At the end of 1490, in the Sea Circle Calendar, it was truly an interesting time.
Claudius knew well that the Rocks Pirates, once the strongest pirate group ruling the seas, had fallen after the infamous God Valley Incident a few years back. After Roger and Garp teamed up to take them down, Rocks, their captain, had met his end. Since then, all the big names from the Rocks Pirates had gone solo.
If Claudius remembered correctly, the Big Mom Pirates had already been established, Kaido had also formed the Beasts Pirates, and Whitebeard, now in his prime, had started taking in "sons."
Apart from them, Golden Lion Shiki had risen to prominence. Known as the " Flying Pirate," he had built a massive pirate fleet and was currently the most dominant force in the New World.
Then, there were other famous pirates like Ochoku, the great pirate from the Land of Flowers, and Captain John, who had amassed a vast treasure hoard. All of these notorious figures had originally been part of the Rocks Pirates before they went solo.
And of course, there was the Roger Pirates an odd bunch in comparison. While most of these large pirate crews were vying for control of the New World, the Roger Pirates were wandering the world, seemingly at random. Sometimes they appeared in the New World, and at other times, they would pop up elsewhere, leaving everyone wondering what they were really up to.
However, none of this had much to do with a ten-year-old boy like Claudius.
Now dressed in his Celestial Dragon tiger-skin coat, Claudius was powerless to influence such major events. The storms of the outside world were too far away for him to care. What he needed to focus on was securing his footing when he returned to Mariejois.
Based on Claudius's calculations, in less than half a year, his family led by Patriarch Donquixote Homing would likely leave for North Blue with his cousins, Doflamingo and Rosinante, in search of their so-called "heaven on earth."
Compared to the chaotic struggles in the seas, this event was much more pressing for Claudius. It concerned his own future. Before Homing left, Claudius needed to settle his matters with the Donquixote family once and for all.
There were two possible approaches to this.
The first was to convince Homing to abandon his ridiculous dreams. Even if one were a Celestial Dragon, they should keep their feet on the ground. Pursuing an idealistic "new world" with no practical plan was bound to end in disaster. Homing would likely return crying in a year, having been rejected by the world. In the end, his wife would die of illness, his son would take his own life, and the Donquixote family would be brought to ruin. The Celestial Dragon family, once living in luxury, would turn into a tragic mess because of Homing's delusions.
But this option was difficult. While Homing was a bit naive and had treated Claudius well, their relationship wasn't close enough for Claudius to persuade him. Homing was, frankly, a fool with a heart full of good intentions but a head full of nonsense. Claudius had never tried to form a deeper bond with him, viewing him as nothing more than a misguided dreamer. Their relationship was so distant that it took Homing two weeks to even realize that Claudius had been involved in a shipwreck. That alone showed how little Homing cared for him.
Moreover, other members of the Donquixote family had tried to dissuade Homing from his plans, but he ignored them all. Claudius doubted a ten-year-old like himself would have any better luck. So, the first option was off the table.
The second option was simpler. The reason Claudius was being targeted by the family was because when Homing left, Claudius was likely to be pushed into the position of family head. Given his young age, lack of power, and personality, the more astute members of the Donquixote family naturally didn't want him to take the reins. Hence, they were plotting against him. If Claudius could resolve the underlying issues and remove himself from the equation, he believed that the family would stop targeting him.
After all, there weren't that many Celestial Dragons left, and infighting wasn't in anyone's best interest.
With these thoughts in mind, Claudius made up his mind. Once he returned to Mariejois, he would sever his ties with the Donquixote family and avoid the power struggles that came with leadership.
Just as Claudius was pondering these matters while enjoying a dessert, a knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts.
Looking towards the door, Claudius called out softly, "Come in."
Zephyr, who had been waiting outside, took a deep breath before opening the door. As he entered, he saw Claudius, already seated at a luxurious dining table, enjoying his snacks.
