Chapter 38: Celestial Dragon's Hoof

Inside the hot spring hotel, Admiral Sengoku sat facing Claudius and his entourage, clearly a bit on edge. It wasn't every day that a situation like this cropped up, and he was visibly unsettled by the implications.

"Saint Claudius, my deepest apologies. The Navy had no idea you were vacationing on this island. The Buster Call was... purely a tactical decision," Sengoku began, his voice carrying a slight tremor. He knew what was at stake here. On the surface, it was about wiping out the remnants of the John Pirates. However, Claudius, a Celestial Dragon, was present something no one had expected.

The issue wasn't that Claudius had been harmed in any way he hadn't but if this escalated, it could be viewed as a conspiracy. If word got out that a Buster Call was launched in an area where a Celestial Dragon was present, it could be seen as an act of treason. Even though the order was sanctioned by the Five Elders, if the Celestial Dragons in Mariejois wanted someone to take the fall, not even the Five Elders could protect Sengoku. Worse still, the entire Marine command might have to face the consequences.

After all, one of the Marine's primary duties was to protect the Celestial Dragons. To have a Buster Call potentially harm one? That would be catastrophic.

But Claudius, much to Sengoku's relief, wasn't planning on blowing things out of proportion. He smiled and said, "No need to apologize, Sengoku. If anything, this was my fault for being too unpredictable. I ended up causing the Marines quite a bit of trouble."

Sengoku exhaled a quiet sigh of relief. Claudius wasn't making this into a big deal. "I'm grateful for your understanding, Saint Claudius..."

"Hmm... If I recall correctly, your Buster Call this time was targeting the John Pirates, correct?" Claudius asked thoughtfully.

"Yes, that's right. Kizaru and the others are currently searching for them," Sengoku responded, a little surprised at the question, but he saw no reason to withhold any information.

"In that case, I should tell you something I just learned. Captain John and some of his crew have escaped the island in a submarine," Claudius said calmly.

"Submarine?" Sengoku's eyes widened slightly. He furrowed his brow and asked, "May I ask where you got this information, Your Highness?"

Claudius gave a light chuckle and gestured towards Crocodile, who was sitting in the corner of the room, shackled in seastone cuffs, his expression one of deep frustration. "I got it from him. He used to be one of Captain John's close confidants. Lucky for me, I caught him before he could escape."

"'Used to be' is right!" Crocodile growled angrily. "That bastard John used me as a pawn. I was ready to risk it all for him, but he just ran without so much as a warning!" (Lol you were the one at Fault)

The bitterness in Crocodile's voice was palpable. He had once been loyal to Captain John, but realizing he had been abandoned without a second thought had turned that loyalty into rage.

"Sengoku," Claudius continued, "It's clear this kid's not lying."

Sengoku eyed Crocodile for a moment, taking in the scene. Claudius hadn't hidden Crocodile's identity, nor could he. The Marine was already aware of Crocodile as a rising figure in John's crew he was even on their watch list due to his Logia Devil Fruit abilities. Claudius didn't bother with subterfuge. There was no need. Sengoku already knew.

After a moment of contemplation, Sengoku pulled out his Den Den Mushi and made a call. "Kuzan," he said after a few seconds of conversation, "freeze the surrounding waters. We've got reliable intel John's trying to escape in a submarine."

He hung up the phone, his expression firm. Without Claudius' tip, John might've gotten away. But now? Not a chance. Aokiji's ability to freeze the sea made it impossible for submarines of this era to escape. They couldn't dive deep enough or move fast enough to evade his ice.

"Thank you, Saint Claudius," Sengoku said, bowing his head slightly. "I'll make sure to report this to the Five Elders."

Claudius nodded, then smiled. "So... about this Buster Call?"

Sengoku chuckled, a little ruefully. "Well, there's no choice now. We'll have to abort it. I think this is the first time in history that a Buster Call has been called off mid-action..."

"Really?" Claudius raised an eyebrow. "This was your first time using the Buster Call?"

"Yes," Sengoku admitted. "The Buster Call is a drastic measure, after all. If it weren't for the elusive nature of John and his crew, I wouldn't have used it in the first place. And if it weren't for your tip, we might have failed to catch them anyway."

Claudius found this somewhat amusing. He'd always imagined Sengoku as the kind of man who'd used the Buster Call multiple times, especially given his cold reputation. After all, Claudius knew that Sengoku had authorized the destruction of Ohara without batting an eye. Yet here he was, admitting it was his first time calling for such a strike.

Technically, a Buster Call couldn't be stopped once initiated, but Claudius' position as a Celestial Dragon overruled that. His mere presence was enough to cancel the entire operation.

