After ending the call with Spandine, Claudius took another Den Den Mushi from Nia.
"It's been a while, Fleet Admiral Kong," Claudius greeted with a lighthearted smile.
Kong mirrored his smile. "Your Highness Claudius, how have you been?"
"Quite well, actually. I'm out near Prehistoric Island, planning to capture some dinosaurs for pets," Claudius responded, amused.
"It seems I've interrupted your leisure, Your Highness. My apologies, but I have some regrettable news to share," Kong replied with a grin.
"My vacation is officially over, isn't it?" Claudius guessed, the smile not leaving his face.
"Haha, exactly," Kong chuckled.
"So, what is it this time? Douglas Bullet?" Claudius asked calmly.
"As expected, Your Highness. You're already aware?" Kong sounded surprised but impressed.
"One of my subordinates reported spotting him not too long ago, and I noticed that the Navy was deploying forces nearby, so I figured it must be related," Claudius said, nodding.
"That's right. What you may not know, Your Highness, is that Douglas Bullet is a particularly elusive lone wolf. Ever since he parted ways with the Roger Pirates, tracking his movements has been nearly impossible. He's been sighted before, sure, but with everything we've had on our plate, we never launched an operation against him. This time, though, it's different," Fleet Admiral Kong said gravely.
"Does that mean the Navy actually has the time for it now?" Claudius joked lightly.
"It's more than that. We've discovered that he's planning something severe," Kong's voice dropped to a serious tone.
"Severe? Just how bad are we talking?" Claudius's brows furrowed slightly.
"If I told you he's planning an assault on the Holy Land—Mariejois itself—would that be severe enough?" Kong said, pausing to let the weight of the statement sink in.
"Ahem, Kong, that's not exactly a joke one should make," Claudius said, clearing his throat. This was unexpected. In all he knew about Douglas Bullet, attacking Mariejois was never part of the picture.
"Trust me, I'm not joking. This is the intelligence we've gathered," Kong continued.
Before Claudius could respond, Kong elaborated, "This situation developed from a stroke of chance. Two weeks ago, Naval Headquarters and CP agencies were preparing to capture the World Destroyer, Byrnndi World. We'd gathered a significant amount of intel and even managed to turn some of his subordinates. According to our initial plan, he should have been on his way to Impel Down by now, with the newspapers already writing about his capture."
Claudius's eyes widened at that. In his memory, Byrnndi World had been captured around thirty years before the main storyline. Yet, here he was, still causing havoc at sea. But then again, Claudius reflected, hadn't his arrival already skewed the timeline? A deviation like World still roaming free wasn't out of place anymore.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Claudius asked, "And how does this relate to Douglas Bullet?"
"They weren't connected at first, but they are now. Our intel suggests that they're planning something massive together," Kong replied gravely.
"Mariejois as their target?" Claudius pressed.
"Exactly. Byrnndi World has been keeping a low profile for years, leading us to believe he'd lost his ambition. But we recently discovered he's been constructing a massive battleship tailored to his Devil Fruit powers. The ship's firepower is unparalleled, and combined with his ability, it poses a legitimate threat to Mariejois. It could even be capable of destroying it outright," Kong said, the seriousness in his voice unmistakable.
"And Douglas Bullet?" Claudius questioned.
"It seems he's bent on defying the World Government, wanting to prove that his strength surpasses even Roger's. How they found each other, I don't know, but these two have joined forces with plans to attack Mariejois, each with their own motives," Kong explained.
Claudius felt a twinge of disbelief. What kind of world was he living in where pirates entertained such audacious schemes? Just recently, Dragon had been talking about something similar. It seemed like insanity was becoming the norm.
"Even my palace is still up there," Claudius muttered under his breath.
Kong heard and chuckled, "Exactly, Your Highness. All the more reason for you to step in. You wouldn't want your home blown to bits, would you?"
"Haha, imagine just sitting somewhere only to find your home destroyed out of nowhere! Worse, not even being there when it happens!" Claudius joked, but there was an edge of seriousness beneath his words.
After a pause, he added, "So, what's the Navy's plan? How do you need CP-X to assist?"
"We're looking at a divide-and-conquer strategy with focused containment. Right now, Douglas Bullet is separated from Byrnndi World, although they aren't too far apart. We plan to launch a Buster Call against Bullet. There's a chance Byrnndi World will show up, either to intervene or create chaos, and we're prepared for that as well. Your Highness, we'd appreciate your support. With CP-X's involvement, our odds of success would be even higher," Kong said with conviction.
Claudius fell silent, contemplating. It wasn't just the ambitions of Douglas Bullet and Byrnndi World that were on display here; even Kong was being bold. Taking on two formidable pirates in one coordinated operation wasn't an easy task.
Douglas Bullet was undeniably powerful, a figure on par with the likes of Silvers Rayleigh in his prime, an elite pirate by any standard. The only thing that kept him from being even more dangerous was his stubborn reliance on his own strength and his refusal to lead a crew. Otherwise, he could have formed a pirate fleet that rivaled even Kaido's or Big Mom's.
As for Byrnndi World, he had managed to stay under the radar for years, so much so that Claudius hadn't even given him a thought. But in his heyday, World was a force to be reckoned with, fighting battles against the Roger Pirates, clashing with Whitebeard's crew, and even sparring with the Golden Lion, Shiki. He'd managed to earn the ire of many top pirate crews and still roam the seas, a testament to his power. His ruthlessness and readiness to eliminate anyone in his way earned him the moniker "World Destroyer," perfectly encapsulating his chaotic nature.
After weighing the situation, Claudius finally spoke. "Alright. I'll head back to Mariejois immediately and join your operation into the New World."
"Thank you, Your Highness," Kong said, clearly pleased. Having previously captured the Red Count together, Kong had full confidence in Claudius's capabilities. With Claudius's agreement, the odds of success were looking significantly better.
***
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