Zoro and Nami were brought to the CP-X office. Barry, being somewhat familiar with the pce, greeted a few people along the way and led them to the office.

  At this moment, a minor officer from CP-X was sitting inside the office.

  As soon as Barry walked in, he grinned and said, "Here to grab a drink again?"

  "No, I'm just bringing a couple of guests here to find someone in CP-X," Barry replied with a smile.

  "Guests? Shouldn't they just go to the reception downstairs?" the officer asked, looking confused.

  Barry chuckled and expined, "These two are here for Saint Cudius."

  The officer nearly spat out his tea upon hearing this. This was way above his pay grade, he wasn't qualified to contact Cudius!

  "Ahem... Barry, this..." The officer looked embarrassed.

  "They said they know Cudius. I figured it wouldn't hurt to try," Barry said, equally uneasy.

  "Honestly, you'd probably have better luck finding Tom than me for something like this," the officer said with a helpless shrug. Still, he turned to Nami and Zoro and asked, "May I ask for your names?"

  "Roronoa Zoro."

  "Nami."

  The officer, who had seemed anxious just moments ago, froze when he heard their names. His expression shifted, and he immediately said, "Ah, it's you two. That makes sense. I can handle this."

  "What do you mean?" Nami asked, puzzled.

  "You've both been around for a while now, right? Always asking about CP-X? Chief Spandine left instructions some time ago: if the two of you ever made contact, we should get in touch with him right away," the officer expined with a smile.

  He then stood up and personally poured tea for Nami and Zoro. Spandine was one of Saint Cudius' trusted men, and these two were directly seeking Cudius himself. Clearly, these weren't ordinary people they had connections.

  "You knew we were looking for you?" Zoro asked, surprised.

  "Of course. CP-X specializes in intelligence, after all. We've known for a while now," the officer said with a knowing smile.

  "Who's Spandine?" Nami asked curiously.

  "He's the chief of CP-X and His Highness Cudius' direct representative within the organization," the officer replied.

  After serving the tea, the officer immediately took out a Den Den Mushi and contacted Spandine.

  ---

  Meanwhile, aboard the sea train, Cudius and a few others were chatting and ughing together.

  Spandine felt that his retionship with Saint Cudius had grown beyond that of a subordinate, it was almost like they were friends now. This realization made him both happy and proud.

  While the group was talking, the Den Den Mushi in Spandine's pocket began to ring.

  "Your Highness, excuse me for a moment," Spandine said, quickly standing up.

  Cudius smiled and nodded. "Busy as always. Make sure to give yourself a break once in a while."

  Spandine chuckled as he left the carriage. A few minutes ter, he returned, his expression a bit strange.

  "What's up?" Cudius asked, noticing his face.

  "Your Highness, it's those two you mentioned. They made contact from Water 7," Spandine reported.

  "Two?" Cudius blinked, momentarily confused.

  "Yes, from East Blue, bounty hunter Roronoa Zoro and his navigator, Nami," Spandine crified.

  "Ah, right. Them," Cudius said with a smile. "Did they really track us down? Not bad. Are they on the line now? Hand it over, I'll say hello."

  Spandine nodded and handed the receiver to Cudius.

  Cudius picked up the Den Den Mushi. "Moshi moshi? This is Cudius speaking. Please respond if you can hear me."

  His tone was rexed, and he sounded like he was in a good mood.

  On the other end, Nami and Zoro were instantly on alert, their excitement palpable. Barry and the CP-X officer, standing beside them, exchanged gnces. Contacting Saint Cudius directly? These two were definitely unusual.

  "Saint Cudius?" Nami asked eagerly. "It's me, Nami! From Cocoyasi Vilge in East Blue! Remember? You once told me the oranges I grew were delicious!"

  "Zoro here. Roronoa Zoro! Where did you take Kuina?" Zoro cut in, voice sharp.

  Cudius chuckled, completely ignoring Zoro. "Of course I remember you, Nami. The cute little girl with orange hair. And your sister, Nojiko, your mother, Bell-mère, an admirable woman, by the way. Ah, and even Officer Genzo."

  Hearing Cudius mention her family so naturally left Nami stunned. She knew how powerful Cudius was, and yet he still remembered them. It warmed her heart.

  "You haven't forgotten?" Nami asked, voice trembling.

  "Of course not. I heard you've been looking for me for a while. What, finally ready to chase your dream and map the world? No more oranges?" Cudius teased.

  "No, I'm definitely going to keep growing oranges. My sister and Bell-mère are still there on the isnd. But... after hearing you talk about the world when I was little, I just had to see it for myself," Nami said, a smile tugging at her lips.

  The two chatted away happily, while Zoro's face darkened. His patience wore thin until he finally snapped, snatching the receiver.

  "Cudius! You haven't answered my question!" Zoro barked.

  "Who are you again?" Cudius asked, feigning confusion.

  Zoro's jaw tightened. "From East Blue. Shimotsuki Vilge. Isshin Dojo. Roronoa Zoro!"

  "Oh... nope. Doesn't ring a bell," Cudius replied without hesitation.

  Zoro's grip tightened on the receiver. "You bastard...!"

  "Calm down, Zoro!" Nami hurriedly covered his mouth, horrified. "That's a Celestial Dragon you're talking to!"

  She quickly leaned toward the receiver and expined, "Your Highness, Zoro is a disciple of Koshiro from Shimotsuki Vilge. You once took a girl from there, remember?"

  Cudius ughed. "Ah, now I remember! I was just joking with the moss-headed kid who lost to Kuina 2,250 times."

  "No! It was 1,250! I didn't lose that many times! And I won't lose again!" Zoro snapped. "Where is Kuina? Is she with you?"

  "Hmm... did I add a thousand losses by mistake? Oh well, what's a few more? You were gonna lose anyway," Cudius teased.

  "You...!" Zoro was seething.

  Cudius ignored his outburst and said casually, "Kuina joined the Marines a while ago. She's a Marine Headquarters colonel now. If you want to find her, you'll have to step into the New World."

  "Fine by me," Zoro said without hesitation.

  "With your current strength? You'd just be throwing your life away. Do you even know how to use Haki yet?" Cudius asked bluntly.

  Zoro's face stiffened. "...No."

  "Then you'd lose. Kuina's already mastered Observation Haki and Armament Haki. You're not even in the same league anymore," Cudius said matter-of-factly.

  Zoro's jaw clenched, and he grumbled, "Cudius... sooner or ter, I'm going to cut you down."

  "Haha! Want me to be your teacher? Or should I find you a good one?" Cudius ughed.

  ***

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