Listening to Dofmingo's words, Cudius fell silent for a moment. From his tone, he could sehat Dofmingo's usual energy and arrogance had faded.

  Instead of the brash and fident persona of the past, there was now a sense of ess araint.

  It felt as if something was brewing within him, perhaps hatred and anger?

  "I didn't know how to talk to you, which is why I haven't reached out for so long," Cudius sighed and said.

  Dofmingo paused briefly before replying in a quiet tone, "Holy, I just wanted some time to myself. I'm much better now."

  "What about Rosinante?" Cudius hesitated for a moment before asking.

  "He's resting in a flower field. Father is there with him, and they're together every day. Maybe this is the life he wanted," Dofmingo said, standing by the window. From where he stood, he could see the flower field behind the King's Pteau. A small hut and a solitary gravestone had been added there.

  "Is that so?" Cudius murmured softly.

  After a moment of thought, Cudius suddenly asked, "Are you thinking of retiring?"

  Dofmingo froze for a sed before chug. "Fufufu, cousin, you're uimating me, aren't you?"

  "Hahaha, I thought you might want to step bad live a quiet life in Dressrosa," Cudius said with a ugh.

  Dofmingo briefly eaihe thought. He imagined himself as a peaceful king in Dressrosa—raising a child, watg them grow, abdig the throne, and thereating to the flower field to live quietly, away from all the chaos. It seemed like a pleasant life.

  But the memory of Minion Isnd and the hatred he held for the Celestial Dragons on Mariejnited his rage. His eyes fshed with a dangerous gleam, and he smirked. "Maybe someday, but definitely not now."

  After exging pleasantries and catg up, Dofmingo found himself in a lighter mood. There were things he couldn't share with his subordinates and could only keep bottled up, but he could speak openly with Cudius without reservation.

  Letting out all those suppressed feelings and thoughts helped alleviate some of the weight on his heart. He felt more rexed and less burdened after the versation.

  "Cousin, you didn't just call to chee, did you? That would be too seal, even for you," Dofmingo suddenly teased with a smile.

  "Is there something wrong with g about my little brother?" Cudius asked, amused.

  "There's nothing wrong with it, but that's not really your style," Dofmingo replied with a ugh.

  "Well, you're n. There is something I wao discuss," Cudius admitted.

  "Oh? What's the matter? Don't tell me you've got another pn brewing?" Dofmingo asked, stroking his .

  Cudius chuckled. "Not quite that dramatic, but I do have someoo reend to you. Caesar , do you know of him?"

  "The guy who caused the Punk Hazard disaster? I heard Vegapunk took the fall for him," Dofmingo said after a moment of thought.

  The i at Punk Hazard wasn't much of a secret, at least not within the Wover or the Marines. Dofmingo had even received a report about it from Vergo, his informant within the Marines. However, in his ret state of mind, he hadn't paid it much attention. Since he had no reason to provoke the Marines, he left it as just aory he'd heard.

  "Exactly. I've already spoken to Sengoku. That guy will be serving his sentender CP-X. I thought you might find him useful," Cudius said.

  "Of course. I've heard he's talented, and I happen to have a few projects that could use someone like him. This will also give me a ce to colborate more deeply with Crocodile," Dofmingo mused.

  "Alright then. If you're ied, arrao pick him up from Impel Down, but be discreet. We 't let the Marines lose too much face over this.

  "And ahing, Caesar's a bit of a wild card. Make sure to keep him in line. If he causes any trouble, I won't hesitate to send him straight bapel Down," Cudius warned with a sneer.

  "Uood. I'll ha," Dofmingo replied with a smile, agreeing to the arra.

  The two tinued chatting for a while longer. Cudius felt noticeably lighter after the versation, even ughing occasionally with Dofmingo before hanging up the transponder snail.

  Afterward, the guilt and inner flict Cudius had been carrying seemed to dissipate. He couldn't expin why, but the heaviness in his heart was gone.

  Pig up the book he'd set aside earlier, Cudius turned a few pages and muttered to himself, "Hmm… what kind of dinosaur should I get as a pet? A Tyrannosaurus? A Triceratops?"

  "Your mood seems better," Robin remarked from her spot oairs, her voice tinged with curiosity.

  She had overheard the entire phone call. Cudius rarely hid anything from her. Whether it was out of trust or because he assumed she, as a shut-in bookworm, wouldn't be ied, Robin wasirely sure.

  Still, she couldn't help but feel baffled. A simple phone call had improved Cudius's mood? It didn't seem like anything important was discussed.

  "Huh? Hahaha, didn't I say there was nothing wrong to begin with? By the way, Robin, what kind of dinosaur do you like? How about we cate to keep on the ship?" Cudius asked, clearly in high spirits.

  Robin paused, frowning slightly as she sidered the question. After a moment, she said, "A Pachycephalosaurus."

  As the ship's de facto librarian, Robin had read all the books Cudius had gohrough and was well-versed in a creatures.

  Cudius blinked in surprise before flipping through the book to find the entry on Pachycephalosaurus.

  He had to admit, it was one ugly dinosaur.

  The book described it as a species that the author sidered to be among the least visually appealing. Its bald head was covered in tumors ain, giving it a grotesque appearance.

  "Don't girls usually like cute things?" Cudius asked, raising an eyebrow after studying the picture.

  "Huh?" Robin seemed genuinely puzzled by his question. "Isn't it cute? Look at its bald head and those bnk eyes."

  "You…" Cudius started, but he didn't know how to respond. Finally, he poio his own fad asked, "What about me? Do you think I'm handsome?"

  Cudius sidered himself a good-looking man, handsome by ventional standards.

  Robin stiffe the ued question. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks as she replied in a slightly impatient tone, "You're alright—not bad, not great. You're not ugly."

  At that moment, Cudius reached a clusion: Robin had a strange sense of aesthetics. What did she mean by "not ugly"? He was supposed to be one of the most handsome men in Mariejois!

  After a brief silence, Cudius asked, "What do you think of Spandine?"

  Robin's expression darkened slightly.

  She didn't have a good opinion of Spandine. After all, he had been the one responsible for capturing her mother.

  Although Cudius had ordered him to ensure Olvia's well-being in Impel Down, where she lived iive fort with plenty of books and neers, Robin still disliked him.

  Still, out of courtesy to Cudius, she preteo think for a moment before replying, "He's… also handsome?"

  "It looks like I o find a psychiatrist for you," Cudius muttered with a heavy sigh.