At the port of Marine Headquarters, Marineford, Claudius had just disembarked from a warship. Walking beside him was Vice Admiral Garp, who had been chattering non-stop since they'd set foot on land.
Holding his forehead in frustration, Claudius sighed. "Garp, I've told you countless times, I don't know where the Roger Pirates are. Why do you keep bothering me?"
"It's not about the Roger Pirates as a group. They've already disbanded. Everyone knows that," Garp said, waving his hand dismissively. "Breaking up has its advantages, sure, but it also means news will leak more easily. Aren't you CP-X guys supposed to be good at gathering intel? Just tell me if you hear anything especially about that b*****d Roger."
"I'm as anxious as you are. The Five Elders have been breathing down my neck about this. Why do you think I came to Marine Headquarters in the first place? I'm here looking for information too," Claudius replied.
"Pfft, information? More like you're just here to visit Gion," Garp teased, waving him off.
In truth, while Claudius had good relationships with figures like Sengoku and Zephyr, there was always a sense of formality and distance in their conversations. They respected him but treated him differently because of his Celestial Dragon status. Garp, on the other hand, couldn't care less about Claudius's noble blood. He spoke to him like he would anyone else, without any regard for rank or title. Oddly enough, this made Claudius feel more comfortable.
Initially, Claudius and Garp weren't particularly close. Before the capture of Shiki, they were barely acquaintances, just two people who knew of each other without much interaction. But after Shiki's arrest, they found themselves working together more frequently. Over time, Garp came to realize that Claudius wasn't your typical Celestial Dragon. The man didn't act like one at all. In fact, in many ways, they got along quite well. Their relationship grew quickly, as if they had been friends for years.
Now, Garp treated Claudius like an old buddy, completely informal. He would casually slap Claudius on the shoulder or pull him by the arm, behavior that would have been unthinkable for others when dealing with a Celestial Dragon.
"I'm serious, I really am just here for information…" Claudius repeated, a bit exasperated.
"You sure? You're not lying to me?" Garp asked, staring at him with narrowed eyes.
"What would I lie to you about?" Claudius responded, rubbing his temples.
Scratching his chin, Garp muttered, "Strange… Gion's beautiful, capable, and has a bright future in the Marines. Plenty of people want to chase after her, so why are you not showing any interest?"
"Maybe because I'm not in the Marines?" Claudius shot back, feeling a little annoyed.
Garp grinned and mumbled to himself, "Maybe I should tell Gion not to waste her time on you…"
"What was that?" Claudius asked, not catching what Garp had said.
"Ahahahaha, nothing! Forget it! Let's go, let's go. I'll show you what you want to see," Garp laughed awkwardly, changing the subject and pulling Claudius along by the arm.
Once they were inside Garp's office, Claudius sat down and sipped some tea while Garp looked at him with confusion. "What's this about? You seemed like you were in a rush back at the port. Weren't you looking for some information? Now you're acting all casual."
Claudius chuckled, a bit embarrassed. "Well, I was just trying to strengthen my position, you know. Anyway, don't change the subject do you have what I'm looking for or not?"
Garp paused, his expression serious for a moment. "You're talking about that new scientific unit Marine established, right? It's supposed to be top secret. How did you find out about it?"
Claudius smiled slyly. "Come on, Garp. Did you forget who I am? I might not be able to gather intel like we do for the public, but I have access to a lot of information within the World Government. My authority lets me know more than you think."
Garp shook his head in resignation. "I swear, Claudius, you've got all these skills, but you never use them for anything productive. You've got your eye on Marine all the time. Why don't you focus on finding Roger instead of digging into our stuff?"
"I'm working on it! Maybe I'll have Roger in chains in a few days," Claudius muttered, his patience wearing thin. It felt like everywhere he went, someone brought up Roger.
Garp's expression grew serious again. "Claudius, let me remind you, don't get too cocky just because you helped capture Shiki. Roger is a different beast. He's incredibly dangerous. If you find any leads on him, cooperate with Marine Headquarters. You've got talent in your CP-X team, but you're still growing. You don't want to end up on the wrong side of Roger."
After a pause, Garp added, "Of course, if you don't want to involve too many people or risk losing credit, you can always come to me directly. I'll help you, and you can take all the glory for capturing him."
Claudius gave Garp a withering look. "Do you really think I'm that shameless?"
Before Garp could respond, Claudius quickly changed the subject. "Forget about Roger. Let's get back to what we were talking about the scientific unit."
"Well, it does exist, but even with your authority, you're not allowed to visit. You'd need authorization directly from Fleet Admiral Kong. If you get that, I'll help you out. Until then, no dice," Garp said, waving his hand dismissively.
"If I had the authorization, I wouldn't be here asking you about it," Claudius muttered under his breath. "Anyway, I'm not asking to visit. I just heard that you guys are working on something related to Devil Fruits, turning them into equipment."
Garp's eyes widened in shock. "How do you know about that? Do we have a spy inside?"
"No, no, calm down. I heard it from the Five Elders," Claudius said casually, using the Elders as a convenient excuse after all, no one would dare question that.
Garp let out a sigh of relief. "You scared me for a second there."
Claudius then reached into his coat and pulled out a Devil Fruit, placing it on the table. Garp eyed it curiously. "What's this?"
"This," Claudius said with a grin, "is the Logia Swamp-Swamp Fruit. I need a favor. I want your scientific unit to help me turn it into something like a wallet or a backpack. You know what I mean."
Garp blinked, then scratched his head. "Turning a swamp into storage equipment? Huh, that's actually pretty clever…"
Claudius smirked. "Just don't try to use it as an excuse to steal it or anything."
Garp chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "What kind of person do you think I am? Am I really that shameless?"
Claudius rolled his eyes. "The way you're laughing says it all."
"Haha, well… fine. I'll take care of it. Just leave it to me. You'll get your swampy wallet or whatever," Garp said with a laugh.