One Piece: King of the World

Chapter 229: Two Things

Holy Land—Mariejois, in the office of the Five Elders, Claudius and Sengoku stood before the council.

"Sengoku, you'd better give us a reasonable explanation!" Nusjuro barked furiously.

Claudius spoke softly, "Allow me to explain."

"Explain? Haven't I given you enough chances already? How do you think you became a fleet admiral in the first place?" Nusjuro snapped, oblivious to who had actually spoken.

Sengoku, who had been quietly reflecting on his mistakes, looked stunned. I didn't say anything, he thought, his heart heavy.

Noticing Sengoku's gaze full of silent frustration, Claudius smiled awkwardly and cleared his throat. "Ahem. Sir, this matter isn't Sengoku's fault. It's mine. Neither Doffy nor I realized Rosinante's true intentions. We failed to see through him. If there's blame to be assigned, then punish me." Claudius stepped forward and spoke with a solemn tone.

Sengoku stared at Claudius's back, a surge of emotion welling up inside him. As expected, my greatest supporter is Claudius. To step forward at such a moment, it's truly touching.

Nusjuro's expression shifted as he regarded Claudius. He knew that Claudius wasn't aware of Rosinante's full mission, yet he himself understood the truth: Rosinante had been a Marine they had planted close to Doflamingo.

And now? This "undercover agent" had switched sides and betrayed them, leaving the Five Elders with a mess they couldn't even publicly address.

"Claudius..." Nusjuro murmured before shaking his head. "You're not to blame for this."

Sengoku, desperate to keep this issue from escalating, feared it could strain the already fragile relationship between Marine Headquarters and Claudius. Even though he was heartbroken—after all, he had treated Rosinante as his own son—Sengoku swallowed his grief and stepped forward.

"This is my responsibility. It's a failing on the part of Marine Headquarters," Sengoku said sincerely.

Hearing this, Nusjuro hesitated before finally sighing. "Sengoku, Marine must take accountability for this. When you return, prepare a thorough report and submit it. And next time I see you... you'd better still be worthy of that title of fleet admiral!"

There was no way around it. The matter of the Ope-Ope Fruit had already been concluded. The outcome couldn't be undone.

Furthermore, Marine Headquarters was still crucial. The New World was in chaos, and the Five Elders knew they would need Marine's power to stabilize it.

"Good. Work hard," Nusjuro said with satisfaction.

With that, the discussion ended. Realizing there was nothing more to discuss, Claudius and Sengoku left the office.

As they walked out of the World Government headquarters, Sengoku said, "Thank you for stepping up back there."

"It was nothing," Claudius replied lightly.

Seeing Sengoku's heavy mood, Claudius refrained from saying much else. The two walked in silence through the streets of Mariejois.

After a while, Claudius broke the silence. "A lot of things are moving forward. The Calm Belt initiative should also be put into action. I've entrusted Tesoro with the preparations, and arrangements have already been made on Amazon Lily. As long as Marine is ready, you can begin whenever you see fit."

Sengoku managed a faint smile. "Marine is always ready. Once I return, we'll send personnel into the Calm Belt immediately."

"Who will oversee it?" Claudius asked.

"The scientific division will be led by Kizaru. Naturally, he'll be in charge. However, as he's still an admiral, we've assigned Captain Nezumi as the field executor," Sengoku explained.

After a few more words on the subject, Claudius brought up another matter. "By the way, on Minion Island, I found a promising young talent. I had originally intended to train him for CP-X, but he seems to have his heart set on joining Marine. Perhaps you, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, could help me groom him?"

Sengoku raised an eyebrow. It was clear Claudius wanted to place someone within Marine. But Sengoku didn't mind.

Marine was a massive organization with a complex internal hierarchy. For someone of Claudius's status to handle the matter so openly and straightforwardly, it was more than acceptable.

Besides, Sengoku knew there would likely be many occasions in the future where Marine would need Claudius's support. Having someone loyal to Claudius within Marine could only benefit their collaboration and mutual trust.

Nodding, Sengoku said, "If His Highness Claudius sees potential in him, he must be an excellent prospect. Marine always welcomes talented individuals. Leave it to me—I'll make sure he gets the proper training."

"His name is Drake. Once I've finished arranging things, I'll have him sent to Marine Headquarters," Claudius said with a smile.