At the Holy Land of Mariejois, down by the port, Garp was standing there holding a baby, looking as if he was waiting for someone.
A ship flying the flag of the World Government was slowly docking. As soon as the gangway was lowered, Garp couldn't wait and strode forward.
Soon enough, Claudius disembarked, accompanied by Nia and Enel.
Stussy, however, had stayed back in the City of Water 7, busy establishing her new organization, Happy Street. Incidentally, she was also waiting for a ship to be built, planning to return directly to Mariejois once it was ready. The two mermaid girls had remained in Water 7 temporarily.
The moment Garp saw Claudius, he hurried over and asked, "What took you so long? Weren't we traveling the same distance?"
Claudius looked at Garp, who was holding a baby, and couldn't help but chuckle. "You were traveling through the South Blue, while I was coming along the Grand Line. Not quite the same thing. Naturally, it's a bit slower."
Traveling along the Grand Line involved a unique set of challenges. Fortunately, Mariejois was well-connected to the world. After all, it would be ridiculous if the World Government and the Marines had to make detours every time they traveled just because they had to stick to the Grand Line. They'd be late to everything.
"Fair enough." Garp nodded in agreement. However, he quickly handed the baby over to Claudius, despite a reluctant expression on his face.
"This is Ace. From today, he's your responsibility," Garp said, his tone serious. "Remember, not a word to anyone about who he really is. From now on, this kid isn't Roger's son. If anyone finds out, we're both in deep trouble."
Claudius took Ace from Garp, raising an eyebrow as he replied, "You really have to spell it out? If the Five Elders found out I was raising the son of the Pirate King, you think I'd still be standing here in Mariejois?"
He still wasn't sure how Fleet Admiral Sengoku had pieced together Ace's identity in the original story, but this time around, with all his efforts to cover things up, Claudius felt like he'd done a pretty thorough job.
With Rouge gone, theoretically, Garp was the only person left who knew the truth. As long as Garp kept quiet, and Claudius didn't let anything slip, there should be no reason for the secret to ever come out.
Besides, as long as Ace didn't choose a path that would pit him directly against the World Government, even someone as astute as Sengoku might see any clues as mere coincidences rather than the truth. After all, this was one issue where turning a blind eye was simpler for everyone involved, especially considering the potential fallout with Garp and Claudius, both respected figures within the ranks of the Marines and the Celestial Dragons.
"Good. As long as you understand," Garp said with a nod, sounding a bit relieved. "Alright, I've gotta get going. That bastard Sengoku has been bugging me nonstop."
"In such a hurry? What's got the Marines so worked up now? Didn't you just deal with an attack from Roger's crew a month ago?" Claudius asked.
"Yeah, that's right," Garp replied, nodding. "But this time, it's about historians."
"Historians?" Claudius repeated, frowning slightly. "So, the Marines have tracked down some scholars researching forbidden history and ancient texts?"
"Pretty much." Garp scratched his head. "There's a giant Vice Admiral under me named Saul. He's been tracking a group of scholars causing trouble on the first half of the Grand Line. Recently, he managed to catch one of them alive, along with some undestroyed documents we think may reveal their origins. The Marines are working with CP-9 to interrogate the survivor and analyze the evidence. They're hoping for a breakthrough soon."
Claudius fell silent, a thoughtful look crossing his face. He had a pretty good idea of what was going on. Jaguar D. Saul—the Marine Giant Vice Admiral under Garp, known for his strength was also a close friend of Kuzan, and was indeed responsible for hunting down scholars who studied Poneglyphs and forbidden history. If things followed the course he remembered, Saul had likely captured a key figure in the Ohara incident, possibly even Nicole Olvia, Robin's mother.
Sooner or later, trouble was bound to erupt within the Marines. In a few months, Saul would likely end up swayed by Olvia's ideals, awakening the "Will of D," and ultimately throwing away his future in the Marines by helping her escape from Naval Headquarters. That, in turn, would lead Olvia back to Ohara and set in motion the events that would bring about its destruction. Eventually, Saul would be frozen by Kuzan, resulting in his imprisonment.
A Marine Vice Admiral defecting would certainly stir things up, but in Claudius's view, it wasn't his concern.
He gave Garp a skeptical look and asked, "But what does any of this have to do with you? You're not an interrogator. Since when did you have those skills?"
"Saul's my subordinate, isn't he? So, officially, I'm supposed to be involved, at least on paper," Garp grumbled.
"I didn't expect the Marines to care so much about formalities," Claudius remarked with a laugh.
"The bigger the organization, the more formalities you're stuck with," Garp replied, nodding in agreement.
With that, Garp seemed eager to be on his way. After waving goodbye to Claudius, he quickly boarded a merchant ship bound for the Marine residential quarters at Marineford, disappearing as quickly as he'd come.
Only after Garp had left did Claudius turn his attention to the little bundle in his arms. The baby was truly adorable, with a face so innocent that it was hard to believe he would one day grow up to be one of the world's most feared pirates, known as a dangerous criminal and the son of the Pirate King.
"Ace…" Claudius murmured softly, a small smile tugging at his lips. He gently pinched the baby's nose and added, "Grow up fast, kid. The world stage is waiting for you."
Not exactly a child-rearing expert, Claudius played with the baby for a while before handing him over to Nia who held Ace securely as they all headed back towards the palace.
"Your Highness, how would you like to handle this?" Nia asked, smiling as he cradled Ace.
"Hmm… go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and have them assign me two experienced nannies to take care of Ace. We don't have that kind of free time. Best to leave things to the professionals," Claudius replied with a smile.
Nija nodded in understanding. However, Claudius had no idea that by selecting two nannies from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and bringing a baby into his household, he'd inadvertently set off a storm of gossip among the Celestial Dragons of Mariejois.
In no time, rumors spread across the Holy Land: the notorious romantic, Claudius, had fathered a child with some unknown woman outside and was now bringing his "bastard" son home.
That's right, before Claudius even had a chance to arrange a proper identity for Ace, such as an adopted son or ward, the bored Celestial Dragons had already spun an elaborate backstory for him.