The moment Chenos saw the heart-shaped Devil Fruit, he finally let out a quiet breath of relief.
He looked at Hancock and mouthed two words:
It's fine.
As someone who knew the original story, Chenos was certain—this was the Devil Fruit Hancock would obtain in the future. He also knew she gained it during her time as a slave of the Celestial Dragons.
The Love-Love Fruit was precisely what allowed her to survive this hell.
There wouldn't be any danger.
For reasons she couldn't quite explain, seeing Chenos reassure her caused the anxiety in Hancock's heart to ease slightly.
She took the fruit.
Gathering her courage, she bit down hard.
The Love-Love Fruit looked deceptively cute—a pink fruit shaped like a heart—but its taste was no different from any other Devil Fruit.
The moment it touched her tongue, Hancock nearly gagged.
Her face twisted, her delicate features scrunching together as the overwhelming bitterness and stench assaulted her senses.
And yet—
The instant she swallowed it, something changed.
A faint but irresistible aura began to radiate from Hancock's body. Without realizing it, everyone around her felt their hearts stir, their gazes drawn toward her as if enchanted.
The slaves nearby froze.
Their pupils turned into hearts.
Hands clasped together, faces flushed, they stared at Hancock with foolish, infatuated expressions.
Saint Charlos was no exception.
Though unlike the others, he didn't desire her.
What he wanted was to parade her in front of his sister—as a trophy.
To the Celestial Dragons, no matter how beautiful a woman was, she was still nothing more than a lower being. A toy.
Only Celestial Dragons were worthy of Celestial Dragons.
"Hahahaha! This looks like an interesting one!"
Saint Charlos hopped about excitedly.
"Quickly! Use your ability! Surprise me even more!"
After consuming the Devil Fruit, Hancock instinctively understood its basic power—
Anyone who fell for her charm could be turned to stone.
But understanding didn't mean control.
She had no idea how to use it.
Panic crept in.
Cold sweat soaked her forehead as fear took hold—fear that she'd fail and be killed on the spot.
Her eyes searched desperately.
They landed on Chenos.
She looked at him, silently begging for help.
Seeing her helpless expression, Chenos immediately pointed at the unfinished Devil Fruit in her hand, then raised both hands and formed a heart shape with his fingers.
Hancock froze for a fraction of a second.
Then realization dawned.
She mimicked the gesture, forming a heart with her hands and pushing it gently toward a slave who was staring at her with heart-filled eyes.
At that moment, Hancock felt the Devil Fruit's power surge through her arms.
A pink, glowing heart condensed between her palms and floated forward.
The heart touched the slave.
Instantly—
His entire body turned to stone.
"Hahahahaha! Amazing! This is fun—this ability is fun!"
Saint Charlos jumped in front of the petrified statue, delight dancing in his voice.
He casually shoved it.
The stone figure toppled over and shattered into countless pieces.
Just like that, another living human being died at Saint Charlos's hands.
And yet—
He felt no remorse.
No hesitation.
Only joy.
Because to him—
It was fun.
Damn Celestial Dragons…
Even back when he'd only read the manga, Chenos had despised these arrogant, trash-like nobles.
Now that he was experiencing their cruelty firsthand, his hatred burned hotter than ever.
This kind of filth had no right to exist.
He had to be erased.
Perhaps it was because he hadn't fully adapted to this new world yet.
Or perhaps it was because killing the Celestial Dragons had become the original Chenos's deepest obsession.
Either way—
Chenos found it increasingly difficult to suppress the murderous intent surging within him.
To hide it, he kept his head lowered most of the time, terrified that if anyone noticed, he'd be killed immediately—before he ever had a chance to grow stronger.
But the more one tried to avoid trouble…
The faster it arrived.
A hand holding a Devil Fruit suddenly entered his field of vision.
A cold, commanding voice followed.
"Eat it."
Chenos's eyes widened.
But what filled his heart wasn't fear.
It was ecstasy.
From the moment he arrived in this world, he'd tested himself—hoping for some transmigrator's privilege.
A system.
A hidden power.
Some cheat ability.
There was nothing.
He was just an ordinary transmigrator.
And in a world this dangerous, ordinary meant dead.
To survive, he had to become stronger.
The main paths to strength in the pirate world were simple: Haki, Devil Fruits, and martial prowess like swordsmanship.
But Haki and combat skills required time—years of training.
He didn't have that luxury.
Devil Fruits were different.
Even without mastery, they could make someone stronger immediately.
The only problem was—
He didn't know what kind of fruit this was.
Please don't be a Zoan…
If it turned him into some unappealing animal, Saint Charlos would kill him without hesitation.
He had to make the ability look interesting.
No matter what.
Chenos accepted the fruit and bit down without a moment's hesitation.
The instant it entered his mouth, his eyes bulged.
An indescribable stench blasted straight into his skull, a nauseating flavor so vile it felt like it assaulted his soul itself.
His body shuddered violently.
But Chenos didn't dare slow down.
Ignoring the taste—like something unspeakable mixed with every seasoning imaginable—he chewed twice and swallowed.
The moment the Devil Fruit was consumed, he felt subtle, invisible changes ripple through his body.
They weren't dramatic.
But they were unmistakable.
And information surfaced in his mind.
[Rebound-Rebound Fruit]
Absorbs damage and reflects it back.
That was it.
A single, simple description.
No instructions. No details.
Yet Chenos nearly laughed in relief.
Good.
Not a Zoan.
It wasn't that he looked down on Zoan fruits.
When fully developed, Zoans could be terrifying—sometimes even superior to other types in raw physical power.
Kaido of the Beasts was living proof: a Zoan user who pushed his fruit to absurd extremes, earning himself the title of Yonko and becoming an existence even the Navy struggled to kill.
But that level of power required time. Development. Awakening.
Chenos didn't have time.
Right now, he was standing on the edge between life and death.
If this ability failed to amuse Saint Charlos—
He would die.
"Well? Well?"
Saint Charlos looked at Chenos eagerly.
"Show me your ability! Hurry up!"
Chenos didn't move.
He stood there quietly, expression calm.
Hancock watched him with mounting worry.
Since arriving in this hell, Chenos had been the first person willing to help them.
If not for him, she might already be dead.
Suddenly—
Chenos lifted his head and looked straight at Saint Charlos.
His voice was steady.
Cold.
"Shoot me."
"…Hah???"