Chapter 125: The Sadness of Doflamingo

Chapter 125: Chapter 125: The Sadness of Doflamingo

Hancock and her sisters were enjoying their meal.

Claudius, however, had already finished eating earlier. Originally, he had planned to dine with them to build rapport, but he realized that rushing things might not be the best approach. It was better to let them get used to the place on their own for a bit, so he had been giving them space for the past couple of days.

The morning had been a whirlwind for Claudius. The phone calls from the transponder snail seemed endless.

First, there was a call from Dragon. The revolutionary leader reminded Claudius about the promise of lending him an old tome. Claudius had casually agreed to this a while back, and now he felt a bit embarrassed for not following through sooner. Despite thinking that Dragon's endeavors were bound to fail, Claudius appreciated that the man was persistent. Thus, they arranged a time for Dragon to come by and borrow the book.

Not long after, Doflamingo reached out. The flamboyant pirate had seen Crocodile become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and was clearly eager to claim such a title for himself. His voice over the transponder snail was animated as he inquired, "Hey, cousin, what's the plan? When do I get my turn as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea?"

Claudius could hear the impatience in Doflamingo's tone. He knew his cousin had vested interests in the underworld and needed that legitimacy to keep the World Government off his back. Despite wearing the uniform of a CP agent, Doflamingo was heavily involved in arms dealing and other illicit trades. This made the title of Warlord even more valuable.

"Don't rush, Doffy," Claudius said, sipping his juice. "Are you really planning to head to Dressrosa this early?"

Doflamingo chuckled. "I hadn't intended to go so soon, but securing the Warlord title earlier would speed up my plans and expand the influence of the Donquixote pirates. So, cousin, can you make it happen?"

Claudius smiled, understanding the urgency. "It'll happen soon enough. But we need to let the world process the recent changes. Be patient."

There was a brief silence on the line before Doflamingo spoke again. "If anyone else told me to wait, I'd demand an explanation. But since it's you, cousin, I'll trust you. I can wait."

"Hahaha, good. It won't be too long," Claudius assured him.

"By the way..." Doflamingo's voice trailed off, as though he was hesitating.

"What is it?" Claudius asked, intrigued.

Claudius agreed. "Yes, if Rosinante is indeed working for the Marines, it's likely that Sengoku and Kong were pressured into it. If it were purely up to them, they'd never risk damaging our relationship. They'd have no way to explain it if I found out."

Their theory was accurate. Sengoku and Kong hadn't wanted any part in sending Rosinante as an undercover operative. But the Five Elders had insisted, forcing them to comply. The choice had been between disobeying the highest authority or risking Claudius's wrath. In the end, they'd chosen the path with the least immediate consequence.

"I've been careful and low-profile," Doflamingo said with a hint of sarcasm. "But the Five Elders are still wary of me, even though I'm a Celestial Dragon. They must think I'm plotting something against them."

Claudius gave a thoughtful hum. "If I were in their shoes, I might be cautious too."

"Still, they bypassed you, cousin. They didn't want you to know. They're probably afraid you'd be deceived by me," Doflamingo said with a wry smile.

"But they don't know that we've always been on the same side," Claudius said, his voice carrying a note of amusement.

The Five Elders' suspicion of Doflamingo made sense, but they hadn't anticipated Claudius being involved. After all, as an upper-ranked Celestial Dragon, it seemed inconceivable that he would align himself so closely with Doflamingo's ambitions. This operation was meant to protect Claudius, not to undermine him.

"This will need some patience," Claudius finally said.

"Understood," Doflamingo replied, the tension easing from his voice.

Claudius knew it wasn't his place to suggest Doflamingo take drastic measures against his own brother, no matter the circumstances. For now, it was enough for Doflamingo to keep an eye on Rosinante and not take any public action against the World Government.

Besides, Claudius was confident that while Rosinante might be the perfect spy to infiltrate the Donquixote family, he was also too compassionate. The World Government might find that their clever plan would backfire one day.

And when that day came, Claudius would be waiting, ready to watch the Five Elders grapple with their miscalculated scheme.

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