Chapter 14: Generous Cousin

The grand and opulent palace Claudius resided in was originally named the "The King's Palace," but he found the name far too ostentatious. Claudius believed that until he achieved some measure of success, it was best to keep a low profile. He didn't want to attract undue attention from the Five Elders or, worse, Imu, who he had never seen but knew held great power.

So, he changed the name of the "The King's Palace" to "Claudius Palace." Claudius knew well he had borrowed the name from the emperors of his past life. Of course, the palace's design and style were still inconsistent with the name. But for now, this would suffice. Once he had more power, he could make the necessary adjustments.

In the palace courtyard, Claudius gripped a wooden sword, repeatedly swinging it in powerful, simple movements. After three months of recovery and training, his body had undergone notable changes.

Without the burdens of food or drink, and with access to the best luxuries, combined with regular exercise, Claudius was growing into a striking figure. His physique had improved so much that every few days, he looked noticeably different.

The soft, chubby appearance he once had was now long gone. His body had returned to a healthy, muscular state, with his arms and waist becoming well-defined. His upper body was bare, and his skin, well cared for, gleamed under the sun, looking almost translucent without a scar in sight. His long, pale blonde hair fluttered in the wind. Once, Claudius had a somewhat sleazy appearance, but now, his sharp eyebrows and handsome features marked a dramatic transformation. Among the Celestial Dragons, his good looks were rare.

"More than 20,000 swings, and His Highness is still as steady as ever, without a hint of trembling. He really has a gift for this. Could he truly become a great swordsman?" muttered a burly middle-aged man nearby. He was wearing a slave collar around his neck and watched Claudius's training in awe.

This man had once been a renowned swordsman at sea before he was captured and enslaved. Claudius had discovered him among the slaves and immediately hired him as his kendo instructor. The man's task wasn't to teach Claudius any particularly advanced skills his role was simply to guide the practice of the basics.

Claudius had promised him freedom once he achieved mastery in kendo, a prospect that excited the man so much that he was eager to impart everything he knew to Claudius as quickly as possible, hoping to leave Mariejois sooner rather than later.

Kendo basics weren't much different from what Claudius had imagined. The first step was mastering sword swings—ensuring the blade moved exactly where you intended. If you couldn't control the sword's direction, how could you hope to cut down an opponent?

While simple, this training could become monotonous. Fortunately, Claudius had plenty of time on his hands. His daily routine was balanced after sword practice, he focused on physical training using the methods left by Admiral Zephyr. In the afternoons, he studied his Devil Fruit abilities. And in the evenings, he dictated his thoughts and plans, with Nia recording them. All in all, Claudius lived a very fulfilling life, even if he rarely left the palace. He never felt as if he was wasting time.

Nia, standing nearby, listened to the swordsman's words with a sense of pride. "Who do you think His Highness Claudius is? If he wants to become a great swordsman, he will succeed. There's no doubt about it."

After boasting about Claudius, she glanced at his chiseled figure, her cheeks flushing slightly. Celestial Dragons usually kept multiple wives—ten or even more. Whether they needed them or not, it was expected that wives would be kept in the palace. In the past, Claudius had done the same, keeping several women in his palace.

However, after returning from the New World, he had sent all those unfortunate women away, and so far, it didn't seem like he had taken an interest in that kind of thing. At least, Nia hadn't heard any rumors of maids sneaking into his bed at night.

This puzzled Nia. Could it be that Claudius had suffered some hidden injury during his time away?

Of course, she dared not voice such thoughts. Even though she was now quite close to Claudius, certain questions were off-limits.

Had Claudius known what Nia was thinking, he likely would've laughed. His predecessor had indeed kept a harem of wives, but they had been more ornamental than anything else. Being just a spoiled, pudgy boy at the time, the former Claudius hadn't known what to do with them. But because other Celestial Dragons had wives, he had followed suit, indulging in the practice.

After his return, with his new soul occupying this body, Claudius had felt nothing but disgust at the sight of those women. Feeling guilty for how they had been treated, he had sent them away, allowing them to return to their homes. It was one of the few good deeds he could count.

Now, Claudius's life was fulfilling. He focused on improving his strength to prepare for the turbulent future. He had no time for meaningless distractions. He was also well aware of his age—still too young to risk damaging his body by overindulging. Better to avoid those temptations now, so that when he reached his prime, he wouldn't face physical decline.

