Cudius nodded and tinued, "Since you agree with what I've said, let me take a guess. The reason you didn't enlist in the military or join the Marines is because the Marine system is far te, right? As I mentioned earlier, it's not the kind of enviro where your talents or ambitions be realized."

  Fujitora smiled faintly. While he found this statement a bit presumptuous, he eventually nodded and replied, "Yes, I've thought along those lines."

  At this moment, the butler, Niya, who had previously been managing the gambling table, transitioned seamlessly into his role as a servant, skillfully refilling Cudius and Fujitora's teacups with a polite smile.

  Cudius picked up his teacup and took a sip, appearing deep in thought as he mulled over his words. Fujitora, maintaining his calm demeanor, quietly waited for Cudius to speak, showing a rare patience.

  After a while, Cudius finally set his teacup down and said, "I apologize."

  "Yhness, please go ahead," Fujitora said softly, his tone filled with resped siy.

  Cudius nodded slightly before he spoke in a hushed tone. "Don't you think your mi might be a little… fanciful?"

  Hearing this, Fujitora couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed. Why was it always so unfortable to have his thoughts analyzed by others? Perhaps it was because his dreams, though noble, often seemed overly idealistic.

  Cudius tinued, "In my opinion, achieving great things requires a solid foundation. Opportuo rise quickly will always exist, especially in chaotic times like these. But pinning all your hopes on such opportunities is an unwise gamble."

  Fujitora sidered these words carefully. If not for the massive losses the Marines suffered during the war with Whitebeard, coupled with the retirement of Sengoku, and the subsequent csh between Kuzan and Sakazuki for the position of Fleet Admiral, which led to Kuzan leaving the Mariirely, there would never have been a "world scription" to replenish Marine forces on such a massive scale.

  This global draft filled the ranks in record time and strengthened Marine operations, allowing Sakazuki to implement his aggressive new policies and fortify Marine presen the New World. However, it also introduced unforeseen issues, such as Fujitora, a man with unorthodox ideals, being an Admiral. His ter as, like openly kneeling to apologize on behalf of the Marines, caused the anization signifit embarrassment. Sakazuki himself had nearly been apoplectic with rage at the time.

  These developments were ultimately circumstantial. Under normal ditions, the Marines would never have initiated such a desperate global draft. Without these ces, Fujitora's current status would have been unattainable, and he might have remained a wandering ronin for life, unless he ter experienced a profound ge of heart.

  In short, Cudius wasn't optimistic about Fujitora's strategy of betting everything on a fleeting opportunity. It was risky, akin to gambling one's ambitions and future on a sihrow of the dice. If successful, it could bring glory and power; if it failed, it would waste aire lifetime.

  From this perspective, Fujitora wasn't too different from Bckbeard, Marshall D. Teach. The only real difference was the path each man pursued, Teach sought power as a pirate, while Fujitora pced his hopes on the Marines. In the end, both gambled on a slim d, fortunately for them, both succeeded.

  Fujitora smiled faintly and said, "It's true my ideas are somewhat idealistic, but…"

  "But gold always shines, doesn't it?" Cudius interjected with a smile.

  Idealistic or not, such people were often the most capable, and their self-assuraemmed from a deep well of fiden their own abilities. This kind of vi allowed them to remain steadfast, waiting for their moment to seize opportunity. But for those without real ability, even when given a ce, they would fail to make the most of it.

  Fujitora nodded again but found himself momentarily speechless.

  "You always steal my lines," Fujitora thought with amusement. "It's a bit unfair, isn't it?"

  At that moment, Cudius shifted the versation. "Whether it's CP-X or the Marines, in the end, they both serve the Wover."

  He paused briefly, as though choosing his words carefully, before tinuing, "To be ho, even as a Celestial Dragon, I've spent years traveling across the world, meeting tless people and witnessing innumerable events. From that vantage point, I must admit that the Wover has its share of failures."

  Fujitora wasirely sure why Cudius was sharing this, but he agreed with the se. "That's true," he replied.

  "Especially you Celestial Dragons…" Fujitora thought, though he kept this part to himself.

  Cudius sighed lightly. "From where I stand, this might be hard to believe, but I still want to say it. At its core, the leadership of the Wover genuinely strives to govern the world responsibly and to promote prosperity for all."

  Fujitora remained silent but listened ily. He could sehat Cudius wasn't simply spoutiy ptitudes, there was genuine vi behind his words.

  Cudius added, "This isn't just something I'm saying to persuade you. From my personal iions with high-ranking individuals—whether it's Sengoku, Garp, or even the Five Elders—their goals are clear. Sengoku and others may be purer in their iions, while the Five Elders have their own selfish motivations, but even their as are ultimately tied to maintaining stability."

  He paused, then tinued, "This kind of bance is necessary. If the world prospers, so does their power. If chans, what good is their authority? Even the fight against pirates and revolutionaries ultimately serves the purpose of safeguarding order."

  Cudius smiled faintly. "The truth is, the Wover's system is immense and unwieldy. With an anization of this size, the lower ranks iably bee bloated, and corruption seeps in. Even in the Marihere are rotten apples like Axe-Hand Man or Nezumi the Mouse. They give justice a bad name and are often worse than the pirates they fight against."

  He took a sip of tea and added, "But as you move higher in the ranks, the ideals of justid iy grow purer. The same is true of the Wover."

  Fujitora nodded. He could rete to these observations, having traveled extensively and witnessed firsthand both the fws as of the system. It wasn't Cudius's words alohat vinced him, his own experiences reinforced this perspective.

  And it was for this reason that Fujitora wao work within the system to enact ge. True reform, he believed, had to e from the top. Otherwise, wouldn't it be simpler to just join the Revolutionary Army?

  Finally, Cudius got to the heart of the matter. He smiled at Fujitora and said, "The Wover is using the chaos of the Great Pirate Era as a catalyst for ge. CP-X is one of the results of that resolve."

  Fujitora raised his brow, intrigued but cautious. "Is that so?"

  Cudius eborated, "Projects like the sea train system, the movement to liberate sves in Mariejois, and the cultural iion of Fish-Man Isnd… all of these are examples of how CP-X is more than just a tool of violence for hunting pirates. It's a multifaceted anization with broader objectives."

  Hearing this, Fujitora was genuinely surprised. He had observed these ges himself but hadn't realized that CP-X was behind many of them. He had assumed they were part of the Wover's broader policies.

  Cudius sighed. "We 't act too aggressively. Overturning the system too quickly risks total colpse, and that would only invite disaster. That's why we must move carefully, implementing ge step by step."

  Fujitora, deeply moved by these words, felt as though he had finally found his p anization that aligned with his ideals.