In the massive conference hall of Mariejois, the royal families of the 100 member nations were seated.
Marine generals were also present, with one empty seat left vacant.
Wapol, the unlucky fool who had provoked Ace, had been detained for half a month. Fortunately, he hadn't caused too much trouble. As a king, after Ace had vented his anger, Wapol was handed over to Spandine, who had been given prior notice. As a result, he was eventually released.
After that, Wapol kept a low profile in Mariejois, behaving much more cautiously than before.
Seated next to the Marines were Doflamingo, Crocodile, and Hancock, followed by King Neptune and Otohime of Fish-Man Island.
At this moment, King Neptune was still somewhat puzzled—why hadn't Saint Claudius arrived yet?
As he was lost in thought, footsteps echoed from the conference room's entrance. Moments later, the Five Elders walked in one after another, taking their seats at the highest positions in the room.
After sitting down, they surveyed the hall, their gazes briefly sweeping over the Marine delegation before showing a hint of surprise.
"Where is Claudius?" asked the bearded elder in a soft voice.
"I don't know," Nusjuro, the bald elder, shook his head.
"Strange… is he actually arriving later than us?" The elder with long blond hair frowned slightly.
Neptune was also surprised. The Five Elders were already here, yet Saint Claudius had yet to show up?
"Your Highness Doflamingo…" Neptune whispered.
Doflamingo, seated beside him, looked up and chuckled. "Relax, Great Knight. My cousin will be here soon."
Hearing this, Neptune felt somewhat reassured. It seemed there were no unexpected changes.
Sure enough, after just three to five minutes, more footsteps sounded. Claudius entered the room, followed closely by Lucci, who remained silent, his presence like a shadow.
"Ahahahaha! My apologies! Something unexpected came up on my end, so I kept you all waiting," Claudius said with a broad grin as he stepped inside.
However, most of the gathered kings simply kept their heads down, their expressions neutral as if they hadn't seen him at all.
Nusjuro glanced at Claudius and said with mild displeasure, "Claudius, be more mindful next time."
Claudius nodded. "Next time, next time."
Seeing that the Five Elders weren't particularly bothered by this minor issue, the other kings subtly relaxed. It seemed that Saint Claudius truly held significant influence in Mariejois—otherwise, the Five Elders wouldn't be so tolerant of his transgressions.
As a result, some of the royals who were either already acquainted with Claudius or sought to establish a connection took the opportunity to greet him.
Claudius nodded and responded casually as he made his way to his seat. Removing the cloak from his shoulders, he sat down, while Lucci took the cloak and silently stood behind him.
Sengoku tilted his head slightly, casting a wary glance at Claudius. However, seeing that the prince remained calm and composed, with no intention of speaking, he felt somewhat reassured. It seemed that everything was proceeding as planned.
Once Claudius was seated, the Five Elders wasted no time.
"First of all, welcome to the World Summit," one of them announced.
What followed was a series of formalities, welcoming the gathered royals, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation, and introducing newly ascended kings such as Wapol and Crocodile. They also took time to formally acknowledge Hancock.
Claudius leisurely sipped his tea as he listened.
Meanwhile, the other kings took this opportunity to familiarize themselves with the new rulers.
Sengoku held his own cup of tea, appearing to sip it nonchalantly. However, in reality, he murmured under his breath, "Your Highness, when does it begin?"
"It should already be underway. Don't worry," Claudius replied softly without shifting his gaze.
Soon, the Five Elders concluded the opening formalities, and the World Summit officially commenced.
The first matter on the agenda was the admission of Amazon Lily—ruled by the Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock—into the World Government.
Hancock, with her arms crossed over her chest, flaunted her stunning figure. Her chin was raised slightly, her gaze carrying a hint of disdain, exuding an air of arrogance.
Yet, despite this attitude, no one voiced opposition to Amazon Lily's entry into the World Government.
On one hand, Hancock's irresistible charm made it difficult for most to refuse her, especially these flawed, self-indulgent royals.
On the other hand, it was widely known that Hancock, as a Warlord of the Sea, had a close relationship with Saint Claudius. Considering her beauty, it would be stranger if Claudius didn't have any designs on her.
Amazon Lily had remained independent in the Calm Belt for hundreds of years. Why choose to join the World Government now? Anyone with half a brain could see that Saint Claudius was involved.
Given this, who would dare object? Opposing this decision would be equivalent to offending Claudius himself.
As expected, during the voting process, all 100 kings unanimously approved.
Thus, Amazon Lily officially became a member nation of the World Government!
Meanwhile, Outside the World Government Headquarters
As the World Summit continued in Pangaea Castle, a group of Marines and CP-X agents in black suits gathered outside the headquarters of the World Government.
Before long, another group emerged from the headquarters, agents clad in white suits. The leader, wearing a mask and dressed as if attending a funeral, stepped forward, his tone displeased.
"What is the meaning of this?"
Shortly after, Vice Admiral Momonga and Spandine emerged from behind the formation.
Spandine shot a disdainful glance at the CP agent before him and sneered. "Gis, drop the act."
"Spandine," Gis responded coldly.
Once upon a time, Spandine had been under Gis's command in CP9. Later, he was reassigned at Claudius's behest.
Originally, Gis thought that Spandine, having come from the CP agency, would serve as a bridge or a liaison between CP and Saint Claudius.
But that wasn't the case.
After joining Claudius, Spandine changed completely. Not only did he align himself with the Marines, but he also made life difficult for the CP agency. However, Saint Claudius continued to protect him.
Spandine's influence had grown considerably, making Gis increasingly reluctant to confront him directly.
Suddenly—
"I won't waste words."
Spandine's expression turned serious.
"His Highness has issued an order.
Every CP agent in Mariejois must assemble immediately and cooperate with Marine and CP-X in an ongoing investigation. Gis, gather your people—now."
A sharp glint flashed in Gis's eyes as he demanded, "What has our agency done to offend His Highness? What is this investigation about?"
"We suspect that your CP agency has been secretly communicating with the Revolutionary Army. We have obtained evidence to support this claim. Cooperate, or things will get ugly." Spandine's tone carried a subtle warning.
Hearing this, Gis's face darkened beneath his mask. "Nonsense! The CP agency's primary mission is to eradicate the Revolutionary Army. How could we possibly be colluding with them?"
Momonga stepped forward, tossing a folder into Gis's hands.
"This is the evidence we've gathered. Take a look."
Gis hesitated, then flipped open the file.
As he read, his expression grew increasingly grim.
What the hell was this?
If he didn't know for a fact that his agents had no contact with the Revolutionary Army, even he would believe they had switched sides after reading this!
This was absurd!
But of course, this was all orchestrated by Claudius. With Dragon now fully cooperating with him, fabricating "evidence" was the easiest thing in the world.
"Impossible!" Gis snarled.
"Nothing is impossible. You're no longer trusted. Come with us for questioning," Spandine said with a smirk.
**
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