Sengoku, however, wasn't just calling it off for Claudius' sake. Now that they knew John was escaping via submarine, the focus was on capturing him. Killing innocents on the island would do nothing to achieve that. So, halting the Buster Call not only appeased Claudius but also helped the Marines avoid unnecessary bloodshed. At least now, Sengoku could rest easier knowing they hadn't caused undue harm.

"I suppose Dragon will have a better opinion of me after this," Claudius mused to himself.

He'd noticed Dragon earlier, secretly helping civilians caught in the chaos. Claudius, however, had done one better he had stopped the Buster Call entirely. While others might not grasp the full implications of what had just happened, Dorag would undoubtedly understand and remember Claudius' intervention.

Of course, Claudius had no intention of mentioning his encounter with Dragon. That particular meeting would be a secret he intended to bury in history. After all, if anyone discovered in the future that he had met Dragon who will lead a revolution things could become very complicated.

"So, what's the plan for John's crew?" Claudius asked after a moment's thought.

Sengoku smiled faintly. "Normally, if we caught them, we'd send them to Impel Down. But given the scale of this operation, the orders from above are clear total extermination."

The aim of the Buster Call was to completely wipe out the John Pirates. Even if they were captured, execution was the only option. There was no room for leniency this time.

"Really?" Claudius raised an eyebrow, his gaze shifting to Crocodile. "In that case, Admiral Sengoku, this kid here... I don't think he's completely rotten yet. He's crossed paths with me, and, well, I promised him his life if he gave up the information. I'm not one to go back on my word. So, how about letting him go?"

Before Sengoku could respond, Crocodile spat angrily, "Claudius, you're full of it! I'm not some snitch! I'm no traitor!"

Before he could finish, Stussy shot out her leg and kicked Crocodile in the back, sending him sprawling to the floor. "How dare you speak so rudely to His Highness?" she said coldly.

Sengoku looked uncomfortable but tried to remain diplomatic. "Your Highness, I understand your intentions, but this boy is still a pirate. A dangerous one at that. He may be young, but he's a Logia Devil Fruit user. Letting him go wouldn't be wise, especially given the orders we've received to completely eliminate the John Pirates."

Claudius understood Sengoku's hesitation. He imagined it was tough for Sengoku to let a pirate go, even if a Celestial Dragon was asking. Claudius smiled inwardly, knowing full well that if he weren't a Celestial Dragon, Sengoku would have crushed Crocodile without a second thought.

"So, if he weren't a pirate, you'd let him go, right?" Claudius asked, leaning in slightly.

Crocodile's response was immediate and defiant. "Don't even think about it! I'm a pirate, through and through! Kill me if you want, but I'll never abandon my freedom!"

"Your Highness," Sengoku said with a resigned sigh, "as you can see, he's made his choice. Even if I wanted to, I can't let him go. The boy has no intention of leaving his life of piracy."

Claudius smiled slyly. "Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that. You seem to forget who I am. If he won't switch careers willingly, I can... convince him. Nia!"

Nia, stepped forward. "What do you require, Your Highness?"

"Bring me the 'Celestial Dragon's Hoof,'" Claudius said, a wicked smile creeping onto his face.

As soon as those words left his mouth, Crocodile's expression twisted in confusion. He didn't quite understand what Claudius meant, but Sengoku's face darkened.

"Your Highness, surely you don't mean..." Sengoku began, but Claudius waved him off casually.

"I'm just being practical, Sengoku. If this kid doesn't want to abandon his pirate ways, then I'll give him a little... incentive to reconsider his career path," Claudius replied smoothly.

Nia gave a quick bow and turned to leave the room, ready to carry out the order. Meanwhile, Crocodile, still ignorant of what was about to happen, glared up from the floor.

"You can kill me, Claudius, but don't think for a second that you can humiliate me into submission!" Crocodile barked defiantly.

Stussy rolled her eyes and nudged him with her foot. "You really don't know when to shut up, do you?"

Sengoku sighed heavily, realizing there was little he could do to stop what was coming. "It seems your Highness truly has everything planned out... Fine, if you're so determined, I won't interfere."

Claudius' smile widened as he looked at Crocodile. "Oh, you'll learn soon enough. Sometimes, it just takes a little push in the right direction..."

The door opened again, and Nia returned, carrying a metal branding iron in the shape of the infamous "Celestial Dragon's Hoof" the symbol burned into the flesh of slaves owned by the Celestial Dragons. Crocodile's eyes widened as the realization finally hit him.

"You... you can't be serious..." Crocodile muttered, his voice shaking with both disbelief and rage.

Claudius leaned in, his voice low and menacing. "Oh, I'm very serious. Either you accept a new path in life, or you bear the mark of the Celestial Dragon. It's your choice."

As the gravity of the situation dawned on Crocodile, Sengoku watched in silence. Claudius had laid out his terms, and there was no escaping them now.