Claudius and Zephyr chatted casually as they made their way deeper into Naval Headquarters. There wasn't a grand welcoming committee or any big names showing up to greet them, given that Claudius wanted to keep his identity under wraps. After all, if a Celestial Dragon suddenly appeared for "internal discussions" with the CP agency, it would be odd not to have the admirals or even the higher-ups like Sengoku and Kong in attendance. That would raise too many questions.
Though they didn't show up, the likes of Sengoku and Kong were certainly aware of the situation. They knew a Celestial Dragon had arrived at Marineford, likely here to test his strength against their Marines.
Claudius followed Stussy closely, keeping a low profile and playing his role as a subordinate to CP-0. He didn't draw much attention this way, which was just how he wanted it.
Laughing and chatting along the way, the group arrived at the officer training camp. This camp had only been in operation for a few years and wasn't yet fully developed. Before Zephyr officially retired and took over as the primary instructor, the training structure hadn't solidified. For now, different high-ranking officers would drop by to teach whenever they were free. Even the legendary Garp would show up occasionally to train the new recruits.
Today, it was Rear Admiral Kuzan's turn to instruct. He stood on the training field, watching over a group of Marine recruits as they practiced military combat techniques in unison. The sound of synchronized movements echoed across the field.
As Zephyr and his group approached, Kuzan turned his head and immediately recognized Claudius. His eyes lit up in recognition, but Zephyr quickly gave him a subtle look, signaling to keep quiet. Kuzan understood instantly and pretended not to know anything.
With a casual smile, Kuzan called out, "Mr. Zephyr, who do we have here?"
Zephyr grinned and replied, "The CP agency has come to engage in some internal discussions with us. This here is Crowe, a promising talent from CP-0. Why don't you find a few good men to spar with him and see if our Marines can hold their own against the CP agency?"
Kuzan wasn't slow to catch on. He immediately realized what was going on. Saint Claudius wanted to spar with the Marines under the guise of a CP-0 member.
"Sure thing," Kuzan replied smoothly. He glanced over the recruits on the field before raising his hand and calling out, "Momonga, come here!"
Claudius's ears perked up at the name. Momonga? He recognized the name immediately. In the future, this man would become a Vice Admiral in the Navy. While not particularly exceptional among the top ranks, he was solid definitely no slouch.
At this point in time, Momonga was still young, probably not even twenty yet. His body was lean but muscular, the kind of build that marked him as a highly capable fighter. It was no wonder Naval Headquarters had high hopes for him, especially given that he had Zephyr's backing as one of his protégés.
Momonga quickly jogged over to Kuzan, offering a crisp salute. "Sir!"
Kuzan smiled approvingly. "Today we've got some CP-0 members here to spar with our Marines. I want you to step up and show them what we've got. Don't embarrass us."
Momonga looked a bit surprised but quickly composed himself. He nodded firmly. "Understood, sir. Everything for the sake of justice!"
Zephyr chuckled from the side. "Of course, this is just a friendly exchange. Don't go too hard we don't want anyone getting hurt."
Although Claudius had insisted there shouldn't be any restrictions, Zephyr couldn't help but feel cautious. After all, this was no ordinary sparring match. If something went wrong and Claudius got seriously injured well, even as an Admiral, Zephyr wouldn't be able to escape the consequences.
There was no delay in starting. The training ground was cleared, and soon, Claudius and Momonga were standing face to face.
Claudius was pleased with the matchup. Momonga seemed like a solid first opponent someone who could help him gauge the limits of his current strength.
Momonga, on the other hand, was a bit skeptical. Claudius looked very young, barely older than fifteen or sixteen by his estimation. Is this really a serious opponent? he wondered.
The reality was that Claudius had developed rapidly over the past few months, thanks to his disciplined regimen of good food, exercise, and training. But in truth, Claudius was only just about to turn eleven.
"Naval Headquarters, Momonga," the young Marine greeted, introducing himself with a salute.
Claudius nodded in response. "CP-0, Crowe. Let's have a good match."
With the formalities out of the way, the atmosphere between them grew tense. Momonga wasn't one to hesitate. As soon as Kuzan gave the signal, he shot forward with a burst of speed, aiming to take the initiative. In an instant, he closed the distance between them and delivered a sharp kick toward Claudius's chest.
Claudius didn't back down. He didn't use his Devil Fruit abilities to dodge, instead opting to meet the kick head-on with one of his own. Their legs collided with a loud thud, and both men were forced back a step.
