One Piece: King of the World

Claudius took a sip of tea before saying, "You bastard, you got your punch in. If there's nothing else, how about leaving now?"

Dragon scoffed. "I barely sat down, and you're already trying to kick me out?"

"You're calling yourself a guest? Did I invite you?" Claudius said, clearly annoyed. "I have every reason to suspect that you snuck in here just for the sole purpose of punching me. If you actually had something important to discuss, couldn't we have just talked over a Den Den Mushi?"

Hearing this, Dragon chuckled, waving his hand. "Well, you guessed right. I really just came here to punch you."

He had spent nearly a month traveling by ship, then infiltrated Mariejois, sneaking all the way into the Domain of the Gods, all just to land a single punch on Claudius.

After all, most things could be discussed over a Den Den Mushi. There was no real reason for him to take such a risk.

"You're seriously petty," Claudius muttered.

"You deserved worse," Dragon retorted with a smirk.

Claudius fell silent, and Dragon quietly sipped his tea. For a few minutes, the room was filled with an awkward silence.

Finally, Dragon set down his teacup and sighed. "Damn it, you bastard… You really set up both me and the Revolutionary Army."

Claudius paused for a moment before speaking softly, "What, are you saying this wasn't exactly what you wanted? Didn't things turn out in line with your revolutionary ideals?"

Dragon shot him a glare. "That's exactly why you used me so shamelessly, isn't it?"

Claudius, utterly unfazed, simply curled his lips. "I said it from the beginning, this was a partnership. Don't try to twist it into something else."

"Partnership, huh…" Dragon muttered, his expression stiffening.

A partnership indeed—one where he took advantage of Claudius, only to find that, in the end, he had to pay back everything he gained while still being forced to clean up after the mess.

But at this point, Dragon knew there was no changing things. This was the best possible outcome, a result that ultimately benefited both sides.

So, in the end, he let it go.

"Don't get too cocky yet," Dragon warned. "If your plan falls apart, all of your ambitions will amount to nothing. I've even kept a spot open for you in the Revolutionary Army. You're always welcome to be my subordinate."

Claudius smirked. "I truly appreciate that. So if I lose, I should just grab my family and come join 'Uncle Dragon's' cause?"

In truth, Dragon wasn't wrong.

If Claudius' plan collapsed, leaving immigration to the moon and rotting in Impel Down would be his only options. At best, he could consider joining the Revolutionary Army to continue causing trouble for the World Government.

After a bit more playful bickering, the two finally settled down.

Claudius then asked, "So, have you thought about what I asked you before?"

Dragon fell silent for a moment before answering, "I don't want us to end up as enemies."

Right now, you have the advantage.

If you can push these changes forward sooner, the world will see progress faster.

If I try to hold you back now, I'd be going against everything I believe in.

Deep down, Dragon knew that the Revolutionary Army wasn't yet capable of overthrowing the World Government or bringing down the Celestial Dragons. Even if given another five to eight years, success wasn't guaranteed.

But Claudius?

Claudius was already at the final step. If he succeeded, the world could begin its transformation years earlier, saving countless ordinary people from oppression.

So, on both a personal and ideological level, Dragon had no reason to stand in the way. In fact, he should be helping.

"Glad you understand," Claudius said with a nod. "I won't bore you with the details. During the Reverie, your Revolutionary Army will make a move to assist me."

Dragon didn't protest. Instead, he cut straight to the point. "Let's skip the talk about success or failure—you've already made your decision. Now, let's talk about what matters. After everything is done, what does the Revolutionary Army get in return?"

Claudius tapped his fingers on the coffee table, falling into brief thought before replying. "As I said before, you'll become the Minister of Civil Affairs in the new government, overseeing governance and reforms. That's a pretty big deal, isn't it?"

Dragon scoffed. "Even if I don't ask, you don't really have any other choice, do you? After all, you don't exactly have the right people for this. Besides, the ones you do have… they aren't exactly trustworthy."

Claudius clicked his tongue in annoyance. "I gotta say, who the hell helped you figure all this out? With your intelligence, you shouldn't have been able to put this together yourself."

Hearing that, Dragon's face darkened slightly.

It wasn't a matter of intelligence, he had simply been too involved in the situation to see things clearly. But did Claudius think he was a complete idiot? If he were truly that clueless, how could he have built the Revolutionary Army in the first place?

In the end, Dragon calmly answered, "It was Master Koshiro."

Claudius raised an eyebrow. "That guy? He was living in seclusion just fine—why the hell would he decide to jump into this mess?"

His gaze briefly shifted toward Zoro, who was still training outside.

Sighing, he asked, "Alright, so what do you want from me?"

Dragon chuckled. "Do you really think I'm the kind of person who does things without expecting something in return?"

"If I'm being honest? Yeah." Claudius responded without hesitation.

After all, every time Dragon had contacted him in the past, it was either to gather information or request assistance.

It wasn't unreasonable to say that Dragon never did anything without a clear purpose.

Dragon's face twitched at the blunt response. But after a brief pause, he let out a small sigh. "Normally, I'd definitely try to squeeze something out of you. But this time… I'll let it go."

Claudius looked at him in surprise. "Let it go?"

"That's right," Dragon said firmly. "Consider it one last unpaid favor from me. If you fail, it won't benefit anyone. So this time, I'll help."

For some reason, Claudius felt like he could see an aura of righteousness radiating off Dragon. It was a little… blinding.

With a sigh, Claudius muttered, "Yeah… We really aren't the same kind of person, are we?"

Dragon smirked. "Obviously. Compared to you, I'm clearly the more noble one."

Claudius nodded. "I'll give you that one."

Unlike Claudius—who was acting primarily out of self-interest, ensuring that the World Government's collapse wouldn't drag him down, Dragon had abandoned a promising career in the Marines to dedicate himself entirely to revolution.

There was no question—Dragon truly was the noble one here.

Before Dragon could respond, Claudius added, "Honestly, I've just been waiting for your answer. Now that you've made up your mind, I truly appreciate it."

Dragon waved a hand dismissively. "No need to thank me. I'm not helping you—I'm helping us."

Claudius chuckled. "Hahaha! That's right, it's us!"

***

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