One Piece: King of the World Chapter 384: Conqueror’s Luck Man

Inside Claudius's palace, Ace was chatting with Claudius, both of them laughing and clearly enjoying themselves.

anwhile, Buggy sat stiffly on a nearby sofa, staring at the drinks and desserts in front of him but unable to relax. His hands and feet felt awkward, he didn't know where to place them.

It wasn't surprising. After all, Claudius's reputation was overwhelming, and it was only natural for Buggy to feel pressured in his presence.

More importantly, Buggy felt uneasy in his heart.

He was a forr crew mber of the Roger Pirates and now he was clinging to Ace's coattails. But Claudius, the man sitting before him, was the one who captured Roger back then.

Although Buggy knew that Roger had been terminally ill and that there was probably more to the story, he still couldn't help feeling anxious.

But at this point, it was too late to turn back.

This was a gamble.

If he bet on the right side, he'd gain wealth and glory. If he bet wrong… well, with Ace here, things wouldn't end too badly, right?

Ace and Claudius looked more like brothers than father and son, with barely any apparent age gap between them.

Of course, in reality, Claudius was more than twenty years older than Ace but for reasons no one quite understood, he still looked ridiculously young.

Ace didn't seem to care, though. He casually referred to Claudius as "Dad" over and over, making Claudius sound like an old man despite his youthful appearance.

But Claudius had indeed raised Ace as his own son, so he didn't mind.

After chatting for a while, Claudius asked, "Koala didn't co with you?"

After all, Koala was soone he had personally saved and raised—practically a half-daughter to him, just like Ace was a son.

"She ca, but she said she had sothing to take care of and wouldn't be back until she was done," Ace replied casually.

Claudius didn't press further. The kids were all grown up now, so he didn't need to concern himself with every little detail. He simply nodded and let it go.

Suddenly, Ace changed the topic. "Oh yeah, Dad! I'm kind of a big deal now, you know? I've got Hachinosu Island as my base, and I control ten surrounding islands. My na—Fire Fist Ace—is pretty well-known in the New World. My strength isn't weak either, right?"

He raised his brows, giving Claudius a knowing look.

Claudius smirked and waved his hand. "Just spit it out already."

"Hehehe… Dad, I've built up my career, and I haven't embarrassed you, right? So, how about you give the title of Seven Warlords of the Sea?" Ace grinned, clearly trying to butter him up.

Claudius chuckled. "I knew it. The mont you suddenly ca back, I figured you were here to ask for sothing."

"What do you an?! I missed you, of course! I was already nearby, so how could I not stop by? I was literally at the doorstep, of course I had to co see you!" Ace said, playing it up.

Claudius smirked. "You didn't learn much out there, but you sure got better at sweet-talking."

Ace just grinned and said nothing, waiting expectantly.

Claudius thought for a mont, rubbing his chin.

"Seven Warlords of the Sea, huh? Not a bad idea… You are qualified."

Purely based on rit, Ace did et the requirents.

His strength, his reputation in the New World, and the territory he controlled, all of it justified his place among the Warlords.

Ace's eyes lit up. He looked genuinely excited.

In this tiline, the Seven Warlords of the Sea were different from their portrayal in the original story.

While Doflamingo, Crocodile, and Hancock were still Warlords, the title itself held much more weight.

Each Warlord was a true powerhouse.

Doflamingo and Hancock alone might not be able to match a Yonko, but if two Warlords worked together, they could definitely shake the balance of power.

And for Warlords like Mihawk, Enel, Crocodile, and Kuma, their personal combat ability was so strong that even against Shanks or Kaido, they wouldn't go down easily.

Simply put, this version of the Warlords was fearso. They were genuine top-tier pirates, the only recognized group that could challenge the Yonko.

So naturally, Ace was very interested in joining.

But just as he was about to say sothing, Claudius shook his head.

"Not yet. After the World Summit is over, I'll na you a Warlord."

Ace frowned. "Why wait until after the World Summit?"

"Because right now, I don't have ti to deal with small matters like you," Claudius said bluntly. "I also need a period of calm, I don't want any trouble before the summit."

He didn't elaborate, brushing Ace off casually.

Ace, stunned for a mont, suddenly had a realization. "Dad… you're about to do sothing big, aren't you?"

"More or less," Claudius said with a mysterious smile. "But it's none of your concern, kid."

"I'm not a kid, okay?! I'm the famous Fire Fist Ace of the New World!" Ace protested.

Claudius ignored him and instead turned his gaze toward Buggy.

The mont Buggy realized Claudius was looking at him, he imdiately sat up straight, feeling nervous.

After a second, he considered standing up, but that felt awkward, too.

In the end, he awkwardly perched himself on the table in front of Claudius, mimicking Ace's casual posture.

Claudius chuckled and gestured with his hand. "Relax. No need for so much formality."

Ace grinned. "Don't worry, Buggy. My dad isn't stuck-up. You're my friend."

Claudius smirked. "No need to be so obvious about hinting at it. Since he's your friend, I'll look after him."

Buggy visibly relaxed—but deep down, he was still on edge.

Claudius studied Buggy for a mont, feeling a bit amused.

This was his first ti eting Buggy in person.

Back in Loguetown, when he had captured Roger, he had been too focused on the captain himself to pay attention to a re cabin boy.

Originally, Claudius had assud that, because of his interference, the tiline was too ssed up for Buggy to ever cross paths with Luffy.

Without Luffy's influence, Buggy might have just remained stuck in East Blue forever.

But sohow… Buggy still managed to cling to a powerful ally.

Instead of Luffy, he had attached himself to Ace.

This guy really was a Conqueror's Luck man.

He always knew how to pick the strongest thigh to cling to.

Still, Claudius had no dislike for Buggy.

If anything, he found him amusing, soone who could bring entertainnt just by being himself.

Since he had sohow beco Ace's sworn brother, there was no reason to interfere.

"I heard about you from Roger," Claudius suddenly said. "Back when you were just a cabin boy on the Oro Jackson, right? You and Shanks were apprentice pirates together."

Buggy froze, his face stiffening.

Even Ace looked surprised, he hadn't introduced Buggy yet, so how did Claudius already know?

Buggy swallowed nervously and forced a smile. "Uh… yeah, that's right."

Claudius chuckled. "Relax. Since you and Ace are brothers, I won't cause you trouble. You already know about your captain's condition, don't you?"

He leaned back with a smirk.

"Oh, and if you have ti, you should visit Rayleigh on Sabaody Archipelago. He's an old friend of mine."

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