Saint Charlos stared at Chenos in surprise.
He clearly hadn't expected a slave to make that kind of request.
The surrounding slaves were just as stunned. They couldn't understand it at all—Chenos had already eaten a Devil Fruit. As long as he demonstrated his ability properly, there was still a chance to live.
So why was he asking to die?
"Chenos…!"
Hancock cried out instinctively.
She immediately froze when one of her sisters tugged on her clothes, reminding her where they were.
This was hell.
A single careless sound could get someone killed.
The young Hancock didn't yet possess the overwhelming confidence of the future Pirate Empress who could ignore Marine summons at will. Her body trembled uncontrollably as she stared at Chenos, worry filling her eyes.
The other slaves' gazes toward Chenos changed as well.
Their earlier indifference slowly turned into something closer to admiration.
Many of them wanted to die just like this—to escape this hell through death.
But they didn't have the courage.
So they remained slaves.
Chenos raised his voice again.
"Shoot me."
The smile on Saint Charlos's face vanished, replaced by cold disdain.
"Heh. Boring trick."
His finger tightened on the trigger.
"Since you want to die so badly, I'll grant your wish."
Bang—!
At the sound of the gunshot, Hancock's body jolted. She squeezed her eyes shut, unable to look.
Tears spilled down her cheeks.
He's dead…
The first friend I made here… just like that…
Then—
Someone shouted in disbelief.
"L-Look! That guy didn't die!"
"What?! He's really not dead!"
"Is that his Devil Fruit ability?!"
Hancock's heart skipped.
Fear and hope tangled together as she slowly opened her eyes and looked toward Chenos.
A bullet was suspended right in front of his forehead.
As if stopped by an invisible wall.
Deprived of all momentum, it fell to the ground.
Clink. Clink.
The sound of metal hitting stone echoed faintly.
Chenos swallowed hard, then sucked in air greedily, breathing as if he'd just surfaced from deep water.
A moment later—
A smile spread across his face.
A smile born of surviving disaster.
From the moment he'd eaten the Devil Fruit, Chenos had been thinking nonstop.
How do I make Saint Charlos find this "fun"?
For a Celestial Dragon who could trample lives just for amusement, pleasing him was absurdly difficult.
The only way was shock.
And reversal.
He had to disappoint Saint Charlos first—make him think this was just another slave begging for death—then overturn that expectation completely.
Let the bullet hit.
Then stop it.
Survive.
Only then would it feel interesting.
But the problem was obvious.
He hadn't tested his ability even once.
Stopping a bullet as the very first experiment was practically suicidal.
Yet he had no choice.
His Devil Fruit description was far too vague—just absorb and reflect.
With no room for finesse, this was the only gamble he could make.
So he gambled.
With his life.
Win—and live.
Lose—and die.
And maybe… maybe death would just mean transmigrating again.
Plan confirmed.
Do it.
And now—
He had won.
"Saint Charlos-sama," Chenos said, forcing calm into his voice, "this is my Devil Fruit ability. I hope it pleases you."
Saint Charlos stared at him in a daze.
Then, without warning, he raised the gun again.
And fired.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Chenos's pupils shrank.
This wasn't part of the plan.
He'd thought that once the surprise was delivered, it would be over.
He hadn't expected Saint Charlos to keep shooting.
Relentlessly.
At this point, Chenos couldn't think anymore.
All he could do was focus—pour every ounce of concentration into enduring the incoming bullets.
Each shot struck his body.
Each impact was absorbed.
And with every absorption, energy piled up inside him.
Too much.
Far too much.
It felt like his body was being inflated from within, like it was about to burst apart.
Fortunately—
Saint Charlos was holding a gold-plated revolver.
Six bullets total.
One had already been fired earlier at the large slave.
That left five.
Otherwise, Chenos was certain he would've exploded from the accumulated energy.
Even now, his body felt unbearably tight—like the moment right before vomiting after drinking too much.
When the last bullet was fired, Saint Charlos stared at Chenos.
Aside from several new holes in his clothes—
He was completely unharmed.
Then Saint Charlos burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha! This ability is great!"
"No matter how much I shoot, nothing happens!"
"This toy is amazing!"
Boom—!
The palace doors were suddenly kicked open.
A Celestial Dragon wearing a square-shaped bubble helmet strode in.
"Charlos! I could hear your laughter from far away. Looks like you got yourself a pretty good toy."
Saint Charlos's expression darkened the moment he saw the newcomer.
"Tch. Charlmark, you bastard. What are you doing here today?"
The Celestial Dragon called Saint Charlmark laughed loudly.
"Of course I'm here for some thrilling slave matches! The Heavenly Tribute just arrived—perfect timing to use it as betting stakes."
Saint Charlos glanced at the dead giant from earlier, then looked at the thin, exhausted slaves on his own side.
His enthusiasm deflated instantly.
"Get lost. I'm not in the mood today."
Saint Charlmark snorted.
"What? Don't tell me…"
"…you're scared?"
Saint Charlos exploded in rage.
"Who the hell is scared?!"
He pointed straight at Chenos.
"I just got myself an unkillable toy! Perfect timing—let's play!"
WRNMMP—!
(Chenos' internal scream)
The moment someone else entered, Chenos had already been inching backward, desperately trying to blend into the crowd.
But it was useless.
Saint Charlos remembered him all too well.
Looks like that "surprise" really left an impression.
Saint Charlmark laughed even harder.
"An unkillable toy? Hahaha! Then let my big toy smash him into minced meat. Let's see if he really can't die!"
As his words fell—
A massive shadow stepped forward behind Saint Charlmark.
A giant nearly three meters tall, gripping a hammer larger than two Chenos put together, entered the palace.
Thankfully, Saint Charlos's residence was spacious enough.
Otherwise, the giant wouldn't have even fit inside.
Saint Charlos pointed at Chenos and issued a command.
"You. Go."
"Use your Devil Fruit power."
"Kill that big guy."
Chenos glanced around at the masked men in black suits standing nearby.
There was no escape.
Grinding his teeth, he stepped forward—
And walked toward the giant.