Listening to Doflamingo's words, Claudius fell silent for a moment. From his tone, he could sense that Doflamingo's usual energy and arrogance had faded.
Instead of the brash and confident persona of the past, there was now a sense of calmness and restraint.
It felt as if something was brewing within him, perhaps hatred and anger?
"I didn't know how to talk to you, which is why I haven't reached out for so long," Claudius sighed and said.
Doflamingo paused briefly before replying in a quiet tone, "Honestly, I just wanted some time to myself. I'm much better now."
"What about Rosinante?" Claudius hesitated for a moment before asking.
"He's resting in a flower field. Father is there with him, and they're together every day. Maybe this is the life he wanted," Doflamingo said, standing by the window. From where he stood, he could see the flower field behind the King's Plateau. A small hut and a solitary gravestone had been added there.
"Is that so?" Claudius murmured softly.
After a moment of thought, Claudius suddenly asked, "Are you thinking of retiring?"
Doflamingo froze for a second before chuckling. "Fufufu, cousin, you're underestimating me, aren't you?"
"Hahaha, I thought you might want to step back and live a quiet life in Dressrosa," Claudius said with a laugh.
Doflamingo briefly entertained the thought. He imagined himself as a peaceful king in Dressrosa—raising a child, watching them grow, abdicating the throne, and then retreating to the flower field to live quietly, away from all the chaos. It seemed like a pleasant life.
But the memory of Minion Island and the hatred he held for the Celestial Dragons on Mariejois reignited his rage. His eyes flashed with a dangerous gleam, and he smirked. "Maybe someday, but definitely not now."
After exchanging pleasantries and catching up, Doflamingo found himself in a lighter mood. There were things he couldn't share with his subordinates and could only keep bottled up, but he could speak openly with Claudius without reservation.
Letting out all those suppressed feelings and thoughts helped alleviate some of the weight on his heart. He felt more relaxed and less burdened after the conversation.
"Cousin, you didn't just call to check on me, did you? That would be too sentimental, even for you," Doflamingo suddenly teased with a smile.
"Is there something wrong with caring about my little brother?" Claudius asked, amused.
"There's nothing wrong with it, but that's not really your style," Doflamingo replied with a laugh.
"Well, you're not wrong. There is something I wanted to discuss," Claudius admitted.
"Oh? What's the matter? Don't tell me you've got another plan brewing?" Doflamingo asked, stroking his chin.
Claudius chuckled. "Not quite that dramatic, but I do have someone to recommend to you. Caesar Clown, do you know of him?"
"The guy who caused the Punk Hazard disaster? I heard Vegapunk took the fall for him," Doflamingo said after a moment of thought.
The incident at Punk Hazard wasn't much of a secret, at least not within the World Government or the Marines. Doflamingo had even received a report about it from Vergo, his informant within the Marines. However, in his recent state of mind, he hadn't paid it much attention. Since he had no reason to provoke the Marines, he left it as just another story he'd heard.
"Exactly. I've already spoken to Sengoku. That guy will be serving his sentence under CP-X. I thought you might find him useful," Claudius said.
"Of course. I've heard he's talented, and I happen to have a few projects that could use someone like him. This will also give me a chance to collaborate more deeply with Crocodile," Doflamingo mused.
"Alright then. If you're interested, arrange to pick him up from Impel Down, but be discreet. We can't let the Marines lose too much face over this.
"And another thing, Caesar's a bit of a wild card. Make sure to keep him in line. If he causes any trouble, I won't hesitate to send him straight back to Impel Down," Claudius warned with a sneer.
"Understood. I'll handle it," Doflamingo replied with a smile, agreeing to the arrangement.
The two continued chatting for a while longer. Claudius felt noticeably lighter after the conversation, even laughing occasionally with Doflamingo before hanging up the transponder snail.
Afterward, the guilt and inner conflict Claudius had been carrying seemed to dissipate. He couldn't explain why, but the heaviness in his heart was gone.
Picking up the book he'd set aside earlier, Claudius turned a few pages and muttered to himself, "Hmm… what kind of dinosaur should I get as a pet? A Tyrannosaurus? A Triceratops?"
"Your mood seems better," Robin remarked from her spot on the stairs, her voice tinged with curiosity.
She had overheard the entire phone call. Claudius rarely hid anything from her. Whether it was out of trust or because he assumed she, as a shut-in bookworm, wouldn't be interested, Robin wasn't entirely sure.
Still, she couldn't help but feel baffled. A simple phone call had improved Claudius's mood? It didn't seem like anything important was discussed.
"Huh? Hahaha, didn't I say there was nothing wrong to begin with? By the way, Robin, what kind of dinosaur do you like? How about we catch one to keep on the ship?" Claudius asked, clearly in high spirits.
Robin paused, frowning slightly as she considered the question. After a moment, she said, "A Pachycephalosaurus."
As the ship's de facto librarian, Robin had read all the books Claudius had gone through and was well-versed in ancient creatures.
Claudius blinked in surprise before flipping through the book to find the entry on Pachycephalosaurus.
He had to admit, it was one ugly dinosaur.
The book described it as a species that the author considered to be among the least visually appealing. Its bald head was covered in tumors and keratin, giving it a grotesque appearance.
"Don't girls usually like cute things?" Claudius asked, raising an eyebrow after studying the picture.
"Huh?" Robin seemed genuinely puzzled by his question. "Isn't it cute? Look at its bald head and those blank eyes."
"You…" Claudius started, but he didn't know how to respond. Finally, he pointed to his own face and asked, "What about me? Do you think I'm handsome?"
Claudius considered himself a good-looking man, handsome by conventional standards.
Robin stiffened at the unexpected question. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks as she replied in a slightly impatient tone, "You're alright—not bad, not great. You're not ugly."
At that moment, Claudius reached a conclusion: Robin had a strange sense of aesthetics. What did she mean by "not ugly"? He was supposed to be one of the most handsome men in Mariejois!
After a brief silence, Claudius asked, "What do you think of Spandine?"
Robin's expression darkened slightly.
She didn't have a good opinion of Spandine. After all, he had been the one responsible for capturing her mother.
Although Claudius had ordered him to ensure Olvia's well-being in Impel Down, where she lived in relative comfort with plenty of books and newspapers, Robin still disliked him.
Still, out of courtesy to Claudius, she pretended to think for a moment before replying, "He's… also handsome?"
"It looks like I need to find a psychiatrist for you," Claudius muttered with a heavy sigh.