"A wager?"
Upon hearing Yato's words, the Empress raised her elegant brows and replied coolly,
"And what exactly do you plan to wager with me?"
"Sister, don't fall for his tricks!"
The voice came from the side of the curtained bed. It was the green-haired woman with wavy locks, Boa Sandersonia, one of Hancock's sisters.
She eyed Yato with open suspicion.
"You strange sea dragon… what exactly is your goal?"
As she spoke, her gaze flicked toward the opposite side of the bed, where a woman with short, orange hair and a stout figure sat cross-armed, watching curiously.
This was Boa Marigold, Hancock's other sister.
"He's bizarre alright. Looks completely human now, but his true form is over twenty meters long... a sea dragon?" she muttered to herself.
The two sisters hadn't been aboard the ship earlier, but they had heard the reports, specifically that Yato could manipulate ocean currents.
"Can you show us your true form?" Marigold asked bluntly.
"That wouldn't be a good idea," Yato said with a glance toward the Empress's chambers.
"I'm not as big as a true Sea King, but if I transformed, I'd probably crush this whole building."
Hancock lifted her hand, signaling her sisters to quiet down.
"Get to the point. How do you intend to prove you're not a Devil Fruit user?" she asked.
"Simple," Yato said with a smile, meeting her gaze without hesitation.
She really was beautiful, but Yato, as a man raised in the modern Earth era, wasn't the type to be easily shaken by a pretty face.
"As you probably know, the standard way to test someone for a Devil Fruit is to toss them into the ocean. If they sink and can't swim, they're a user. That's the price of power."
Hancock twitched at the obvious explanation.
Of course she knew that, no need for this clown to explain the basics. But she also understood he was building up to something, so she let it slide.
"But as you saw, my true form is a sea dragon. I don't just swim, I dominate the ocean. So that test's no good."
Yato spread his hands and smirked.
"We'll need another method."
"Get to the point!"
"Tsk, such impatience. That's no way to act, young lady. A ruler should know better," Yato said, shaking his head with mock disapproval.
"Y-Young lady?!"
Hancock's eyes widened in rage. No one had dared speak to her like this since she'd taken the throne.
"See? A few words and you're already flustered. You need more composure," Yato tutted.
"You should be like a mountain, unshaken, even in the face of collapse."
"You…!"
Hancock's chest rose and fell with barely contained fury.
"Sister, calm down, calm down," Marigold said quickly.
"That guy still holds the title of 'Guardian Deity.' We can't start a fight here."
She turned and glared at Yato.
"And you! Keep spouting nonsense and I'll make you regret it!"
"My apologies," Yato said smoothly, bowing his head, though inside, he was grinning.
Messing with them was more fun than he expected.
These three sisters shared a common secret.
As long as he didn't cross the line, they had no choice but to play along with the "Guardian Deity" act.
"Hmph."
Hancock finally managed to suppress her anger. Her expression was cold, her eyes still burning with hostility.
"Keep talking. No tricks," Sandersonia said flatly.
"If we find out you're a Devil Fruit user pretending to be our deity… I'll make sure you pay."
"Of course," Yato nodded calmly.
"Let's continue."
He stopped to organize his thoughts.
"Aside from their weakness to seawater, Devil Fruit users have another clear trait. You know what it is?"
"Stop teasing us. Just say it," Marigold snapped.
"A Devil Fruit user can only eat one fruit. If they eat a second… they'll die," Yato said, eyes sharp.
"Your body can't contain two devils. They'll clash and cause your body to explode."
"Right. That's the legend," Marigold nodded.
"Two devils in one body, locked in battle, tearing the host apart."
"Exactly. So here's my proposal."
Yato's voice turned steady.
"You give me a Devil Fruit. I'll eat it, right in front of you."
His eyes glinted.
"If I explode and die, that proves I was lying, that I'm a Devil Fruit user. You won't need to lift a finger. I'll die on my own."
"What did you say?!"
The two sisters gasped.
Was he really gambling with his life?
Even Hancock looked visibly shaken. Her eyes flickered with a rare hint of surprise.
"Wait," she said suddenly, brows furrowing.
"If you eat it… won't you lose the ability to swim? You're a sea dragon. Are you really prepared to give that up?"
Yato blinked.
He hadn't expected that, concern.
So beneath the icy exterior, she had a streak of kindness after all.
"No need to worry," he said gently.
"I am a god, after all. The Devil Fruit holds the power of a demon, but even if I eat it, I won't be tainted."
He said it quietly, feeling a slight twinge of guilt toward the sisters.
The two younger ones looked toward Hancock, waiting for her judgment.
The Empress stared into Yato's eyes for a long moment…
Then finally nodded.
"Very well. But if you're lying… when your body bursts, we'll feed your mangled remains to Bacura.
She's our royal panther, raised by generations of Empresses. I imagine she'll enjoy dragon meat."
A faint smile tugged at her lips.
"Marigold, one of the spoils from our last raid included a Devil Fruit. Bring it."
"Yes, Sister!"
Soon, a box was placed before Yato. Inside was a fruit covered in strange, spiral-shaped patterns.
Yato stared at it, slightly speechless.
These crazy women… That thing's worth at least 100 million Berries and they're just handing it over like candy?
Yes, this was a wager.
Yato bet his life.
The Empress bet a Devil Fruit.
At least, to outsiders, it looked like he was the one gambling big.
Only Yato knew, it was no risk at all.
He was certain that what he sensed on the ship was indeed a Devil Fruit. In the One Piece world, few other things matched the criteria for "mystic energy" as well.
"You have what you wanted," Hancock said, returning to her usual cold arrogance.
"Eat it. No sleight of hand, I'm watching you."
"Thanks for the treat."
Yato smirked and took a bite.
The moment the bitter, nearly inedible taste hit his tongue, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[Mystic energy detected...]
[Absorption process initiated... 1%... 50%... 100%. Absorption complete!]
[Congratulations, host. Second transformation unlocked, Shadow Wraith.
<><>---------------------------------------
200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapters