After two days of drifting through the vast expanse of the White Sea, the Marine warship finally arrived at a Sky Isnd known as Birka.

  "This wasn't our inal first stop, but we made an exception to aodate you, Yhness," Tsuru said with a smile as she stood on the deck beside Cudius.

  Ba her youth, Tsuru had been known as one of the most beautiful women in the Marines. Cudius figured even now, old man Sengoku probably still harbored a soft spot for her.

  But time spares no one, and the beauty of youth had given way to the marks of age. Tsuru's face was now lined with wrinkles, yet her aura of wisdom remained undiminished. If anything, it had only deepened with time, making her presence feel like that of a wise elder.

  "Hahaha, I really appreciate it, Sister Tsuru," Cudius replied with a grin.

  Despite the age difference, Gion and Tsuru had a close retionship, often referring to each other as sisters. Cudius, not wanting to be left behind in terms of seniority, had shamelessly adopted the same habit, calling Tsuru "Sister" as well.

  Though it might have seemed cheeky, Tsuru appeared pleased with the title, her gaze toward Cudius being softer and more affeate.

  "If you're really thankful, Yhness, how about sharing the secret of the Thunder Fruit with me?" Tsuru teased, her eyes twinkling.

  Cudius ughed and shook his head. "Ah, I'm afraid not. I'm quite the miser when it es to that. The Thunder Fruit is crucial to CP-X's future, so I 't just hand that secret over, even to you, Sister Tsuru. Besides, doesn't the Marine already have enough on its pte? Why steal this from me?"

  Tsuru chuckled at his response, shaking her head. "Sengoku and Zephyr always say how generous you are, but it turns out you're quite stingy."

  "Well, if you're ied, I do have a Marsh-Marsh Fruit on hand. It's a Logia fruit too. How about I offer that to you?" Cudius offered pyfully, a mischievous glint in his eye.

  Tsuru waved him off with a ugh. "No thanks, that fruit's a bit too… unsightly. Besides, I was just joking. No one here would dare pete with a Celestial Dragon for anything."

  With the versation drifting to lighter banter, Cudius and the rest of the group disembarked from the warship.

  Birka's port wasn't anything special, a rather ordinary and quiet pce. It was clear that the isnd wasn't particurly prosperous, and the locals werely rolling out the red carpet for the Marines. In fact, they seemed indifferent to their arrival, perhaps because they'd seen the Marines before or had long been aware of their existence.

  Tsuru mentioned she was going to meet the isnd's leader, known here as the "god." Uhe rest of the world, where leaders were called kings or rulers, on Sky Isnd, the title "god" was reserved for those in charge.

  "God? If they don't ge that title, I doubt they'll be joining the Wover anytime soon," Cudius muttered. "While I couldn't care less, my people the Celestial Dragons are very particur about that name. In this world, only a Celestial Dragon be called a god."

  Tsuru sighed, clearly sharing the se. "Yes, that's been a major stig point in otiations. The path to Sky Isnd is dangerous, and the Wover has sidered wiping out these self-procimed gods more than once."

  Cudius nodded. "Still, we're here now. Let's hope they're a bit more reasohis time around."

  The versation turo lighter matters, but Cudius remained focused on his primary goal: finding the Thunder Fruit. He k was somewhere on Birka, but he didn't have any crete leads.

  "Could it be that Enel has already eaten it?" Cudius mused to himself, rubbing his thoughtfully.

  In his memories, Enel destroyed Birka around 1504 a on to rule Angel Isnd. Giveiming, it seemed likely that Enel had already acquired the Thunder Fruit before his quest of Birka. After all, how else would he have had the strength to wipe out aire isnd?

  As these thoughts swirled in Cudius's mind, the group ventured deeper into Birka. Both Crocodile and Gion, who were visiting Sky Isnd for the first time, were fasated by the people with wings, asking questions about the locals' ins and s.

  Cudius, however, wasn't ied in providing a history lesson. He knew most Sky Isnders were desdants of the Lunarians, but that wasn't what ed him. His thoughts were still preoccupied with how to locate the Thunder Fruit.

  "If worse es to worst, I'll just turn this whole isnd upside down," Cudius thought to himself. Birka wasn't that rge—it wouldn't take too long to search the entire pce.

  Just then, a sharp cry broke through the air. Cudius and his panions turo see a priest or assed for one on Sky Isnd whipping a small, frail figure in the distahe boy, no older than seven ht, was covered in bruises and blood, his bare feet slipping in the dirt as he struggled to stay upright.

