Inside the Holy Land of Mariejois, within the grand halls of Claudius's palace, little Ace was crawling around at his feet. Nia was trying to capture Ace's attention with a soft toy, waving it in front of him. But the young child seemed entirely uninterested, determined to explore on his own.
Claudius watched this scene with amusement while holding a phone in his hand. He chuckled and called out, "Nia, maybe if you tried a toy musket, he'd be more interested."
Nia looked up at him, slightly disapproving. "Your Highness, that's hardly an appropriate toy for the young master."
Claudius laughed, but before he could reply, the Den Den Mushi in his hand crackled to life. His attention shifted as the familiar voice on the other end spoke up.
"Cousin? Don't tell me there's another mission already? Furfurfur…" Doflamingo laughed over the phone.
"What? Busy already?" Claudius teased, a smile tugging at his lips.
"Busy? Absolutely," Doflamingo replied, his tone laced with satisfaction. "Since the rumor spread that I defeated Redfield, I've got a flood of new recruits begging to join the Donquixote Pirates. We've grown a lot recently." He paused, and his voice turned playful. "But you know, no matter how busy I am, if there's a task from you, I'll make time."
"You're acting like big-name pirates grow on trees," Claudius joked.
Doflamingo laughed again. "True enough, cousin. So, what's the big news this time?"
"It's that thing you've been waiting for," Claudius replied in a quieter tone.
Doflamingo went silent for a moment before asking, "Lancelot?"
"That's right. The Five Elders gave me a little heads-up to show how much they value me," Claudius said, his voice carrying a faint edge. "On the third day of next month, Lancelot will be traveling to Dressrosa."
"Hah… so they're really giving you the green light on this?" Doflamingo sounded impressed. "I knew you'd take him out eventually, but I never thought the Five Elders would practically serve him up on a silver platter for you."
Claudius smirked. "I'll send you the travel documents for Lancelot's trip. Make sure to handle it cleanly. When the news breaks, it should look like Lancelot's ship encountered an unfortunate accident in the New World… with no survivors."
Doflamingo's laughter crackled over the line. "Furfurfur… No problem. The sea doesn't care who you are—even Celestial Dragons aren't exempt from its dangers. Isn't that right, cousin?"
Claudius chuckled. "Are you poking fun at me now, Doffy?"
"Why would you think that?" Doflamingo replied, his voice feigning innocence.
Claudius let out a hearty laugh. "I'll be sure to keep my guard up when I'm in the New World next time."
With that, they shared a few more lighthearted exchanges before saying their farewells and ending the call.
As Claudius set the Den Den Mushi down, he glanced over at the Nia who was still trying to entertain Ace nearby. His thoughts drifted.
The fact that the Five Elders would give him such a clear green light was telling. They were practically inviting him to take out Lancelot. But as Claudius thought about it more, he realized this "gift" from the Five Elders likely came with strings attached. If he did go through with it, no matter how perfectly he covered his tracks, he'd still be holding a dirty secret, something the Five Elders could leverage if they ever needed to.
"But so what?" Claudius muttered to himself. "I'm not one to be squeamish about a little dirt."
Whatever the Five Elders' true intentions, the benefits were clear. With Lancelot out of the picture, Claudius could solidify his position as the head of the Donquixote family, removing any lingering threat from within his own clan. It would grant him greater freedom and influence, without a meddling patriarch trying to keep him in check.
Satisfied with the decision, Claudius set aside his concerns and turned his focus back to the present. A few days passed, and he found himself restless, thinking of his ship in the City of Seven Waters. It had been almost five months since he'd placed the order, and he was eager to see if it was finally completed.
Just as he was making plans to leave, the phone worm buzzed again. This time, it was Stussy calling.
At that moment, Claudius was in the middle of "experiencing fatherhood," attempting to change Ace's diaper with a kind of fumbling clumsiness. Nia and two professional nannies hovered nearby, watching with wary eyes as if they expected some grand disaster.
Ace wriggled and squirmed, while Claudius struggled to keep the little boy still. With a mischievous grin, Claudius reached out, lightly poking Ace's belly. Just as he was about to continue, the den den mushi's ringing snapped him out of it.
Nia quickly handed over the Den Den Mushi. "It's Stussy," she informed him.
Claudius balanced the snail and the diaper in one hand. "Stussy! What's going on?"
"Hello, Your Highness," Stussy replied, her voice calm and smooth. "I've wrapped up business here in Water 7. Also, our ship has been completed. Tom was asking if you had a name in mind for it?"
"A name, huh…" Claudius murmured, pausing his diaper-changing efforts as he pondered the question.
Taking the hint, Nia signaled for the nannies to step in. They swiftly took over the diaper duty, gently ushering Claudius aside. He picked up the den den mushi with both hands, turning his full attention to Stussy's question.
After a moment's thought, he asked, "Do you have any suggestions?"
Stussy's voice turned playful. "How about 'The Most Handsome Celestial Dragon in History'?"
Claudius laughed. "Oh, yeah, that wouldn't look arrogant at all sailing into port."
"Personally, I think it's fitting," Stussy replied with a chuckle.
Claudius smirked. "I'll take that as a compliment."
Thinking for another moment, he finally said, "How about 'Prometheus'?"
"Prometheus?" Stussy echoed thoughtfully. "The prophet who brings light to the world… I think it suits you perfectly, Your Highness."
"Then it's settled. The ship will be called Prometheus, the prophet guiding the world's light," Claudius said, a trace of pride in his voice as he envisioned the vessel.
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