<h4>Chapter 14: Generous Cousin</h4>


    The grand and opulent pce udius resided in was originally named the "The King''s Pce," but he found the name far too ostentatious. udius believed that until he achieved some measure of sess, it was best to keep a low profile. He didn''t want to attract undue attention from the Five Elders or, worse, Imu, who he had never seen but knew held great power.


    So, he changed the name of the "The King''s Pce" to "udius Pce." udius knew well he had borrowed the name from the emperors of his past life. Of course, the pce''s design and style were still inconsistent with the name. But for now, this would suffice. Once he had more power, he could make the necessary adjustments.


    In the pce courtyard, udius gripped a wooden sword, repeatedly swinging it in powerful, simple movements. After three months of recovery and training, his body had undergone notable changes.


    Without the burdens of food or drink, and with ess to the best luxuries,bined with regr exercise, udius was growing into a striking figure. His physique had improved so much that every few days, he looked noticeably different.


    The soft, chubby appearance he once had was now long gone. His body had returned to a healthy, muscr state, with his arms and waist bing well-defined. His upper body was bare, and his skin, well cared for, gleamed under the sun, looking almost translucent without a scar in sight. His long, pale blonde hair fluttered in the wind. Once, udius had a somewhat sleazy appearance, but now, his sharp eyebrows and handsome features marked a dramatic transformation. Among the Celestial Dragons, his good looks were rare.


    "More than 20,000 swings, and His Highness is still as steady as ever, without a hint of trembling. He really has a gift for this. Could he truly be a great swordsman?" muttered a burly middle-aged man nearby. He was wearing a ve cor around his neck and watched udius''s training in awe.


    This man had once been a renowned swordsman at sea before he was captured and enved. udius had discovered him among the ves and immediately hired him as his kendo instructor. The man''s task wasn''t to teach udius any particrly advanced skills his role was simply to guide the practice of the basics.


    udius had promised him freedom once he achieved mastery in kendo, a prospect that excited the man so much that he was eager to impart everything he knew to udius as quickly as possible, hoping to leave Mariejois sooner rather thanter.


    Kendo basics weren''t much different from what udius had imagined. The first step was mastering sword swings—ensuring the de moved exactly where you intended. If you couldn''t control the sword''s direction, how could you hope to cut down an opponent?


    While simple, this training could be monotonous. Fortunately, udius had plenty of time on his hands. His daily routine was bnced after sword practice, he focused on physical training using the methods left by Admiral Zephyr. In the afternoons, he studied his Devil Fruit abilities. And in the evenings, he dictated his thoughts and ns, with Nia recording them. All in all, udius lived a very fulfilling life, even if he rarely left the pce. He never felt as if he was wasting time.


    Nia, standing nearby, listened to the swordsman''s words with a sense of pride. "Who do you think His Highness udius is? If he wants to be a great swordsman, he will seed. There''s no doubt about it."


    After boasting about udius, she nced at his chiseled figure, her cheeks flushing slightly. Celestial Dragons usually kept multiple wives—ten or even more. Whether they needed them or not, it was expected that wives would be kept in the pce. In the past, udius had done the same, keeping several women in his pce.


    However, after returning from the New World, he had sent all those unfortunate women away, and so far, it didn''t seem like he had taken an interest in that kind of thing. At least, Nia hadn''t heard any rumors of maids sneaking into his bed at night.


    This puzzled Nia. Could it be that udius had suffered some hidden injury during his time away?


    Of course, she dared not voice such thoughts. Even though she was now quite close to udius, certain questions were off-limits.


    Had udius known what Nia was thinking, he likely would''veughed. His predecessor had indeed kept a harem of wives, but they had been more ornamental than anything else. Being just a spoiled, pudgy boy at the time, the former udius hadn''t known what to do with them. But because other Celestial Dragons had wives, he had followed suit, indulging in the practice.


    After his return, with his new soul upying this body, udius had felt nothing but disgust at the sight of those women. Feeling guilty for how they had been treated, he had sent them away, allowing them to return to their homes. It was one of the few good deeds he could count.


