Claudius didn't have much to say about Buggy.
Since he had latched onto Ace, there was no need to worry about him.
Buggy's status as a former Roger Pirates crew member might be a big deal in other people's eyes, but to Claudius, it was nothing special.
He also knew that Ace had brought Buggy along this time specifically to smooth things over—to make sure Claudius would look after him and keep him out of trouble.
This was a trivial matter that Claudius had no reason to refuse.
If he could protect Rayleigh, then protecting Buggy was hardly an issue.
As long as Buggy didn't stir up trouble or make a mess, Claudius wouldn't do anything to him.
Knowing that Claudius was planning something big during the World Summit, Ace wasn't in a hurry to leave.
Instead, he spent his days wandering around Mariejois, ready to witness whatever major event was about to unfold.
As time passed, the World Summit drew closer.
One by one, royal families from across the world arrived at the Holy Land of Mariejois.
High-ranking Marine officers also began gathering, while Revolutionary Army commanders infiltrated Mariejois under various disguises.
That morning, Claudius was sitting in his palace's living room, casually sipping tea.
Soon, Doflamingo, Crocodile, and Hancock came downstairs.
Doflamingo glanced at Claudius, then smirked.
"Cousin, you're not coming with us?"
Today was the official start of the World Summit.
Some royals had already entered the massive conference hall.
Doflamingo, Crocodile, and Hancock were all participating as special cases.
Crocodile and Doflamingo had successfully taken over as kings of their respective nations—Alabasta and Dressrosa. Their positions were officially recognized by the World Government, allowing them to attend as royal representatives.
Hancock, meanwhile, had not yet been formally acknowledged as a royal, but this World Summit was expected to confirm Amazon Lily's status as a newly affiliated nation.
Since she was set to join the World Government, she was allowed to participate in the discussions.
The others, however, had no reason to attend.
Enel was too lazy to care.
Mihawk technically ruled Kuraigana Island, but the nation had long since fallen, meaning he wasn't qualified to represent it.
Bartholomew Kuma had been a royal in the past, but after his rebellion, the World Government had labeled him a "tyrant", leading him to secretly cooperate with Dragon and join the Revolutionary Army.
Claudius turned his head to look at them, then smiled.
"You all go ahead—I'll join later."
Doflamingo chuckled. "Ah, I see. The big shots always arrive last, huh?"
Claudius raised an eyebrow. "Glad you understand."
Crocodile scoffed. "Tch… how pointless."
But the moment he finished speaking, Hancock grabbed his ear, scolding him.
"You insolent brute! Show some respect when speaking to His Highness!"
Then, turning to Claudius, her expression softened.
"Your Highness, I will go ahead."
Claudius smiled. "Go on."
Crocodile, now thoroughly annoyed, knocked Hancock's hand away.
"If you weren't a woman, I'd bury you right now," he muttered coldly.
Before Hancock could retaliate, Crocodile looked back at Claudius.
"I'm heading out."
Doflamingo and Hancock said nothing more.
Doflamingo simply nodded before leaving, while Hancock followed after him.
After they were gone, Claudius took another sip of tea and continued waiting.
---
Not long after, Stussy entered.
She glanced around, then asked, "Your Highness, have they all left?"
"Everyone who needed to go is gone," Claudius replied casually.
"Good," Stussy said, walking behind him and massaging his shoulders.
"Morgans is ready. He won't report anything until he receives your orders.
We've also bribed, coerced, or eliminated all other major news outlets.
Once Mariejois's communications are cut, this place will become a complete information black hole during the World Summit.
No news will escape."
Claudius closed his eyes, enjoying the massage.
Hearing Stussy's words, he smirked.
"Nicely done. After this, Happy Street is yours to take over. Make sure you keep feeding false information to the outside world."
"Understood, Your Highness," Stussy replied softly.
Then, silence.
After a moment, Claudius suddenly asked, "Are you nervous? Afraid?"
Stussy's hands paused for a second before she smiled.
"Not afraid. But definitely nervous.
If we fail… we're all dead."
She hesitated, then asked, "Your Highness… did you really not leave yourself any escape route?"
Claudius laughed.
"For something like this? There's no room for retreat.
The fact that we can't back down is precisely why we have to move forward.
If we don't succeed, we die trying."
Stussy fell silent for a moment, then sighed.
"You're really going all in on this."
Claudius smirked. "That's the only way to win."
---
Shortly after, Nia entered the room with a freshly brewed pot of tea.
Although she was well aware of Claudius's plans, there wasn't much she could do to help.
So, she simply poured him a new cup and said, "Your Highness."
Claudius glanced up at her. "Hm?"
With a bright smile, Nia said, "May you always triumph in battle. May you remain undefeated."
Claudius chuckled. "Don't worry."
At that moment, Spandine entered.
Seeing Claudius, he paused, then grinned.
"Am I early?"
Claudius smirked. "Even you are trying to sound clever now?"
Spandine quickly straightened his posture, his tone turning serious.
"Your Highness, CP-X has finished preparations. Everything is in place.
Mariejois's entire communications network is under our control.
The moment you give the signal, we can shut it all down instantly."
Claudius nodded. "What about the port?"
Spandine's eyes darkened. "We can lock it down completely at any time."
Claudius took a sip of tea, then said, "Make sure the civilians are evacuated."
"Understood," Spandine nodded.
"Good." Claudius exhaled slowly. "Everyone, focus on your own tasks. I need to head to the World Summit now."
With that, he finished his tea in one gulp, then stood up.
From the shadows, Lucci stepped forward, holding a dark brown coat.
Without a word, he placed it over Claudius's shoulders.
Claudius took a deep breath, then stepped out of the palace.
***
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