Cudius expihe Seven Warlords of the Sea program to Mihawk iail, ying out the bes and purpose behind it. Mihawk listened, his expressioral, but it was clear he uood.

  "So, in short," Mihawk said, frowning slightly, "your Wover wants me to bee one of these Seven Warlords of the Sea and, in exge, work for you? To fight pirates?"

  Before Cudius could respond, Mihawk shook his head and said firmly, "Not ied."

  Cudius didn't look disced. Instead, he smiled and said, "Don't be so quick to refuse. Isn't it a good deal?"

  "It might be good for your Wover, but what's in it for me?" Mihawk asked, his frown deepening.

  "The first be," Cudius said with a grin, "is that you won't end up in Impel Down."

  Mihawk froze for a moment before narrowing his eyes. "Why would I end up there in the first pce?"

  "e on, don't tell me you think you're a model citize me remind you, in addition to being a Celestial Dragon, I'm also part of CP-X. It's literally my job to catch pirates. You've got a bounty of 200 million berries on your head. If it weren't for the fact that you're more of a sword fanatic than a real threat, I might've taken you dowerday."

  Cudius said all this with a casual smile, but Mihawk's eyes sharpened as he regarded him warily. Before he could respond, Cudius tinued, "That's just the first point.

  "The sed is this: if you agree to join the Seven Warlords of the Sea, no one from the Wover will bother you again. No Marines chasing you down, no more annoying interruptions when you're busy challenging swordsmen. Wherever you go, whatever you do, the Wover's prote will cover you."

  Mihawk leaned back slightly, his expression thoughtful. While he was fident the Marines couldn't capture him, he couldn't deny they were a stant nuisance. Every time he docked somewhere, someone would iably "call the authorities," leading to Marines showing up to bother him, sometimes even trying to fight him. It was exhausting.

  In truth, this alone was enough to pique Mihawk's i. Without Cudius, Mihawk likely would've joihe Seven Warlords eventually, simply out of frustration with the Marines.

  "And the third point," Cudius said, leaning forward slightly, "is that the Seven Warlords of the Sea is an anization. W with us gives you access to something you don't currently have: information.

  "You have no way of knowing how many hidden master swordsmen there are out there, people like Koshiro, living in seclusion. But the Wover's intelligework is unmatched. If you bee a Warlord, you use that power to find more swordsmen to challeo sharpen your skills. Doesn't that sound like it's worth sidering?"

  Mihawk's eyes flickered, betraying a hint of i. After a long pause, he asked, "Are you serious about that?"

  "Of course," Cudius replied fidently.

  Mihawk fell silent again, his gaze distant as he weighed the proposition. "It does sound like a goement," he said at st.

  Unlike many other pirates, Mihawk wasn't particurly ed with morality or the idea of being a "dog of the Wover." His alig was ral at best, and he killed or spared people as he saw fit. Joining the Seven Warlords held no stigma for him. His earlier refusal was mostly due to the hassle of having to fulfill certain obligations.

  But if the bes outweighed the inveniences, Mihawk had no reason to refuse.

  "Under normal circumstances, you wouldn't be bothered. The Wover would only summon the Seven Warlords during major crises. Aside from that, you'd be free to do as you please, including keeping a share of whatever bounty or loot you acquire," Cudius expined, pausing for a moment before adding, "A's be real: with the seas crawling with pirates these days, you're bound to enter them when you're out looking for worthy oppos. Take them down with a single ssh, keep whatever you want, and it still ts as fulfilling your duties. Not a bad deal, right?"

  Mihawk mulled it over before saying, "That does sound reasonable. I was already thinking about challenging some of the strong Marines. I've heard there's a woman among them—Gion—who's supposed to be a formidable swordsman. If I join the Seven Warlords, will I be able to challenge Marine swordsmen legally?"

  Cudius didn't hesitate. He immediately nodded and said, "Of course. If you want, I even drop you off at Marineford myself."

  Mihawk's eyes lit up slightly at the suggestion. "In that case, we have a deal."

  "Well then, I look forward t with you, Mr. Seven Warlords of the Sea—Dracule Mihawk," Cudius said with a smile.

  "Likewise," Mihawk replied, giving a small nod.

  Cudius felt satisfied. The iation had gone almost exactly as he'd expected. Mihawk had n feelings against joining, and as long as the bes were clear, there was little reason for him to refuse.

  With this matter resolved, Cudius turned his attention to the st loose end i Blue: Kuina. He still o vihe girl to leave with him, but first, he had to speak with Kain.

  Cudius had already brought up the idea to Koshiro before, and though the man had beeant, he hadn't ht refused.

  As much as Koshiro believed that Kuina, as a girl, couldn't reach the pinnacle of swordsmanship, she was still his only child. Beyond his traditional mi, he also deeply cared for her. The fact that he had passed oreasured sword Wado Ichimonji to Kuina showed how much he valued her.

  Koshiro had even decided that Kuina would i the Isshin Dojo after his death, despite his reservations about her potential. It was a flicted position: while he cimed girls couldn't reach the top in kendo, he still poured his teags into her.

  Cudius had made his case, promising to train Kuina and prove to Koshiro that she could bee one of the greatest swordsmen in the world. Deep down, Cudius suspected Koshiro wao see Kuina succeed but was held back by his own beliefs.

  After much discussion and reassurances, Koshiro finally agreed, though relutly. Cudius had also promised that he wouldn't restrict Kuina's freedom. if she ever wao return to Shimotsuki Vilge, she would be free to do so.

  This promise had been easy for Cudius to make, as he didn't pn to keep her against her will. Now, all that remained was to vince Kuina herself to leave.

  That part, Cudius thought, wouldn't be too hard. Kuina had always wao prove herself to her father and show that girls could bee top-tier swordsmen. By appealing to that desire, Cudius was fident he could persuade her to e with him.

  "What are you looking at?" Mihawk asked curiously, notig Cudius's thoughtful expression.

  Cudius smiled. "I'm looking at the future of female swordsmanship."

  Mihawk followed his gaze toward Kuina. "Koshiro's daughter?" he murmured. After a moment of observation, he nodded and said, "Indeed. She's very talented. Her future is limitless."

  ***

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