Chapter 33: Insider?

Just moments ago, Dragon had solemnly declared he would devote his life to overthrowing the Celestial Dragons, only to find out his 'best friend' was one of them? Did he just spill the beans to the worst possible person?

If Claudius went back now and asked CP-0 to do a thorough investigation, the fledgling Revolutionary Army would be squashed before it even had a chance to grow.

Dragon's mind was in chaos. He realized that if he didn't eliminate Claudius right here, the secret would be exposed. But killing him would be an extreme gamble, a case of mutual destruction.

When they first met at the port, Dragon had already sensed that Claudius was no slouch. While Claudius wasn't quite on Dragon's level, he was formidable. Plus, Claudius had people with him. If Dragon couldn't eliminate all of them, there'd be no hiding the fact that he had killed a Celestial Dragon.

Once word got out that Dragon had killed a Celestial Dragon, it would be over for him and his movement. The Revolutionary Army was too small to withstand the full might of the World Government. Its only fate would be total annihilation.

Even though he was Garp's son, committing the crime of killing a Celestial Dragon meant certain death. No one could save him from that.

That's why Dragon was losing it. He had considered many outcomes before coming here. Even if Claudius had turned out to be a high-ranking CP-0 agent, Dragon believed he could still persuade him, because he had faith in the power of ideals.

But no matter how he had strategized, he hadn't anticipated this Claudius was one of the Celestial Dragons! What kind of cruel joke was this?

"Why so glum?" Claudius teased, amused by Dragon's despondent expression.

Dragon, looking like he had just surfaced from a hot spring, sighed deeply. "How can I not be? I gave up my promising future in the Marines to follow my ideals, to build something greater, and now… it's all going to be ruined at your hands. I… I… Argh!"

"Why does it have to end at my hands?" Claudius asked with a grin.

"I've laid my cards on the table. You're a Celestial Dragon. Do you think you'll let me go now?" Dragon replied wearily.

"You haven't considered killing me here? Ending this?" Claudius asked, still smiling.

"I did… just for a moment. But it doesn't make sense, does it? Besides… I saw you as a friend, someone who shared my vision. And now, you expect me to kill you?" Dragon shook his head.

Claudius chuckled. "Exactly. You see me as a friend, and don't I see you as one too?"

"So what?" Dragon said, still at a loss.

"Didn't you say just now that 'thoughts don't lie'?" Claudius raised an eyebrow, teasing him.

Dragon paused, frowning as he thought. "Yeah, thoughts don't lie… but you, a Celestial Dragon, think like this? What are you trying to do, Claudius? What do you really want?"

"Hahahaha! It's simple—I want to shake things up. To change the world," Claudius said, laughing.

Before Dragon could respond, Claudius continued, "Honestly, if you hadn't come to find me, I would've come looking for you. Ever since you left the Marines, I knew you had something big on your mind. I was planning to recruit you, but it seems you've already found your own path. We don't have to walk it together, but that doesn't mean we're enemies."

"You want to rebel too?" Dragon asked, bewildered. The idea of a Celestial Dragon starting a revolution was just too wild to comprehend.

"Rebel? No. Don't lump me in with rough rebels like you. I'm a Celestial Dragon; I can't rebel against myself, can I? That would be idiotic," Claudius said matter-of-factly.

"Then what are you trying to do?" Dragon asked, a little frustrated but increasingly curious.

"Your approach is from the bottom-up; you call it rebellion. Mine is from the top-down. I call it reform. See the difference?" Claudius said with a smirk.

Dragon blinked in surprise. Then, realization dawned on him. "You want to seize power? Take control of Mariejois and the World Government, and then reshape it according to your ideas?"

"More or less," Claudius nodded.

Dragon was stunned, and then he muttered to himself, "It makes sense… given your position, that's the most logical path for you. I didn't expect… A Celestial Dragon with such ambitions. If I were in your shoes, I don't think I could do what you're doing."

He stared at Claudius, shaking his head in disbelief. "You really are something else, Claudius."

Claudius rolled his eyes internally. This wasn't about ambition or heroism. If the World Government weren't destined to collapse, he wouldn't be wasting his time on this. Being a carefree Celestial Dragon was much more appealing. This was just "self-preservation," not some grand vision.

After a moment of reflection, Dragon asked, "So why are you telling me all this?"

"As a friend, you've been honest with me. It's only fair I be honest with you. From a practical standpoint, I think there's room for cooperation between us," Claudius replied with a smile.

Dragon fell silent, pondering the implications. After a long pause, he said, "Yes, there is. You can work from the top, I'll work from the bottom. Together, we might be able to accomplish something incredible."

"Aren't you worried I'm just using you?" Claudius asked, still smiling.

Dragon met Claudius's gaze and smiled back. "Do I really have a choice? Besides… thoughts don't lie. I believe you."

"Then let's work together," Claudius said with a grin.

In Claudius's eyes, the Celestial Dragons were still relatively united and powerful, despite some internal squabbles. This stability, while beneficial to most of the Celestial Dragons, was inconvenient for someone like Claudius, who had "other plans." It made it harder for him to maneuver and limited his room to grow.

Breaking this stable status quo from within was difficult. But with Dragon, someone outside the system, Claudius could find opportunities to disrupt things. Dragon could be the tool Claudius needed to shake up the game.

For example, if Claudius wanted to secure his rightful place as the head of the Donquixote family, he could leak the whereabouts of someone like Lancelot a highly secretive Celestial Dragon to Dragon. Dragon could arrange for a ruthless pirate to take care of Lancelot, clearing the way for Claudius to assume power.

Once he rose to a higher position, the snowball effect would kick in. Nobody would suspect that the Revolutionary Army had a man inside Mariejois, right? The potential benefits were immense.

Dragon, too, saw the advantages. Claudius's cooperation was invaluable essentially having a spy in the heart of Mariejois. It was an opportunity too good to pass up.

As Dragon pieced it all together, he suddenly burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Claudius asked curiously.

"Just a few minutes ago, I thought meeting you, a Celestial Dragon, would be the end of me. But now I see it clearly this was meant to happen! It's fate!" Dragon said, laughing heartily.

Claudius shook his head. "Now I see why your son turned out to be such a dramatic guy. He clearly got it from you."

""What son? Stop making stuff up! I'm still single no wife, no kid!" Dragon retorted indignantly.

In the end, despite the unexpected twists, both Claudius and Dragon walked away with something valuable from their meeting. It was, in every sense, a win-win situation.

After a bit more conversation, Dragon asked, "So, what's your next move, Claudius?"

"I need reliable people to work for me. There's no shortage of talent in Mariejois, but I just don't trust them. Right now, I'm looking for people I can depend on," Claudius explained.

"That makes sense. Better to have someone with less skill but complete loyalty," Dragon agreed.

"Was there anything else you wanted to discuss?" Claudius asked.

"Not really. The Revolutionary Army is still in its early stages. We need time to grow and gather strength. I have a feeling that someday soon, the world will change dramatically… We need to be ready for that," Dragon replied.

"Alright then. If that's the case, I'm heading out," Claudius said, nodding.