Everyone present was drawn in by Dr. Furumi's almost deranged muttering.
They turned to look and saw the elderly Dr. Furumi staring at Kuromu like a man possessed. He stretched out both hands and staggered toward him, as if he wanted to touch Kuromu, while still murmuring under his breath.
"But where are its wings... Why...?"
Kuromu was startled. He glanced at Yemu, his eyes seeming to ask whether he could just knock the old man out.
Seeing that, Yemu's eyes lit up instead.
It looked like his test had succeeded.
"Dr. Furumi, was it? Your questions can wait until later. It's not your turn yet."
Yemu's low voice seemed to carry some kind of force that bound the mind. Dr. Furumi, who had been lost in obsession, instantly snapped back to his senses. Feeling the strange looks from everyone around him, he realized something was wrong, stopped at once, and apologized.
"I... I'm sorry... I was just... too excited..."
Yemu let out a long sigh.
"What a shame. The mood's been ruined a little. But never mind."
With that, his gaze returned to Shiki.
"I took the risk of bringing Shiki-san here from the sixth floor of Impel Down, and naturally, it wasn't just to catch up. I came for your Devil Fruit, Shiki-san."
"!!!"
Shiki froze, as if he had not quite understood what Yemu meant.
But Dr. Furumi, standing nearby, suddenly seemed to realize something. He looked at the red-haired boy in front of him, recalled Yemu's earlier introduction, and then connected it with what he had just said.
"You... You're Yemu, captain of the Sky Pirates... Could what Nicholas told me actually be true? Have you really mastered the ability to extract Devil Fruits from ability users? How is that possible... Cough, cough, cough..."
Perhaps because he was too agitated, he broke into a fit of coughing.
At that moment, Shiki also understood. He looked at Yemu in disbelief, then gave a sinister laugh.
"So that's it. You're after this old man's Devil Fruit?"
"That's right."
Yemu looked at Shiki.
"Your Devil Fruit, Shiki-san, is a crucial part of my plan to change this world. So I have to obtain it."
"Change the world..."
Those words made Shiki laugh darkly.
"That's quite the claim, kid. Who do you think you are? Even Rocks and Roger couldn't do it. What makes you think you can?"
"Ah..."
Yemu did not get angry. Instead, he said something that surprised Shiki.
"That's exactly why I woke you up, Shiki-san."
Under Shiki's slightly stunned gaze, Yemu spoke without hiding anything.
"I'm sure even you can't deny it, Shiki-san. If I was able to bring you here from LV6 without you noticing a thing, then taking your Devil Fruit while you slept would have been easy for me."
Shiki's expression truly changed slightly at that.
"But honestly, dying in your sleep like that would be an unbecoming end for a great figure of the sea like you, someone who lived in the same era as Roger and Whitebeard. So let's make a bet."
"A bet? What do you mean, kid?"
"It's simple, Shiki-san. Don't you want to know what gives me the right to say I can change the world? That future is still far away, and you may not live to see it, but if I'm going to change the world, then overwhelming power is indispensable. So let's make a bet."
"The terms are this. I'll release you here, Shiki-san. But for the next twenty-four hours, I need you to cause chaos in Impel Down, and you cannot expose our existence. After one day, I won't interfere with whatever you choose to do. But fifteen days from now, I'll be waiting for you in South Blue, on an island called Sabah Island. In the end, only one of us will leave that island alive. What do you think of that bet?"
After hearing Yemu's words, the surprise on Shiki's face slowly turned into admiration.
"I have to say, kid, you really are like that guy Rocks. Both of you are so confident... In that case..."
As Shiki spoke, he stood tall and proud, his supreme presence returning in full.
"No problem. I accept your bet. Now release me."
"Then the bet is set."
Without the slightest hesitation, Yemu drew Shishimaru from his waist and swung it downward in a single slash.
The restraints wrapped around Shiki split cleanly in two.
"Bang..."
Shiki did not hesitate either. He exerted strength through his whole body, his muscles swelling as the chains snapped apart and scattered in every direction.
"Shihahahahaha..."
Free once more, Shiki felt a sense of ease he had not known in far too long, and he threw his head back in loud laughter.
Yemu looked at the Seastone handcuffs still fastened around Shiki's wrists and ankles.
"I suppose you don't need me to unlock those for you, Shiki-san."
A crimson gleam flashed through Shiki's eyes as he looked at the young man before him.
"Of course not."
As soon as he spoke, Shiki reached out, gripped the Seastone handcuffs, and crushed them by force.
Feeling his Devil Fruit power and physical strength return to his body, Shiki burst into wild laughter again. Then he slowly floated upward, looked down at Yemu, and said,
"Thanks, kid. Fifteen days from now, I'll be waiting for you on Sabah Island. But don't expect me to hold back! Shihahahahaha..."
With that, Shiki's figure vanished into the dark cave.
Watching Shiki leave, Lillilu asked softly from Yemu's shoulder, "Are you sure this is all right?"
Yemu shook his head.
"There are risks, of course, but the payoff is just as big. We need someone to draw attention. The next twenty-four hours are crucial for us. We can't waste a single second. But before that..."
As Yemu spoke, he looked toward Dr. Furumi, whose eyes had been fixed on Kuromu the entire time.
Sensing Yemu's gaze, Dr. Furumi jumped in fright. Then he heard words that surprised him.
"Dr. Furumi, right? Would you be interested in serving me?"
"Huh?"
"I can take you out of here and give you freedom. Oh, and there are three more companions like Kuromu."
Without the slightest hesitation, Dr. Furumi agreed.
"I accept."
"Good. Then next, aside from taking every last fruit from the Zoan ability users in Nicholas's collection, we'll also try our luck with the more interesting ability users in LV6 Eternal Hell. For example, the one called the World Destroyer, Byrnndi World... Ayala, now it's time for your Luck Fruit to shine. To achieve our goal and save time, we'll need to go all out this time."