Tesoro's mind reeled. He remembered the last three years—working day and night at the most grueling jobs, enduring constant scorn, and carefully saving every single Berry for Stella's ransom. That sum of money had seemed like an impossible fortune to him. And now, a Devil Fruit, worth more than he could have ever imagined, was sitting right in front of him. The overwhelming shock left his mind completely blank. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.
Takero watched his stunned expression and frowned with impatience. "What? You don't want it? Afraid of not being able to swim? If you don't want it, I'll just throw it away. Or maybe feed it to a dog."
That casual threat was like a bucket of ice water, snapping Tesoro back to reality. He stared at the fruit, now so close he could touch it, and an intense desire burned within him. The power he had always craved was right there for the taking. The word "yes" was on the very tip of his tongue, ready to burst out.
But just as he was about to accept, a dream he had buried deep in his soul rose up and stopped him. His lips moved, but the words that came out were completely different from what he expected.
"I'm sorry, Boss," Tesoro's voice was hoarse but steady. "I think… I have to turn down your incredible offer. When it comes to Devil Fruits, I actually… have my own plans."
After saying this, as if he had used up all his strength, he dropped to his knees with a thud. He pressed his forehead to the cold floor, bracing himself for the consequences. Deep down, he had a specific fruit in mind for his future—the legendary Gold-Gold Fruit, a Paramecia-type fruit with the power to manipulate gold. That was his ultimate goal, an obsession born from witnessing the power of money and then being betrayed by it. He would become the master of wealth, never its slave again. He dreamed of using that power to build a golden empire for himself and Stella, a kingdom so magnificent that no one would ever dare to look down on them.
The chances of finding that one legendary fruit were almost zero, but a man had to have a dream. Anything could happen on the Grand Line. Just a few days ago, he had been trapped in despair, but then the boss had appeared like a god from the sky and changed everything. Sometimes, all it took was a little bit of impossible luck. Because of that slim hope, he had to refuse the precious gift in front of him.
"Please… punish me!" Tesoro said, his head still bowed. He knew the rules of the Underworld. Refusing a gift from the boss was a sign of disrespect, a public slap in the face. He expected a severe beating at the very least.
"What are you doing?" Takero's confused voice came from above him. "What's with all the drama? You have some kind of weird urge to get punished?" He even shifted back on the sofa a little, thinking this guy was a bit strange.
Tesoro looked up. "...Huh?"
"If you don't want to eat it, then don't," Takero said with an indifferent wave of his hand. "Everyone's got their own plans. I can't force you to eat it, can I? I'm not a tyrant. If you won't eat it, I'll just find a dog." Takero felt he was being a very reasonable and good boss.
Without even looking at Tesoro, who was still kneeling on the floor, he casually passed the small box over his shoulder. "He doesn't want it, so it's yours."
Monet, who had been standing quietly behind him, froze. '???' Her mind went completely blank for a second. 'He doesn't want it, so it's yours'? Didn't he just say he was going to 'feed it to a dog'? That sounds... like a huge insult...
"What, you don't want it either?" Takero asked, turning around when he felt no movement behind him. "I thought this stuff was supposed to be precious. How come both of you act so disgusted by it?" He muttered to himself and started to pull the box back. "Alright, I guess this really is something that not even dogs..."
"I want it!" a clear, urgent voice interrupted him.
Monet stepped forward and, in a flash, snatched the small box from Takero's hand. She hugged it tightly to her chest, as if afraid he would take it back. "Who said I don't want it! Dogs might not want it, but I do!" she blurted out. The words sounded strange as soon as she said them, but she didn't care.
That was a Devil Fruit! Only a fool would turn it down. She didn't have any grand dreams of a golden empire. What she wanted was simple: power. Enough power to protect herself and her sister, Sugar, so they would never be at the mercy of others again.
Without any hesitation, as Takero and a now-standing Tesoro watched with curiosity, Monet picked up the silver-white fruit, opened her mouth, and took a huge, desperate bite.
"Pfft—!!"
The next second, Monet's lovely face twisted into a knot of pure disgust. Her features contorted in pain, as if she had just swallowed a pile of rotten socks. An indescribably nauseating taste—like a mixture of spoiled fruit, rusty metal, and expired milk—exploded in her mouth like a chemical bomb.
"Ugh… this… this taste?!" She fought the powerful urge to vomit, her face turning a sickly shade of green. She felt as if both her taste buds and her soul had just been permanently damaged.
"Heh, Shanks wasn't kidding. I guess it really does taste awful," Takero commented with an amused smirk, clearly enjoying her suffering.
With tears in her eyes, Monet forced herself to swallow the mouthful of disgusting fruit pulp.
"Alright, alright, stop looking like you're about to die," Takero said. "Hurry up and see what abilities you got. Is it anything fun?" To him, this was just like opening a blind box, full of entertaining surprises.
Monet took a deep breath, trying to push past the horrible taste. She closed her eyes and focused, feeling a strange and wonderful new power surging through her body.
Then, an incredible scene began to unfold.
Without any warning, the temperature in the living room started to drop. Tiny, crystalline ice crystals began to form in the air, appearing from nothing like shimmering fireflies. Soon, they transformed into pure white snowflakes, which began to drift gently down from the ceiling.
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