Aming's shocked voice echoed across the deck.
Yemu did not say much. He simply pointed to the three Devil Fruits at the very front, then looked at Anne, who was also looking at him, and said,
"This is what I gained from this trip. Twenty-six Devil Fruits in total. Most of them are Zoan-type, along with three Paramecia-type and one Mythical Zoan."
"This golden-yellow Devil Fruit, made up of little round segments covered in spiral patterns, is the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi that Mr. Shiki once possessed."
"And this one, shaped like an apple and wrapped in yellow-and-black spiral markings like a lion's fur, is the Tori Tori no Mi, Mythical Zoan, Nue Model. It was a cooperative gift from Kaidou of the Beasts Pirates."
"As for this one, a purple fruit shaped like a banana, its skin wrapped in ring after ring of spring-like vines, this is the Moa Moa no Mi once possessed by Byrnndi World, the man known as the World Destroyer."
As Yemu explained, everyone gasped in amazement. Elder Nyon, as the Kuja's Staff Officer, could not stop exclaiming,
"This is truly outrageous. Any one of these Devil Fruits would probably shake the outside world if it appeared. I never thought Captain Yemu would obtain all of them."
But just then, Yemu said,
"Before we decide how to divide them, I first need to apologize to you, Anne."
Yemu's words surprised everyone. Even Galahad Anne's alluring eyes showed a faint trace of astonishment.
"What I originally promised you was the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi. That was also the reason I went to Impel Down. But..."
Yemu then roughly explained what had happened during his battle with Shiki. When he finished, he looked apologetic as he said,
"I promised Mr. Shiki that I would personally eat the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi, so I can only give you one of the remaining two Devil Fruits. As compensation, you may also choose one from the other twenty-three. The abilities of these twenty-three are..."
Yemu was about to continue, but Anne smiled charmingly and said,
"No need. I'm not that petty."
As she spoke, she looked at the two remaining Devil Fruits and asked,
"Which of these two do you think suits me better...?"
"Mm. Of these two Devil Fruits, although the Moa Moa no Mi is said to possess power capable of destroying the world, I suggest you choose this Mythical Zoan. First, a Zoan-type Devil Fruit can strengthen your body. Second, this fruit's abilities are fairly well-rounded. According to the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, it can create and control flames, fly like a dragon, and generate flame clouds. Aside from that, it also has some very interesting abilities that you'll need to discover for yourself..."
"Then I'll choose this one..."
"Mm."
Yemu handed the Devil Fruit to Anne. Anne looked at the Devil Fruit in her hand with anticipation, then said to Yemu with a meaningful look,
"The ability to control fire? That is somewhat similar to your ability."
Yemu felt a little awkward at once, because in that moment, he remembered that phrase again.
The Mera Mera no Mi was so worthless even a dog would not eat it!
"Alright, then I plan to give the remaining Moa Moa no Mi to Tiger. With his powerful fish-man physique, he's the best suited for this fruit."
After settling the fate of the three most powerful Devil Fruits, what remained were the other twenty-three.
"This Bari Bari no Mi with a glass-like sheen on its surface has another use, so I don't plan to distribute it. As for the other twenty-two..."
At this point, Yemu first looked toward Fes and Aming.
"You two should each pick one first."
"Huh?!"
Both of them were startled. Even Aming now understood how precious Devil Fruits were.
They instinctively wanted to refuse, but Yemu said,
"Don't be so quick to turn it down. Just like Erik said, our next move will be a big one. It will be impossible to prevent spies from entering our country. And in order to strengthen our forces, Erik and the others will soon form their own pirate crews, so they won't stay on the island for long. That means both of you will have heavy responsibilities. Especially you, Aming. You've seen the strength of those World Government spies. As the sheriff who protects everyone, you can't afford to be too weak. So don't refuse. Choose one."
"I... I..."
Yemu's words made perfect sense, but Aming still felt too embarrassed to accept such a precious Devil Fruit for nothing.
While Aming was hesitating, Fes seemed to come to a decision. He nodded and set an example.
"I understand, Yemu-sama. We definitely won't let you down. However, Aming and I don't know much about Devil Fruits, so please choose one for each of us."
"Mm."
Yemu thought for a moment, looked over the twenty-two fruits, and picked out two of them.
"This one is the Zoan-type Neko Neko no Mi, Black Panther Form. This one is for you, Fes. As for Aming, this one is the Zoan-type Tori Tori no Mi, Owl Form. It's one of the rare flying abilities among these Zoan-type fruits."
After saying that, Yemu picked out the two fruits and handed them directly to them.
Fes and Aming stared at the incredibly precious Devil Fruits in their hands, dazed for a moment. Then they clutched them tightly as if holding treasures.
"Now there are twenty left. Just enough..."
Yemu casually selected five Zoan-type Devil Fruits from among them and pushed them toward Anne and Elder Nyon.
Elder Nyon froze. She looked at Anne, then back at Yemu.
"Captain Yemu, what does this mean?"
Yemu's answer was simple.
"It's a deal."
"A deal?"
"That's right. By now, you should know what I'm trying to do. If the Marines and the World Government learn that pirates are building a nation, they will absolutely launch a furious counterattack. With the Sky Pirates' current strength, we don't fear being hunted by the Marines or the World Government, but we're still far from being able to face them head-on. I do plan to have Enel, Tiger, and Erik form their own pirate crews next, rapidly expanding our forces, but that will still take time."
At that, Elder Nyon fully understood.
"So, in the future, I'll need the Kuja's help to fight the World Government and the Marines. These five Devil Fruits are your payment. What do the Kuja think?"
***
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