Claudius had heard stories of Celestial Dragons in their 30s and 40s who had turned to increasingly perverse behavior. They had "opened up" too early, without moderation, and the resulting decay of their bodies had driven them into a cycle of violence and depravity.

Claudius planned to avoid that fate. Once he had matured fully, he could find a suitable beauty and enjoy life to the fullest. Besides, with the Zero Hour embedded within his body, the pleasures of life would be endless. There was no need to rush.

As Claudius continued to practice his sword swings, and Nia got lost in her own thoughts, a loud and arrogant voice echoed from the courtyard entrance.

"It's been three months! My cousin is supposedly bedridden, yet here I see him practicing his sword skills. I thought you were ill! Get out here before I have to kill someone!"

Claudius stopped mid-swing, smiled helplessly, and looked toward the gate.

Sure enough, swaggering in with his trademark orange sunglasses and short blonde hair, was none other than Donquixote Doflamingo, his younger cousin. A few servants trailed behind him.

Doflamingo hadn't visited in a while. The moment he saw Claudius, he exclaimed, "Cousin, have you grown taller again?"

Claudius chuckled, tossing his wooden sword to the ground. He walked over to Nia, picked up a towel, and began wiping the sweat off his body. With a smile, he looked at Doflamingo and said, "I'm still growing, Doffy. I'll get taller yet."

"Really?" Doflamingo tilted his head slightly but quickly moved on. He grabbed Claudius by the belt and said, "Cousin, I'll be leaving Mariejois in a few days. Who knows when I'll be able to hang out with you again? You've been resting long enough. You should come out with me! I heard there's a giant slave in the arena today. They've set up some ferocious beasts to fight him should be fun to watch. You've got to come with me!"

Claudius paused for a moment, then asked, "You're leaving in a few days?"

"Yeah, my father says we're heading to North Blue next Monday. Lots of people are calling us traitors or something. I don't really get it, but since it's my father's idea, I'm sure it'll be fine," Doflamingo replied, nonchalantly.

Claudius remained silent for a moment. He had a good relationship with Doflamingo, and even though he couldn't stop their family's downfall, he could still support Doflamingo in secret. In time, it might even be possible to groom Doflamingo into a useful ally, perhaps even a "dark hand" working in the shadows for him.

With that in mind, Claudius patted Doflamingo on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Doffy. You're my cousin, and no matter what happens, if you run into trouble, just come to me. I'll do everything I can to help you."

"I knew it! Cousin, you're the only one who's always had my back. While others see me as a traitor, you see me as family," Doflamingo said with a grin.

"Of course! You're my brother," Claudius replied casually.

"Then, as my brother, you have to come to the arena with me today," Doflamingo insisted, pulling Claudius along.

"I know, I know. Give me a moment to change," Claudius waved his hand, laughing.

With Nia's help, Claudius quickly dressed, though neither he nor Doflamingo wore the typical Celestial Dragon garb no ridiculous bubble hoods or flowing white robes. They walked out as they were, and anyone unfamiliar with them might not have recognized them as Celestial Dragons. Fortunately, the large group of servants trailing behind them marked their noble status. After all, no one but Celestial Dragons would dare to parade around Mariejois with such disregard for decorum.

As they walked, Doflamingo continued talking to Claudius. "Since I'm leaving soon, I can't take my slaves with me. Why don't I give them all to you, cousin? I still have two mermaid slaves they cost me quite a fortune at the slave market."

"Mermaids?" Claudius raised an eyebrow, then smiled. "Well, thank you very much, Doffy."

Claudius's predecessor had owned plenty of slaves, but they had been more for show than for any real use. Most were treated as mounts, a typical pastime for the wasteful Celestial Dragons. But since returning, Claudius had found such practices distasteful. He had already rid himself of the useless ones, either by selling them or passing them on to servants. After all, while he still maintained the pride of a Celestial Dragon, he had no interest in indulging in senseless cruelty.

Now, only a few slaves remained in his household those with practical skills, like the swordsman who trained him.

With Doflamingo offering the mermaids, Claudius thought it better to take them under his wing than let them fall into the hands of other depraved Celestial Dragons. At least with him, they wouldn't suffer the same fate.