Chapter 11 "Unforeseen Bonds: The Devil's Bargain"

Yash saw what he couldn't believe: walking on air. It was so cool that he felt excited about it. After all, who wouldn't want to walk on air?

The Devil that possessed Yash looked down at Luffy and the Boa sisters. "It's been such a while since my kind has taken some fresh air," he mumbled under his breath.

Devils aren't around in their physical form in the world of One Piece, after all.

"That guy has Devil Fruit abilities as well?" exclaimed Boa Marigold.

"How? He didn't seem strong at all just a moment ago," wondered Boa Sandersonia.

"So what if he has powers? He's still a man who defied my beauty. I can't stand his existence. Take both of them down."

Everyone in the audience fell silent for a second as they witnessed Yash walking on air above the Gladiatorial arena.

"Is he trying to get away?" one girl shouted in the audience.

"Escape? Why should I?" the Devil spoke silently, and in the next instant stood before the Boa sisters. "I am going to handle them myself, Luffy. Don't butt in."

"Are you sure?" Luffy asked Yash, but Yash was trapped in his subconsciousness, witnessing everything.

"How arrogant. You think you can beat Boa Sandersonia sama and Boa Marigold sama?" one girl in the audience yelled.

"He is such a funny guy," Marigold and Sandersonia giggled, but in the next moment, they both jumped on Yash, and with their huge snake forms, they started to coil around him.

"Yes, I am sure, Luffy," the Devil touched Boa Sandersonia's tail, which was being wrapped around him. "Perish."

As soon as those words came out of Yash's mouth, both of the Boa sisters reverted back to their human forms. Feeling terrified, horrified, and scared, both of the Boa sisters screamed and ran back towards Boa Hancock.

Boa Hancock's eyes widened at the scene. "What did he do?" Boa Hancock wondered out loud.

"That guy defeated Boa Marigold sama and Boa Sandersonia sama? How?" wondered one of the girls in the Kuja Pirates.

"Ohhh! Amazing!" Luffy exclaimed. "How did you pull that off, Yash?" asked Luffy.

Before Luffy could get an answer, Yash revolted against the Devil's control with his willpower, causing him to fall unconscious on the ground.

"You fought well," said Luffy as he caught Yash. "I should have known you were overexerting yourself. After all, your physical strength isn't this strong yet." Luffy misinterpreted the situation.

"What did you do? Why are both of them so scared?" asked Yash to the Devil in his subconsciousness.

"I reverted them back to when they didn't have any Devil Fruit powers by means of death and nothing else," answered the Devil.

"But nobody died," Yash argued back with tension in his voice.

"Someone did die. You just couldn't notice," answered the Devil.

"Who?" Yash gulped and waited in suspense for the answer.

"Like hell I will tell you without anything in return. You want to know? Then quickly accept my existence and give me authority over your body."

"???" Yash was confused at the Devil's demand. "Why do you want my body?"

"It seems like I need to explain everything for this to become easier," thought the Devil.

"I am Thanatos, the Devil that controls traveling in time by means of a soul's demise. Like every Devil, I want incarnation. Other Devils used Fruits of this world as a means for incarnation. You might know them as Devil Fruit, but I want something different."

Thanatos' gaze became a glare, and a smug smile came on his face. "You are just a pawn in my grand plan. But I treat my pawns especially well. Become my incarnate. All you have to do for me in return is, before your death, let yourself be eaten by someone."

"You plan to make my body... a Devil Fruit?" Yash wondered.

"How about it? You, a weakling, have such a huge chance on your side. Do it, accept my existence, and become my incarnation." Thanatos persuaded Yash even further, his snake-like consciousness wrapping around Yash's consciousness.

"This does sound like a good deal, and after all the things I witnessed in this world, having some abilities will really feel great, but..."

"I killed the Devil's soul inside the Boa sisters to revert them back to the state when they hadn't eaten Devil Fruit."

"That sounds a lot useful, but there is something off about this deal."

Before Yash could have any more thoughts, Thanatos used the previous positive thoughts towards this idea as an agreement to some contract. A huge contract popped out of nowhere and entered Yash's stomach.

"Wait, I haven't agreed to anything yet," Yash protested, but the Devil entered him, and the contract was signed.

Yash's eyes slowly opened in the One Piece world again. He was lying in a bed in the palace. The place looked fancy with a lot of beautiful flowers and decorations.

'What happened when I was knocked out?' Yash thought and got up.

A girl with wavy black hair, cascading over her shoulders, passed by. She was thin and wore bandages on her arms. She wore a bluish-white top that showed her cleavage and stomach. She also wore a skirt of matching color in the front, but pink in the back, with a yellow string around it.

Poppy saw Yash awake and quickly went towards him. "You're awake. I hope you rested well," she said in a formal manner. "My name is Poppy, and I was asked to check up on you."

Yash blinked, still feeling a bit groggy from his recent ordeal. He nodded at Poppy, offering her a faint smile. "Thank you, Poppy. I appreciate your concern. How long was I out?"

Poppy clasped her hands together, a worried expression crossing her face. "You were unconscious for almost an entire day. We were quite worried about you. But thankfully, you seem to be recovering well."

Yash rubbed his temples, trying to piece together the events that led to his current situation. "What happened after I... passed out?" he asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

Poppy hesitated for a moment before responding. "Well, after you collapsed, Luffy brought you here to the palace. He insisted on taking care of you himself, so he's been keeping watch over you ever since."

Yash's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Luffy did that?" he exclaimed, his mind reeling with confusion. "But why would he go out of his way to help me like that?"

Poppy smiled warmly, a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes. "It seems Luffy has a knack for making unexpected friends," she said cryptically. "He's a peculiar one, but there's something about him that draws people to him."

Yash nodded thoughtfully, his mind racing with questions. "And what about the Boa sisters? Are they... alright?" he asked, his voice trailing off as he remembered the events that transpired in the arena.

Poppy's expression darkened slightly at the mention of the Boa sisters. "They're shaken up, to say the least," she admitted. "But they'll recover in time. Boa Hancock is tending to them personally, trying to calm their nerves."

Yash frowned, a pang of guilt gnawing at his insides. "I never meant for things to escalate like that," he confessed, his voice filled with remorse. "I just... I lost control, and..."

Poppy placed a comforting hand on Yash's shoulder, offering him a reassuring smile. "It's alright, Yash. We all have moments of weakness. What's important is that you're safe now, and everyone here is willing to help you however they can."

Yash sighed, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders at Poppy's words. "Thank you, Poppy. I appreciate your kindness," he said sincerely, a sense of gratitude welling up inside him.

Poppy nodded, her eyes softening with compassion. "Of course, Yash. We're all in this together, after all."