At this moment, inside Claudius' office, the Five Elders were feeling somewhat emotional.
This office had once been theirs.
In the past, they were the ones summoning Claudius here.
But now?
The roles had reversed.
It was clear proof that times had changed.
However, despite everything, Claudius had never humiliated them.
On the contrary—he had treated them well.
This had softened the Five Elders' perspective on him.
And more than that—they admired him.
If there was one way to describe Claudius' rule over the past two years, it would be "bold and decisive."
Everything they had once been restricted from doing… everything they had been unable to accomplish…
Claudius had done it all.
Unlike them, he had no one above him to hold him back.
Now, he was the undisputed king of the world.
In just two years, the World Government had revitalized itself.
It was still somewhat chaotic, but at least it was no longer decaying.
---
Doflamingo sat casually by the windowsill, legs crossed, a glass of red wine in hand.
He wore his signature mischievous grin, looking completely at ease.
Ever since Claudius restored his status as a Celestial Dragon, promoting him to the rank of "Top Celestial Dragon," Doflamingo had stayed in Mariejois.
He had completely abandoned Dressrosa.
In his own words:
"Dressrosa is bound to become a directly governed island anyway. It doesn't matter if I'm king or not."
Claudius had no objections to this.
If Doflamingo didn't want to return, then so be it.
He had even brought Doflamingo closer, subtly grooming him for more responsibilities.
Truthfully, Doflamingo was no fool.
His entire first half of life had been spent as a pirate and an underground crime lord.
To suddenly transform into a proper statesman?
That wasn't his style.
As for the Five Elders, Doflamingo held no personal grudge against them.
He understood that they had been personally trained by Claudius.
Without them, Claudius might never have reached this level of power.
Besides, the destruction of Mariejois hadn't exactly been their fault.
Holding a document in his hand, Nusjuro sighed:
"Under your rule, Claudius, the World Government's power will reach unprecedented heights."
The Five Elders fully understood the significance of the seven new administrative districts.
It meant that direct governance from Mariejois would expand globally.
And with the Sea Train system, the traditional barrier of distance would be eliminated—a crucial factor for long-term rule.
This was why the Five Elders had supported the Sea Train project in the first place.
The cost didn't matter.
Yet, looking back now…
It felt like they had merely paved the way for Claudius' rule.
Regret? Perhaps.
But they couldn't deny a sense of satisfaction as well.
Claudius let out a calm laugh.
"So, what do you need us old men for?" Saturn asked, raising an eyebrow.
Claudius grinned.
"I just thought… since you've been idle for two years, you might not be used to retirement. So why not give you all something to do?"
"No thanks. I've gotten quite good at fishing," Nusjuro chuckled.
"After decades of work, I finally get to relax. Why would I want to return to dealing with the world's problems?"
The other Four Elders smirked at Claudius, their eyes full of amusement.
Claudius sighed, shaking his head.
"Come on, at least let me save some dignity. I am the king of the world, after all."
"Hah! And yet you had no problem humiliating us during the Reverie!" Saturn scoffed.
Nusjuro chuckled.
"Claudius, no matter how high you climb, to us, you're still just a kid."
Claudius didn't mind.
After all, these five men had watched over him for years.
There was mutual respect between them.
If it weren't for the differences in ideology, things wouldn't have turned out this way.
But now?
Those conflicts were in the past.
And in this room, there were no outsiders.
Even though the Five Elders were no longer Celestial Dragons, Claudius still saw them as his own kind.
So, without hesitation, he dropped the formalities.
"Do me a favor. You wouldn't just sit back and watch me struggle, right?" Claudius asked with a grin.
The Five Elders exchanged glances.
Though they wouldn't admit it outright, Claudius had given them enough face by asking this way.
The resentment they had once held?
It dissipated.
After a moment, Nusjuro glanced at the documents again and sighed.
"Fine. We'll do it."
Claudius smiled triumphantly.
Just then—
Knock, knock.
"Come in," Claudius called.
The door swung open, and Spandine stepped inside.
"Your Highness, I've brought what you requested," he said.
After greeting Doflamingo and the Five Elders, he approached Claudius' desk.
The Five Elders couldn't help but feel amazed at Spandine's presence.
Once just a small-time operative, Spandine had risen so high, simply by following Claudius.
"So? How did it go?" Claudius asked.
Spandine smirked.
"Mission accomplished.
This—"
He reached into his coat, pulling out a single blueprint.
"—is the Ancient Weapon, Pluton's design plans."
The large stack of documents under his arm?
Just a decoy.
Claudius nodded.
"Tom told me this morning. I figured you'd be back soon."
The Five Elders' expressions shifted.
Nusjuro frowned.
"Wait… You have Pluton's blueprints?"
Claudius grinned sheepishly.
"Yeah… I suppressed the information back then.
I thought it might be useful someday… but now, I realize it's unnecessary."
Nusjuro sighed.
"You… unbelievable."
Claudius casually glanced at the blueprint before tossing it into his desk drawer.
"From now on, there is no Pluton.
All records of it will be erased.
This design will never see the light of day again."
Spandine nodded firmly.
"Understood, Your Majesty. The clean-up operation has already been carried out."
(To be continued.)
***
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