After Claudius signed his na, Stussy asked, "Then, Your Highness, should we begin arranging the marriage? I believe the Adriana might be a suitable choice."
Claudius remained silent for a mont, rubbing his chin thoughtfully before replying, "It's a good match. As a mber of my Donquixote Family, one enjoys the privileges of a World Noble but naturally, certain obligations must be t. That fool Mjosgard might not have much talent, but at least he has a good daughter."
Mjosgard was a Celestial Dragon—one from the lower ranks of the Donquixote Family. Of course, under Claudius' rule, he had since been promoted to a mid-ranked Celestial Dragon. The two of them had known each other since childhood.
Back in the day, Mjosgard had been a typical Celestial Dragon—arrogant, corrupt, and utterly useless. He indulged in every vice imaginable and was nothing more than a fat, incompetent aristocrat.
But when Claudius rose to power and reford the Donquixote Family, he personally ensured that Mjosgard was beaten into shape.
Surprisingly, Mjosgard had potential after all.
In another tiline had Claudius not appeared—Mjosgard would have been reford by Queen Otohi, becoming one of the few Celestial Dragons with an actual sense of duty. He had even been bold enough to wield a mace during the Reverie, intimidating royalty from other nations.
A rare, respectable Celestial Dragon.
Under Claudius' strict discipline, Mjosgard had straightened out even earlier. He had beco a fairly capable noble, and Claudius was even considering assigning him an official role within the World Governnt.
It wouldn't be anything too important, but with the right training, Mjosgard could serve a useful public relations role—traveling the world, engaging with the common folk, and improving the image of the Donquixote Family.
After all, the Donquixote Family wasn't just another decaying Celestial Dragon house. They were a noble family that truly cared for the people!
Mjosgard was about the sa age as Claudius. While Claudius himself had no heirs and didn't seem in any hurry to have children, Garud already had both sons and daughters.
His daughter, Adriana, had been raised well—educated, poised, and completely free of the decadent arrogance that plagued the old Celestial Dragons.
Even Claudius personally acknowledged that she was an outstanding descendant.
As a mber of the Donquixote Family, enjoying its privileges, it was only natural for her to contribute in return.
Claudius didn't object to political marriages but he still had his own principles. He wasn't the type to force soone into an unwanted marriage under the guise of "duty."
After so thought, he finally said, "First, let's bring it up with Neptune, let them prepare and ease into the idea. There's no pressure on this. We're not going to force it."
"If possible, we can arrange for Adriana and Fukaboshi to spend more ti together. Fukaboshi is an excellent prince, perhaps the two of them will develop feelings naturally.
If that happens, then great. If not, then no rush. Let's take our ti."
Stussy smiled and said, "I never thought Your Highness would be sentintal about sothing like this."
"Hahaha! Sentintal?" Claudius burst into laughter before shaking his head. "No, this isn't about sentint—it's about my pride.
What kind of man do you think I am? Do I really need to sacrifice a young woman's happiness just to pave my way? Ridiculous! People would laugh at !"
"That's true," Stussy admitted after so thought. "As Your Highness, you really don't need to rely on sothing like this."
Claudius smirked and continued, "Also, when you bring this up with Neptune, ntion that I'm considering formally adopting Shirahoshi as my sworn daughter. See how he reacts to the idea.
If he's agreeable, then in the future, our two families will be even more closely tied."
"I need to ask?" Stussy laughed. "Neptune would be thrilled with the idea!"
"Well, he is still her father. Can't be too forceful," Claudius said with a wave of his hand.
With that settled, there was no need to dwell on Fish-Man Island any longer.
Whether it was in one hundred years or two hundred, the Donquixote Family and Fish-Man Island were destined to beco one.
---
"What's the other matter?" Claudius asked.
Stussy handed him another docunt and said, "Your Highness, this concerns the Kingdom of Giants. Their prince, Loki, wants to negotiate a franchise agreent with the World Governnt."
Claudius raised an eyebrow before laughing. "Hah! So those barbarians from Elbaf finally ca to their senses?"
He took the docunt and flipped through it.
More than two years ago, before Claudius seized absolute power, he had already begun cooperation with Elbaf—particularly regarding naval operations in the Calm Belt.
Now, as the undisputed ruler of the World Governnt, his influence over Elbaf had only grown—not just through economic agreents but also through strategic military alliances with moderate factions among the giants.
Over the past two years, with the World Governnt's restructuring and the relocation of Marine Headquarters to the New World, Elbaf had begun re-evaluating its position.
Ultimately, they decided to join the World Governnt and test the waters.
Their financial obligations were minimal, the Heavenly Tribute was only 100 million Berries annually, which even Elbaf's modest economy could afford.
As for taxes, they didn't mind paying, so long as the benefits outweighed the costs.
And under Claudius' rule?
The benefits were undeniable.
Claudius carefully examined the proposal.
Elbaf hadn't made any outrageous demands or tried to leverage their military power for special treatnt. Everything was within reason.
It was clear that they understood Claudius was not soone to be negotiated with lightly.
Especially now—Marine Headquarters had moved into the New World, signaling the World Governnt's full-scale expansion into the region.
If Claudius succeeded in conquering the New World, Elbaf would be greatly affected.
Rather than risk being left behind, they had wisely chosen to get ahead of the ga and establish a good relationship with Claudius before he beca too powerful to bargain with.
Claudius signed his na on the docunt and smirked.
"Not bad. This is just a letter of intent, of course—there's still a lot to negotiate. Naturally, I won't be handling this personally. The World Governnt has plenty of officials to deal with these matters."
His approval was rely a formality, without it, the bureaucrats wouldn't dare proceed.
"Understood, Your Highness," Stussy said with a smile.
With that, their official business was complete. The conversation drifted to lighter topics, with Nami occasionally joining in. Nia arrived with tea and pastries, and the atmosphere turned warm and relaxed.
After so ti, Stussy suddenly brought up an interesting topic.
"By the way, Your Highness, Marine Headquarters has been holding frequent etings lately. They're likely discussing the New World campaign. I imagine they'll have a battle plan ready for you soon."
"Hmm… yes," Claudius murmured, a gleam flashing in his eyes. "Looks like we're finally going to bring the hamr down on the New World."
"Will Your Highness oversee the battle from Mariejois or lead from the front?" Stussy asked curiously.
Claudius grinned.
"Of course, I'll personally lead from the frontlines.
First, to boost morale.
Second… to claim all the glory for myself.
Isn't that right?"
---
(To be continued.)
***
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