Holy Land—Mariejois. It had been over six months since Cudius captured the Golden Lion, Shiki, and the year had now reached Sea Circle dar 1498.

  Cudius couldn't help but feel a sense of unease about the New World. He khat goio-head with the likes of Whitebeard wouldn't result in the same luck he had with Shiki. Jokingly, Cudius even sought out a few fortuellers to try and crack his "fate," but their vague predis only fttered his status as a Celestial Dragon, leaving him bored and disied in their abilities.

  During this period, much had ged across the seas.

  First and foremost, Cudius' name had spread far and wide, being renowned across the world. He was narded as the "leader" of the younger geion. His reputation soared, and even the likes of Dracule Mihawk, who had been making waves as a swordsman, couldn't overshadow Cudius' achievements.

  The reason for his meteoric rise was simple: the entire world now khat a formidable figure had emerged from the ranks of the Celestial Dragons, someone who had captured the legendary Golden Lion, Shiki a feat that had shaken the world.

  However, the story of Shiki's capture, as told by the Wover, had been heavily "refined" before it reached the public. The truth about Cudius and his crew stumbling upon Shiki by ce during a storm was vely omitted. Instead, the narrative highlighted Cudius as the mastermind behind a secretive and powerful new anization, CP-X, which was formed with the express purpose of ralizing threats to the Wover.

  The official reports portrayed CP-X as ae unit, equal in status to the Marine Headquarters and the Cipher Panizations, but operating indepely, answering only to the Five Elders. While the exact details remained a mystery, it was known that CP-X had beeablished over a year ago with the mission of taking down the world's most dangerous pirate fas, starting with the Flying Pirates.

  Uhis narrative, Shiki's capture ainted as a premeditated strike, led by CP-X, with support from the Marihis version of events gave the impression that Shiki's downfall was the result of meticulous pnning and strategic brilliance, rather than a lucky ce.

  As a result, CP-X's reputation skyrocketed. Within just a few months, the anization became shrouded in mystery. People across the seas specuted about this shadowy group that seemed even more enigmatid powerful thaorious CP-9 or the Celestial Dragon guard unit, CP-0.

  For a while, fear gripped the sea's most promi fas. If CP-X could take down someone as powerful as the Golden Lion, then no one was safe. This fear caused many pirate crews to scale back their activities, uain if they were being watched by CP-X operatives lurking in the shadows.

  The Mariook full advantage of this fear. With CP-X's looming presence bag them, they expaheir influen the New World. Admiral Sengoku spearheaded the establishment of several key Marine bases, including the G-1 and G-5 brahese bases phe first seeds of Marihority in the New World, making it easier for the Navy to enter and patrol the chaotic seas iure.

  While the Marines fortified their positions, the pirate world was in disarray. Shiki's arrest had left a power vacuum, and rival fas quickly moved in to cim his remainiory. The Beasts Pirates, led by Kaido, and the Big Mom Pirates, under Charlotte Linlihe two biggest beneficiaries. They had devoured most of Shiki's resources and were now sidered the dominant forces in the New World, sed only to Whitebeard's crew.

  Meanwhile, the Roger Pirates had been causing their own brand of chaos. While the Big Mom Pirates and the Beasts Pirates were busy fighting over Shiki's legacy, Roger's crew mao sneak into Big Mom's territory and steal the Road Poneglyph, a move that infuriated Charlotte Linlin to the point of near insanity. Now, the Big Mom Pirates were hunting the Roger Pirates across the seas, determio recover the stolen artifact.

  Cudius suspected that Roger had already copied the Poneglyph and would eventually toss the inal to shake off Big Mom's pursuit. Either way, the New World had bee a hotbed of chaos and power struggles, and Roger, ever the wild card, was stirring up even more trouble.

  In the courtyard of his pace, Cudius y in a sun-soaked rog chair, leisurely flipping through a report from Stussy. It detailed the various upheavals in the New World, Charlotte Linliing one of her own children in a fit of madness, Beasts Pirates' quiet alliah the closed-off try of Wano, and their silent solidation of Shiki's former territories.

  Cudius chuckled at the absurdity of it all. Stussy, who was from CP-0 and now raelligework known as Happy Street, had proven herself invaluable. Despite its name, Happy Street had bee a powerful pyer in the underworld, and with Cudius' bag, it had secured a solid foothold in the dark world.

  Meanwhile, Dofmingo, Cudius distant cousin, was making his own waves in North Blue. He had struck up an alliah Germa 66, a military force specializing in war and advaeology. With one hand selling war and the other selling arms, Dofmingo rofiting from both sides, growing his influend enjoying his rise in power.

