Brook's crush on Candel being a boy's crush on the lady who rescued him makes me feel way better about him simping for Candel last chapter.
It makes all the sense in the world he views her the way he does.
Shuri being so cute here is going to make the BS Imu and the WG pull hurt bad.
I think Candel was sought out by a Celestial Dragon involved with the criminal gangs and corrupt marines.
Shuri finds her Mom being attacked, and injures a Celestial Dragon.
Imu agrees to spare the kingdom if Shuri becomes a God's Knight, seeing her potential, and having interest in her eyes.
Keep in mind Mihawk developed his eyes over time.
We see Gunko with her eyes at seven, indicating she was born with them.
I'm assuming that Shuri has some genetics that interest Imu. Like Linlin, Imu seems to be obsessed with getting every tribe under his control.
Imu tricks Shuri, and once she obtains her Mark, Candel and Leuven die through Imu's possession.
Imu promised her he'd spare the kingdom, not her parents. Shuri's Will is destroyed, and, she is unable to tell Brook the truth.
Brook is branded as a criminal, and, through a twist of fate meets Yorki.
The only way I can see Candel being a God's Knight, is if Imu knew Leuven had certain genetics, and wanted to produce a child to become a Celestial Dragon.
Would be wild as hell if Candel was just after this man's semen, but, Brook is historically one of the best judges of characters in this series, and the "My Mom died saving me from Celestial Dragons, and now the guy I had a crush on when I was a kid has turned into a skeleton and is going to save me from the devil" sounds way more like the kind of romance Oda likes.
Candel, Leuven, and Shuri all seem to be really good individuals.
I think Candel was targetted by Celestial Dragons and Shuri got involved in the crossfire.
Creepy rich freaks