It has been nearly half a year since the Kuro Brothers boarded the Twin Goddesses.
During this time, while everyone else focused on rigorous training, the Kuro Brothers were no exception.
Because of the unique nature of their bodies, physical training offered them no benefit. For them, developing powerful metals was like having a cheat code to enhance their abilities.
However, since leaving Water 7, the development of the third-generation Baku Baku Metal has slowed to a crawl. This was inevitable; metal development is purely a matter of science, and precise ratios must be calculated down to several decimal places. Back in Water 7, progress had been rapid thanks to the guidance of experienced hands like Tom, Iceburg, and Franky, but now...
In this sense, the need to fill the role of ship scientist had become increasingly urgent.
Still, while the third-generation Baku Baku Metal development had stalled, the four's Devil Fruit abilities had advanced remarkably fast.
Kurota's Noko Noko no Mi, with Ayala's full support in its development, had reached an incredible level; the toxic clouds over the Sabaody Archipelago left even the Marines helpless.
Kuroli's Kama Kama no Mi, under the tutelage of the swordsman Erik, had achieved a level where the power of the slashes could easily cut through rock, and was now advancing toward the ability to cut iron.
Kuromi's Baku Baku no Mi now allowed effortless fusion of Devil Fruits with other objects. The cooldown still lasted six months, and only one item could be fused at a time, but the unpleasant bloating effects had disappeared, and additional items could now be fused as well.
Kuromu's Doa Doa no Mi, under Yemu's guidance, had progressed beyond simply opening doors on various objects—he had begun to sense the existence of space itself.
The Doa Doa no Mi's ability seems simple: any object the user touches becomes a door that can be opened, allowing free passage anywhere. But conversely, if a door is being opened, does that mean the user can also sense the space they wish to enter? Simply put, they must be able to perceive the world beyond the door; otherwise, it wouldn't truly be "opening" it.
With this in mind, Yemu began guiding Kuromu to sense the presence of space.
The results were astonishing. Kuromu increasingly sensed the presence of invisible spaces and could freely enter them through the Doa Doa no Mi. Beyond that, he began creating alternate dimensions himself. With sufficient energy, these dimensions could be made infinitely large.
For example, the dimension housing the Twin Goddesses.
Or the alternate space created in the Mirror World by Charlotte Brûlée—the eighth daughter of Charlotte Linlin—using her Mirror Fruit ability.
Now, Yemu wanted Kuromu to attempt entering the alternate dimension created by the Buku Buku no Mi.
Compared to the previous two, the Buku Buku no Mi's dimension seemed even more extraordinary. Within a single book lay hundreds of tiny worlds, making it even harder to perceive the spaces inside.
"Can you feel it?" Yemu asked, a note of anticipation in her voice.
Kuromu did not disappoint, answering with excitement.
"I can feel it, Boss! So many tiny spaces!"
A hint of delight appeared on Yemu's face. The next question was crucial.
"Can you open doors to these spaces at will, or do you have to follow the order of the pages?"
"Let me try..."
Kuromu focused on sensing each tiny world within, then replied.
"Boss, it looks like there aren't any restrictions. Um, should we give it a try?"
Yemu paused for a moment, then answered confidently.
"Of course. Let's go with page 50!"
"Got it, Boss. Watch this!"
As Kuromu activated the Doa Doa no Mi, the light from the Lamp Dial illuminated the massive book cover, and a circular mark appeared.
"It worked, Boss. Should we open it?"
"Yeah, leave the rest to me!"
Yemu readied herself.
When Kuromu opened the circular door, a pitch-black cage appeared in Yemu's view. At the same time, a fist-sized creature cloaked in black with dark armor—resembling a giant ant—materialized before him.
"What is this!?"
As if reacting to the intense light, the creature inside the cage stirred to life. Its two pairs of antennae twitched, and of its three pairs of arms, the top pair half-covered its eyes as it looked toward the light. Then its eyes widened, and its body transformed into a black shadow as it charged forward, letting out a furious roar that sounded like a mature man's.
"BIGMOM, meet your end!"
"What incredible speed!"
Yemu's eyes widened. With such speed combined with such a tiny frame, it was almost impossible to spot.
But...
Yemu thrust out a colossal hand and snatched up the creature in one swift motion.
"Damn it, I won't give in!"
The little creature struggled violently. Its six arms exerted a force so incredible that Yemu could hardly believe it, and it wriggled free from his grasp. Judging by the texture through his palm, the black armor covering its body offered astonishing defense.
As soon as it broke free, two pairs of transparent, membrane-like wings sprouted from its back, and it soared into the air.
Yemu's eyes lit up completely.
Once free and in the air, the ant-like creature realized something was wrong. The world around it was pitch black, with only a few small areas of light. Something about the scene seemed familiar.
Looking down, it finally understood that the one who had grabbed it wasn't that despicable woman, Big Mom.
It seemed to grasp the situation and cautiously hovered in midair, asking softly,
"My lord… have you also come to rescue comrades captured by BIGMOM?"
"You're not far off with that interpretation!"
Yemu replied.
The creature immediately relaxed, a happy expression spreading across its face.
The sound drew the attention of everyone in the library. They approached, looking up at the tiny ant-like creature bathed in the Lamp Dial's light, and asked in surprise,
"What is this? It's so small—is it a talking ant?"
"No, you're mistaken, sirs. I am Ron, a warrior of the Dwarves. I only look like this because I ate the Zoan Mushi Mushi no Mi—Ant Model."
As he finished speaking, the fist-sized ant began to change. The armor fell away, and its head transformed into human form.
A young man appeared before them, with brown hair and a pointed nose, looking to be in his twenties. A bushy tail like a squirrel's trailed behind him. He wore a black Raid Suit with a cloak draped over his shoulders, giving him the overall appearance of a squirrel dressed in black.
"This is my true form. My lord, thank you for saving me. Please allow me to express my gratitude later—I must go find my younger brother now..."