Zephyr hadn't expected this Celestial Dragon to already be indulging in dessert before their meal, but considering it from the perspective of a Celestial Dragon, perhaps it was their way of showing hospitality.
Still, Zephyr wasn't here to curry favor. He wasn't that kind of person. He also knew that Claudius's situation wasn't great.
"Saint Claudius, thank you for your invitation," Zephyr said, bowing slightly.
Claudius smiled and waved his hand. "Zephyr, you are my savior. I've already told you—you don't need to salute me."
Zephyr was surprised for a moment but gladly accepted. Constantly bowing was tiresome, after all. So, he smiled and replied, "Thank you, Saint Claudius."
"Please, sit," Claudius gestured with a wave.
Zephyr nodded and, without too much formality, sat across from Claudius.
The two chatted casually for a while, and the atmosphere became more relaxed.
Through this small talk, Zephyr found himself surprised. This Celestial Dragon, though only ten years old, spoke with a maturity beyond his years. He seemed vastly different from the spoiled image most Celestial Dragons had.
As a seasoned Admiral who had seen many types of people, Zephyr had a keen eye for reading others. He quickly realized that Claudius wasn't faking this maturity. He wasn't pretending to be kind or reasonable it seemed to genuinely be his character.
This was a pleasant surprise for Zephyr. He had expected a troublesome, arrogant brat. Instead, Claudius was thoughtful and easy to talk to. The more they conversed, the more comfortable Zephyr felt, to the point where the atmosphere lightened considerably, even drawing out Zephyr's hearty laughter at times.
"By the way, Zephyr," Claudius said between bites of his meal, looking up at Zephyr.
Zephyr took a sip of the red wine that had been prepared for him and asked, "Yes, Saint Claudius? What can I do for you?"
Claudius smiled and said, "I told you before, there's no need for formalities. I just have a question. You're an Admiral of the Navy, so you must know a lot about the world's stories, right? I've always been curious about the sea. Unfortunately, my recent journey ended in disaster, but my interest hasn't faded."
After a pause, Claudius added, "If it's not too much trouble, could you share with me some interesting stories about the world today? Or perhaps tell me about any notable figures?"
Zephyr chuckled. "If you're interested in hearing an old sailor's tales, I'd be happy to oblige, Saint Claudius."
As Claudius listened attentively, occasionally interrupting with questions, Zephyr patiently explained the current state of the world. By the end of the conversation, Claudius had gained a much deeper understanding of the world outside Mariejois. While chaos reigned in the New World, the Marines and the World Government still maintained control over the Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line.
"Fascinating," Claudius mused. "The world is so vast. It seems I've been living in ignorance up in Mariejois. There's so much out there..."
Zephyr found Claudius's words sincere, which only added to his intrigue about this Celestial Dragon. Most of the Celestial Dragons he had met were either arrogant or oblivious to the world, but Claudius seemed genuinely interested in learning more.
"If you ever get the chance, Saint Claudius, you should visit the Four Seas. Unlike the New World, the seas there are more stable, and the danger is far less," Zephyr suggested.
Claudius nodded. "Yes, it would be good to see more of the world." After a brief pause, he added, "But, no matter where one goes, there's always some risk, isn't there? Even in Mariejois."
Hearing this, Zephyr narrowed his eyes slightly but didn't immediately respond.
Claudius smiled and continued, "I've heard that you, Zephyr, are passionate about training young Marines. In fact, you were involved in establishing the Marine officer training camp a couple of years ago, right?"
Zephyr was slightly surprised that Claudius knew about his background, but he quickly brushed it off. After all, it wasn't exactly a secret. Nodding, he replied, "Yes, I was fortunate enough to help set it up."
"In that case, you must have some ideas on how to train young people," Claudius said. "If possible, I'd like to learn from you, Zephyr. After all, from this experience, I've come to realize that even a Celestial Dragon like me can't always rely on status alone for safety. In the end, the only one you can truly rely on is yourself."
Claudius spoke softly, his tone sincere.