Nia stepped out to plete her tasks, while Crocodile sat huddled in the er, his expression vat, clearly trying to process what was happening. Meanwhile, Cudius and Admiral Sengoku tiheir versation in high spirits, almost as if nothing out of the ordinary was taking pce.

  Before long, Sengoku received a report from Kuzan: John's submarine had been apprehended, and Kizaru and Sakazuki were on their way to support the operation. At that moment, Sengoku felt a wave of relief wash over him. With Kuzan, Sakazuki, and Kizaru w together, John and his crew wouldn't stand a ce. They were young but undeniably powerful. John's fate was sealed.

  This robably the first real versation Sengoku had ever had with Cudius. They'd crossed paths before, but any iions were mostly formal or through Zephyr, who had a better retionship with Cudius. Zephyr had often spoken of how different Cudius was from the typical Celestial Dragons, but now, after their exge, Sengoku was beginning to uand what Zephyr meant.

  Cudius wasn't just physically strong for a Celestial Dragon; he was sharp, well-spoken, and far from the spoiled, entitled aristocrat Sengoku had expected. In their iion, Cudius could have easily used his status to force Sengoku into bending the rules to protect Crocodile. But instead, he chose a more nuanced approach, ohat allowed Sengoku to save face while still achieving his own goals.

  In that moment, Sengoku couldn't help but think: What a shame Cudius is a Celestial Dragon. If he had been a Marine, with proper training, Cudius could have bee as remarkable as Kuzan, Sakazuki, or Kizaru.

  Just as Sengoku was refleg on this, the door opened and Nia returned, holding a red-hot branding iron in his hand. The sight of it caused Sengoku to let out a resigned chuckle. "Zephyr told me you weren't like the other Celestial Dragons, Cudius, but I didn't expect to witness something like this today."

  Nia respectfully hahe branding iron to Cudius, who took it with a mischievous smile. "Well, Admiral Sengoku, even I have my 'Celestial Dragon' moments. After all, a bit of cruelty runs in our blood."

  Sengoku smiled wryly. "I wouldn't call this cruelty, Yhness. If anything, you're simply 'guiding' others onto the right path."

  Cudius ughed. "Who would've thought? The Marine Admiral just called one of my acts a good deed! Maybe I should dood' iure."

  Sengoku could only shake his head with a helpless smile. There really wasn't much he could say.

  Cudius turo Stussy. "Hold him still a his back ready. From now on, he belongs to me. Let's see if he still wants to be a pirate after this."

  Stussy plied without hesitation, stepping forward and pressing Crocodile to the ground. With swift, practiced movements, she tore his clothes apart, exposing his muscur back.

  Crocodile, sensing the gravity of the situation, began tle, but the seastone cuffs sapped his strength, leaving him powerless. Stussy, a skilled fighter herself, easily pinned him down. Crocodile's arms were locked in pce, leaving him no choice but to shout in frustration.

  "What the hell are you doing, Cudius? Let me go!" Crocodile yelled, his voice ced with panic.

  Cudius strolled over, the branding iron in hand, and grinned. "Rex, kid. I'm saving your life. After today, you're no longer a pirate. Your bounty will be wiped , and you'll have a fresh start. You should be thanking me."

  In his mind, Cudius couldn't help but find the situation amusing. This is Crocodile, one of the future Seven Warlords. And now, I get to brand him with the mark of a Celestial Dragon.

  "Let me go! You 't do this!" Crocodile's voice trembled with terror. Sure, the promise of having his bounty erased sounded nice, but something about this whole situatio wrong. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was stepping into an even deeper trap.

  Nia, standing by, said. "You should know what's happening, Crocodile. His Highness is about to mark you with the 'Celestial Dragon's Hoof.' O's branded onto you, there's no removing it. From that point forward, you'll belong to him. For life. Of course, there are perks. Most people won't dare to touch you as long as you're under His Highness' prote. But if you disobey... well, we'll make sure you uand what it means to wish for death."

  Crocodile's face torted in rage and disbelief. "A sve? You think I'll bee a sve? I'd rather die here than live with that brand on me! I Crocodile will never be anyone's sve!"

  "In time, you'll e to accept this, maybe even embrace it. I'm not like the other Celestial Dragons. I don't just collect sves for fun. You'll still have your freedom, to some degree. Even Admiral Sengoku here testify that I'm a reasonable man."

  "Reasonable?" Crocodile spat, trying tle free. "Go to hell!"

  "Rex," Cudius said, his voice calm but firm. "This is all for your own good."

  With those words, Cudius pressed the searing hot brand onto Crocodile's back. A siing sizzle filled the room as the mark of the Donquixote family—the "Celestial Dragon's Hoof" burned into his skin.

  Crocodile let out a scream of pure agony. "Cudius! You bastard! I swear, I'll make you pay for this!"

  Cudius casually pulled the branding iron away, handing it back to Nia. Crocodile y on the ground, his body drenched i, his muscles twitg from the excruciating pain. The brand, still fresh and red on his back, marked him as property of the Donquixote family.

  He g Nia, who promptly took the branding iron away. "Make sure he's treated. We saved his life, no point iing him die from iion or something trivial."

  Stussy nodded and began t the weakened Crocodile out of the room.

  As they left, Sengoku, who had been watg the entire se, spoke up with a slight frown. "Yhness, are you sure Crocodile won't try to harm you iure? I don't thihe type to submit easily."

  Cudius smiled fidently. "That's the fun part. I don't need him to submit right away. I didn't mark him just to turn him into a mindless sve. I see potential in him. He'll either e around and be useful to me, or he'll keep fightiher way, I win. If John could win him over, why 't I?"

  Sengoku shook his head slightly, a smile tugging at the ers of his lips. "Well, if you're that fident, I won't argue. Now that the situation with John is under trol, I should go see how things are progressing. Once we've finished with the John Pirates, I'll personally escort you baariejois."

  Cudius chuckled. "Looks like I have no choice but to accept. After all, your Marines blew up my ship when you uhe Buster Call. 't exactly swim back, I?"

  Sengoku grihough it was tinged with embarrassment. "We'll make sure you're taken care of, Yhness."

  After Sengoku left, Nia approached Cudius. "Yhness, should we really return with the Marines? Weren't we pnning to travel a bit more and scout for alent?"

  Cudius smiled. "Don't worry, Nia. We've already had an ued windfall. Crocodile has plenty of potential. We'll be fine."

  Nia frowned slightly, still skeptical. "Him? I'm not sure. He doesn't seem very... cooperative."

  Cudius ughed heartily. "Trust me, Nia. Give him time. We work on his IQ ter."