Claudius and Dragon had finally reached an agreement. They wouldn't end up as enemies, which was a win for both sides.
With that settled, things became much simpler. Now that they were on the same page, Claudius trusted Dragon's integrity, he wasn't someone who would go back on his word or betray him. So, Claudius openly shared many of his plans.
As the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon had spent years waging a battle of wits and strength against the World Government. His talents and intelligence were undeniable. Discussing these plans with him allowed Claudius to fill in any gaps, ensuring there were no overlooked details.
When Dragon learned that Claudius had already crippled the entire Marine high command, he was both surprised and a little amused.
So basically, aside from training a revolutionary army, you're doing the exact same thing as me?
After all, if he had never left the Marines, Dragon would have become a high-ranking officer by now. And knowing Claudius, he would have been dragged onto this ship just like the rest of them.
In the end, would anything really have changed? The only difference was that there was now a Revolutionary Army in the mix.
As if realizing something, Dragon muttered, "My father—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a loud, boisterous laugh echoed through the courtyard.
The moment he heard it, Dragon's face changed.
"Ahahahahaha! Claudius! You home? I came to see you!"
"I heard all about it—you sent Kuzan to CP-X! After all, that kid was one of my subordinates. You didn't even think to check with me first before making that call?"
Laughing heartily Garp strolled into the courtyard, completely at ease.
But as soon as he turned his head, he spotted his unfilial son, Dragon, sitting across from Claudius.
For a moment, Garp was stunned.
As a Marine hero, Garp was not only one of Claudius' close friends, but also Ace's grandfather. He often visited Claudius' residence and was familiar with the place, so much so that he never even bothered to announce his arrival.
But today, what should have been a normal visit turned into an unexpected encounter…
With this bastard of a son.
The confusion on Garp's face quickly vanished, replaced by anger.
"YOU LITTLE BASTARD!!!" he roared.
With a powerful stomp, he launched himself straight toward Dragon.
Dragon panicked.
He was the leader of the Revolutionary Army, feared by the World Government. But in front of his own father?
He was still just a son facing his old man.
As soon as Garp charged, Dragon instinctively bolted—darting behind Claudius, using him as a human shield.
"Calm down, Dad! Don't do this! Think about where we are!" Dragon shouted in a panic.
"This is Mariejois! The Domain of the Gods!
There's a Celestial Dragon right in front of you!
You can't just start throwing punches!"
Claudius, clearly enjoying the chaos, waved his hand dismissively. "It's fine, don't mind me. There aren't any Celestial Dragons around here brave enough to live near me anyway. It's an open space—you two go ahead and fight all you want!"
Dragon gaped in disbelief. "Claudius, you bastard! I agreed to help you, and this is how you treat me?!"
Claudius shrugged. "If this were official business, of course I'd step in. But isn't this just a good old-fashioned family matter? What's there for me to say? They say even an honest judge won't interfere in family disputes, so I'm staying out of it."
Garp, completely ignoring Dragon's protests, removed his shoe and brandished it like a weapon.
Pointing it at Dragon, he yelled furiously, "Get over here! You and I have a LOT to settle!"
Dragon stared at the shoe.
He could already feel the pain just looking at it. The tattooed markings on his face seemed to burn in embarrassment.
"I have a reputation now, you know! You should show me some respect!" Dragon protested.
Garp snorted. "Respect? What a joke! I'm a Marine hero, and you—you're the world's most wanted criminal! And you want me to respect you?!"
Dragon shot back, "What's with all the fuss? In the end, aren't we standing on the same side? After all this is done, I'll be the Minister of Civil Affairs, my rank will be higher than your Vice Admiral status. I'll outrank you by two levels!"
That statement hit Garp right where it hurt.
For a moment, he was speechless. He simply stood there, shoe in hand, glaring. "You… you—"
Dragon pressed on, "What? That's just how things are now. At the Reverie, we'll probably have to fight side by side. Just think of me as an undercover agent, okay? The ultimate double agent!"
Claudius laughed. "That's actually a great idea.
You were originally a Marine, and you're Garp's son.
If we spin it right, clearing your name will be easy.
We can just say you were secretly planted as an undercover agent for all these years, sent to infiltrate the Revolutionary Army and prepare for major global changes!"
Garp grumbled, "I don't care about any of that! All I know is, I can't rest easy until I beat some sense into this brat!"
For a while, father and son continued bickering. Eventually, Claudius—having had his fill of entertainment—stepped in to mediate, offering a way for both sides to back down.
Garp, still fuming, sat opposite Claudius, arms crossed in frustration.
Dragon, not wanting to risk another smack, avoided sitting near them. Instead, he walked over to Claudius' wine cabinet, pulled out a bottle, and sat at a separate table, drinking on his own.
Watching this, Claudius chuckled. This guy really acts just like me.
He was just as casual in the Five Elders' office, drinking and lounging around like he owned the place.
"That bottle starts at a million Berries. You sure you can afford it?" Claudius teased.
Dragon smirked. "Corrupt bastard."
Taking another sip, he added, "What about one worth a hundred million?"
Claudius laughed. "Doesn't matter. As long as you're happy."
Turning back to Garp, Claudius said, "Honestly, Garp, Dragon has a point. In the end, you two aren't really on opposite sides, are you? Why not just let this go?"
Garp still looked irritated, but his anger was fading.
As much as he wanted to throttle his son, he couldn't bring himself to do it.
Besides, as both Claudius and Dragon had pointed out—if everything went according to plan, Dragon's criminal status would be erased.
Instead of being the world's most wanted man, he'd become a high-ranking official of the new government.
It would restore honor to the Monkey family name.
With that realization, Garp sighed. "Fine. I'll let it go this time."
Claudius grinned, while Dragon let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Although he and Garp had different ideals, they had avoided becoming true enemies and that was enough.
Finally, Claudius asked, "So, what did you come to see me for? Don't Marines have their hands full with the Reverie?"
Garp waved him off. "The others are busy. I'm not. The only thing I have to do is escort the Neptune family. I heard Kuzan got tricked into joining CP-X, so I came to complain who knew I'd run into this unfilial son of mine?"
***
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