One Piece: King of the World

From a scientific standpoint, the Smoke-Smoke Fruit is quite useful, offering plenty of applications and potential. If developed thoroughly, it could even become a formidable power. However, Claudius had no real interest in this particular Devil Fruit. Spring Island was too far away to bother with, and based on what Shakky had told him, he was certain Marine would have already moved in to secure it.

Marine Headquarters, after all, was currently obsessed with Logia Devil Fruits. Kuzan, Sakazuki, and Borsalino had set an incredible precedent for Logia users, demonstrating just how powerful and versatile such abilities could be. On top of that, Claudius himself, along with Enel and Crocodile, were high-profile Logia users aligned with the World Government. Together, the six of them seemed to confirm the reputation of Logia users as overwhelmingly strong.

As expected, Claudius was right. Marine had already dispatched forces to Spring Island, aiming to retrieve the Smoke-Smoke Fruit. Their plan was to cultivate a new, powerful Logia user from the officer training camp.

In this year's camp, two standout candidates had caught attention. The first was a girl named Hina, a user of the Cage-Cage Fruit from the Paramecia class. However, since Hina already had a Devil Fruit ability, she wasn't in the running. The second candidate was Smoker, a young Marine who had witnessed Gol D. Roger's execution in Loguetown as a child.

Rather than turning to piracy after seeing Roger's execution, as many might have expected, Smoker took the opposite path. Inspired in some way, he joined Marine, rising quickly through the ranks. His performance earned him a place in the officer training camp, where he became one of the brightest prospects, impressing both Zephyr and other Marine leaders.

If everything went according to plan, Smoker had a bright future ahead of him, likely destined to reach Vice Admiral rank at the very least. With the Smoke-Smoke Fruit in his possession, Marine intended to groom him further, possibly as a future Admiral candidate.

But Claudius knew Smoker's personality well. The man was as stubborn as they came, deeply driven by his own sense of justice, to the point of being almost unyielding. Smoker wasn't one to compromise or bend, even when it would have been strategically wise.

This refusal to conform would eventually leave him marginalized within Marine. Struggling to navigate Marine's bureaucratic and political complexities, Smoker would ultimately be sent to East Blue, effectively exiled. The intention behind this move was to temper his personality and teach him humility, but instead, Smoker ended up spending nearly a decade in relative obscurity, stationed in Loguetown.

While his time there allowed him to maintain peace in East Blue, Smoker's skills stagnated during this period, leaving him unprepared for the Grand Line's brutal challenges when he returned. Even with the Smoke-Smoke Fruit, his combat effectiveness fell short of expectations, though later events in the New World would force him to rebuild himself.

In any case, Claudius had no interest in getting involved with the Smoke-Smoke Fruit. He didn't have any suitable candidates under his command to give it to, and he was confident Marine would secure it without issue.

Initially, Claudius had considered giving Rob Lucci a Devil Fruit to boost his capabilities, only to later realize that Lucci had already consumed the Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Leopard, when he was younger. At first, Claudius had dismissed Zoan fruits like Lucci's as ordinary, assuming their potential was limited compared to Logia or Paramecia abilities. However, after learning more from seasoned veterans like Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr, Claudius came to understand Zoan fruits in a new light.

Sengoku, as a user of the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Buddha, had a particularly deep understanding of Zoan abilities. According to him, Zoan fruits, whether Mythical or Ancient, primarily excelled in boosting the user's physical capabilities. While Mythical Zoan fruits offered unique, high-end powers, regular Zoan fruits were far from weak. With proper training and physical specialization, even ordinary Zoan users could reach incredible heights.

Hearing this, Claudius stopped underestimating Lucci's Leopard Model. The fruit was an excellent match for Lucci, whose talent and aptitude were already exceptional. In fact, Lucci's reputation as the strongest CP9 member in 800 years wasn't unfounded—it was his immense potential that earned him that title.

However, Lucci's full potential had yet to be realized, partly because his work as a spy often limited his ability to train. His undercover mission in Water 7, for instance, had him masquerading as a shipwright for five years. While he became an exceptional craftsman during that time, his combat training undoubtedly suffered. Claudius couldn't help but wonder how strong Lucci might have become with uninterrupted focus on honing his abilities.

As these thoughts drifted through his mind, Claudius wandered the streets of Sabaody Archipelago, heading toward the shopping district to find Stussy and the others. But just as he left the illegal zone, a familiar figure caught his eye.

It was Spandine.

Claudius hadn't seen Spandine in person for some time, though the two communicated regularly through phone calls. Under Spandine's leadership, CP-X's covert operations had seen rapid development, earning Claudius's approval.

However, the man before him now didn't look like a competent leader. Instead, Spandine's face was pale, his expression frantic. The moment he spotted Claudius, he bolted toward him, collapsing to his knees and grabbing Claudius's leg.

"Your Highness! Oh, Your Highness! Please, you have to save me! I've made a terrible mistake!" Spandine wailed, tears streaming down his face as he clung to Claudius's leg like his life depended on it.

Startled, Claudius instinctively pulled his leg back, glaring at Spandine in annoyance. "For heaven's sake, get up! Do you have to rub your tears and snot on my trousers? Do you have any idea how much these cost?"

Spandine stumbled back, sitting on the ground as he wiped his face, his eyes still red and watery. "I—I'm sorry, Your Highness. But I'm in a real catastrophe! This time, it's all Lucci's fault!"

Claudius's eyebrow twitched as he looked down at the pathetic sight before him. "What did Lucci do?" he asked, his voice laced with exasperation.

Spandine took a deep, shuddering breath before blurting out, "It was supposed to be a simple mission, but Lucci... he went too far! And now we're in deep trouble!"

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