruit. Though all Devil Fruits had their strengths and weaknesses, the flame-based Mera-Mera Fruit was undeniably formidable. While it was theoretically countered by Sakazuki's Magma-Magma Fruit, Claudius wasn't particularly worried.

After all, if Ace was under his protection, not even someone as ruthless as Sakazuki would dare harm him. Furthermore, as long as Ace wasn't a pirate or in direct conflict with the Marines, there would be no reason for confrontation.

Beyond its theoretical weaknesses, the Mera-Mera Fruit was immensely powerful. In terms of destructive capability, it could rival even Kuzan's Ice-Ice Fruit.

The key, of course, was matching the fruit's potential with the user's own strength and creativity. As Claudius thought about it, he grew increasingly convinced that finding the Mera-Mera Fruit for Ace wasn't just a good idea—it was the right idea.

"Alright then," Claudius said, his voice resolute. "It's settled. I'll start looking for the Mera-Mera Fruit. It's time to set Ace on the path he was meant for."

***

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