One Piece: King of the World

The World Summit continued for several days, and for Claudius, most of it was mind-numbingly dull.

Nothing significant had happened during the sessions. It was mostly a group of kings pushing their own agendas, occasionally descending into arguments and petty disputes. The World Government, with its vast system of more than a hundred member nations, naturally harbored old grudges among its ranks.

That being said, a few noteworthy events managed to catch Claudius's attention.

For example, North Blue had sent representatives from four newly crowned kings this year. The reason? The Kingdom of Germa had stirred up a storm.

Listening to the details nearly made Claudius laugh out loud.

It seemed that Vinsmoke Judge, leader of Germa 66, had finally snapped. After years of feeling slighted by the World Government, whose demands he felt were never met, Judge went on a rampage in North Blue. With Germa 66's floating kingdom, which wasn't even tied to land, Judge had attacked four neighboring kingdoms, killed their kings, and sent their decapitated heads as a gruesome message ahead of the World Summit.

The incident was a clear embarrassment for the World Government, as these four countries were allied nations. Complaints from the newly crowned rulers of these kingdoms had been presented at the Summit. The Five Elders issued a statement promising "strict measures" to reprimand the Kingdom of Germa, as well as assurances that such acts would not happen again.

However, anyone who looked closely could tell that the World Government itself had mistreated Germa for years. While all member nations were theoretically equals, Germa had long been treated as an outlier, excluded from many benefits granted to others. Judge's actions, while brutal, stemmed from years of frustration.

This wasn't news to Claudius, who could see why Judge would grow disillusioned. Even so, turning to pirates for support—as Judge eventually did with the Big Mom Pirates, was sheer lunacy.

While the World Government might be corrupt, they still maintained some level of accountability. Pirates, on the other hand, operated purely on treachery and greed. In aligning with Big Mom, Judge had effectively placed Germa 66 at her mercy. Unsurprisingly, Judge's gamble ended in disaster. Not only did Big Mom betray him, but his alliance with pirates also resulted in Germa losing its status as a member nation of the World Government.

In the end, Judge was left without support, hounded by the World Government and betrayed by the pirates. A classic case of "losing the rice while trying to steal the chicken."

Meanwhile, Dressrosa had stepped forward with its own set of grievances, taking up the mantle once held by Alabasta. King Riku Dold III openly criticized the World Government for failing to maintain order in the New World, citing Dressrosa's declining economy as evidence. He proposed a reduction in the Heavenly Tribute and other taxes imposed by the World Government.

From Dressrosa's perspective, the request was entirely reasonable. King Riku was a benevolent ruler, prioritizing his people's welfare. However, from the World Government's point of view, the proposal was entirely unacceptable.

If taxes were reduced for Dressrosa, other member nations would undoubtedly demand the same treatment. With declining revenue, the World Government would be forced to cut expenditures, including funding for the Marines. This would weaken Marine influence and further destabilize the New World, creating a vicious cycle.

It was a classic example of clashing priorities. From King Riku's perspective, the World Government was exploiting Dressrosa. From the Five Elders' perspective, Dressrosa was acting irresponsibly by prioritizing its own needs at the expense of global stability.

Claudius, observing the dispute, couldn't help but think of Doflamingo. During Doflamingo's rule, Dressrosa's economy had flourished, albeit through morally questionable means. War profiteering and underground dealings had funded Dressrosa's prosperity. Regardless of the methods, the results couldn't be denied.

Now that King Riku's family had regained control, they seemed determined to uphold their moral values, even at the expense of the kingdom's economy. And now they were begging the World Government for relief.

Claudius could understand why the World Government had been willing to install Doflamingo as Dressrosa's ruler. While his status as a former Celestial Dragon may have been a factor, it was clear that the Riku family's inability to govern effectively also played a role.

As these petty issues dragged on, the final days of the World Summit shifted focus to a more serious matter: the Revolutionary Army.

Many member nations expressed their frustration with Monkey D. Dragon, accusing him of inciting rebellions and destabilizing their governments. Dragon's revolutionary efforts had left these nations in turmoil, and his movement had become a constant thorn in the side of the World Government.

That being said, Dragon's revolutions were far from universally successful. While he had successfully overthrown several regimes, many of his attempts ended in failure. With over 170 member nations in the World Government, even a lifetime wouldn't be enough for Dragon to dismantle the entire system.

Additionally, the number of member nations fluctuated each year, as new nations joined and others were expelled. On average, the total hovered between 170 and 200, with minor variations.

As discussions about the Revolutionary Army heated up, the atmosphere in the room grew tense. The Five Elders, in particular, looked displeased, though they refrained from speaking much.

Then, just as the tension reached its peak, Claudius suddenly slammed his hand on the table with a resounding bang!

The entire room fell silent. Even the Five Elders flinched in surprise, startled by the unexpected outburst.

All eyes turned to Claudius, who leaned back in his chair, exuding his usual calm yet commanding presence. His gaze swept across the room before he took a sip from his teacup and spoke.

"I have a proposal regarding the Revolutionary Army," Claudius announced. "Something that might actually mitigate their impact."

The Five Elders exchanged glances, their expressions subtly shifting. They hadn't expected Claudius to contribute to this discussion, but now their interest was piqued.

No one interrupted, so Claudius continued. "Stussy," he said, addressing the queen seated beside him. "Distribute the documents we prepared to everyone present."

For the past few days, Stussy had remained quiet and seemingly ornamental. Now, with a graceful smile, she rose from her seat. "Of course, Your Highness," she replied.

She began handing out stacks of documents to each attendee, including the Five Elders, as well as King Neptune of Fish-Man Island. While Neptune barely glanced at the papers, finding the subject irrelevant to his kingdom, the other royals read them carefully, though many seemed confused.

The Five Elders, too, examined the documents with curiosity. While the materials outlined advanced technological concepts, it wasn't immediately clear how they connected to the Revolutionary Army.

After a moment, one of the Five Elders, the bald one, spoke up. "Claudius, this is intriguing, but the connection isn't obvious. Care to explain how this technology addresses the Revolutionary Army problem?"

Claudius smiled faintly, as if he had been waiting for this question. "On the surface," he said, "it may seem unrelated. But in reality, the connection runs deep."

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