Chapter 291: Dragon: Could It Be That Something Happened to Me?

The world outside was in turmoil. The Marines were making big moves, and the World Government was preparing for an unprecedented World Summit. Meanwhile, Claudius, having played his part, was leisurely enjoying his time.

Despite having nothing urgent to attend to, Claudius chose not to leave Mariejois during this period, as unexpected events could arise at any moment.

Fortunately, his palace was large enough that it didn't feel too boring.

At this moment, in the courtyard lawn, Claudius was playing badminton with Stussy.

Both of them were highly skilled, sending the shuttlecock flying at incredible speeds. The game was so intense that the birdies were breaking one after another in rapid succession.

As Stussy got into the game, her figure moved gracefully, creating a dazzling spectacle that nearly made Claudius miss the shuttlecock several times. Then again, who knew what ball he was really trying to catch?

At the same time, Spandine had returned to Mariejois and was now standing at the edge of the court, clapping enthusiastically from time to time, like the ultimate sycophant.

"Spandine, make sure to coordinate with CP and have our people assist the Marines in covering things up. Understood?" Claudius said while swinging his racket without even turning his head.

Spandine immediately responded, "Understood, Your Highness. I've already arranged everything."

"Hehehe, that's what I like about you, you're quick-witted and save me a lot of trouble," Claudius replied with a smile.

"We'll also be spreading some misleading information through Happy Street," Stussy added as she caught the shuttlecock and grinned.

Because Stussy's movements were too eye-catching, Claudius found himself distracted by certain aspects of the game and ended up losing.

Casually tossing his racket aside, Claudius took the towel draped over his shoulders, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and smiled. "Anything interesting happening on the seas lately?"

"Interesting?" Spandine touched his chin, then shook his head. "Not really. But now that you mention it, there is a group of bounty hunters who aren't capturing pirates but are instead gathering intel about Your Highness."

Claudius raised an eyebrow in surprise. He rarely dealt with bounty hunters, as their overall quality was unimpressive.

Though their numbers were vast, high-caliber bounty hunters were few and far between. They weren't exactly villains, but they weren't exactly honorable either. A mixed bunch.

So it was odd that bounty hunters were specifically seeking him out.

"Huh? Bounty hunters? Looking for me? Why? Did someone put a bounty on my head?" Claudius asked curiously.

Spandine had initially suspected that some fool in the underworld had placed a bounty on Claudius. However, after thoroughly investigating the black market, he found no such thing.

"Of course not. Who would have the guts to put a bounty on Your Highness?" Spandine scoffed. "But I was curious too, so I dug deeper. Turns out it's not about money, they seem to be looking for you for a different reason. Almost as if they know you."

Spandine smirked as he spoke.

"Oh? Is that so?" Claudius rubbed his chin. Unable to think of any obvious connections, he asked, "What are their names?"

"The group is small. Their leader is a swordsman named Roronoa Zoro, and another is a navigator named Nami. The rest are just some small fry," Spandine recalled.

Claudius was momentarily stunned.

He had expected his actions in East Blue years ago to have long-term consequences, but he never imagined that by 1517 of the Sea Circle Calendar, Roronoa Zoro and Nami would already be traveling together.

They've already set sail? Judging from Spandine's report, it sounded like both of them had already entered the Grand Line.

"Interesting…" Claudius murmured to himself.

Zoro was one thing, but Nami… wasn't she supposed to be Luffy's first real crewmate? If she had already left, could Garp's grandson even make it to the Grand Line?

Would he still end up crossing the ocean in a barrel of all things?

At this rate, the kid might just get himself killed before I even step in, Claudius thought to himself.

He didn't need to look into it further, chances were, the so-called Straw Hat Pirates had already failed before they could even form. Even if Luffy had managed to set sail, his crew lineup would be nowhere near as strong as in the original timeline. Maybe, at some random point, the Marines had already taken him out.

"Your Highness, do you actually know those people?" Spandine asked when he noticed Claudius' slight reaction to the names.

Claudius snapped out of his thoughts and smiled. "I do. They're promising talents."

He then added, "Keep an eye on them, but don't interfere. Just observe them from the shadows. If the opportunity arises, see if they're willing to join CP-X as external operatives. If not, then just let them roam free."

"Understood, Your Highness," Spandine nodded with a smile, accepting the task.

At that moment, Nia approached with a Den Den Mushi in her hands. The device was still ringing.

"Your Highness, it's Dragon," Nia said softly.

Claudius nodded, handed his towel to Stussy, then picked up the Den Den Mushi and walked toward the tea table.

"Dragon? What, did you screw something up again and need me to clean up your mess?" Claudius answered with a playful grin.

On the other end, upon hearing Claudius' voice, Dragon rolled his eyes. "What do you mean again? That's never happened, okay?"

"Hahahaha," Claudius laughed before asking, "So, what is it? Calling me out of the blue?"

"Can't I just check in? Aren't we good friends?" Dragon replied with a chuckle.

Claudius sat down in his chair, took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, and then said, "I won't deny that we're good friends. But every time you call, you always have something going on. So let's cut the act, shall we?"

"…You're as cold as ever," Dragon muttered helplessly.

But soon, his expression reflected in the Den Den Mushi turned serious. His voice took on a grave tone.

"Your Highness, I need to ask you something."

"Oh? What is it?" Claudius asked with amusement.

"Why has the World Government suddenly decided to expand next year's Reverie to include 100 participating nations? Is something happening? Or is there a major plan in motion?" Dragon asked in a deep voice.

Pirates wouldn't care about how many nations attended the World Summit. Even if all 170+ member states joined, it wouldn't change much. It wasn't like they were meeting just to discuss pirate suppression.

But Dragon was different. He closely monitored international affairs, especially the World Summit since it was an event the Revolutionary Army always sought to exploit.

Now, with 100 countries gathering at once, how could he not be concerned?

Could the World Government be planning something big, perhaps even a decisive move against the Revolutionary Army?

He had spent the last two days investigating and analyzing the situation but found no clear answers. Reading the headlines in the World Economy News only made him more uneasy.

At first, he didn't want to lower himself to ask Claudius for insight. But the feeling that something massive was brewing wouldn't go away, and for the sake of the Revolutionary Army's future, he finally swallowed his pride and reached out.

"Ahahahaha! What, did that scare you? Come on, it's just a meeting with 100 countries. Just think of it as two conferences happening at the same time," Claudius laughed.

"You say that like it's nothing," Dragon muttered helplessly.

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