Stussy stood with her arms crossed in front of the World Government headquarters, gncing around as she waited for Cudius to arrive.

  Before long, she spotted Cudius walking side by side with Sengoku.

  Cudius looked rexed, but Sengoku's expression carried a trace of solemnity.

  Stussy and Sengoku were old acquaintances, and the fleet admiral knew that this woman would one day become one of Cudius's wives, so he never underestimated her.

  As they met, Stussy smiled, took Cudius's arm, and asked Sengoku, "Fleet Admiral, you fought a brilliant battle at Marineford, wiping out the Whitebeard Pirates. That should be something to celebrate, so why do you look so down?"

  Hearing her words, Sengoku sighed helplessly and replied, "Stussy, don't tease me.

  Although news of Impel Down has been covered up, I doubt Happy Street hasn't caught wind of it.

  There's a storm brewing. Whether I'll be rewarded or reprimanded this time… it's hard to say."

  "I think it's more merit than mistake. And even if something does go wrong, His Highness will surely keep you as fleet admiral for a while longer—at least until the end of the Reverie, right?" Stussy said with a smile.

  Sengoku nodded. No kidding, he had already decided to stand on Cudius's side. Cudius would go all out to protect him; otherwise, if the fleet admiral was removed, wouldn't that create unnecessary instability?

  There was no need to keep him in position for too long. Once the Reverie began, the world would shift again. At that point, Sengoku could step down voluntarily. In fact, he might not even be able to protect himself, so why waste time worrying about his rank?

  When the time came, he would head to Impel Down, pick a cell with decent feng shui, renovate it a little, and settle in on his own terms.

  Cudius chuckled and reassured him, "Don't worry, Sengoku. The political climate isn't great right now. Stability is the priority, there won't be any drastic moves."

  "It's not that I'm worried about that," Sengoku said, smacking his lips in frustration. "I just don't feel like getting chewed out."

  The three of them continued chatting as they entered the World Government headquarters and soon arrived at the highest floor.

  Even though Cudius was about to rebel soon, he was still a firm believer in pying his role properly. His expression remained composed as he confidently knocked on the office door of the Five Elders.

  A voice from inside granted them entry. Without hesitation, Cudius pushed the door open and strolled in casually.

  The Five Elders were all present, their expressions unreadable.

  Cudius greeted them with a smile and a nod. "Greetings, my lords."

  As soon as he spoke, the five old men showed faint smiles. After all, Cudius had handled matters well. As a Celestial Dragon, one of their own, he didn't need to put on a stiff front before them.

  Sengoku and Stussy also greeted them, but the Five Elders only gave slight nods in response.

  Cudius walked straight to the liquor cabinet, stroked his chin, and began browsing the selection.

  The Five Elders watched him in exasperation but said nothing, allowing him to indulge in his usual "presumptuous" behavior.

  "Nusjuro suddenly spoke up, "do you have any leads on those individuals through Happy Street?"

  The bald elder, Nusjuro, paid no attention to Cudius and instead turned to Stussy, asking in a rather casual tone. He didn't bother exerting any pressure, after all, they all knew she was a woman favored by Cudius.

  Speaking of which, Cudius was quite an anomaly. Most Celestial Dragons his age, around forty, already had sons running around, likely learning how to oppress commoners. Yet Cudius had never married.

  It wasn't for ck of suitors, either. The "Demon King of Mariejois" had no shortage of admirers. Many lower-ranking Celestial Dragons dreamed of forging a connection with him.

  But Cudius never paid them any mind.

  In the end, they decided it was simply his own business. Whether or not he married was up to him.

  Upon hearing the question, Stussy responded promptly, "There's no news on Shiki or Charlotte Linlin. However, there are rumors that Shiryu the Traitor has joined Shiki's Flying Pirates.

  It's likely they're regrouping somewhere. As for Dougs Bullet, he vanished.

  Our analysis suggests he won't take any major actions in the short term. He's a lone wolf, after all.

  As for the Red Earl Redfield, there's been no information at all."

  Nusjuro nodded. Given how dangerous the Impel Down escapees were, they were treating this matter with the utmost seriousness. That Happy Street could dig up information this quickly was already impressive, especially since the CP agencies had found nothing.

  "These former prisoners of Impel Down are extremely dangerous. We cannot afford to let our guard down," Nusjuro said in a low voice. "Keep a close watch on them. If an opportunity arises, eliminate them."

  "Yes," Stussy replied with a nod.

  The Five Elders didn't seem to have anything more to say to her. The elder with the long beard then shifted his gaze to Sengoku, his expression complex.

  He wanted to commend him for his performance in the war, as Impel Down's riot had been an unforeseen disaster, one that wasn't entirely Sengoku's fault.

  However, Marineford's destruction was a severe issue. Impel Down was under the Marines' jurisdiction. Since Sengoku had chosen to take responsibility for Mageln, he had to face some form of reprimand.

  Just as the bearded elder was about to speak, a soft "pop" interrupted him.

  Everyone turned to see Cudius holding a bottle of fine liquor, looking slightly embarrassed. He had just uncorked it, producing the sound.

  "Ahem. Anyone up for a drink?" Cudius cleared his throat and grinned.

  The bearded elder rolled his eyes in exasperation and ignored him, refocusing on Sengoku.

  "Sengoku, the war was handled well—"

  Glug, glug.

  Another odd noise sounded. The elder turned back only to see Cudius drinking straight from the bottle.

  Sengoku, too, gnced at Cudius awkwardly.

  Seeing their reactions, Cudius felt a little embarrassed. He waved his hand and said, "Fine, fine. I'll use a gss, alright?"

  As he spoke, he reached for a gss from the cabinet. A clinking sound followed.

  The Five Elders all stared at him with expressions that said, Can you stop for just one moment?

  Finally, Cudius spoke up, "Look, the reasons behind this incident are complicated. But right now, accountability isn't the priority, is it?

  Marineford was devastated, and Marine Headquarters has to be relocated. Meanwhile, chaos is brewing in the New World.

  This is not the time for a change in leadership.

  Not to mention, the Reverie is approaching. We need to present a strong image to the royal families. The Paramount War was our answer to the world's challenge. If we hold Fleet Admiral Sengoku accountable now, aren't we admitting that we failed?

  How, then, will we assert our strength?"

  As Cudius finished, the Five Elders exchanged gnces before breaking into ughter.

  Finally, the bearded elder asked, "So, Cudius, what do you suggest?"

  "I bear some responsibility for this, too. After all, I was the one who vouched for Teach, who would've guessed he was colluding with that bastard Shiryu?

  But right now, the key isn't punishing anyone.

  How about we let this one slide?" Cudius suggested with a smirk.

  ***

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