The bathhouse in Cudius's pace was enormous. Just how enormous? It could easily fit a hundred people bathing at the same time and still feel spacious—it ractically a personal water park. The interior was magnifit, plete with fountains, multiple pools for different types of baths, including medial baths, floral baths, milk baths, and even red wihs. Each se was set at different temperatures to suit any preferehe sheer opulence of the pce could meet anyone's wildest bathing dreams.

  At this moment, the three Boa sisters were bathing in one of the pools, joined by Stel. Tesoro had to make do with a sink; Cudius's bathroom was exclusive to women and childre came to guests, with meted only under certain ditions. Enel occasionally mao squeeze in, and little Ace had ris due to his age.

  Also present ihhouse were Lenny ahe two mermaid girls. Lenny was soaking in the milk bath, while Mero rexed in the red wine pool. Though mermaids were creatures of the sea, they too ehe luxury of a good bath.

  Cudius wouldn't have them lounging in an open-air pond all day; that would be beh them. So, the two often found themselves ihhouse, sometimes without even announg their presence. Cudius himself had walked in on them more than once when he po bathe, only to be greeted with a surprise.

  "You're quite fortunate His Highness brought you here," Mero said with a smile as she spshed water lightly in the milk bath, looking over at Stel and the Boa sisters.

  "Absolutely. His Highness rarely brings anyone back. It's been years since I've seen him bring a sve to the pace. You must be special," Lenny added with a warm smile. "gratutions on esg that life."

  Stel still looked a bit lost, taking it all in. At their words, she asked curiously, "He's a powerful Celestial Dragon, isn't he? Are you two... sves as well?"

  Lenny chuckled. "His Highness Cudius is indeed a powerful Celestial Dragon. Just how powerful? Well, let's just say it's beyond what you imagine. Just the other day, I heard from Nia that he had a run-in with Charlos. You've seen that guy, right? Even after Cudius beat him, Charlos wouldn't dare utter a word of pint. That's the kind of power he holds."

  "As for us," Mero said, leaning ba the water, "we're teically his sves, mermaids he keeps in the pace. But it's not what you think."

  Hancock, who had been mostly silent, suddenly asked, "But if you're sves, why do you seem... tent? Shouldn't you be sad ry?"

  The three sisters had been sves for half a year now, previously owned by Corrinnelu. Although Corrinnelu hadn't been excessively cruel, she had forced them to eat the foul-tasting Devil Fruits and treated them with indiffereno different than any other tri or object she possessed. The sisters bore the mark of the Celestial Dragon's hoof, a perma reminder of their suffering. Hancock, especially, resented Celestial Dragons and Mariejois deeply. So, she was baffled at the apparent cheerfulness of Lenny and Mero. Why did they seem so carefree, even friendly with the pace staff like Nia?

  "Sad and angry?" Lenny murmured, trailing her fingers over the scales of her tail. "We were at first. Before, we weren't under His Highness Cudius but his cousin's care. He was... let's just say, not the ki person. Thankfully, we didn't stay there for long before we were gifted to His Highness."

  "His Highness Cudius isn't like other Celestial Dragons. He doesn't treat us as sves, not really. If anything, we're more like friends," Mero said with a soft ugh. "He's often lonely, you know. His heart longs for the freedom of the sea, but his status keeps him here, in Mariejois. We help him fet that loneliness."

  "That's true," Lenny added. "He treats us so well. We're free to move around the pace, and though Mariejois itself is dangerous and full of people who aren't like him, we're safe here. And even though he's never said it ht, he promised that when he makes a trip to Fish-Man Isnd, he'll set us free."

  Hancock's eyes narrowed. "He's lying to you. How could he let you go? You're his sves!"

  "No, it's true. If we wao leave, we could have many times," Lenny said. "Wheakes us on his trips, we don't have any colrs or s. We're free to swim in the sea. If we really wao escape, no one could catch us."

  Hancock was taken aback, disbelief clouding her eyes. "Then why didn't you? This pce is hell. If I had the ce, I'd be gone in a heartbeat."

  Mero ughed lightly. "So, we'll have to keep an eye on you, won't we?"

  Realizing she had spoken too freely, Hancock stiffened, casting wary looks at the two mermaids.

  "Rex," Lenny said with a smile. "Mero's just joking. As for why we stay... maybe we don't want him to feel abandoned. Betrayal hurts, you know? His Highness has been so kind to us; we wouldn't want to make him lose trust in everyone."

  Hancock frowned. "Kind? You're still prisoners here. You don't have freedom!"

  "Freedom will e," Mero replied, unwavering. "His Highness might be a bit mischievous, and he might have his peculiarities, but he never breaks a promise."

  "Until then, we have everything we need here. Sometimes I even feel like we are the Celestial Dragons!" Lenny said, giggling.

  Hancock didn't know how to respond. Frustrated, she sank deeper into the water until half her face was submerged, blowing bubbles as she brooded. Still, a small part of her wondered: could there really be a Celestial Dragon who was different from the rest?

  "Donquixote Cudius" she whispered, the name lingering ihoughts.

  ***

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