Stussy's tone remained calm, but the intensity in her eyes was impossible to hide.
Reno had originally planned to seek her out himself—he hadn't expected her to come to him first. That saved him the trouble.
He released Emma from his arms.
"Of course, Miss Stussy," Reno said with a faint smile. "But you might need to fulfill a small request of mine first."
Stussy raised a delicate brow, the lazy smile on her lips deepening.
"Oh? A small request?"
She didn't step back. Instead, she leaned slightly forward, meeting his gaze head-on.
"Something you'd call a 'wish' probably isn't all that simple, is it?"
Reno chuckled softly. Instead of answering, he lifted a finger and tilted her chin upward, leaning closer.
"I'll tell you… when the time comes."
Stussy studied him for a few seconds, then snapped open her folding fan to hide the faint flush on her face.
"In that case… when would you be available, Mr. Reno?"
"If you want, right now."
But Stussy shook her head with a knowing smile.
"Not yet. My equipment isn't ready." She turned gracefully. "Tomorrow, I'll visit your ship."
She didn't wait for his reply before leaving.
Reno watched her go, eyes lingering on her silhouette. There was something uniquely captivating about her—just like Linlin. It stirred something deep within him.
The next morning, Stussy arrived at Reno's ship as promised.
After a brief exchange, she led him to her laboratory on Hachinosu.
The interior surprised him—sleek, advanced equipment filled the room, almost out of place in a pirate world.
"Please stand beneath the scanner," she said.
Reno obliged.
Moments later, Stussy stared at the data on her screen, her composure finally breaking.
"Your cellular telomeres… they can divide for at least eight thousand years?"
Even she couldn't hide her shock.
Eight thousand years. That meant, under normal circumstances, Reno's lifespan would stretch across millennia.
Reno stepped beside her, equally surprised. He had known his race was long-lived—but not to this extent.
Stussy quickly regained her composure, though her breathing remained uneven.
"Mr. Reno… does your 'devil transformation' grant others the same lifespan?"
"Of course," he replied. "Those I transform become the same kind of being as me."
A flicker of decision passed through her eyes.
In the next moment, she stepped closer, placing her hands lightly on him and looking up with a soft, alluring smile.
"In that case… when will you transform me?"
"That depends on when you've prepared a Devil Fruit."
"I already have."
Stussy's tone was confident.
Reno's interest sharpened.
"Then…" he said slowly, "how about something else first?"
She smiled knowingly, clearly understanding his implication.
"Perhaps that was your 'wish' all along?"
Reno laughed.
"Stussy… be my woman."
She didn't hesitate.
"That would be my honor, Mr. Reno."
Afterward, when everything settled, Reno kept his word.
"I'll transform you now," he said.
Stussy's eyes lit up instantly, any lingering dissatisfaction gone.
She hurried to retrieve a Devil Fruit—a matte, apple-like fruit covered in spiral patterns.
Reno examined it, raising a brow.
"The Paper-Paper Fruit?"
"In your eyes, it may seem weak," Stussy said calmly, shaking her head. "But power depends on how it's used."