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Chenos and Tesoro rowed together toward Sabaody Archipelago.
Fortunately, Sabaody wasn't far from the Red Line, and many escaped slaves were heading in the same direction. Among them were people who knew the exact route, so there was no risk of getting lost—following the crowd was enough.
After nearly three hours of rowing, the five of them finally reached land.
They docked at Grove 13.
A lawless zone.
A gathering place for pirates, criminals… and scum.
The moment they stepped ashore, a group of human traffickers approached them.
"Hahaha! What a haul today!"
"What's going on—people just lining up to be sold?"
"And look at these goods… we're getting rich!"
Over a hundred traffickers, guns raised, surrounded thousands of escaped slaves.
They had no idea—
They had just stepped on a landmine.
Nearly every slave there had once been sold by traffickers and delivered into the hands of the Celestial Dragons.
They had just crawled out of hell.
And now these people wanted to drag them back?
The rage exploded instantly.
"Brothers! These bastards want to sell us back into hell—tear them apart!"
"Kill them!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunshots rang out, bullets striking the ground in front of the slaves, forcing them to halt.
"Hahaha! Tear us apart? You?"
"Behave and surrender—maybe I'll let you suffer less."
"Otherwise, you're in for pain!"
Several powerful slaves stepped out from the crowd and charged forward.
"We just escaped hell—don't even think about sending us back!"
They flew back faster than they charged.
The traffickers' boss kicked them away effortlessly.
"I told you—surrender. Can't understand human speech?"
He raised his foot again—
Only for it to be stopped mid-kick.
A handsome young man had blocked it with his own foot.
"Tearing you apart," the youth said calmly,
"is that really so difficult?"
The trafficker boss stared in shock.
Then he snarled, pulled out a shotgun, and fired point-blank at the youth's head.
BOOM!
Countless pellets flew forward—
And stopped.
Suspended in midair.
Not a single one touched him.
"You… you're a Devil Fruit user?!"
The youth grinned.
"Correct. You get a reward."
He lightly placed a palm against the boss's abdomen.
The next instant—
The man's stomach exploded, as if hit by a shotgun from the inside.
The youth grabbed the boss's arm with one hand and his leg with the other—
And ripped him in half.
"So," he asked quietly,
"was it hard?"
The youth turned toward the remaining traffickers, smiling with pure killing intent.
"Run! That monster—!"
"The boss was torn apart—!"
"RUN—!"
The traffickers scattered in panic.
The one who killed their boss was Chenos.
Failing to kill Charlos had left his blood boiling with nowhere to vent—and these traffickers had delivered themselves straight to him.
As far as Chenos was concerned—
Human traffickers deserved only one fate.
"Flash Step—Chain!"
His figure flickered behind the fleeing men.
A Finger Pistol.
Disappear.
Reappear.
Another Finger Pistol.
Again and again—
Until every last trafficker lay dead.
Nearby, an old woman drank from her bottle while watching.
She shook her head.
"Impressive talent… but that killing intent is heavy."
Still, she had no desire to save human traffickers.
Then—
She noticed Hancock in the crowd.
Her eyes lit up.
The next moment, she vanished.
Even Chenos—whose Observation Haki was sharp—never sensed her arrival or departure.
After the slaughter, Chenos returned to Hancock.
The freed slaves thanked him one after another before dispersing.
Once they were alone, Chenos looked at Hancock and her sisters, then Tesoro.
"What are your plans?"
Tesoro looked at Chenos with reverence.
"I want to become strong like you."
"And I want money."
"I'll become the richest man in the world—richer than the Celestial Dragons."
Hancock hesitated.
"…I want to go home."
She knew Chenos's goal—to kill all Celestial Dragons.
That path demanded power and a crew.
But the moment she escaped Mary Geoise, she feared being captured again.
Only Amazon Lily—deep in the Calm Belt—was truly safe.
Choosing home meant separation.
Chenos smiled.
He gently rubbed her head.
"It's okay. You're still young—go home and train."
"Tesoro needs time to grow."
"I do too."
"When I return here…"
"I'll come find you."
"Then we'll conquer the New World together."
Hancock finally smiled.
Then Chenos suddenly frowned.
"Wait—Amazon Lily is in the Calm Belt."
"How do we get there?"
Sea Kings.
Fruit users.
Four out of five of them.
A single wave could wipe them out.
Hancock froze.
Her sisters had eaten Snake-Snake Fruits.
She had the Love-Love Fruit.
Chenos had his rebound fruit.
Only Tesoro could swim.
It was suicide.
Then—
A shrill, furious voice echoed.
"Hancock! Sandersonia! Marigold!"
"Where did you run off to?!"
"Granny Nyon?!!!"
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