In the courtyard of Claudius' residence, both Gion and Tesoro had gathered.
It had been a while since Gion last saw Claudius, and after a moment of affectionate reunion, Tesoro got straight to business.
Claudius picked up a teacup and took a sip, his gaze flickering with interest. Gion, sitting beside him, gently massaged his shoulders with her slender fingers.
"Pure Gold?" Claudius asked in surprise. "Enel found Pure Gold?"
"No, no, Your Highness," Tesoro quickly clarified. "For now, it's just a lead. According to the confession of a guy who's over 200 years old, Pure Gold is inside the body of a Lantern Fish. Enel is currently searching for it."
Pure Gold—a legendary creation of alchemists more than 200 years ago—was originally intended for medical purposes.
To a great extent, it could suspend the aging process, allowing a person to wait for future medical advancements capable of curing fatal diseases.
It sounded similar to the cryogenic freezing experiments that existed in Claudius' previous life.
There were even rumors that people had actually attempted such procedures.
But compared to cryogenic freezing, whose effectiveness remained uncertain, Pure Gold seemed almost mystical, yet it was an undeniable reality.
After all, for over two centuries, it had managed to preserve the life of a young girl without aging her.
From that perspective, Pure Gold truly possessed the power of immortality.
And the most important thing?
It had no side effects.
If someone grew tired of living and wanted to experience the natural cycle of life and death, they could simply remove the Pure Gold.
Time would then resume its natural effect, and they would eventually age and die as normal.
But Claudius didn't particularly care about that.
Before meeting Imu, Claudius had mixed feelings about immortality.
After all, humans were a short-lived species.
Decades or centuries would pass, and eventually, all things should return to dust.
Suddenly gaining eternal life—was that a blessing or a curse?
Perhaps at first, he would feel excited and exhilarated, but eventually, it might lead to endless pain and loneliness.
However, after meeting Imu, Claudius had gained a new perspective.
Just standing before Imu made him feel insignificant—a realization that there was no point in debating.
And now, he had come to understand the benefits of eternal life.
As for concerns about parting, endless time, and eternal suffering—well, Imu had survived 800 years without issue.
In Imu's own words:
"Living forever is always enjoyable. You simply can't comprehend the happiness of eternal life."
Since Pure Gold had no side effects, Claudius would be lying if he said he wasn't interested.
More than 200 years ago, Pure Gold had caused a major upheaval.
At the time, the Celestial Dragons had sought to claim it for themselves, but for some reason, a dramatic event unfolded, and in the end—they got nothing.
Thinking back on it now, Claudius suspected that Imu might have been behind it.
It made sense—after all, decades ago, when the Marines had researched immortality, the Celestial Dragons eventually backed off without complaint.
That alone suggested that Imu had been pulling the strings in the background.
After all, if someone were to enjoy immortality, Imu would want it to be himself alone.
But now, the situation was different.
Imu no longer cared about the World Government's affairs.
If Claudius pursued this for himself, no one would stop him.
Claudius didn't know what had changed over the years, but in his memory, the creator of Pure Gold—the father of that 200-year-old girl—should still be alive.
That meant, in theory, Pure Gold could still be mass-produced.
If that was true, then it would be an invaluable asset, not just for himself, but for his Donquixote family, the World Government, and the loyal subordinates who fought alongside him.
As for whether he was willing to share immortality?
Claudius believed himself to be generous enough.
If it had been the old Celestial Dragons, he would have been completely unwilling.
He likely would have kept the secret hidden, just as Imu had done.
But if it was his trusted friends, subordinates, and allies—then he was willing to share.
This would also help reduce the sorrow and pain of losing people over time.
Of course, it ultimately depended on each person's mentality.
Those who were obsessed with power or had strong egos might find immortality difficult to handle.
But Claudius wasn't someone who needed to control everything.
Once his plans were in place, he was perfectly fine with delegating authority.
In that sense, Pure Gold's immortality wouldn't pose much of an issue.
After contemplating for a moment, Claudius asked,
"What's Fisher Tiger doing right now?"
"He's completely obsessed with mining in the Calm Belt," Tesoro answered with a chuckle.
"Alright, tell him to put his mining projects on hold. Find someone trustworthy to take over, and report to Enel.
If we're fishing in the sea, we might as well bring in some experts who can get the job done quickly," Claudius said with a smile.
"Understood, Your Highness," Tesoro replied respectfully.
He didn't ask whether he would be allowed to benefit from Pure Gold—because he didn't know how much there was to go around.
But Claudius glanced at him, pondered for a moment, and then said,
"If alchemists could create Pure Gold 200 years ago, then once I obtain it, we'll form a research team to study it further.
And no matter how much we get, I won't hoard it all for myself."
"Your Highness, I—" Tesoro started to speak.
But Claudius waved his hand.
"I have a hunch that there's no shortage of Pure Gold.
So whether it's you, Gion, Crocodile, Enel, or Stussy—you're all important to me.
Not just as subordinates or friends—but as people I trust."
Claudius didn't say anything further.
But Tesoro understood completely.
Once Claudius secured Pure Gold, the rest wouldn't be left to starve—there would be enough for everyone.
Tesoro had always believed that Claudius wasn't the type to hoard power alone, but hearing it stated so clearly still filled him with emotion.
After a long moment, he smiled and said,
"Your Highness, I promise—I won't let you down."
Gion also smiled and teased, "Oh? So I'm included in this too?"
"Hmm, if you hadn't been so sensible today, massaging my shoulders—"
Before Claudius could finish, he felt a murderous glare pressing down on him.
He quickly corrected himself.
"I mean, you're so beautiful and charming, how could I possibly leave you out?"
Although Stussy, Nia, and even Marine Admirals like Gion had all maintained their youthful beauty, they still aged naturally.
But if Pure Gold was truly limitless, then this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
As if suddenly remembering something, Claudius leaned against Gion's chest and asked,
"By the way, weren't you supposed to be at a Marine Headquarters meeting? What are you doing here?"
Gion hesitated.
The PX-Pacifista project was supposed to be a surprise, so she wasn't ready to spill the details yet.
So, she simply smiled playfully and said,
"What's wrong? You don't want to see me? I missed you, so I took a leave just to visit."
Claudius smirked.
"Oh? Really? Then don't leave tonight—let's conquer Mariejois together."
"Rogue!" Gion muttered softly.
(To be continued.)
***
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