Shanks then carefully explained the powers of the Devil Fruit to Yelena. His crew members, watching closely, couldn't help but marvel at her extraordinary fortune.
Yet Yelena's words brought a sudden silence: "We found this among the fruits and vegetables you gave us."
The members of the Red-Haired Pirates exchanged glances, hesitant to speak.
After a brief pause, Shanks chuckled. "There are no Devil Fruits on our ship…"
"Perhaps the previous Devil Fruit user perished, and this fruit happened to be reborn among the supplies we brought."
Yelena raised an eyebrow at his words, still uncertain what he meant.
She extended her hand, offering the fruit to Shanks. "Such a miraculous and precious item belongs with you."
The Red-Haired Pirates laughed and waved her off. "Among people who sail the seas, there's an unspoken rule: whoever discovers a Devil Fruit can claim it for themselves."
"Since you found it, Yelena, it belongs to you!"
Shanks nodded in full agreement, smiling as he pushed the fruit back to her. "Yelena, you keep it. The whole crew has agreed not to eat any fruit."
Yelena looked between the fruit in her hands and the genuine smiles of the Red-Haired Pirates. A mixture of hesitation and surprise filled her.
Meanwhile, Louis fell into thought. If his memory served him, the Five Elders once said that the will of a Devil Fruit exists within all Zoan-type fruits.
In his previous life, some observers had noted that certain Devil Fruits seemed to choose their own owners. The Five Elders indicated, however, that only Zoan fruits could avoid the World Government's search and independently select their master.
So in this case, was it Yelena's luck, or did the fruit choose her?
After much contemplation, Louis gave up on finding an answer.
At that moment, Yelena made a move that surprised everyone.
Under the watchful eyes of all present, she approached Louis and held out the Devil Fruit once more.
Louis stared at the fruit, a question mark written across his face. "What are you doing?"
"For you." Yelena's reddened eyes met his, her cracked lips barely moving.
The cold wind ruffled a few strands of her white hair, brushing her pale, yet gentle, smiling face, signaling the seriousness of her gesture to everyone.
Louis froze, instinctively repeating, "For me?"
"Yes. I want to give it to you."
Nearby villagers, who had been scattered moments before, immediately stopped their grieving. Families gathered, drawn by the unexpected scene.
Seeing Louis remain silent, Yelena continued, "If you hadn't intervened in that battle, my people and I would have died. Even the women and children living on this plateau would have been discovered and slaughtered."
After the Jacob people poisoned the river, Yelena realized that even if she were to die alongside her king, her people would never stand a chance against the treacherous Jacob clan. In other words, without Louis, Canaan would likely have been wiped out long ago.
So I want to give this fruit to you.
The assembled civilians exchanged solemn glances, a hint of disappointment in their eyes. Clearly, this was not what they had expected to witness.
Louis drew a deep breath and returned the fruit. "Anyone who eats a Devil Fruit cannot consume a second one."
Hearing this, Yelena looked at Shanks, her smile turning into confusion. Only when Shanks nodded in confirmation of Louis' words did she reluctantly lower her hands.
The campfire blazed, small sparks rising with the heat, flickering like countless stars. The orange glow stretched their shadows across the ground.
Amid the crackling of the fire, Louis looked at the fruit in her hands and suggested, "I think it would be best if you ate this fruit yourself."
Yelena shook her head. "I'm near death. Eating a Devil Fruit would be a waste."
She had already resolved to launch a midnight assault on the town below, aiming to kill as many Jacob soldiers as possible.
Although the Devil Fruit's power could enhance her strength, it would be too tragic if she died along with it.
So she planned to give the fruit to Louis, asking him to help her people escape the island.
Louis considered her words thoughtfully. "Not necessarily. Zoan-type Devil Fruits can enhance the body. Perhaps it could help alleviate your condition."
At that moment, Shanks straightened his straw hat, rested his hand on Honggu's shoulder, and stepped forward with a smile. "Don't worry. Honggu will cure your illness!"
"Right, Honggu?!"
Shanks' voice radiated confidence in his companion. He believed that Yelena's illness was a minor problem for Honggu.
Hearing this, Honggu revised his earlier statement and nodded calmly. "Leave it to me."
Yelena froze, speechless. Ever since learning that Louis' miraculous powers had no effect on her condition, she had lost hope for survival.
Yet unexpectedly, she now had a chance to live, to continue protecting her people.
Before she could react further, the ordinary villagers protected and supported by the Canaan royal family for generations could no longer remain passive.
In an instant, they surged toward Honggu like a tide, their faces pleading, eyes glistening with tears.
"Please save Her Majesty!"
"She's not even fifteen! She shouldn't die like this!"
Thud… One person knelt, then another, then a third.
Soon, all two hundred remaining survivors of the Canaan Kingdom were kneeling before Honggu and the Red-Haired Pirates.
For a moment, even the Red-Haired Pirates were stunned.
Seeing this, Yelena came to her senses, stepping forward to help her people to their feet. The Red-Haired Pirates recovered from their shock and joined in helping the kneeling civilians stand.
"What are you doing? Stand up!" Yelena called, careful not to harm her subjects with too much force.
Seeing her words had little effect, she shifted from her usual gentle tone and feigned anger. "Are you not listening to me at all?"
"Do you no longer recognize me as the last queen of Canaan?"
Her words made the civilians tremble, silencing them, though they remained kneeling.
After a long moment, one spoke hoarsely, "Your Majesty, we all see the gratitude owed to the Canaan royal family."
"If it weren't for the kings of the past, who protected us with their lives and exchanged their health for food to sustain our survival, we would have been extinct long ago!"
"Ever since we were driven to this plateau, no king of the royal family could leave peacefully. Now that you have a chance to live, how could we stand by and watch it be lost?"