  "You worthless wingless brat!" the priest spat, crag the whip again. "Weren't you ag all high and mighty before? Now look at you powerless! Filthy creatures like you should learn their pce as sves!"

  "What's a wingless man?" Crocodile asked, gng at Cudius. However, he quickly noticed that Cudius's gaze was locked onto the child, his eyes glowing with sudden iy.

  Tsuru, sensing the tension, answered, "Wingless mehose without the characteristigs of Sky Isnders. They might be the desdants of outsiders who found their way here, or even people like us who came from Blue Sea. They're treated as inferiors, little more than sves."

  "So, they look down on us too, huh?" Crocodile frowned.

  "Yes," Tsuru replied, her tned. "I've visited Sky Isnd four times, and each time they made it clear how little they think of us."

  "Then why botiating with them? Doesn't seem like they'd ever agree to join the Wover," Crocodile remarked.

  "You try diplomacy first," Tsuru said with a sigh. "And if that fails… well, there are always other methods."

  Crocodile chuckled dryly. "Looks like even the Marines don't have it easy."

  But before he could say more, Cudius suddenly shouted, his voice ringing out across the square.

  "Stop! He's still a child!" Cudius roared.

  Before anyone could react, Cudius raised his hand. The priest who had been whipping the boy suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest, as if something had struck him. With a loud thud, the priest was flung backward, crashing into the wall behind him.

  Everyone froze in shock. Crocodile's jaw dropped. Even the Marines who had apahem were left speechless. Since when did a Celestial Dragon care so much about a random child? Weren't they the ones usually causing trouble, not stopping it?

  But Cudius wasn't paying attention to their reas. His heart was rag. He reized that child. Those long earlobes, that wingless body—it was unmistakable. This kid was her than Enel!

  And from what the priest had said, "You 't use your power," Cudius realized something even more important. Enel was wearione shackles around his ahat meant he had already eatehunder Fruit but hadn't yet mastered its full potential.

  "Enel's already eatehunder Fruit… and he's just a kid?" Cudius thought, his mind rag. Enel was currently nothing more than a sve on Birka, but he would eventually break free aurn with a vengeance, destroying the isnd. That act of destru had seemed so out of character, but now Cudius uood. This kid had suffered immensely, and when he gaihe power to fight back, he unleashed all his pent-up rage on those who had wronged him.

  But now that Cudius had found Enel, he wasn't going to let him slip through his fingers. He had no iion of walking away from Sky Isy-handed. If Enel already had the Thunder Fruit, then Cudius would just take the boy himself.

  Yes, Enel had the potential to be a powerful ally. His natural Observation Haki was exceptional, and with the Thunder Fruit, he could monitor entire isnds. His arrogan the future would be his downfall, but Cudius could see how to mold him. Trained properly, with the right guidance, Enel could easily rea Admiral-level of strength, perhaps even more.

  Best of all, Enel was still young. There lenty of time to shape him into something formidable. The Sky Isnders had no idea what a treasure they had in their midst, and that ignorance would be their undoing.

  "I didn't expect to find you like this, but no matter.

  Without wasting a moment, Cudius rushed forward, catg the stumbling Enel before he fell to the ground.

  Gently, Cudius supported the young Enel, his voice soft and f as he spoke. "Are you alright? These bastards are truly despicable, treating a child like this. Don't worry, from now on, I'll take care of you. No one will ever y a hand on you again."

  Enel, still in shock, blinked up at Cudius, utterly fused by the sudden turn of events. He had no idea why this man, a plete stranger, was helping him, but for the first time in a long while, it felt like someone was on his side.

  Just as Cudius finished speaking, the priest who had been whipping Enel mao stagger to his feet. His face torted with rage as he snarled, "Who the hell do you think you are? How dare you interfere in Birka's affairs? I serve directly uhe god of this isnd! And you, a filthy wingless outsider, dare to strike me?"

  Before he could finish his tirade, Cudius's expression darkened. His gaze sharpened, and his voice turned cold. "Strike you? No, I'll do more than that. And remember this well your executioner is her than Donquixote Cudius, one of the most noble Celestial Dragons in the world. Don't fet that name as you desd into hell."

  As Cudius spoke, a burst of white vapor erupted from his body, swiftly enveloping the priest. In an instant, the vapor solidified, eng the man in a deadly frost. The priest, now frozen from head to toe, stid, his body locked in a fatal embrace with death. With a light tap, his ice-covered form shattered into pieces, leaving nothing but frozen remnants behind.