Momonga blinked in surprise. He hadn't held back, yet this seemingly younger fighter had managed to match him blow for blow. "This kid's no joke," he thought.
Claudius, too, was impressed. The force of Momonga's kick had sent a jolt of pain through his leg. It was clear that, in terms of raw physical strength, Momonga had the upper hand. But not by much, Claudius noted. Given that Momonga had been training with the Marines for two years while Claudius had only been at it for half a year, the gap in their abilities didn't seem that large.
I can keep up, Claudius thought confidently.
Their thoughts only lasted a split second. The moment both fighters regained their footing, Momonga launched another attack. This time, he disappeared from Claudius's sight in an instant.
Shave! Claudius recognized the move immediately. Sure enough, Momonga appeared behind him in the next moment, his clawed hand reaching for Claudius's shoulder to pin him down.
But Claudius was ready. He, too, had mastered the basics of the Marine Six Styles. With a burst of speed, Claudius vanished from Momonga's grasp, appearing a short distance away.
Momonga smiled to himself. "You've got the Six Styles too, huh?"
He wasn't surprised, though. Despite being known as "Marine Six Styles," the techniques were also taught within the CP organization. Marines and CP agents often exchanged skills and techniques in training.
What Momonga didn't know was that Claudius hadn't learned his Six Styles from the CP agency but from Zephyr himself. To Zephyr, the Six Styles were more than just combat techniques they were a powerful foundation for physical mastery. Through rigorous training, one could develop superhuman strength and speed, laying the groundwork for mastering Haki and even forging one's unique combat path. Zephyr himself, as well as Garp, had followed that path.
So when Claudius asked for something to help him in his training, Zephyr had been more than willing to teach him the Six Styles, along with all the insights he had gained over the years. And judging by Claudius's current performance, he hadn't squandered that opportunity.
Claudius dodged Momonga's next attack with a sidestep, but he wasn't done yet. "Finger Pistol!" he called out, throwing a sharp kick instead of a punch. While it was called "Finger Pistol," Claudius had adapted the move, channeling the force through his heel.
Momonga reacted quickly, taking a defensive stance. "Iron Body!" he declared, hardening his muscles like steel.
A metallic clang echoed through the training ground as Claudius's kick struck Momonga's chest. Though the blow was powerful, Momonga held firm, barely moving an inch.
His Iron Body is strong, Claudius thought, pulling back.
Momonga, now taking the fight seriously, reached for his sword. Drawing his blade in one swift motion, he shouted, "One Sword Style: Flying Squirrel Slash!" With a quick slash, he sent a powerful arc of energy toward Claudius, a combination of his swordsmanship and the Tempest Kick technique.
Claudius's eyes widened. A flying slash? Though it wasn't a true swordsman's slash, it was still impressive for someone so young. The energy was coming fast, and Claudius didn't have time to dodge.
Realizing this, Claudius decided to stop holding back. A thin, mist-like vapor appeared around his body, and the slash passed right through him without causing any harm. Momonga, now charging toward Claudius to finish him off, gasped in shock.
"Logia?" he muttered under his breath, realizing the kind of opponent he was dealing with.
Logia Devil Fruits were rare and incredibly powerful, often considered the strongest of the three Devil Fruit types. While he had some skill with Haki, it wasn't enough to deal with a Logia user of Claudius's caliber.
With no time to adjust his attack, Momonga barreled straight into Claudius, who stood his ground. Without missing a beat, Claudius raised his hand and grabbed him by the neck. Just as the Momonga was about to summon his Haki to fight back, he suddenly found himself gasping for air.
It wasn't the chokehold cutting off his breath, but something far more terrifying. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't inhale. His lungs screamed for oxygen, but the air around him had become unbreathable.
"Death Choke," Claudius murmured softly, his grip steady.
Unbeknownst to Momonga, Claudius had released his Devil Fruit ability, saturating the air around the him with nitrogen. With no oxygen left to breathe, Momonga's body began to falter, his strength rapidly draining as his face turned red.
Just as it seemed like the end was near, Claudius let go, withdrawing his ability and taking a step back. The suffocating atmosphere vanished, and Momonga collapsed to the ground, panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath.
Claudius smiled. "Though it might seem unfair…"
Before Claudius could finish his sentence, Momonga raised a hand, still gasping for air but managing to speak. "No… it's fine. I lost fair and square. I didn't anticipate you'd be a Logia user. In a real battle, I'd already be dead. No need to give me an easy out."