    Now, udius''s life was fulfilling. He focused on improving his strength to prepare for the turbulent future. He had no time for meaningless distractions. He was also well aware of his age—still too young to risk damaging his body by overindulging. Better to avoid those temptations now, so that when he reached his prime, he wouldn''t face physical decline.


    udius had heard stories of Celestial Dragons in their 30s and 40s who had turned to increasingly perverse behavior. They had "opened up" too early, without moderation, and the resulting decay of their bodies had driven them into a cycle of violence and depravity.


    udius nned to avoid that fate. Once he had matured fully, he could find a suitable beauty and enjoy life to the fullest. Besides, with the Zero Hour embedded within his body, the pleasures of life would be endless. There was no need to rush.


    As udius continued to practice his sword swings, and Nia got lost in her own thoughts, a loud and arrogant voice echoed from the courtyard entrance.


    "It''s been three months! My cousin is supposedly bedridden, yet here I see him practicing his sword skills. I thought you were ill! Get out here before I have to kill someone!"


    udius stopped mid-swing, smiled helplessly, and looked toward the gate.


    Sure enough, swaggering in with his trademark orange sunsses and short blonde hair, was none other than Donquixote Domingo, his younger cousin. A few servants trailed behind him.


    Domingo hadn''t visited in a while. The moment he saw udius, he eximed, "Cousin, have you grown taller again?"


    udius chuckled, tossing his wooden sword to the ground. He walked over to Nia, picked up a towel, and began wiping the sweat off his body. With a smile, he looked at Domingo and said, "I''m still growing, Doffy. I''ll get taller yet."


    "Really?" Domingo tilted his head slightly but quickly moved on. He grabbed udius by the belt and said, "Cousin, I''ll be leaving Mariejois in a few days. Who knows when I''ll be able to hang out with you again? You''ve been resting long enough. You shoulde out with me! I heard there''s a giant ve in the arena today. They''ve set up some ferocious beasts to fight him should be fun to watch. You''ve got toe with me!"


    udius paused for a moment, then asked, "You''re leaving in a few days?"


    "Yeah, my father says we''re heading to North Blue next Monday. Lots of people are calling us traitors or something. I don''t really get it, but since it''s my father''s idea, I''m sure it''ll be fine," Domingo replied, nonchntly.


    udius remained silent for a moment. He had a good rtionship with Domingo, and even though he couldn''t stop their family''s downfall, he could still support Domingo in secret. In time, it might even be possible to groom Domingo into a useful ally, perhaps even a "dark hand" working in the shadows for him.


    With that in mind, udius patted Domingo on the shoulder. "Don''t worry, Doffy. You''re my cousin, and no matter what happens, if you run into trouble, juste to me. I''ll do everything I can to help you."


    "I knew it! Cousin, you''re the only one who''s always had my back. While others see me as a traitor, you see me as family," Domingo said with a grin.


    "Of course! You''re my brother," udius replied casually.


    "Then, as my brother, you have toe to the arena with me today," Domingo insisted, pulling udius along.


    "I know, I know. Give me a moment to change," udius waved his hand,ughing.


    With Nia''s help, udius quickly dressed, though neither he nor Domingo wore the typical Celestial Dragon garb no ridiculous bubble hoods or flowing white robes. They walked out as they were, and anyone unfamiliar with them might not have recognized them as Celestial Dragons. Fortunately, therge group of servants trailing behind them marked their noble status. After all, no one but Celestial Dragons would dare to parade around Mariejois with such disregard for decorum.


    As they walked, Domingo continued talking to udius. "Since I''m leaving soon, I can''t take my ves with me. Why don''t I give them all to you, cousin? I still have two mermaid ves they cost me quite a fortune at the ve market."


    "Mermaids?" udius raised an eyebrow, then smiled. "Well, thank you very much, Doffy."


    udius''s predecessor had owned plenty of ves, but they had been more for show than for any real use. Most were treated as mounts, a typical pastime for the wasteful Celestial Dragons. But since returning, udius had found such practices distasteful. He had already rid himself of the useless ones, either by selling them or passing them on to servants. After all, while he still maintained the pride of a Celestial Dragon, he had no interest in indulging in senseless cruelty.


    Now, only a few ves remained in his household those with practical skills, like the swordsman who trained him.


    With Domingo offering the mermaids, udius thought it better to take them under his wing than let them fall into the hands of other depraved Celestial Dragons. At least with him, they wouldn''t suffer the same fate.