Cudius had been living in Mariejois with little Ace for two months.

  During this time, his frustrations had been building up, not because of Ace, but because of the gossip that seemed to follow him everywhere. Every time he stepped outside, there would be whispers among the other Celestial Dragons, snide remarks and fingers pointing behind his back. People cimed that he'd been off galivanting around the world, and Ace was the result of some "illegitimate affair."

  It was the kind of rumor that was impossible to squash, so Cudius could only bottle up his irritation and stew about it in private.

  In his quiet study, a thick, luxurious carpet covered the floor, and little Ace was happily crawling around on it, bursting with energy far beyond that of a typical baby. Inse burned faintly on the desk, releasing a delicate fragrance meant to calm the mind, but today it seemed to be having little effe Cudius. With an exasperated sigh, he threw his book onto the desk and rubbed his temples.

  Just then Nia, ehe room with a gss of milk. "Yhness, perhaps a gss of milk to help settle your nerves?" he suggested gently.

  Cudius nodded and took the gss, while Nia g Ace, who was busily crawling across the floor. With a smile, Nia remarked, "The young master certainly has a lot of energy."

  "This kid's a real handful," Cudius muttered, shaking his head in frustration.

  As if on cue, Ace let out a mischievous giggle and, to Cudius's horror, proceeded to relieve himself right there on the carpet.

  Cudius nearly spat out his milk in shock. "You little brat!" he cursed, gring down at Ace.

  Nia chuckled, unfazed. "I'll get someoo repce the carpet," he said calmly, as if it were a minor invenience.

  "Is raising a child always this much trouble?" Cudius groaned. "And that's with an army of staff to help out. I don't know how people ma."

  Meanwhile, at the Wover headquarters, not too far from Cudius's residehe Five Elders had gathered for a meeting of their own. The bearded elder held a map, with an isnd circled in the New World, not far from the Red Line.

  "Is the information reliable?" asked the blond elder.

  "Yes, the agents from CP-0 verified it. That man is indeed on this isnd," the bearded elder replied.

  "A man like that, roaming free, is a serious threat. We 't let this opportunity slip by," murmured the bald elder.

  "Patrick Redfield," added the elder with the sword, his tone somber. "To stand shoulder-to-shoulder with monsters like Roger, Whitebeard, and Shiki all on his own it's no small feat."

  "True. But it's also because he operates alohat he might be easier to deal with," the elder with curly hair remarked thoughtfully.

  "He's notoriously slippery. Every time the Marines have tried to er him, he seems to know in advand escapes without a trace. There's something… unusual going on," said the bearded elder.

  "You think he has informants within the Marines?" asked the bald elder.

  "It's possible," the bearded elder replied, "though it could also be his Observation Haki. He's rumored to be able to 'hear' people's hearts."

  "A dangerous ability indeed. Which is all the more reason he must be captured and locked away," said the bald elder, frowning.

  "The's take a different approach this time. We'll send Marshal Kong himself ahe entire operatio within the Marines," the bearded elder suggested.

  The Five Elders had e to realize that trag down the so-called "Red t," Patrick Redfield, would require an unventional strategy. If Redfield truly had a source within the Marines or was using his extraordinary Haki to anticipate their moves, then only a surprise maneuver would have any ce of success. Having the Marine Marshal personally take and would be an ued move; after all, Kong almost never left Marineford.

  "Using Kong makes sense, but I don't think the Marines alone will be enough. We should involve the Cipher Pol forces as well…" The bald elder paused, then suggested, "Why not call in CP-X for this operation?"

  The other elders exged gnces before the bearded one finally cracked a small smile. "Cudius? I've heard he's been the ter of attention here in Mariejois tely."

  "Haha, enjoying the 'passions of youth,' is he?" said the blond elder with a chuckle.

  "Ah, yes, the rumors," the bearded elder ughed. "They say he left a 'little legacy' out there and has nht it back with him."

  "These are his personal affairs; we don't o ourselves with such trivial matters. The boy's… spirited, I'll give him that," the bald elder said, shaking his head with a bemused smile.

  The blond elder nodded. "Yes, young people are bound to make a few mistakes here and there. It's only natural."

  "Still, CP-X has proven capable, and Cudius himself is quite reliable. Let's have CP-X colborate with the Marines on this ohe bearded elder said thoughtfully.

  "Capturing both Shiki and Roger was no small feat. Let's see if Cudius pull off another miracle and bring down the elusive Redfield," the bald elder said with a grin.

  "If he succeeds, how should we reward him?" the bearded elder asked, smiling faintly. After a moment's pause, he tinued, "This boy has almost everything already—power, fame, status, wealth. What could we possibly give him?"

  The bald elder chuckled and quipped, "Why don't you retire a him take your seat?"

  The bearded elder ughed, firing back, "I think you're the one who should sider retirement!"

  "All right, enough with the jokes," the blond elder interrupted. "We don't even know if this mission will succeed yet. But if we're talking about rewards… what about the title of Donquixote family patriarch?"

  The room fell silent. After a moment, the bearded elder frowned slightly. "What about La?"

  The blond elder sneered, "La? Don't fet, he and Cudius have… history. Though it's curious, Cudius hasn't made a move against him. Perhaps he's been waiting, biding his time so as not to upset the bah us?"

  When Cudius had e uheir notice, the Five Elders had, of course, reviewed his background. They knew of his plex family dynamics, how he'd once cshed with his own bloodlio secure his position. Some of the Elders found it distasteful, especially as their admiration for Cudius grew. His unwillio take a against La had initially been perplexing, but now, the elders saportunity.

  In the grand scheme, figures like La were hardly signifit to them. Dealing with him was a trivial matter, should they choose to allow it.

  "Then it's settled. If Cudius succeeds in this mission, we'll give him a subtle hint. Let him know that we won't interfere in his dealings with La… he's free to ha as he sees fit," said the bald elder, his tone firm as he leaned back, crossing his arms with a satisfied nod.