Drago Abasta shortly after, wasting no time lingering. It seemed he truly had no iion of involving himself in Cudius' affairs.

  As for his mention of heading to East Blue to meet a friend, Cudius could only specute. If his guess was correct, it was most likely Koshiro from Isshin Dojo in Shimotsuki Vilge.

  After all, in Cudius' memory, Koshiro seemed to have subtle ties to the Revolutionary Army, often supplying them with essentials like food and other resources. His dojo could even be sidered an unofficial safe house for the Revolutionary Army i Blue.

  Speaking of Koshiro, Cudius couldn't help but muse over the man's ins. There was something distinct about him that hinted he might hail from Wano try. The clues were numerous: his name was uniquely Wano-esque, his vilge bore the name Shimotsuki, and he possessed the sword Wado Ichimonji one of the most famous bdes crafted by Shimotsuki Kozaburo, a legendary swordsmith who had fled Wano decades ago.

  Kozaburo, renowned for f both Wado Ichimonji and Enma, ivotal figure in Wano's history. The tter bde had beloo Kozuki Oden, while Wado Ichimonji now rested with Koshiro. Everything about Koshiro from his o his sword to the name of his vilge hirongly at his Waage.

  "Koshiro… Kuina should've been born by nht? I wonder if Roronoa Zoro, that direally challenged fool, has stumbled his way to that vilge yet. No… it's probably still too early for that," Cudius muttered to himself, rubbing his thoughtfully.

  Zoro was undeniably a rare talent oio asd to the pinnacle of swordsmanship. Cudius wouldn't deny being ied in him, but raising a child from scratch wasn't something he had any patience for. He was tent to let Koshiro handle Zoro's training and perhaps revisit the matter once Zoro had fully matured as a swordsman.

  Kuina, oher hand, intrigued Cudius even more. In his eyes, her talent may have surpassed Zoro's, but her only perceived "fw" was that she was a girl.

  Koshiro, being from Wano, likely carried some of its deeply ingrained patriarchal values. In Wano, samurai were almost exclusively male, and the idea of a powerful female swordsman was nearly unheard of. It was no surprise that Koshiro doubted Kuina could ever reach the summit of swordsmanship.

  But Cudius didn't share that belief.

  The world had no she of women who stood at its apex. From Charlotte Linlin to Boa Hancock, to Admiral didate Gion and Chief Staff Officer Tsuru, and even Stussy, one of the underworld's queens, all of them were powerful figures who had carved out their p the world. If these women could dominate in their respective fields, why couldn't a female swordsman stand at the pinnacle of kendo?

  Especially Gion her abilities as a top-tier swordsman were uionable, even without relying on her "Bunny Knight" bat style.

  Cudius didn't buy into Koshiro's belief that women couldn't excel in swordsmanship.

  The real tragedy of Kuina's story, in his opinion, was her untimely death a vivid reminder of hile humans truly were. Despite her relentless efforts and immeential, a single act had cimed her life.

  "Maybe wheime is right, I should make a trip to East Blue myself," Cudius murmured.

  He firmly believed that Kuina was destio bee a great swordsman. If he could intervene and save her from her fate, she might one day grow into the world's stro female swordsman. Such a figure would undoubtedly be a valuable asset. If the opportunity arose, he wouldn't mind recruiting her into CP-X as one of his trump cards.

  After Dragon's departure, Cudius spent a few more days discussing pns with Crocodile. Their versations revolved around the core strategy for taking trol of Abasta. While the broader outline was set, Crocodile would o fiuhe details over time.

  Once everything was settled, Cudius saw no reason to linger in Abasta any longer. Robin, however, seemed especially curious about the kingdom after hearing its rich history and ties to the Void tury.

  Before leaving, Cudius asked Robin if she wao stay in Abasta. He assured her that if she chose to stay, Crocodile could look after her temporarily.

  Though tempted, Robin ultimately shook her head. "No, I'll stay with you for now," she said.

  Her decision wasn't based on logic but rather a lingering sense of insecurity. For Robin, the Prometheus felt like a piece of Ohara a living remnant of her home and Cudius, who had beerusted to protect her by her mother and Professor Clover, was her anchor of trust. As long as she remained on the ship or by his side, she felt safe.

  The thought of staying in Abasta, even temporarily, filled her with ay.

  "I'll e bad explore Abasta when I'm older," Robin added softly.

  Cudius didn't press the issue. He had no desire to leave his "librarian" behind in the desert anyway.

  After bidding farewell to Crocodile, Cudius set sail from the Port. His destination was Little Garden, where he hoped to capture a dinosaur as a pet.

  The voyage to Little Garden was long, and midway through the journey, Cudius received a call from Stussy.

  "Stussy! It's been a while. Where are you now? Have you missed me?" Cudius asked with a grin.

  Stussy's lips curled into a smile as she replied, "Of course I miss you, Yhness. But I know you're not a fan of pretty ors without value, so I've been w hard to stay useful. Otherwise, what if you decide to throw me away one day?"

  "Throw you away? Do I seem like such a heartless man?" Cudius said with modignation.

  "All mehe same," Stussy quipped before tinuing in a more serious tone. "By the way, Yhness, something big has happened on my ely."

  "Oh? Where are yht now?" Cudius asked, raising an eyebrow.

  "I'm in the New World, he seas around Wano," Stussy replied.

  Before Cudius could respond, Stussy added, "Georia and his crew have been wiped out."

  Cudius paused, momentarily taken aback. Then, with a hint of amusement, he scratched his head and asked, "Let me guess he went to Wano to pick a fight with Kaido?"

  "Pretty much," Stussy said with a ugh. "I thi inspired by all the otion tely. Dofmingo g with the Red t, Crocodile creating waves with Bullet and making a name for himself, it must've lit a fire under Moria. So, he decided to take his shot at Kaido. Well… it didn't end well. His entire crew was annihited."

  "And Moria himself? Is he dead?" Cudius asked, still smiling.

  "No firmed reports of his death, but it seems he mao escape. His abilities are quite impressive, after all," Stussy noted.

  "True, the Shadow-Shadow Fruit is a powerful ability," Cudius admitted.

  He had always thought Moria's fruit was incredibly versatile, especially its "Shadow e" ability, which created a duplicate nearly equal to the inal in strength. The ability to trol someone's life ah by stealing their shadow was also immensely dangerous.

  Unfortunately, Moria had squandered such potential. Instead of maximizing its power, he had tur into a tool for cheap tricks, hiding behind hordes of zombies while cag in the shadows. What a waste.

  ***

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