  While CP-X was making waves and causing unease among the sea's most powerful figures, Cudius khat the anization still cked true substa seemed formidable on the surface, but it was still in its infancy, relying heavily on the momentum gained from Shiki's capture.

  Still, the Five Elders were increasingly supportive of Cudius, seeing potential in him. They had even increased their financial support for CP-X, providing a stable flow of resources for its tinued growth. Cudius k wasn't much, but every little bit helped.

  Shiki, still in a a, hadn't beeo Impel Down, as many had expected. Instead, he was held in a special prison at Marineford, reserved for the most dangerous criminals. Though his hands a were bound with Seastohe Marines were still attempting to "humanely" treat his injuries, as if there were any hope of reviving him.

  "Yhness, lunch is ready," came the soft voice of Nia approached Cudius with a polite smile.

  Cudius snapped out of his thoughts and smiled back. "Alright."

  Not far away, Enel arring with Crocodile uhe hot sun. Over the past six months, Enel had grown noticeably stronger. His once-skinny frame had filled out, and his obsession with c his body in strahings had only grown. He had embedded taiko drums into his back, giving him a distinctive and rather bizarre look.

  He also had a strange fondness fold, ad himself with thick gold wristbands, s, and wielding a gold staff that made him look like a gaudy, over-the-top noble. Despite his extravagant appearance, Enel proudly bore the emblem of the "Celestial Dragon's Hoof," the symbol of Cudius, engraved on his back.

  Unlike Crocodile, who was indifferent to such dispys, Enel embraced it with pride. To him, the emblem represented Cudius' trust and aowledgment. In his eyes, that was all that mattered, being Cudius' loyal fidant.

  "Hey, you two! Take a break and e have lunch," Cudius called out with a ugh.

  Crocodile and Enel paused their sparring and joined Cudius for lunch. Meals like these, where there were no outsiders, had a rexed and familial atmosphere. Over the past couple of years, Crocodile had e to uand Cudius' nature. Despite being teically beled a "sve," Cudius reated him that way. Instead, he was regarded as a trusted subordinate, someone worth iing in and developing.

  Looking back at his time under Captain John, Crocodile couldn't help but scoff. That had been a miserable existenpared to what he had now.

  inally, Crocodile had po repay Cudius' kindness by defeating him, breaking free of his sve status, and resuming his life as a pirate. But over time, that pn had shifted. While he still wao prove himself by beating Cudius, he no longer inteo leave. Instead, he saw CP-X as a viable path for his future. Once he bested Cudius, he would formally join as a subordinate, shedding the sve bel ond for all.

  Cudius, for his part, noticed this ge in Crocodile's attitude. Seeing that it ositive development, he didn't press the issue.

  As they enjoyed a vish lunch together, Cudius suddenly remembered something. "Crocodile, in a year or two, when we reach the 1500s, I'm pnning to let you loose."

  Crocodile raised an eyebrow, frowning slightly. "What? Have you finally aowledged my strength?"

  Cudius smirked. "ly. But you 't improve by staying cooped up here forever. You o go out into the world, test yourself in real bat."

  Crocodile nodded, but there was still a question lingering in his mind. "So, what's the catch? What do you wao do?"

  Cudius leaned ba his chair, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I want you to be a pirate," he said with a wicked smile. "Go out there and sail the seas."

  Crocodile stared at him, puzzled. "Be a pirate? What kind of game are you pying, Cudius? Do you wao cause trouble for the Marines?"

  Cudius chuckled softly. "No, no. I'm not sending you out to create chaos… not immediately, at least. I want you to operate uhe radar. You'll be an 'undercover pirate,' infiltrating the ranks of the pirate world. This will make it easier for you to gather intelligend act wheime es."

  Crocodile narrowed his eyes, still not fully uanding Cudius' rger pn. "Infiltrate the pirates? And then what?"

  Cudius leaned forward, his voice dropping to a spiratorial whisper. "I have a big pn in the works. Something that will take years, maybe even a decade or two to fully unfold. But if it succeeds, it will shatter the very foundation of pirate power in the world. Every major pirate forow and iure, will be reduced to nothing more than scattered dust."

  Crocodile's i iqued. "What kind of pn are we talking about?"

  Cudius' eyes gleamed with ambition. "For now, let's call it the 'Seven Warlords of the Sea' project. A system where ick the most powerful pirates and turn them into our pawns. They'll work uhe banner of the Wover, keeping the rest of the seas in check. And you, Crocodile, will be the vanguard of that system a king among pirates, a pioneer for this new world order."

  ******

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