One Piece: King of the World Chapter 447: Dragon—Why Do I Feel a Bit Off?

At the Ministry of Civil Affairs within the World Governnt headquarters, Dragon was sorting through so docunts on his desk. Sabo, forrly the second-in-command of the Revolutionary Army, now held the sa position in the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

"Take these docunts and head to the New World," Dragon instructed, handing over a stack of papers to Sabo.

Sabo accepted the docunts and asked, "The archives?"

"Yeah, categorize them properly so we can find them later," Dragon nodded.

Speaking of the New World, Sabo asked curiously, "Aren't you coming with us, Mr. Dragon?"

"I still have so work to finish here. No rush for now—just follow Claudius," Dragon replied without looking up.

"His Highness is going too? I thought he'd stay in Mariejois," Sabo said in surprise.

"I didn't ask him, but do you really think he'd sit this one out? He'll definitely oversee it personally, maybe even get involved himself. Sigh... I really don't want to go. I've already beco a civil servant, so why do I still get missions like this?" Dragon grumbled.

"Hahaha! Well, this is important. Ending the Great Pirate Era and bringing stability to the New World is just as crucial as our administrative work, isn't it?" Sabo said with a smile.

Dragon chuckled and replied, "Yeah, that's exactly why I agreed to go. I haven't stretched my legs in a while, so I might as well check it out."

After a short pause, Dragon murmured with a hint of emotion, "Quelling the Great Pirate Era is indeed crucial. If we succeed, the world will beco more peaceful and stable. At that point, we can truly focus on our vision, utilizing our talents to create a better future for the people."

"Exactly," Sabo nodded before adding with a grin, "But who knows? Maybe this won't be a serious battle at all. What if it's just for fun? Kaido and the others might not even be there."

"Hahaha! That's not entirely impossible," Dragon laughed.

Then, gathering so more docunts from his desk, he said, "Let's head out together."

"Huh? Changed your mind? Are you coming to the New World with us?" Sabo asked in surprise.

"No, I ant let's leave this office together. These docunts require Claudius's signature, so I'm heading upstairs to see him," Dragon clarified with a smile.

With that, he and Sabo left the Ministry of Civil Affairs office. At the corridor's entrance, they prepared to go their separate ways—one heading up, the other down.

"I really need to talk to Claudius about this, this headquarters building is outdated. It's ti we install an elevator," Dragon complained, dreading the long climb.

"Agreed! Fortunately, I'm heading downstairs, so it's not my problem," Sabo joked, holding the files.

"Alright, we'll part ways here. See you in the New World," Dragon said with a nod.

"Are you sure we shouldn't wait for you?" Sabo teased.

"No need. Why, don't you trust ?" Dragon asked with mock annoyance.

"Hahahaha!" Sabo laughed as they finally separated.

Dragon then began his ascent to the top floor. Though his strength made physical exertion a non-issue, there was sothing oddly exhausting about climbing stairs. It was almost like a strange curse—as if no matter how strong you were, climbing beyond six floors would tire you out.

Panting slightly, he finally reached the door of Claudius's office. He knocked twice, and before long, the door opened. It was Nia. Claudius and the others had already relocated from the palace and were inside, briefing Doflamingo on certain matters.

"Mr. Dragon, you're here," Nia greeted him with a smile.

Dragon nodded and grumbled, "Seriously, listen to —install an elevator in this headquarters."

Nia chuckled, "I completely agree."

As Dragon stepped into the office, he saw Claudius seated at his desk, a docunt in hand, looking sowhat hesitant.

Doflamingo stood beside him, pointing at the docunt as if offering advice. anwhile, Stussy was lounging on the sofa, a wine glass in hand, appearing completely relaxed.

Looking at Claudius and Doflamingo standing together, Dragon felt an odd sense of discomfort—sothing about the scene felt unnatural, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Sothing feels... off," Dragon muttered to himself before stepping forward and dropping his stack of docunts onto Claudius's desk.

"These need your signature—various policies concerning our Ministry of Civil Affairs, including refugee matters. I think—" Dragon began, only to be interrupted by the puzzled expression on Claudius's face.

Even though all the nations under the World Governnt belonged to the sa faction, conflicts and wars still broke out due to national interests and royal feuds.

The World Governnt generally did not interfere in these disputes, as each country had its own sovereignty. However, if a nation was unable to handle a crisis on its own, it could request assistance from the World Governnt, which would then intervene to diate and maintain order.

Losers had to accept their fate—land concessions and reparations were common outcos. But victors couldn't go too far either—massacres and complete annihilation of nations were unacceptable. Everything had to remain within a controlled frawork.

In such conflicts, refugee crises often arose. In the past, the World Governnt didn't bother dealing with them—refugees were left to fend for themselves or seek aid from their own nobility.

But now, under the Ministry of Civil Affairs, new policies had been introduced. Refugees would be relocated and provided with opportunities to work—whether it was mining in the Calm Belt or participating in infrastructure projects. Jobs ca with five insurances and one pension, ensuring a stable livelihood.

Though these might not be glamorous jobs, they were a lifeline for refugees who had lost everything. Wasn't it enough to provide them with stable employnt? What more could they expect—royal treatnt?

Of course, participation wasn't mandatory. Once a refugee saved up enough money to restart their life, they'd be free to leave, with a governnt-provided ferry ticket to ensure a smooth transition.

Seeing Claudius's confused expression, Dragon asked, "Why are you looking at like that? Wasn't this your own plan? I think it's quite solid."

Claudius hesitated before asking, "I just sign here?"

Dragon frowned. "What's with your voice? It sounds hoarse."

Claudius coughed lightly and replied, "I've been a bit under the weather lately."

"Really?" Dragon didn't think much of it and nodded. "Yeah, just sign it. I've already handled all the arrangents—this is just the final approval."

Once the paperwork was sorted, Dragon asked, "So when are you leaving for the New World? I'll be going with you."

Claudius froze for a mont before hesitantly replying, "I'm not going. This ti, I'll be staying in Mariejois."

"You're not going?" Dragon asked in shock. He never expected Claudius to willingly sit out a major event like this.

Just then, Doflamingo grinned and said, "Furafurfur... Dragon, I'll be heading to the New World this ti. If you don't mind, how about traveling together?"

Although sothing still felt off about Claudius, Doflamingo himself seed normal enough, so Dragon wasn't particularly surprised.

After a brief mont of hesitation, Dragon glanced at Doflamingo and said, "Since You're offering, I'd be happy to."

Still, Dragon couldn't shake the feeling that sothing was amiss. He and Doflamingo weren't exactly close—Doflamingo was usually indifferent toward him. Why the sudden warmth? Was sothing going on?

However, since Doflamingo was Claudius's cousin and a trusted figure, Dragon decided not to overthink it. If Doflamingo wanted to foster closer ties, there was no reason to refuse.

(To be continued.)

***

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