Rainbase, an oasis city in Abasta, is part of a nd where every city is tered around an oasis. Building a city in the desert without such a water source would meaaih.

  In Cudius's memory, Rainbase would ter be transformed by Crocodile into one of the most prosperous cities in Abasta. It would bee famous, in particur, for hosting the most impressive o in the first half of the Grand Line. But right now, Rainbase was still just a modest town with a small popution.

  Crocodile, as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, had entered Abasta and swiftly dealt with some of the pirate threats. His power and decisive as earned him the status of a noble—a knight—bestowed upon him by Kiari Cobra. The fief he was granted was her thay of Rainbase.

  Although Abasta's civilization was advanced in many respects, its goverill held onto some archaic traditions. Nobles here, even new ones like Crocodile, wielded signifit power within their domains.

  At this time, Cudius and his group were guests in Crocodile's newly acquired mansion in Rainbase. Crocodile had recovered from the effects of Cudius's "Death of Wieique, but he was still trying to uand how he had been caught off-guard. What kind of ability was that?

  He wasn't the only one curious. The rest of Cudius's party looked just as puzzled.

  "Why are you all staring at me like that? Do I look strange?" Cudius asked, lounging on a sofa with a gss of wine in hand.

  After a pause, Crocodile frowned and said, "I may not know a lot about your abilities, but I have to ask, what exactly happened back there?"

  "Yeah, what was that? Did you make Crocodile drunk with some kind of drink?" Enel added, his curiosity piqued.

  Even little Robin, who had been quietly holding a book, was now eyeing Cudius with i.

  Cudius chuckled. "Ah, this is the power of sce. You see, 'Death of Winter' is all about deception. It looks imposing and dramatic, but the real trick is in the 'intoxication.'"

  Crocodile had suspected that the move was all show, but it still left him baffled. How could something that looked so grand fail to touch him physically yet still take him down?

  "A rge amount of liquid nitrogen rapidly vaporizes, increasing the nitrogen tration in the surrounding area. This process is nearly imperceptible. You don't feel any difficulty breathing, and for a few seds, there are no adverse reas. But by the time you notice it, it's too te. You're already in a state of what I like to call 'nitrogen intoxication,' much strohan any alcohol. Ohat kicks in, any effective response is pretty much impossible," Cudius expined with a grin.

  The room fell silent as everyoried to digest what he had just said. Though the words made sense individually, they seemed frung together in this text.

  Crocodile and the others looked utterly perplexed.

  Cudius sighed and waved his hand dismissively. "Ah, it's terrible when there's a ck of culture. Fet it. Just think of it as a really powerful move."

  Not wanting to seem ignorant, Crocodile took a sip from his gss, choosing not to press further. He then shifted his gaze to Enel. "I heard you won't be heading baariejois after this?"

  "That's right. I'm pnning to roam the seas as a pirate and aim to bee one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, like you," Enel replied fidently.

  "With your Thunder Fruit powers, that should be achievable. I'll admit, I'm a bit envious of such a powerful ability," Crocodile said, his tone genuine.

  After exging a few more words with Enel, Crocodile turned back to Cudius. "I've already finalized an arra with Dofmingo. He'll be providing the traband—Dance powder."

  Cudius nodded approvingly. "Good. So, what's your pn for Abasta?"

  "The ari family holds signifit influen Abasta. They are revered and trusted by the people. The first step is to erode that trust, to sow the seeds of doubt and internal strife," Crocodile said calmly, as if he were discussing the weather.

  "So, you'll be aiding the rebels to undermihe royal family?" Cudius inquired, a slight smirk on his lips.

  "ly. That approach is too blunt. I aim to position myself as the hero of this nation. Ohe rebels topple the royal family, I'll step in to quell the rebellion aore order. With that move, I'll be seen as the savior of Abasta and gain trol of the try," Crocodile expined.

  "Sounds like a solid pn, but building that kind of reputation will take time," Cudius said.

  Crocodile nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Accumuting that level of prestige is a gradual process."

  Cudius took a thoughtful sip from his gss. "Stick to your pn. I won't interfere."

  Crocodile seemed satisfied with that response. After a moment's pause, he added, "There are rumors of Poneglyphs in Abasta. Are you ied in those? Should I obtain one for you?"

  At this, Robin's eyes lit up with sudden i. She stared at both men, anticipation flickering in her gaze.

  Cudius chuckled. "The Poneglyphs, huh? They're just ig on the cake. I'm not particurly ed about them."

  There was a time when Cudius would have been intrigued by the mysteries of the Void tury and the secrets hidden in the Poneglyphs. But he had since realized something: historical revetions might shake the world, but they were only catalysts. True ge was brought about by power.

  An ordinary man could uhe greatest of secrets and broadcast them to the world, but what would that achieve? He would remain a nobody, easily swept away by the tides of history. The real pyers the ones who stood to gain would always be those in power.

  So Cudius didn't care much about the Poneglyphs anymore. Whether someone exposed their secrets or not, he was more focused on solidating his strength. That was what really mattered.

  "Just ig on the cake, huh?" Crocodile echoed, a smile pying on his lips. "You might be right."

  ***

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