Chenos followed the other slaves as they were herded toward the Celestial Dragons' residence.
Behind him, Boa Hancock and her two sisters trailed close, sticking to his back like frightened little animals seeking shelter. For them, every trip to the Celestial Dragons' chambers was no different from walking onto a battlefield—whether you lived or died depended entirely on someone else's whim.
Sensing Hancock's unease, Chenos reached back and gently took her hand, hoping to give her at least a shred of reassurance.
Truth be told, his feelings toward Hancock had become… complicated.
As the days passed, he'd gradually stopped seeing her as a "character" from a manga. She was no longer a distant, untouchable figure from a panel—she was real. A living, breathing girl standing beside him. And her slightly tsundere temperament, her vulnerability beneath the pride, had slowly drawn him in.
Not as a fantasy.
But as a person.
"Ch–Chenos…"
The moment her hand was taken, Hancock instantly transformed into her usual steam-emitting mode. Her face turned so red she looked like she might faint on the spot.
"Don't worry," Chenos said softly. "We'll all be fine."
"Mm…"
In truth, Hancock didn't hear a word he said. Her head was spinning, and she let herself be led forward like she was walking on clouds.
When they entered the Celestial Dragons' chamber, Chenos released her hand at once. This wasn't a place where such gestures were safe—drawing attention here was never a good idea.
Hancock stared at her palm for a moment, still warm from his grip, a faint sense of loss tugging at her heart.
I wish… he'd hold my hand forever…
Ah—what am I thinking?!
She stole glances at Chenos's face from time to time, cheeks flushed, a shy yet blissful smile creeping onto her lips.
Chenos, however, had already gone cold.
Because today—
There were five Celestial Dragons in the room.
Behind each of them knelt dozens of slaves.
A bad sign.
An extremely bad sign.
Instinctively, Chenos retreated deeper into the crowd, hoping—praying—that today wouldn't involve him fighting again. With this many people, even surviving by exhaustion alone would be impossible.
Then a familiar, irritating voice rang out.
"Hey! Where's that unkillable one? Get out here! Today, you're going to teach my clueless brothers a proper lesson. Let them know—you're the invincible one!"
…Damn it.
Chenos forced a smile onto his face and slowly walked toward Saint Charlos.
The other Celestial Dragons looked him over with disdain. One of the women sneered openly.
"This scrawny thing? You call that unkillable? Charlos, have you really fallen that low? Want me to lend you a few slaves to play with?"
"Shut up, Shalria!" Charlos snapped back angrily. "Say that again and I'll have this unkillable toy wipe out all your slaves. Let's see how you play without any!"
Chenos's face darkened.
Oi, oi—when you threaten each other, don't drag me into it, you bastards!
At that moment, Saint Charlmark, the one Chenos had humiliated before, stepped forward.
"Don't be fooled by his size, Shalria. My slave underestimated him once—and paid with his life. Why don't you bring out that captain slave you borrowed from your father? Smash this runt to pieces."
Chenos lowered his head, cursing Charl-Mac silently.
This petty bastard really holds a grudge… even pushing her to send out a captain-level slave.
A captain slave meant exactly what it sounded like—a former pirate captain captured and reduced to property.
In the pirate world, captains were almost always the strongest on their ships.
Hard targets.
If it was an East Blue captain, Chenos could relax a bit.
But if it was someone from the New World…
He might not walk out alive.
A green-haired Celestial Dragon waved impatiently.
"Charlos, just start already. Let's get this boring game over with."
Charlos licked his lips greedily.
"And the wager?"
The green-haired one shrugged.
"One Heavenly Tribute. From a member nation."
For ordinary people, the Heavenly Tribute was a fortune beyond imagination—a sum squeezed out of an entire country through blood and suffering.
For Celestial Dragons?
It was just annual pocket money.
Lose one year, and all it meant was mild irritation.
Charlos burst into laughter. He jabbed his cane into Chenos's chest.
"Oi, unkillable! Do a good job today. Beat all their slaves flat and win me their Heavenly Tribute. I'll give you extra food."
Faced with such a generous reward, Chenos forced a smile.
"Yes… I'll make sure to beat them all down for you…"
Five figures stepped forward.
A boxer-type fighter.
A man wielding a long blade.
Two towering brutes with bulging muscles.
And finally—
An elderly, one-eyed pirate wearing a captain's hat.
Among the five, only the two brutes felt manageable.
The other three radiated danger.
Especially the old one-eyed pirate.
Being watched by him felt like being stared down by a venomous snake—cold, suffocating, lethal.
Charlos straightened proudly.
"To save time—go together."
Chenos's eyes widened.
I sincerely thank your entire family tree.
But no matter how much he cursed inwardly, reality didn't change.
He had to survive this.
Up until now, Chenos had been satisfied with his growth. Armament Haki, Observation Haki, and his Devil Fruit gave him confidence—he believed he could handle almost anyone one-on-one.
But five at once?
And three of them were real threats?
That was a problem.
Alright… first priority—take out the two brutes.
Chenos focused on the two giants towering nearly three meters tall.
Tall usually meant slow.
And if that was the case—
He could weave between them, use their massive bodies as moving obstacles. The others wouldn't dare attack recklessly for fear of hitting their own allies.
Attack, and they risk friendly fire.
Hesitate, and Chenos strikes back.
A perfect guerrilla setup.
Plan confirmed.
Let's go.
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