In a hot spring hotel on illo Isnd, Cudius and Dragon were soaking i spring, steam rising around them as they rexed.

  Cudius had a feeling Dragon nning something big, so to avoid unwatention, he had instructed his butler Nia to book the eel for them. With no one else around, they could speak freely without fear of being overheard.

  Dragon leaned ba the hot water, his expression much more rexed than before. With a sigh of relief, he said, "It's been years since we've seen each other, Mr. Crowe. You've ged so much, I almost didn't reize you. If it weren't for Miss Nia by your side, I would've walked right past you."

  Cudius smiled and replied, "You've ged a lot too. And that tattoo on your face... what's the story behind it?" He gestured toward the lines ched across Dragon's face.

  When Cudius had met him at Naval Headquarters a few years agon hadn't had that tattoo. Now, it seemed like a perma fixture, sparking Cudius's curiosity.

  "This?" Dragon touched his cheek lightly, then smiled. "A mark of my resolve, I suppose."

  Seeing that Dragon didn't want to go into more detail, Cudius didn't push him further. After all, what if it was the result of a smack from Garp? That would be a bit awkward to expin.

  ging the subject, Cudius asked, "I heard yned from your position as Vice Admiral earlier this year. That caught me by surprise. From what I remember, you were on track for promotion to Admiral. Why give up such a promising career? With your skills aation, even the position of Fleet Admiral wasn't out of reach for you. So, why leave?"

  Dragon leaned his head back against the stones of the hot spring, smiling softly. "Paths diverge, and sometimes, they 't be reciled. After all these years, I realized I could never fully align myself with Marine's sense of justice. There was an insurmountable gap between us…"

  "What do you mean by that?" Cudius asked, sinking deeper into the soothing waters.

  "The justice Marine fights for isn't the justice I believe in," Dragon said, his voice calm but tinged with regret. "If I had stayed, it would have only led to more flid bitterness. So, I chose to leave while I still could."

  Cudius nodded slowly. He had half-expected this, knowing Dragon's nature.

  Dragon waited a moment, clearly expeg Cudius to ask more, but wheer simply sat bad ehe hot spring, saying nothing, Dragon's patience began to wane.

  "Mr. Crowe, aren't you going to ask me what I'm pnni?" Dragon said with a sigh, sounding both amused and exasperated.

  Cudius blinked as if suddenly realizing what Dragon wanted and asked, "ht, Dragon, what's your pn?"

  " you be a little more sincere?" Dragon replied, shaking his head with a wry smile.

  The truth was that, over the years, Dragon had e to view Cudius as a close friend, someone who might share his vision for the world. He had hoped Cudius would be more ied in this versation, given their simir ideals. But for now, it seemed like he'd have to be the oo push the topic forward.

  Cudius chuckled and leaned in slightly, giving Dragon his full attention. "Alright, Dragon. So, what's your pn now that you've left Marine? And why did you want to meet me here?"

  Dragon's expression grew serious as he replied, "I'm going to strike out on my own. I've thought it over for a long time, and now I'm ready to make my move. That's why I invited you here… I'd like you to join me."

  "Join you?" Cudius raised an eyebrow, his expression a mixture of curiosity and amusement. He was starting to uand where this was going.

  It's like Roger ba Sabaody. He hardly knew me, yet he invited me to join his crew. And now here's Dragon, doing the same thing, assuming I'll say yes without even sidering the possibility of me turning him down.

  "Yes, join me," Dragoed early. "You and I, we share some differences in our views, but we also have many on ideals. I still remember what you said to me in Marineford, that question you posed 'What do you think justice is?' It resonated deeply with me. Sihen, I've traveled the world, seen the suffering in tless nations, and realized what I o do. So, I'm asking you, Mr. Crowe, to walk this path with me."

  Cudius listened closely, but couldn't help but feel a bit wary. "Walk with you? Where exactly are you going?"

  Dragoated for a moment, weighing his words carefully. Then, he sighed, deg to reveal his true iions. "I want to dedicate my life to ging this world. It's rotten, Cudius. The corruption has spread too deep. I believe it's time to give this world a brighter future."

  Cudius stared at him for a moment before chug. "You still talk like that, huh? Dressing up rebellion with fancy words. Just call it what it is, Dragon. You want to start a revolution."

  Dragon couldn't help but ugh as well. "You're right, Mr. Crowe. I am being a bit hypocritical with my words. Yes, I want to start a revolution."

  "A revolution against who, exactly?" Cudius asked, though he had a feeling he already khe answer.

  "The biggest oppressors of all," Dragon said, his tone growing serious. "The Celestial Dragons. You should know better than anyone how corrupt and out of touch they are. They treat everyone like dirt, like sves, while they sit ohrones in Mariejois. Fht hundred years, they've ruled with cruelty and arrogance. I 't stand by and watch them destroy more lives. My mission is to take them down. I want to free the world from their s."

  Dragon's words hung in the air, heavy with purpose. Cudius sat quietly, abs it all. After a long silence, Cudius finally spoke.

  "Dragon, you know I live in Mariejois, right? You know who I am… and you're still tellihis?" Cudius asked softly, his tone almost pyful.

  Dragon nodded, his fidenwavering. "I know you work for CP-0. I know CP-0 is the shield of the Celestial Dragons, answering directly to them…"

  "Then why are you so willing to tell me all of this?" Cudius asked, genuinely curious.

  "I'll admit, I was hesitant at first," Dragon said, a small smile on his lips. "I've beeling with this decision for months. But in the end, I decided to trust you. Everything in life be faked, except for ohing your vis. I believe in your vis, Cudius. I'm vinced you'll join me."

  "You?" Cudius raised an eyebrow, now fully uanding what Dragon was implying.

  "Yes, to show you that I'm serious about this, I've already started gathering like-minded individuals. Together, we've formed a force a 'Revolutionary Army.' We're united by the same goal: to overthrow the Celestial Dragons and reshape this world."

  Cudius smiled slightly, impressed by Dragon's siy and the risks he had taken by revealing this much. "You've id all your cards oable… But I'm afraid I 't join you, Dragon."

  Dragon blinked, caught off guard. He had expected some resistance, but not a ft-out refusal. "You haven't even heard my full pn. Why reject me so quickly?"

  Cudius shook his head. "Dragon, it's not about the pn. It's about something much more fual. I 't join you because…"

  "Because what?" Dragon frowned, sensing something off. A nagging feeling of dread crept over him.

  Cudius paused, then smiled softly. "The reason I 't join you, Dragon, is because I'm not actually a member of CP-0."

  "Huh?" Dragon stared at him, fused. "Isn't that better? If you're not CP-0, then—"

  Cudius raised a hand to stop him. "Listen. While it's true I'm not part of CP-0, if you're really going to go down this path, then… the two of us are destio be enemies."

  "Enemies?" Dragoed, his voice dropping as realization dawned on him. His body, still submerged i spring, tensed as he whispered, "You… you're…"

  "That's right," Cudius said, his voice calm but filled with a strange weight. "I'm one of those 'corrupt, cruel' Celestial Dragons you're talking about."

  Dragon's world seemed to stop. He froze, his mind rag. "You… you're a Celestial Dragon?"

  Cudius nodded, smiling faintly. "That's right. My full name is Donquixote Cudius. I'm a member of the Donquixote family, one of the inal 19 Celestial Dragon s."

  Dragon's jaw tightened, his mind reeling from the revetion. He'd e here, exposed his deepest secrets, and now he realized he'd been talking about revolution with a Celestial Dragon.

  ********

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